English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For 15 July/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew 16/11-20: "How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah."

Titels For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 14-15/2022
Lebanon: Mikati Asks Aoun to End Meddling in Cabinet Formation
Lebanon: Aoun Tackles Israeli Violations with UNIFIL Commander
In a first, Lebanese navy to operate drones to aid maritime border security
Victims of Beirut Blast File Lawsuit against US Firm
Biden pledges to confront Iran, Hezbollah in US-Israel joint declaration
Visiting Austrian chancellor says Vienna ready to help rebuild Beirut port
Aoun says waiting for 'new approach' from Mikati
Lebanese sources say gas talks ongoing, Aoun committed to 1701
Mikati says not seeking to prevent Aoun from voicing reservations
Mikati says he called Aoun for a meeting, hasn't heard back since
Israeli minister says seeking Lebanon deal that will protect Israel's assets
Report: Israel disappointed after Hochstein reports no Lebanese flexibility
US firm named in Beirut blast lawsuit denies wrongdoing
Grillo says Lebanon no longer an international priority
Fires at Beirut silos spark memory of deadly port blast
Bassil lauds resistance as strong point for Lebanon in demarcation file
Jumblat: Nasrallah blocked agreement chances on Line 23
Gemayel: Nasrallah has declared himself president, PM and army chief
Finance Committee approves $150 mn World Bank wheat loan
Hezbollah threatens Israel with escalation in border spat
Nasrallah speech prompts Lebanese fears of Israel escalation amid maritime border row
Geagea and Aoun: The Hezbollah’s PetainsظTom Harb/ January 19/16

Titles For Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 14-15/2022
Biden Says he Would Keep IRGC on Terrorism List
Israel U.S. sign 'Jerusalem Proclamation', pledge to deny Iran nuclear weaponry
US, Israel Sign Joint Pledge to Deny Iran Nuclear Weaponry
US to use all 'national power' to stop Iran atomic bomb
Biden affirms U.S. commitment to Israel's security
Lapid thanks U.S. for decision to keep IRGC on terror entity list
Herzog presents Biden with prestigious Presidential Medal of Honor
Tensions over Iran nuclear deal disrupt Biden's kumbaya moment in Israel
Iran president warns US and its allies against undermining regional security
Sweden: Iranian Gets Life in Prison for 1980s War Crimes
Relative of Maher Al-Assad's Wife Buys Real Estate for Iran-Backed Militias
Will Grundberg Succeed at Extending Yemen's Truce without Opening Crossings?

Titles For LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 14-15/2022
Russia Gives NATO New Lease on Life/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/July 14/2022
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Protected the Indo-Pacific Region for the Free World/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/July 14/2022
Biden in Bethlehem/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al-Awsat/July, 14/2022
Washington Should Keep the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya on Its Sanctions List/
Saeed Ghasseminejad and Richard Goldberg/Policy Brief/July, 14/2022
Iranian civil society needs West’s help/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 14/ 2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 14-15/2022
Lebanon: Mikati Asks Aoun to End Meddling in Cabinet Formation
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has said the Presidency should end all interferences that delay the formation of the government. He asserted on Wednesday that he would continue to work to end the political stalemate. Mikati's office contacted the director of protocols at the Baabda Palace to request an appointment, and the response was: "We will get back to you shortly."The premier's media office slammed fabricated news about the mediation of a cabinet minister, which the minister himself denied. Baabda Palace issued a statement saying Aoun was following the formation of the cabinet, which prompted Mikati's office to say: "It is remarkable that so far, the Palace has not issued a response, knowing that it is keen on following up on every detail, and issues a clarification or an official statement that puts things in perspective.”Mikati is holding onto the lineup he presented to Aoun, saying it is consistent with his proposals and goals that must be achieved at this critical stage. The statement said that the country's current situation requires a cabinet without any conditions, obstacles, and quotas that some try to fabricate alongside media campaigns that will not impact the Prime Minister's efforts to form a government. It stressed that the Presidency should stop the interventions of some of its associates, and said Mikati would continue to work to get out of the deadlock. The media office confirmed that the premier is "personally" keen to address the crises in Lebanon and continues to carry out the tasks required of the caretaker government within the constitutional principles. It called for cooperating with the PM-designate to form the cabinet and elect a new president within the legal framework.

Lebanon: Aoun Tackles Israeli Violations with UNIFIL Commander
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Wednesday that Lebanon plans to file a complaint with the Security Council against Israel if it continues to violate Lebanese airspace.According to the Lebanese presidency, Aoun had informed the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, about his plans to move against Israel. Aoun noted that Israeli violations have become an "almost daily" practice violating Security Council Resolution 1701. Aoun noted the need for coordination between the Lebanese army and UNIFIL to uphold stability in the southern region and avoid disputes between international soldiers and residents during UNIFIL's patrols in villages. He expressed his hope that the Security Council would extend the period of UNIFIL forces operations at the end of next month. For his part, General Lazaro presented the general situation in the area of ​​operations of the international forces prior to the issuance of the UN Secretary-General report. Lazaro stressed the UNIFIL leadership’s commitment to enhance cooperation with the Lebanese authorities to achieve peace and stability. Moreover, he indicated that the upcoming report covers the period between February 19 and June 20. A consultation session will be held on July 21 to discuss the extension of the UNIFIL mission at Lebanon's request. On the other hand, the UNIFIL commander spoke about the support provided by the international forces to the Lebanese Army through in-kind aid. In a related context, the President met the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo. Discussions focused on the general regional and international developments, and on the ways to promote Lebanese-French relations. Grillo stressed the importance of expediting the parliament’s approval of the necessary laws in order to restore the economic and financial situation, in addition to following up on the explosion of the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, revealing its circumstances and determining responsibilities.

In a first, Lebanese navy to operate drones to aid maritime border security
Breaking Defense/July 14/2022
BEIRUT: For the first time Lebanese Naval Forces have received drones to integrate into their maritime border security missions along the Middle East nation’s 225 km long coastline. “The navy recently received eight new drones, of flight duration up to 50 minutes, through a program of the United Nations Office for the Control of Crime and Drugs, UNODC, aiming to increase the capabilities of the service and specialized inspection teams in the field of maritime interception,” Navy Commander Senior Capt. Haissam Dannaoui told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview. “These drones will be placed in centers close to the borders and onboard relatively large boats during their missions near the Lebanese territorial waters.”Dannaoui didn’t specify the type of drones, but sources told Breaking Defense that they are rotary unarmed drones equipped with surveillance and reconnaissance features. “This is the first time we [are adding] drones to the navy’s equipment, to increase the productivity and face challenges during the implementation of the many tasks required by the navy,” Dannaoui said. He added that these unmanned aerial vehicles will help in maritime borders controlling operations, especially in missions related to people smuggling and illegal immigration.“The UAVs will be integrated with the navy’s

Victims of Beirut Blast File Lawsuit against US Firm
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
Victims of Lebanon's deadly 2020 port blast have filed a quarter-billion-dollar lawsuit against a US firm for its suspected links to the tragedy, a Swiss foundation assisting the plaintiffs said Wednesday.The nine plaintiffs are all US citizens and include Sarah Copland, the mother of two-year-old Isaac Copland, who was one of the explosion's youngest victims. The blast -- described as one of the largest non-nuclear explosion in recent history -- killed more than 200 people, wounded thousands and ravaged entire neighborhoods. The cataclysmic explosion happened when what was left of the 2,750-ton stock of ammonium nitrate stored at the port for seven years caught fire.It remains unclear what caused the fire, but victims want the officials whose negligence and corruption allowed the hazardous material to remain poorly stored for years to face justice. Accountability Now said in a statement that the claim was filed this week in Texas against US-Norwegian geophysical services group TGS. The company owns British firm Spectrum Geo, which a decade ago chartered the Rhosus ship, which was carrying the ammonium nitrate that was subsequently unloaded at Beirut port and exploded on August 4, 2020. Accountability Now said Spectrum had "entered into a series of highly profitable but suspicious contracts with the ministry of energy of Lebanon" to transport seismic survey equipment from Lebanon allegedly to Jordan aboard the Rhosus. The minister at the time was Gebran Bassil, President Michel Aoun's son-in-law, who has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the explosion. Spectrum had chartered the derelict Moldovan-flagged Rhosus but the ship never actually set sail. The Lebanese investigation into the blast has faced systematic and blatant political obstruction from day one. The probe has been delayed for months now as a result of lawsuits filed against them by former ministers and those close to influential parties, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and former Minister Suleiman Franjieh. The lead counsel in the "strict liability" case is US firm Ford O'Brien Landy LLP, and Accountability Now's lawyer Zena Wakim said TGS's response should be known "in the coming months". "This lawsuit is a first. It's a way of circumventing the obstruction that the investigation has faced in Lebanon," Wakim told AFP. "The evidence that will be generated by this lawsuit can also benefit the Lebanese investigation," she said. "The spirit of the claim is to benefit all the victims."

Biden pledges to confront Iran, Hezbollah in US-Israel joint declaration
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
President Joe Biden pledged Thursday to address Israeli concerns about Iran and its support for Hezbollah, in a security declaration signed with Israel.n "The United States further affirms the commitment to work together with other partners to confront Iran's aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," the declaration said. In the document inked by Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, the two countries reaffirmed "the unbreakable bonds" between them and "the enduring commitment of the United States to Israel's security."It also committed Washington to use "all elements of its national power" to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Visiting Austrian chancellor says Vienna ready to help rebuild Beirut port
Associated Press/July 14/2022
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met Thursday with President Michel Aoun after visiting the blast-hit Beirut port, telling reporters that Austria is willing to contribute to its reconstruction once a reform-minded government is in place in Lebanon. "Austria offered to support Lebanon to rebuild the harbor with other EU member states because the harbor is important, especially with the (current) food crisis," he said. Lebanon's cash-strapped government has not yet put in place a reconstruction plan for the heavily damaged port. Over a year ago, a consortium of German firms presented a proposal to rebuild the port, but nothing came of it. Earlier this year, the Lebanese government contracted a French shipping company to run the ports' container terminal.

Aoun says waiting for 'new approach' from Mikati
Naharnet/July 14/2022
President Michel Aoun announced Thursday that he is “waiting for a new approach” from PM-designate Najib Mikati in light of the observations he had voiced over the proposed cabinet line-up. “The dire need today is for a fully constitutional government that can take executive decisions, not for statements and leaks that further complicate things,” the Presidency said in a statement. “President Aoun has never closed the palace’s door in the face of anyone and he certainly won’t close it in the face of the PM-designate, but he was waiting for a new approach in light of the observations he had expressed over the proposed line-up,” it added. Noting that it is lamentable to “suggest that the Presidency is insulting the premiership’s standing,” the Presidency stressed that Aoun “will not give up his full constitutional partnership” in the formation of the government. “The President has his opinion and remarks and he is responsible towards his constitutional oath and towards the people. He does not intend to renounce this responsibility and it is not in his calculations to accept the policy of imposition,” the Presidency added. Aoun had earlier in the day met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. “Lebanon is a peace-loving country and it is clinging to its full sovereignty and its right to utilize its natural resources, including the extraction of oil and gas,” Aoun told Nehammer.

Lebanese sources say gas talks ongoing, Aoun committed to 1701
Naharnet/July 14/2022 
The indirect negotiations over the demarcation of the sea border between Lebanon and Israel are “still ongoing,” official Lebanese sources said on Thursday. In remarks to LBCI television, the sources hoped the official Israeli response to Lebanon’s latest proposal “will come soon.”
“President Michel Aoun had warned in talks with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein against the risks emanating from wasting time in the negotiations, saying that Lebanon needs its oil and gas to address the economic problems,” the sources added. The sources also emphasized that Aoun is “committed to Resolution 1701,” which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The remarks come a day after Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened Israel with military escalation if a future deal over the disputed maritime border does not come in Lebanon's favor. He warned that sending unarmed drones over the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean earlier this month was "a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading.”"If we go to war, we might impose our conditions on the enemy," Nasrallah said, adding that if the Americans "don't give us our rights that are demanded by the state and if you don't allow companies to extract (oil) God knows what we will do. We will turn over the table in the face of the world."

Mikati says not seeking to prevent Aoun from voicing reservations
Naharnet/July 14/2022
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Thursday responded to a new statement issued by the Presidency. “Mr. Premier appreciates what was mentioned in the presidential statement’s third clause in terms of disavowing the insults that some of the president’s close associates are making… He also lauds Mr. President’s keenness on not insulting the Premiership post,” Mikati’s press office said in a statement. “As for the issue of the president’s constitutional right, Mr. Premier announced that he had presented a cabinet line-up that represented the outcome of his contacts,” the statement said. “He has started discussing it with Mr. President, and accordingly Mr. Premier has never said that he wants to strip the president of his right to express his opinion and observations,” the statement added. In its statement, the Presidency had noted that it is lamentable to “suggest that the Presidency is insulting the premiership,” adding that the president “will not give up his full constitutional partnership” in the formation of the government. “The President has his opinion and remarks and he is responsible towards his constitutional oath and towards the people. He does not intend to renounce this responsibility and it is not in his calculations to accept the policy of imposition,” the Presidency added.

Mikati says he called Aoun for a meeting, hasn't heard back since
Naharnet/July 14/2022 
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati had called President Michel Aoun last week to meet with him over the government formation, Mikati's press office said in a statement. "We will get back to you shortly," Mikati's office quoted the chief of Presidential Protocol as saying. "But they haven't called back since," the statement said. Mikati slammed the Presidency's silence in the face of fake news and "repeated offences" against him. He said it's the President's responsibility to refute what is being said.

Israeli minister says seeking Lebanon deal that will protect Israel's assets
Naharnet/July 14/2022
Israeli Energy Minister Karen Elharrar held talks Thursday with visiting U.S. energy mediator Amos Hochstein, in the presence of the head of the Israeli delegation to the indirect negotiations with Lebanon. “I will continue to work to create an agreement that will protect Israel's strategic and security assets,” Elharrar tweeted after her meeting with Hochstein. Hochstein for his part said that some of the gaps have been reduced and that good progress has been made in both Lebanon and Israel. "We have reduced some of the gaps, we had good talks. After I return from Saudi Arabia we will continue discussions. There should be a mutual agreement between Israel and Lebanon, and the role of the U.S. is to help reach an agreement that will serve the interests of the two countries. We estimate that we have made good progress in both Lebanon and Israel," Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Hochstein as saying.
Yedioth Ahronoth added that Hochstein “did not convey any significant message from the Lebanese side” to Elharrar. Hochstein is accompanying U.S. President Joe Biden in his ongoing visit to Israel and the region. The meeting with Elharrar comes a day after Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened Israel with military escalation if a future deal over the disputed maritime border is not in Lebanon's favor. Narallah said in a televised speech that Lebanon should be able to extract oil and gas in Lebanese waters. He warned that sending unarmed drones over the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean earlier this month was "a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading." "The message of the drones meant that we are serious and we are not after a psychological war but we are gradually moving in our steps," Nasrallah said, adding that Lebanese officials should take advantage of his group's strength to use it in indirect talks.
Nasrallah added that "whatever we are supposed to do, we will without any hesitation. This message was understood by the Israelis and by the Americans." The incident in the Karish gas field took place soon after Hochstein visited Lebanon and held video talks with Israeli officials and amid reported progress in the negotiations. Lebanon claims the Karish gas field is disputed territory under ongoing maritime border negotiations, whereas Israel says it lies within its internationally recognized economic waters. Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to determine their maritime borders commenced in October 2020, when the two sides held indirect U.S.-mediated talks in southern Lebanon. Since taking over the mediation from late 2021, Hochstein has resorted to shuttle diplomacy with visits to both Beirut and Jerusalem. Nasrallah said it was the first time that Hezbollah sent three drones at the same time adding that when the Israeli forces opened fire near Karish it was a message to engineers at the facility that this is not a safe area. "If we go to war, we might impose our conditions on the enemy," Nasrallah said, adding that if the Americans "don't give us our rights that are demanded by the state and if you don't allow companies to extract (oil) God knows what we will do. We will turn over the table in the face of the world." Israel and Lebanon, which have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to exploit offshore gas reserves as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history.

Report: Israel disappointed after Hochstein reports no Lebanese flexibility
Naharnet/July 14/2022
There is “severe disappointment” among Israeli officials over what they heard from visiting U.S. energy mediator Amos Hochstein, who “did not report any flexibility on the part of the Lebanese” side, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Thursday. “In Jerusalem, there was an expectation that during the visit of U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel, there would be progress towards an agreement, and the current development is particularly worrying in light of (Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan) Nasrallah's threats,” the newspaper added. Yedioth Ahronoth commentator Ron Ben-Yishai meanwhile noted that “while Nasrallah knows that bombing the (Karish gas) rig will be a declaration of war, in practice he is not trying to destroy the rig but only to create a ‘cloud of threats’ that frightens the international community and the Lebanese government.” The report comes after Hochstein met with Israel’s Energy Minister Karen Elharrar on Thursday. Elharrar said after the talks that she “will continue to work to create an agreement that will protect Israel's strategic and security assets.” Hochstein for his part said that some of the gaps have been reduced and that good progress has been made in both Lebanon and Israel. "We have reduced some of the gaps, we had good talks. After I return from Saudi Arabia we will continue discussions. There should be a mutual agreement between Israel and Lebanon, and the role of the U.S. is to help reach an agreement that will serve the interests of the two countries. We estimate that we have made good progress in both Lebanon and Israel," Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Hochstein as saying.

US firm named in Beirut blast lawsuit denies wrongdoing
Agence France Presse/July 14/2022
A US firm targeted in a $250 million lawsuit over the 2020 port explosion in Beirut that killed more than 200 people has denied any wrongdoing in the tragedy. TGS, a U.S.-Norwegian geophysical services group, said it is aware of the suit filed this week in a Texas court by nine plaintiffs who are all US citizens, but said it has not yet been formally served with the papers. "We deny each and every allegation raised in the lawsuit, and intend to vigorously defend this matter in court," TGS said in a statement issued late Wednesday.TGS owns the British firm Spectrum Geo, which a decade ago chartered the Rhosus ship, which was carrying the ammonium nitrate that was subsequently unloaded at Beirut port and exploded on August 4, 2020. Besides the fatalities, the blast wounded thousands of people and ravaged entire neighborhoods. It was described as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in recent history. Accountability Now, a Swiss foundation assisting the plaintiffs, said Spectrum had "entered into a series of highly profitable but suspicious contracts" with the energy ministry in Beirut to transport seismic survey equipment from Lebanon allegedly to Jordan aboard the Rhosus. The minister at the time was Jebran Bassil, President Michel Aoun's son-in-law, who has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the explosion. Spectrum had chartered the derelict Moldovan-flagged Rhosus -- but the ship never actually set sail. The Lebanese investigation into the blast has faced systematic and blatant political obstruction from day one. In its statement, TGS said it had carried out a comprehensive investigation of the circumstances that brought the Rhosus to the port of Beirut and that Spectrum had no responsibility for the explosion. "We are confident that we will prevail in this matter," TGS said.

Grillo says Lebanon no longer an international priority
Naharnet/July 14/2022
Lebanon is no longer an international priority, according to French Ambassador Anne Grillo who told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the world has changed since the start of the Russian war. Grillo said, in remarks published Thursday, that France has no candidates for the Lebanese Presidency, stressing that the international community will be vigilant about holding the Lebanese Presidential election on time. She said the next president must have the ability to restore the confidence of the international community in Lebanon and to make his country's voice heard. "We are no longer hearing Lebanon's voice in international conferences," the French ambassador added. Regarding the border demarcation negotiations, Grillo revealed that she had met twice with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein. "I believe there is a real chance," she said. "We have never been this close to reaching an agreement as we are today."

Fires at Beirut silos spark memory of deadly port blast
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/July 14/2022
Fires burning for days at Beirut's port, severely damaged in 2020 by an enormous explosion, have reignited trauma among Lebanese gearing up to mark the deadly blast's anniversary. On August 4, Lebanon will mark two years since the explosion that killed more than 200 people. It was caused by a stockpile of haphazardly stored ammonium nitrate fertilizer catching fire. The current fires at the port's grain silos -- at risk of collapse due to the earlier damage -- ignited at the start of the month due to fermentation of remaining grain stocks along with rising Summer temperatures. The fires have effectively turned parts of the silos into furnaces, with flames and fumes visible from miles away. "When we see it, we are reminded of the tragedy that took place on August 4" 2020, said Kayan Tlais, who lost his brother in the explosion. "It's a very disturbing sight and there is a sense of pain," he told AFP, the fires flaring behind him. Tlais told The Associated Press the silos are "part of a crime scene" that should be preserved. The fires do not aggravate the existing risk of the silos collapsing over the short-term, authorities and experts said. Attempts to douse them -- by sea, land or air -- are more likely to cause the silos to collapse than the fires themselves, according to caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam who toured the port on Thursday. The government is "studying the best way to treat the situation without resorting to haphazard decisions or demolition," he told reporters. The government in April ordered the demolition of the silos due to safety risks, but that move has since been suspended amid objections, including from relatives of blast victims who want the silos preserved as a memorial site. Salam said that authorities were moving "slowly" to avoid mistakes, but also warned of potential long-term dangers. "If the fires continue, sooner or later, they will consume the grains and empty the silos of their contents, which could cause partial collapse," especially of the most damaged block, he said.
'Extinguish themselves' -
Assaad Haddad, the general manager of the port's grain silos, said the fires were not generating high enough temperatures to cause structural damage nor were they emitting toxic fumes. "This is why we are taking our time to respond," Haddad said. The fires at the silos are not the first of their kind and will likely not be the last as long as grain remains. "The fires will extinguish themselves when the feedstock runs out," said Mohamad Abiad, senior advisor for the minister of environment. "The best thing is to let it burn," he said, noting that dousing in water would only make the grains more humid and accelerate fermentation. Emmanuel Durand, a French civil engineer who volunteered for the government-commissioned team of experts, says the latest fire has only worsened the already poor structural strength of the north block, damaging it in an "irreversible way."He added that he had warned the authorities in numerous reports the silos' northern block is at risk of collapsing. "In the last eight days, basically since the current fire started, we're observing a very significant change in the rate of inclination in the north block. And it cannot be a coincidence," Durand told the AP. "It's making the silo weaker and even more prone to tilting." Lara Khatchikian, whose house near the port was destroyed by the 2020 blast, said that the current fires have taken a toll on her and her family. "Seeing the fire and smelling the smoke is horrible and reignites my family and my neighbors' trauma," she said. Lebanon's cash-strapped government has not yet put in place a reconstruction plan for the heavily damaged port. Over a year ago, a consortium of German firms presented a proposal to rebuild the port, but nothing came of it. Earlier this year, the Lebanese government contracted a French shipping company to run the ports' container terminal.

Bassil lauds resistance as strong point for Lebanon in demarcation file
Naharnet/July 14/2022
FPM chief Jebran Bassil said Thursday that the resistance is a strong point for Lebanon "if we know how to use it." "We want to preserve national dignity and sovereignty," Bassil said in a short recorded video that he posted on his twitter account. He considered that people have misinterpreted his "Karish for Qana" equation. "Do you want your gas? We also want our gas," Bassil said. In a televised speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had announced a new equation, threatening to "flip the table on the entire world" if Lebanon does not get allowed to benefit from its offshore oil and gas resources. "The new equation is Karish, what’s beyond Karish and what’s beyond, beyond Karish," Nasrallah said.

Jumblat: Nasrallah blocked agreement chances on Line 23
Naharnet/July 14/2022
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said Thursday that a statement by Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has put an end to the possibility of reaching a settlement over the Line 23. Nasrallah had threatened, in a televised speech on Wednesday, to "flip the table on the entire world" if Lebanon does not get allowed to benefit from its offshore oil and gas resources. "The new equation is Karish, what’s beyond Karish and what’s beyond, beyond Karish," Nasrallah said. In response to the fiery statement, Jumblat said in a tweet that Lebanon has entered a Russian-Ukrainian war. "Can Nasrallah tell us what is allowed and what is not," Jumblat asked. "It would be better than wasting time on guessing and speculating while the Central Bank's reserves are draining every day," he concluded.

Gemayel: Nasrallah has declared himself president, PM and army chief
Naharnet/July 14/2022
Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel on Thursday lamented that Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “has once again declared himself president, prime minister and army chief at the same time.”“He is ensnaring Lebanon’s people in a new adventure whose price they might pay without taking their permission,” Gemayel tweeted, referring to Nasrallah’s threatening of Israel with military escalation if a future deal over the disputed maritime border does not come in Lebanon's favor. Apparently addressing President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Najib Mikati, Gemayel added: “As for you, where are you? What are you fighting over? Over which presidency and over which government?” “Restoring sovereignty remains the core cause. Without it there can be no state for you to compete over its posts,” Gemayel warned. In a televised speech on Wednesday, Nasrallah said that Lebanon should be able to extract oil and gas in Lebanese waters. He warned that sending unarmed drones over the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean earlier this month was "a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading.”"If we go to war, we might impose our conditions on the enemy," Nasrallah said, adding that if the Americans "don't give us our rights that are demanded by the state and if you don't allow companies to extract (oil) God knows what we will do. We will turn over the table in the face of the world."Noting that there are sides that want to “destroy the country” and to “see people standing in queues and killing each other out of hunger,” Hezbollah’s leader said “threatening with war and going to war would be more honorable than what the enemy wants for us.”“Write down the new equation: Karish, what’s beyond Karish and what’s beyond, beyond Karish, and we are following up on all fields, wells and platforms across Palestine,” Nasrallah added.

Finance Committee approves $150 mn World Bank wheat loan
Naharnet/July 14/2022
The Finance and Budget Committee approved Thursday a $150 million World Bank wheat loan, head of the Committee MP Ibrahim Kanaan said. Kanaan said the committee will press the Cabinet for a unified exchange rate in order to approve the 2022 state budget. A subcommittee had reviewed Wednesday an IMF-requested law that would lift bank secrecy in order to fight corruption and to detect and investigate financial crimes. The Finance and Budget Committee will discuss the bank secrecy law on Monday, Kanaan said.

Jumblat urges power plant, asks if legalizing capital control is 'allowed'
Naharnet/July 14/2022
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat suggested Thursday that “the Egyptian gas and the Jordanian electricity will not come in these circumstances.”“Away from the fantasies of top advisors and the mysterious promises of some major embassies, can the energy portfolio be given to a guaranteed side and a single (power) plant be built, instead of burning the (central bank’s) reserves and eventually running out of them and plunging into the unknown?” Jumblat tweeted. “Away from defiance and heated rhetoric and in line with political pragmatism, is it allowed to legalize capital control and what is the stance of Hezbollah and its allies on this issue?” the PSP leader said in another tweet. “Accordingly, is it allowed to deal with the International Monetary Fund and establish the sovereign fund that is being rejected by the circles of the premiership and its top advisers?” Jumblat added.

Hezbollah threatens Israel with escalation in border spat
BASSEM MROUE/BEIRUT (AP) /July 14/2022
The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group threatened Israel with military escalation Wednesday if a future deal over the disputed maritime border between the two countries is not in Lebanon’s favor. Sayyed Hassan Narallah said in a televised speech that Lebanon should be able to extract oil and gas in Lebanese waters. He warned that sending unarmed drones over the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean earlier this month was “a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading.”On July 2, the Israeli military said it shot down three drones before Hezbollah issued a statement saying they were unarmed and were sent on a reconnaissance mission. “The mission was accomplished and the message was received,” a Hezbollah statement said at the time. Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies that fought a monthlong war in the summer of 2006. Israel considers the Iranian-backed Lebanese group its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. “The message of the drones meant that we are serious and we are not after a psychological war but we are gradually moving in our steps,” Nasrallah said, adding that Lebanese officials should take advantage of his group’s strength to use it in indirect talks. Nasrallah added that “whatever we are supposed to do, we will without any hesitation. This message was understood by the Israelis and by the Americans.”Nasrallah’s refused to comment on the Lebanese caretaker prime minister’s criticism of Hezbollah for sending the drones. Najib Mikati said at the time it was an unnecessarily risky action. “Whether our message was understood in Lebanon or not, we don’t care about that. What is important for us is that the enemy gets the message,” he said. The incident in the Karish gas field took place soon after U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein visited Lebanese and Israeli officials, as talks were advancing. Nasrallah’s comments came hours after President Joe Biden arrived in Israel at the start of his first visit to the Middle East as president. Lebanon claims the Karish gas field is disputed territory under ongoing maritime border negotiations, whereas Israel says it lies within its internationally recognized economic waters.
Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to determine their maritime borders commenced in October 2020, when the two sides held indirect U.S.-mediated talks in southern Lebanon. Since taking over the mediation from late 2021, Hochstein has resorted to shuttle diplomacy with visits to both Beirut and Jerusalem. Nasrallah said it was the first time that Hezbollah sent three drones at the same time adding that when the Israeli forces opened fire near Karish it was a message to engineers at the facility that this is not a safe area.
Nasrallah said that besides the drones, Hezbollah has other capabilities in the air and by sea and “all the options are on the table.”“If we go to war, we might impose our conditions on the enemy,” Nasrallah said, adding that if the Americans “don’t give us our rights that are demanded by the state and if you don’t allow companies to extract (oil) God knows what we will do. We will turn over the table in the face of the world.” Israel and Lebanon, which have been officially at war since Israel’s creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to exploit offshore gas reserves as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history.

Nasrallah speech prompts Lebanese fears of Israel escalation amid maritime border row
Arab News/July 14, 2022
BEIRUT: Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on Wednesday night, in which he ratcheted up tensions with Israel, has raised fresh fears in Lebanon over possible escalations with its southern neighbor.
The speech came amid indirect Lebanese–Israeli talks over the demarcation of the maritime border between the two countries, and follows the downing of three drones flown by Hezbollah towards the Karish gas field by the Israel Defense Forces earlier this month.
Nasrallah warned that sending drones over the field in the Mediterranean earlier this month was “a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading,” adding that “if the results of the negotiations are negative, not only will we reach Karish, but we will also go beyond Karish.”
He added that “maritime border demarcation and Lebanon’s gas exploration and extraction constitutes a crucial matter to save the country,” and stressed that it was necessary to “settle this issue once and for all through demarcation and extraction, or else we will cross all limits and flip the table on everyone.”
In September, a liquefied natural gas production and storage vessel belonging to Energean will start extracting gas at the behest of Israel from the Karish field, which was discovered in 2013.
Part of the field is located within two miles of Line 29 to the north, considered by Lebanon a potential starting point of its maritime border with Israel.
Lebanon recognizes Line 23 as the current demarcation, according to documents submitted to the UN in 2011, and has not yet legally amended its stance, but considers Line 29 to be open to negotiation — whilst the gas field may well extend under it.
Nasrallah described the moment as a “golden opportunity” for Lebanon to exploit Mediterranean gas resources, with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine causing energy issues in Europe, with autumn fast approaching.
The speech raised fears across Lebanon about possible escalation with Israel, with the Energean Power vessel a point of contention amid Hezbollah’s threats to continue to operate drones in the area.
Christina Abi Haidar, a legal expert in oil affairs, cast doubt on the feasibility of exploiting Europe’s energy issues, saying: “In case we find gas, we cannot export it to Europe because we are not part of the EastMed project.”
She told Arab News that Nasrallah’s speech would not help Lebanon’s negotiating position, adding: “Lebanon is no longer the starting point of the maritime demarcation, meaning that what Nasrallah has said does not have any legal grounds.
“Moreover, Hezbollah is part of the ruling class, the government and the Parliament, so why did not it push toward the amendments previously?
Regarding Nasrallah’s remarks and the effect they may have on oil and gas exploration and extraction in the region, Abi Haidar said: “The Israeli party is in a hurry to finish the maritime border demarcation talks with Lebanon because it’s seeking stable security for its companies in the event of any shock, given the high costs.”
She added: “What should be known is that Israel (has) started the exploration phase, while it took us between two to five years to start this phase.”
A number of Lebanese politicians also criticized Nasrallah after the speech.
Progressive Socialist Party head Walid Jumblatt said on social media: “Nasrallah’s speech put an end to the possibility of reaching a settlement regarding Line 23.”
Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel said Nasrallah “is embroiling the Lebanese in a new adventure that might cost them a lot without asking for their permission.”
Lebanese Forces MP Ghayath Yazbeck said: “After Nasrallah’s speech, it became clear to everyone that we don’t have a state. Hezbollah is acting within the frames set by Iran and its calculations are not Lebanese. Nasrallah’s claim that he speaks on behalf of most Lebanese and most Shiites is inaccurate.”
Yazbeck added Lebanon “cannot go to war while it is starving. Nasrallah’s statements are nihilistic.”
Parliamentarian Said Al-Asmar called on Nasrallah to “fight corruption and not cover it with the party’s weapons,” adding: “The decision of peace and war should be left to the state only.”
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil, though, tweeted: “You (Israel) want your gas, then we want our gas too. That is how a strong sate acts. That is how it preserves the national dignity and that is how sovereignty should be.”

Geagea and Aoun: The Hezbollah’s Petains
Tom Harb/ January 19/16
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/35408/tom-harbgeagea-and-aoun-the-hezbollahs-petains/
After being responsible for a devastating civil war among Christians in 1990, which they have never faced responsibility for, and which has led to 15 years of Syrian occupation and 10 years of Hezbollah terror.
After having blocked any liberation of Lebanon by the Cedars Revolution, after having entered in coalition with Hezbollah in 2005, 2006 and having endorsed Hezbollah’s invasion in 2008. After having been sitting on the necks of the Lebanese Christians for 30 years, wasting time with their endless disputes, calculating their political gains over the people’s national interest, Samir Geagea and Michel Aoun finally ended up where they should have been from the beginning: together, in failures and mediocrity. They have united the Christians? Absolutely not. They have united their own political interests. They have contained Hezbollah? Absolutely not, they have been contained like sheep by Hezbollah and Iran. Aoun is in Iran’s pocket, and Geagea is now in support of Aoun, entering Iran’s other pocket. Hezbollah won the game. If the choice is between Frangieh and Aoun, what kind of a choice is that? Between the ally of Nasrallah and the ally of Assad? Aoun’s partisans are delighted to have Geagea support their boss, who is Nasrallah’s man. Geagea’s men are running around telling the Christians, our boss is intelligent, he knows what he is doing. That’s the best way to get out of it. Out of what? Out of the pit that both Geagea and Aoun have thrown the Christians in since 1990 and again after 2005. This is no intelligence, this is cold calculations on behalf of politicians to secure political office and political survival. The difference with the 1990s and the 1980s, Dr Geagea and General Aoun, and today, is that people aren’t dumb, aren’t uninformed and have ways to communicate and expose political opportunism and corruption. You have betrayed the trust of the Christian people in you. For your past battles against the Syrians are now erased from your credit. Like Petain, a hero of France during WWI and a collaborator with the Nazis during WWII, you have become the Petains of 2016. Aoun at the Presidency? Good luck. Geagea winning seats at the cabinet and being received by Rouhani in Tehran. Good luck. You can go far after becoming Hezbollah’s Petains. But one place you aren’t going back to: The hearts of a majority of Lebanese and of the Christian people of Lebanon. And you will see it by yourselves, soon.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 14-15/2022
Biden Says he Would Keep IRGC on Terrorism List
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden said he would use force as a last resort to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon as he began a trip to the Middle East. Speaking in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 TV that was recorded before he left Washington on Tuesday but aired on Wednesday, Biden said he would keep Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list even if that killed off the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Asked if his past statements that he would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon meant he would use force against Iran, Biden replied: "If that was the last resort, yes."Tehran struck a deal with six major powers in 2015 under which it limited its nuclear program to make it harder to obtain a weapon in return for relief from economic sanctions. US President Donald Trump reneged on the deal in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to start violating the agreement's nuclear limits about a year later.Efforts to resurrect the deal so far failed, with a senior US official telling Reuters that chances of its revival were lower after indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Doha two weeks ago. Negotiators appeared close to a new deal in March, but talks broke down largely because of US refusal of Tehran's demand that Washington remove the IRGC from the terrorism list, arguing this was outside the scope of reviving the pact. Asked if he was committed to keeping the IRGC on the FTO list even if that killed the deal, Biden replied: "Yes."

Israel U.S. sign 'Jerusalem Proclamation', pledge to deny Iran nuclear weaponry
Itamar Eichner|/Ynetnews/July 14/2022
U.S. is prepared to use 'all elements of its all elements of its national power' to ensure Iran never has the bomb, ; proclamation addresses Israel boycott and antisemitism, Biden says America to combat forcefully
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday, signed a pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons, closing ranks after long-running disputes between the allies over global diplomacy with Tehran. Biden, who is visiting Jerusalem, said in an interview broadcast on local TV on Wednesday, that he was open to "last resort" use of force against Iran - an apparent move toward accommodating Lapid's calls on world powers to present a "credible military threat" against Israel's arch foe. In their proclamation, signed by the two leaders, the United states confirms its commitment never to allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, "and is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome." "The United States further affirms the commitment to work together with other partners to confront Iran’s aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," Israel and the United States say they are committed to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The proclamation addresses the rise in global antisemitism with an American commitment to combat "all efforts to boycott or de-legitimize Israel," On the Palestinian subject the proclamation states President Biden "reaffirms his longstanding and consistent support of a two-state solution and for advancing toward a reality in which Israelis and Palestinians alike can enjoy equal measures of security, freedom and prosperity."

US, Israel Sign Joint Pledge to Deny Iran Nuclear Weaponry
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge on Thursday to deny Iran nuclear arms. "We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," Biden told a news conference following the signing of the declaration. Thursday's statement reaffirmed US support for Israel's regional military edge and ability "to defend itself by itself". "The United States stresses that integral to this pledge is the commitment never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome," the statement added.
Lapid said the international community must be willing to use force against Iran in order to halt its nuclear program. “The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force,” he said after the signing ceremony. “The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table.”Speaking alongside him, Biden described preventing a nuclear Iran as "a vital security interest for Israel and the United States and, I would add, for the rest of the world as well". Biden has pushed for a return to the nuclear talks with Iran but said it was up to Iran to respond. "We are not going to wait forever," he said. The Jerusalem Declaration further committed the United States and Israel to cooperating on defense projects such as laser interceptors, as well as on civilian technologies. The United States was open to future defense grants to Israel, the statement said, reaffirming Washington's interest in reviving talks on an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution.

US to use all 'national power' to stop Iran atomic bomb
Agence France Presse/July 14/2022
The U.S. will use "all elements of its national power" to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, President Joe Biden pledged in a security declaration signed with Israel on Thursday. In the document inked by Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, the two countries "reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two countries and the enduring commitment of the United States to Israel's security." It also commits Washington to "never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."The United States "is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome" adds the statement, called "The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration."The text was signed as Biden met with Israeli officials on the second day of his first Middle East tour as president. His delegation will fly onwards to Saudi Arabia, Iran's main regional rival, following talks Friday with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Lapid has said that countering Iran would be the "foremost" issue during bilateral talks.In the joint declaration, the "United States reiterates its steadfast commitment to preserve and strengthen Israel's capability to deter its enemies and to defend itself by itself against any threat or combination of threats." It also addresses broader Israeli concerns about Iran, notably the Islamic republic's support for the Palestinian Islamist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement. "The United States further affirms the commitment to work together with other partners to confront Iran's aggression and destabilizing activities, whether advanced directly or through proxies and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," the declaration said.

Biden affirms U.S. commitment to Israel's security
Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews/July 14/2022
U.S. President Joe Biden said in conclusion of 50 minute meeting with Prime Minister Yair Lapid that the leaders discussed challenges and opportunities in Mideast, says committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capability
U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to Israel's security. After a 50 minutes meeting with Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem the president said the leaders discussed their budding personal friendship in an honest conversation. "We spoke about the challenges and the opportunities the Middle East has to offer and on our talks with India and the UAE," expected later in a virtual summit meeting. Prime Minister Lapid said they discussed Saudi Arabia and the need to form a coalition of moderate states in the region in the face of Iran. "We believe Iran poses a danger to the entire world and not only to Israel," he said. Biden and Lapid will sign the "Jerusalem Proclamation," in which bilateral relations will be further cemented and the American commitment to Israel's security will be reinforced. A U.S. official told reporters in a briefing on Wednesday that the proclamation will state the U.S. commitment never to allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Despite differences of opinion on the need to return to the 2015 deal with Iran, the talks between the two leaders are held in a stress-free manner. "We are committed to working together to combat Iranian aggression," the official said.

Lapid thanks U.S. for decision to keep IRGC on terror entity list
Itamar Eichner|/Ynetnews/July 14/2022
U.S. President Joe Biden receives briefing from PM on Israeli efforts to improve lives of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians, 'don't surprise us,' Biden says on conflict; Tells host U.S. cannot wait forever to resume nuclear deal
Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday, thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for his decision not to remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps from the list of terror entities. In their 50 minutes meeting in Jerusalem, Lapid briefed the president on the efforts taken by Israel to improve the lives of West Bank and Gaza residents. "Don't surprise us," when it comes to the matter of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and West Bank settlements. the president said the leaders discussed their budding personal friendship in an honest conversation. "We spoke about the challenges and the opportunities the Middle East has to offer and on our talks with India and the UAE," expected later in a virtual summit meeting. Prime Minister Lapid said they discussed Saudi Arabia and the need to form a coalition of moderate states in the region in the face of Iran. "We believe Iran poses a danger to the entire world and not only to Israel," he said. Biden and Lapid will sign the "Jerusalem Proclamation," in which bilateral relations will be further cemented and the American commitment to Israel's security will be reinforced. Following their meeting, the leaders joined a virtual summit with the leaders of India and the UAE, a newly formed group called I2U2, that is looking to spur joint investments in water, energy, transportation, food security, and more. India will provide land for the project. U.S. and Israeli private firms are invited to lend their expertise to the project that the group said will help maximize crop yields. The group has set tackling food insecurity in South and Middle East as a major goal. The United Arab Emirates is investing $2 billion to launch food processing centers across India that will use climate-smart technologies to help reduce waste an

Herzog presents Biden with prestigious Presidential Medal of Honor
Associated Press,Ynet/July 14/2022
Israeli president thanks American counterpart for long-standing camaraderie and support of Israel; Biden calls prize 'one of the greatest' honorary moments of his almost-50-year career in politics
President Isaac Herzog presented U.S. President Joe Biden with Israel's prestigious Presidential Medal of Honor on Thursday at his residence in Jerusalem. Presenting Biden with the medal, Herzog thanked his American counterpart for his longstanding support of Israel and spoke of the need to transform the Middle East. "Together, we can create not only a new Middle East but a Renewable Middle East: a regional ecosystem of sustainable peace," Herzog said. "Under your leadership, we can continue transforming our region from a source of global tension to a source of global stability and progress. The Middle East can grow into a meeting point for climate innovation and combined medical research, clean energy and peaceful exchange among faiths and peoples. This is the blessing you will bring in the coming days to your meetings in Jeddah."
Biden, on his part, reiterated the United States' commitment to Israel and called the prize "one of the greatest" honorary moments of his almost-50-year career in politics. The American leader received a warm welcome as his motorcade arrived at the official residence in the capital, escorted by a cavalcade carrying U.S. and Israeli flags. Biden was greeted by President Herzog and his wife Michal as they escorted him along a row of smiling children excitedly waving American and Israeli flags. A loud technopop version of the Israeli song, "I was born for peace," written in 1979 to mark Israel's peace agreement with Egypt, blared in the background. Biden signed the guestbook and shook Herzog's hand before noting that the president's grandfather, the late Yitzhak Halevi Herzog, was the chief rabbi of Ireland. Biden often proudly boasts of his Irish roots."Bougie, my friend, thank you for all you and your family have done to deepen the ironclad bond between our two great countries," Biden wrote in the guestbook, referring to Herzog by his nickname. "From our shared Irish roots to our shared love of Israel, we are united in heart and spirit. May our friendship endure and continue to grow! That is the Irish of it, as my grandfather Finnegan would say. God bless you. Joe. 7.14.22."Herzog remarked that "I also think it's a great day for the Irish today." Biden also met former prime minister and Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom the American president has shared friendly relations for the past four decades, at the Jerusalem residence.
On Wednesday, Biden was seen shaking hands with Netanyahu shortly after he landed at Ben Gurion Airport and was heard telling the former Israeli leader "you know I love you."
The Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor was first presented by late president Shimon Peres in 2021 and has since been awarded to 26 individuals Honorees have included former U.S. president Barack Obama; former German chancellor Angela Merkel; former Chief Rabbi of Israel Yisrael Meir Lau; and late Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel. It is granted to people who have made outstanding contributions to the State of Israel or to humanity, through their talents and service

Tensions over Iran nuclear deal disrupt Biden's kumbaya moment in Israel
Maureen Groppe and Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY/July 14/2022
JERUSALEM – President Joe Biden's meetings with Israeli leaders on Thursday delved into divisions over how to keep Iran from becoming a nuclear power. At first, it was mostly kumbaya between Biden and new Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. With the prime minister at his side, Biden said their bilateral meeting was a "good beginning" of what's going to be "a long, God-willing, relationship" between the two leaders. "I think the vast majority of the American public, not just my administration, is completely devoted to (Israel's) security," Biden declared. The president acknowledged that he and Lapid discussed his administration's desire to revive a nuclear deal with Iran, brokered by the U.S. and other world powers in 2015. The deal curbed Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities, but Tehran stopped adhering to its limits after the Trump administration withdrew from the pact.
"There will be no nuclear Iran. This is not only a threat to Israel, but to the world," Biden said. "And we discussed some other issues we are going to keep to ourselves." But at a news conference later, Lapid lectured Biden on the issue. In prepared remarks, the Israeli leader pushed Biden to change course on Iran. Lapid said no amount of words or diplomacy would stop Iran from further developing its nuclear program. "The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table," Lapid told Biden. Biden said in his opening remarks that he would be maintaining his approach. "I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome, and we'll continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region." Lapid said later that no daylight exists between the two allies on the desired outcome, which is keeping Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Timeline: How tensions escalated with Iran after Trump withdrew US from nuclear deal. The U.S. president said Iran has an opportunity to accept the agreement that is before them. "If they don't, we made absolutely clear: we will not, let me say it again, we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."
The U.S. and Israel also issued a joint statement outlining areas of consensus and launched a partnership on emerging technologies.
The latest:
The tension: Biden’s relationship with Israel has been strained by his attempts to restart the 2015 deal with Iran which Israel viewed as too weak. The diffuser: The U.S. and Israel released a joint declaration that affirmed America’s “moral commitment” to Israel's security. The statement says the U.S. is “prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure” that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.” Two-state solution: Biden said he would discuss his support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, "even though I know it's not in the near term."
The bottom line: Rather than launch a new peace initiative, Biden will encourage both sides to “move closer towards a vision that works for both Israelis and for Palestinians, and for the region as a whole,” according to Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser.
Joint ventures: The U.S. and Israel are launching a "high-level strategic dialogue" on technology. That's in addition to a partnership on a laser-enabled missile defense system being developed that Biden was briefed on Wednesday. First up: Biden's first meeting of the day was with Lapid, who recently became the acting prime minister of Israel after the collapse of a coalition government. New partnership: Biden also held talks with the leaders of Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates — a grouping the nations are referring to as the I2U2 that they say will work together on food security challenges and clean energy initiatives.
Why it matters: Biden's efforts to build stronger alliances with Indo-Pacific powers is a feature of his foreign policy. He met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Europe in June at the Group of Seven economic summit, and in Tokyo in May, when the U.S. and a dozen other countries launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. India is also a part of the Quad, an informal security alliance between Japan, the U.S. and Australia. Medal of Honor: Biden – who is making his 10th trip to Israel, though only his first as president – received Israel's Presidential Medal of Honor to recognize his decades of support.
Bibi meeting: In what experts say is an attempt to avoid showing favoritism in the upcoming election, Biden also met with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the opposition party who is vying to make a comeback. Sports Break: Biden ended his day at the Maccabiah Games, where he met with U.S. athletes participating in the sporting event. “I’m so damn proud of you,” he told them.
What's about to happen
Biden will conclude his trip to Israel on Friday. Before he flies to Saudi Arabia, he will meet in Bethlehem with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. They will deliver joint statements from the West Bank and Biden will visit the Church of the Nativity.
Top takeaways
Despite their differences on Iran, Israelis still like Biden personally, says David Makovsky, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Biden as an individual is very popular because they like the visceral politicians who wear their love of Israel on their sleeves,” Makovsky said. “He does.”
But Israelis know that progressives in the Democratic Party are pushing Biden to get tougher on Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians, according to Tamar Hermann, a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. Plus, Hermann said, Biden succeeded former President Donald Trump, a very popular figure in Israel. Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and helped normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations. At Thursday's news conference, Biden and Lapid were pressed on their differing views on Iran and help for the Palestinians. But they were not asked about Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist who was shot dead in May while reporting on an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank. Biden said "Israel must remain an independent democratic Jewish state" to guarantee the security of the Jewish people and the entire world. "I believe that to my core, and the best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution," he said.
What they are saying
Shortly after arriving in Israel Wednesday, Biden called the connection between the Israeli people and the American people "bone deep." "And generation after generation, that connection grows," Biden said. Lapid said Biden's relationship with Israel has "always been very personal." He called Biden "one of the best friends Israel has ever known." U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, putting the energy security aspect of Biden's trip into context, told reporters that the U.S. is in "constant contact" with oil producers in the Gulf and globally. "We’re also working, obviously, on domestic production as well. And those conversations will continue during this trip," Sullivan said. Appearing virtually at the I2U2 summit, UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed said that although the countries do not share geographic borders, they face "overlapping challenges," including food and energy security, healthcare and climate change. Lapid added that "no single country, no matter how big or how rich, can deal with" these challenges alone. Biden brought up Russia's war on Ukraine and the pandemic as examples of issues that "require cooperation and coordination" between nations. At a Medal of Honor ceremony, where he was the honoree, Biden said Israel "will never dwell alone" as long as the U.S. exists: "America's commitment to Israel's security remains ironclad." Want to know more? Here's what you missed: Avoiding handshakes: Could COVID help Biden avoid a controversial interaction in the Mideast? 'Nobody has any hope': Ahead of Biden's Middle East trip, some Palestinians say he's no different than Trump
US officials: Shot that killed Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh likely fired from Israelisز A signal of 'impunity'?: Biden's trip to Middle East pits human rights against geopolitical reality
*This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden in Israel: Talk of Iran nuclear deal adds tension to visit

Iran president warns US and its allies against undermining regional security
Agence France Presse/July 14/2022
Iran warned the United States and its allies against undermining regional security after U.S. President Joe Biden signed Thursday a security pact with Israel during a visit to the Jewish state. "I tell the Americans and their regional allies that the Iranian nation will not accept any crisis or insecurity in the region, and that any mistake made in this region will be met with a harsh and regrettable response," Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said in televised remarks.

Sweden: Iranian Gets Life in Prison for 1980s War Crimes
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
An Iranian citizen was Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by a Swedish court after being convicted of committing grave war crimes and murder in the 1980s. The Stockholm District Court said that Hamid Noury, 61, took part in severe atrocities in July-August 1988 while working as an assistant to the deputy prosecutor at the Gohardasht prison outside the Iranian city of Karaj. A life sentence in Sweden generally means a minimum of 20 to 25 years in prison, but it could be extended. If he is eventually released, Noury will be expelled from Sweden. Noury can appeal the verdict.
The court said Noury participated “in the executions of many political prisoners in Iran in the summer of 1988" and had “the role of assistant to the deputy prosecutor” at the prison "jointly and in collusion with others been involved in the executions." The acts were deemed as a serious crime against international law, the court said. A second wave of executions was directed at left-wing sympathizers who were deemed to have renounced their Islamic faith, the court statement said, adding “these acts have been deemed as murder.” They said Iran’s supreme leader at the time, Ayatollah Khomeini, had issued an execution order for all prisoners in the country who sympathized and remained loyal with the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, known as MEK. Due to that order, a large number of prisoners were executed in the Gohardasht prison between July 30 and Aug. 16, 1988, the Swedish prosecutors said. Amnesty International has put the number executed on government orders at around 5,000, saying in a 2018 report that "the real number could be higher". Iran has never acknowledged the killings. During the trial proceedings that ended May 4, Noury has denied wrongdoing. Judge Tomas Zander said that Noury had claimed that the evidence against him had (been) fabricated” by the Mujahedin. “However, nothing substantial has emerged which gives the court reason to question the investigation’s reliability and robustness,” Zander said. “We are of course disappointed,” defense lawyers Thomas Söderqvist and Daniel Marcus told the Swedish news agency TT. They said they would appeal the verdict. Balkees Jarrah, interim international justice director at Human Rights Watch, called it “a meaningful moment" for survivors and the family of the victims. “The ruling sends a message to the most senior Iranian officials implicated in these crimes that they can’t remain beyond the reach of justice forever," she said in a statement.

Relative of Maher Al-Assad's Wife Buys Real Estate for Iran-Backed Militias
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
Iranian militias continue to purchase real estate in Moadamiyat al-Sham city in the western countryside of Damascus, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The Observatory said the Syrian man from Deir Ezzor named "Mersal," a relative of Maher al-Assad's wife, is buying the real estate. Maher al-Assad is the brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and commander of the 4th Division. The Observatory quoted a source saying Mersal and his followers of the 4th Division and others from Deir Ezzor purchase real estate in Moadamiyat al-Sham, which is of great symbolic importance to Iranian-backed militias and the 4th Division. Mersal buys as much real estate as possible in the area, whether homes or shops, through various means and methods, such as paying large amounts of money or using force if anyone refuses to sell his property. SOHR sources added that during Eid al-Adha, Mersal slaughtered dozens of cattle and distributed them to the inhabitants and residents of Moadamiyat al-Sham to lure them and win their affection. It is worth noting that the properties acquired by Mersal for dozens of Iranian-backed militiamen have not yet been inhabited by anyone and have not been sold.

​Will Grundberg Succeed at Extending Yemen's Truce without Opening Crossings?
Aden -Ali Rabih/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 14 July, 2022
About two weeks before the end of the first extension of the fragile Yemeni truce, legitimate pro-government circles are frustrated by the failure to open the crossings between the contact lines and to end the siege around the city of Taiz, as UN Envoy Hans Grundberg has so far been unable to persuade the Houthi militias to agree to his proposal. While Yemen’s Presidential Command Council faces popular pressures that may prevent it from agreeing to extend the truce for a second time after Aug.2, Grundberg is counting on European and American support to the extension, even if he did not reach an agreement with the Houthis over ending the siege of Taiz. Grundberg did not hide his disappointment, too, at the Houthis’ rejection of his updated proposal to open crossings. However, he believes that the existing truce, especially with regard to the cease-fire, should not be neglected, in order to launch simultaneous discussions on security and economic files, as he stated in his last briefing to the Security Council. Several politicians, who spoke with Asharq Al-Awsat, believe that a new truce extension will be approved, but stress that the priority will be on ending the seven-year siege imposed on Taiz, before engaging in any discussions on other files. The Undersecretary of the Yemeni Ministry of Justice in the legitimate government, Faisal Al-Majidi, noted that the United Nations, the US and the international community were not exerting enough pressure on the Houthis to make them open the crossings and end the siege. Al-Majidi admitted that only few options remained for the Leadership Council, but at the same time, he stressed that US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia would bear some fruits, mainly that he wanted to use the Yemeni file in the mid-term elections on Nov. 8 and would press for a renewal of the truce. For his part, Yemeni political analyst Mohammad Al-Mikhlafi pointed to an “escalating international mood that seeks to end the war in Yemen in any way.”He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “On the internal level, the armistice was a twofold need; But the Houthis’ failure to show any signs of goodwill, and their refusal to open roads to Taiz governorate… may contribute in one way or another to allowing the Presidential Council to act, without yielding to pressures from the UN envoy and those behind him.”Political Researcher Dr. Faris Al-Bayl, for his part, warned that the truce and the Taiz crossings would consume the efforts of the UN envoy for years, just as Hodeidah and its ports have hampered the task of his predecessor, Martin Griffiths, without achieving any peace in Yemen.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 14-15/2022
Russia Gives NATO New Lease on Life
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/July 14/2022
The alliance's new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30, focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China.
The Strategic Concept affirms collective territorial defense as NATO's fundamental mission, and effective deterrence as its main objective.
"The Russian Federation is the most significant and direct threat to Allies' security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.... Its coercive military posture, rhetoric and proven willingness to use force to pursue its political goals undermine the rules-based international order.... In light of its hostile policies and actions, we cannot consider the Russian Federation to be our partner." — NATO 2022 Strategic Concept.
The 2022 Concept also assesses, for the first time, the "challenges" — France and Germany objected to describing China as a "threat" because it was seen as harmful to European economic interests — posed by Communist Party of China.
Finally, the 2022 Concept commits NATO member states to honor previous pledges on defense spending, but there is no enforcement mechanism.
"The February invasion led to promises for even more spending, but many countries remain disappointments. Last month Germany approved a special €100 billion fund to rearm but still won't commit to meeting the spending pledge every year. Italy said in March it will hit 2% by 2028, and Belgium managed to be even more hapless with a vow to reach the goal by 2035. Will Mr. Biden do anything to push these laggards in Madrid?" — Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2022.
"If NATO fails to translate words into action now, it could be fatal for the Alliance." — Ed Arnold, Royal United Services Institute, July 1, 2022.
NATO's new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30 (pictured), focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), responding to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, has announced the biggest overhaul of European defense since the end of the Cold War. By pledging more money, more troops and more unity to deter Russia, NATO leaders have reaffirmed NATO as the cornerstone of transatlantic defense.
The alliance's new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30, focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China.
The document, which sets out the alliance's priorities, core tasks and approaches for the next decade, identifies Russia as the "most significant and direct threat" to Western security and warns that China's "stated ambitions and coercive policies" challenge Western "interests, security and values." It adds that Moscow and Beijing increasingly are working together "to undercut the rules-based international order."
The Strategic Concept affirms collective territorial defense as NATO's fundamental mission, and effective deterrence as its main objective:
"While NATO is a defensive Alliance, no one should doubt our strength and resolve to defend every inch of Allied territory, preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Allies and prevail against any aggressor."
The Madrid Summit Declaration, issued by NATO heads of state and government on June 29, stressed that NATO's Article 5 — the principle that an attack against one member of NATO is an attack on all members — is "iron-clad" and reiterated that the alliance "will defend every inch of Allied territory at all times."
NATO also formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance; increased the number of NATO high readiness troops seven-fold to "well over" 300,000; doubled the number of multinational battlegroups along NATO's eastern flank from four to eight; and enhanced the battlegroups to brigade levels. In addition, the United States announced that it will establish a permanent military base in Poland.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic wake-up call that, thankfully, appears to be revitalizing NATO and bolstering transatlantic unity. There are, however, unanswered questions:
Will NATO be able to sustain its newfound unity of purpose over the medium to long term, especially if Russia cuts off gas supplies to Europe this winter?
Will NATO's infamous Russia appeasers — France, Germany and Italy — maintain a sustained united front against Moscow if that stance threatens future economic, financial or trade opportunities?
Will NATO's notorious free-riders — especially Germany, Italy and Spain — match reality with rhetoric and increase defense spending over the long term?
Will the European members of NATO accept a rebalanced transatlantic partnership in which they shoulder more responsibility for their own defense?
2022 Strategic Concept
The 2022 Strategic Concept adopted in Madrid updates the 2010 Strategic Concept, which became moribund after Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014. The two documents are starkly different and reflect fundamental changes in the global security environment, especially regarding Russia and China:
2010 Concept: "Today, the Euro-Atlantic area is at peace and the threat of a conventional attack against NATO territory is low."
2022 Concept: "The Euro-Atlantic area is not at peace."
2010 Concept: "NATO-Russia cooperation is of strategic importance as it contributes to creating a common space of peace, stability and security.... NATO poses no threat to Russia. On the contrary: we want to see a true strategic partnership between NATO and Russia, and we will act accordingly, with the expectation of reciprocity from Russia."
2022 Concept: "The Russian Federation has violated the norms and principles that contributed to a stable and predictable European security order. We cannot discount the possibility of an attack against Allies' sovereignty and territorial integrity."
2010 Concept: "Notwithstanding differences on particular issues, we remain convinced that the security of NATO and Russia is intertwined and that a strong and constructive partnership based on mutual confidence, transparency and predictability can best serve our security."
2022 Concept: "The Russian Federation is the most significant and direct threat to Allies' security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. It seeks to establish spheres of influence and direct control through coercion, subversion, aggression and annexation. It uses conventional, cyber and hybrid means against us and our partners. Its coercive military posture, rhetoric and proven willingness to use force to pursue its political goals undermine the rules-based international order.... In light of its hostile policies and actions, we cannot consider the Russian Federation to be our partner."
The 2022 Concept also assesses, for the first time, the "challenges" — France and Germany objected to describing China as a "threat" because it was seen as harmful to their economic interests — posed by Communist Party of China:
"The People's Republic of China's (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values. The PRC employs a broad range of political, economic and military tools to increase its global footprint and project power, while remaining opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up.
"The PRC's malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security.... It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains.
"The deepening strategic partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order run counter to our values and interests."
The 2022 Concept states that "terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, is the most direct asymmetric threat to the security of our citizens and to international peace and prosperity."
The 2022 Concept maintains the core tasks of NATO outlined in the 2010 Concept: 1) deterrence and defense; 2) crisis prevention and management; and 3) cooperative security (partnerships with non-NATO countries). The 2022 Concept differs in that it places far more emphasis than previously on collective defense and deterrence, especially deterrence by denial (deterring potential aggressors by making it unfeasible for them to succeed):
"We will significantly strengthen our deterrence and defense posture to deny any potential adversary any possible opportunities for aggression. To that end, we will ensure a substantial and persistent presence on land, at sea, and in the air, including through strengthened integrated air and missile defense. We will deter and defend forward with robust in-place, multi-domain, combat-ready forces, enhanced command and control arrangements, prepositioned ammunition and equipment and improved capacity and infrastructure to rapidly reinforce any Ally, including at short or no notice."
The 2022 Concept also stresses the centrality of nuclear weapons for NATO's deterrence posture:
"The strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the United States, are the supreme guarantee of the security of the Alliance. The independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France have a deterrent role of their own and contribute significantly to the overall security of the Alliance. These Allies' separate centres of decision-making contribute to deterrence by complicating the calculations of potential adversaries. NATO's nuclear deterrence posture also relies on the United States' nuclear weapons forward-deployed in Europe and the contributions of Allies concerned. National contributions of dual-capable aircraft to NATO's nuclear deterrence mission remain central to this effort."
The 2022 Concept stresses that NATO is the "unique, essential and indispensable" forum for "all matters related to our individual and collective security." This statement would appear to effectively end, at least for now, the long-running ideological debate over the European Union's ambitions to achieve "strategic autonomy" from the United States.
The 2022 Concept also stresses the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to NATO:
"The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security. We will strengthen dialogue and cooperation with new and existing partners in the Indo-Pacific to tackle cross-regional challenges and shared security interests."
Finally, the 2022 Concept commits NATO member states to honor previous pledges on defense spending, but there is no enforcement mechanism:
"We will share equitably responsibilities and risks for our defense and security. We will provide all the necessary resources, infrastructure, capabilities and forces to deliver fully on our core tasks and implement our decisions. We will ensure our nations meet the commitments under the Defense Investment Pledge, in its entirety, to provide the full range of required capabilities. We will build on the progress made to ensure that increased national defense expenditures and NATO common funding will be commensurate with the challenges of a more contested security order."
At the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, allies agreed to spend a minimum of 2% percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending. In 2022, only eight of NATO's 30 member states honored their pledges, according to data supplied by NATO.
Germany — the EU's biggest economy — spent only 1.49% of GDP on defense in 2021. That represents an increase of less than 0.5% of GDP since 2015. France, the EU's second-biggest economy, spent 1.93% of GDP on defense in 2021, an increase of only 0.3% of GDP since 2015. Italy, the EU's third-biggest economy, spent 1.54% of GDP on defense in 2021, while Spain, the EU's fourth-biggest economy, spent a mere 1.03% of GDP on defense in 2021, according to NATO data. The numbers show that defense spending is not a priority in most European countries.
Fundamental Shift
At the Madrid Summit, U.S. President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined (here and here) how the alliance has reset its deterrence and defense posture in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine:
More forward deployed combat formations. NATO has enhanced its presence in Eastern Europe with eight multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Their presence is intended make clear that an attack on one ally will be considered an attack on the entire alliance. NATO's battlegroups form part of the biggest reinforcement of NATO's collective defense in a generation.
More high-readiness forces. At the Madrid Summit, leaders agreed to a new NATO Force Model, which will deliver an allied response at much greater scale and at higher readiness than the current NATO Response Force, which it will replace. Under the current system, allies can make approximately 40,000 troops available at less than 15 days readiness. When fully implemented, the NATO Force Model will provide well over 300,000 troops at high readiness. The transition is expected to be completed in 2023.
More pre-positioned equipment. NATO leaders agreed to pre-position more equipment and weapon stockpiles in the eastern parts of the alliance. The move is aimed to enhance NATO's eight multinational battlegroups.
More U.S. permanent presence Europe. Biden announced that the United States will establish its first permanent presence in Poland. He said the U.S. will permanently station the U.S. Army Fifth Corps forward command in Poland, a move that will strengthen U.S.-NATO interoperability across Eastern Europe.
More U.S. troops to Europe. Biden also said that the United States will also send two additional F-35 fighter jet squadrons to the United Kingdom, boost the fleet of U.S. naval destroyers in Spain from four to six, deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Romania, and send additional air defense and other capabilities to Germany and Italy. The United Kingdom also pledged to send 1,000 more troops to Estonia, in addition to the 2,000 British troops already in the country.
More NATO members. In what marks one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades, NATO leaders agreed to invite the previously neutral Nordic states Finland and Sweden into the alliance. Their membership must be ratified by the governments of all 30 NATO members. The ratification process is expected to take up to one year. After the accession of Finland and Sweden, Austria, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta will be the only EU members that are not members of NATO.
At a news conference to mark the conclusion of the Madrid Summit, Stoltenberg said that NATO was facing "the most serious security situation in decades" and that alliance leaders had agreed to a "fundamental shift" in deterrence and defense:
"We have so significantly increased our presence in the eastern part of the Alliance — with more than 40,000 troops under direct NATO command — to remove any room for miscalculation, misunderstanding in Moscow about our readiness to protect every inch of NATO territory."
Expert Commentary
German analyst Ulrich Speck wrote that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has given NATO a new lease on life:
"Instead of being braindead or becoming obsolete, NATO remains at the center of European security. We realize that NATO is not just a Cold War institution that has outlived its purpose; it remains very relevant, as Central Europeans always knew and as the West now fully realizes.
"The core task of NATO is defense and deterrence against Russia, which has adopted an expansionist, revisionist, imperialist identity — instead of accepting the nation state as the new normal in the region, and with it territorial integrity and safe borders....
"To keep NATO strong, Europeans must 'own' NATO, fill it with life. The question of burden sharing is more relevant than ever; as the US is focusing on Asia. Yet to push back against Russia, the US remains indispensable, as the Russian war against Ukraine demonstrates once more."
In an opinion article — "Biden's NATO Summit To-Do List" — the Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal called on the Biden administration to pressure Europeans to do more for their own defense:
"There are already 100,000 U.S. troops in Europe, and other NATO members appear unwilling or unable to fulfill the Baltic countries' request for significantly more troops and maritime and air defenses. European allies could do more for more vulnerable states if they spent more on defense. Last year was the seventh in a row that military expenditures increased across Europe and Canada, according to NATO data, but only eight nations met the spending target of 2% of gross domestic product.
"The February invasion led to promises for even more spending, but many countries remain disappointments. Last month Germany approved a special €100 billion fund to rearm but still won't commit to meeting the spending pledge every year. Italy said in March it will hit 2% by 2028, and Belgium managed to be even more hapless with a vow to reach the goal by 2035. Will Mr. Biden do anything to push these laggards in Madrid?"
In an article — "Strategic Responsibility: Rebalancing European and Trans-Atlantic Defense" —published by the Brookings Institution, analysts Hans Binnendijk, Daniel S. Hamilton and Alexander Vershbow called on European members of NATO to assume greater strategic responsibility but in a way that bolsters the alliance:
"While Russian President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine has reinvigorated the Atlantic alliance, it has also deepened Europe's strategic dependence on the United States. As North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies continue to help Ukraine beat back Russia's assault, they must also address this important longer-term challenge of rebalancing trans-Atlantic defense. Doing so means squaring a triangle of issues: ensuring Europe's capacity to defend itself against Russia and manage a range of additional crises, many along its southern periphery; addressing European aspirations for greater strategic autonomy; and maintaining confidence that the United States can adequately uphold its commitments in both the north Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.
"Advancing greater European strategic responsibility starts by defining the concept in a way designed to strengthen the Atlantic alliance. It should focus on two military goals. First, European allies should build their conventional military capabilities to a level that would provide half of the forces and capabilities, including the strategic enablers, required for deterrence and collective defense against major-power aggression. Second, European allies should develop capabilities to conduct crisis management operations in Europe's neighborhood without today's heavy reliance on U.S. enablers such as strategic lift, refueling, and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR).
"Meeting these two goals would allow Europe to become the first responder to most crises in its neighborhood, acting through NATO, through the EU, or through ad hoc coalitions of the willing. It would permit the United States to shift some of its forces and strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region without any significant reduction in the capabilities needed to deter Russia."
In an essay — "Europe Has an America Problem" — Emma Ashford, an analyst with the Atlantic Council, wrote:
"Four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO stands as a re-energized bulwark against Russian aggression. European leaders across the continent, determined to come together, speak confidently of common purpose.
"Yet for all the talk of European resolve, the past few months have in fact underlined something else: the continent's dependence on the United States to resolve its security problems. That's nothing new, of course. In many ways it's the role America has played since the end of World War II, ensuring — even after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 — that Europe operated under America's military umbrella.
"But while this approach might save leaders from politically difficult choices in the short term, it's ultimately a losing proposition. America, embroiled in domestic problems and ever more focused on the challenge from China, can't oversee Europe forever. And Europe, facing a hostile and revisionist Russia, needs to look after itself....
"If European states are reducing their free-rider problem, they have something perhaps more intractable: a collective-action problem. Simply put, the individual interests and inclinations of the European Union's 27 members, whose countries encompass several thousand miles of territory, make it difficult to forge a common course of action. That's true for many issues, among them economic reform and the role of the judiciary, but it's perhaps especially acute for military and defense policy....
"Central and Eastern European states closest to Russia logically view it as the biggest threat. From farther away, other problems loom larger. Germany and Northern European countries worry about terrorism, France focuses on extremism and unrest in former African colonies like Mali, while Greece and Italy are preoccupied by refugee policy and maritime security in the Mediterranean....
"In the absence of continental consensus, the glue that continues to hold together European security is the United States. Since February, the trans-Atlantic relationship has slid back into a comfortable groove: The United States provides significant personnel and high-tech weaponry, forestalling the need for other NATO members to commit substantial resources or make tough choices about joint defense.
"Politically, America's presence reassures NATO members in Eastern Europe — who have become painfully aware since February that Western European states aren't as willing to take a hard line on Russia — while allowing Germany to lead Europe without bearing too great a financial and military cost. The underlying disagreements haven't gone away. But for as long as American troops and hardware are on the continent, European states can have their cake and eat it, too."
In commentary — "New Concepts but Old Problems: NATO's New Strategic Concept" — Ed Arnold, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, concluded that NATO's greatest challenge will be in translating political rhetoric into action:
"These [NATO] announcements are politically momentous, but also entail a huge risk. The big troop increases will be very expensive as member states experience increasing spending pressures. If these statements are not backed up (there are a total of 71 'we will' commitments across 11 pages), the Alliance could lose trust and credibility, and therefore effective deterrence....
"Despite Ukraine not being a member of the Alliance, the outcome of the war is critical to NATO, European security, and the principle that aggressors cannot redraw international borders by force. NATO has now stated that 'A strong, independent Ukraine is vital for the stability of the Euro-Atlantic area,' and it must follow through with action. However, the announced enhancements to NATO's defense and deterrence posture will come at an eyewatering cost to NATO common funding, which will fall on national defense ministry budgets that are already under strain when it comes to delivering extant equipment budgets. Moreover, with economies hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the cost of living, and inflationary pressure, the ability to sustain political will on NATO funding will diminish....
"Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea was a wakeup call that the Alliance didn't fully grasp. Some modest transformation did occur, such as the creation of the NRF and Enhanced Forward Presence, as well as the recommitment to spending 2% of GDP on defense by 2024 at the 2014 Wales summit. However, the political rhetoric was not backed by commitment, which weakened NATO deterrence and might have inadvertently influenced Putin's decision-making calculus towards Ukraine. If NATO fails to translate words into action now, it could be fatal for the Alliance."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based 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.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Protected the Indo-Pacific Region for the Free World
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/July 14/2022
Perhaps Abe's most enduring contribution to the Japanese people was successfully to lead them into accepting a greater responsibility for the defense of the Free World.
Abe's calm demeanor, diplomatic comportment and clarity of thought on strategic security issues helped enable the rapid evolution of the "QUAD" alliance (US, Japan, Australia and India) into a formidable bulwark against Chinese Communist expansionism in the Indo-Pacific.
Abe's most significant contribution to strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific Region may yet materialize: to amend Japan's post World War II Constitution to allow Tokyo more aggressively to project military power in the South and East China Seas. Such as addition would be a great boost to Free Asia's hope to keep the Indo-Pacific secure and free. It is to be hoped that all countries in the region will follow in Abe's extraordinary footsteps.
Perhaps Shinzo Abe's most enduring contribution to the Japanese people was successfully to lead them into accepting a greater responsibility for the defense of the Free World. (Photo by Michel Euler/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Shinzo Abe, the most influential Japanese leader since World II, ushered in accomplishments that were transformative both in Japan's role as a democratic power in the Indo-Pacific Region and as a dynamic player in international affairs. His aggressive initiatives on defense issues significantly strengthened the US-Japanese Alliance, just as China's expansionist aspirations in the South and East China Seas were peaking; he continued to push for an increase in Japan's defense budget right up to his assassination.
As Prime Minister from 2012 to 2020, Abe expanded military-to-military cooperation with Asian democracies and strengthened the combat capability of regional countries threatened by the Chinese Communist government. Abe approved the delivery of aircraft and ships to Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines and maintained his grip on national security matters even after he had stepped down as prime minister. Perhaps Abe's most enduring contribution to the Japanese people was successfully to lead them into accepting a greater responsibility for the defense of the Free World. The presence of Fumio Kishida as the first Japanese Prime Minister to attend a NATO summit in 29-30 June in Madrid is further testament to how far Abe's visionary leadership was respected by other Free World leaders.
Abe infuriated the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership by jettisoning Japan's studied, passive posture in the Pacific as a consequence of its predatory policies against Asian countries in WWII. The CCP propagandists on July 23, 2021 had threatened to abandon China's pledge of "No First Use" of nuclear weapons by making an exception for Japan, should war break out, if it dared to involve itself in the defense of Taiwan. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on December 21, 2021 condemned Japan's decision to support Taiwan in a wartime contingency. Beijing appeared to blame Abe for playing a key role in the US strategic plan to confront China.
Abe's calm demeanor, diplomatic comportment and clarity of thought on strategic security issues helped enable the rapid evolution of the "QUAD" alliance (US, Japan, Australia and India) into a formidable bulwark against Chinese Communist expansionism in the Indo-Pacific. Following the fourth Quad Summit in Tokyo on 23-24 May, US President Joe Biden, in response to a reporter's query if America would militarily defend Taiwan should Communist China launch an invasion, uttered an unambiguous "Yes, that's a commitment we made." The CCP's calculations on any in plan to invade Taiwan doubtless took Biden's response into account.
Abe's determination that Japan must play an active role in the defense of Taiwan seemingly encouraged other Japanese politicians to echo his policy. After Abe resigned in September 2020 as Japan's longest serving Prime Minister due to deteriorating health, his colleagues continued his defense programs. Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, on July 21, 2021, proclaimed that, as any invasion of Taiwan constituted an existential threat to Japan, Japan must defend Taiwan; and that the most distant islands of Japan were only 70 miles from Taiwan. On June 10, 2022, Abe's successor, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in his keynote address at a regional conference in Singapore, made it clear that Abe's forward defense posture would be part of his legacy when he declared that Japan "would contribute to the goal of maintaining a free and open Pacific."
Abe also initiated several militarily significant steps toward improving Free World defense of the Indo-Pacific area. In 2012, Abe authorized the Japanese government's purchase of privately owned Senkaku Islands. They are administered by Japan but also claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu. Abe then created a special police force to monitor any Chinese physical challenges to Japanese sovereignty in the area and ordered Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces to station a permanent presence on Yonaguni Island, the westernmost Japanese sovereign territory near China. Abe had also agreed to permit US Marines to stage amphibious exercises and was modernizing an airport on Tanegashima Island, close to Chinese mainland. On tiny Mageshima Island, not far from the Chinese coast, he had approved a plan whereby US and Japan's fighter jets could practice landing and take-off operations as if the island was an aircraft carrier.
As for China, while Beijing delivered the obligatory diplomatic condolences to Japan, China's social media was filled with hateful commentary. One possible avenue that Japanese investigative authorities might be pursuing concerning Abe's assassination is whether any dimension of China's intelligence operations in Japan ever approached his assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, possibly during his three-year stint as a member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Abe's recent courageous face-offs with China's dictator Xi Jinping included upgrading his warm relationship with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, by staging his first video conference with the Taiwanese leader on May 22 of this year. In that video exchange, Abe expressed a need to overcome diplomatic barriers to strengthen the security of the Indo-Pacific region
Abe's most significant contribution to strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific Region may yet materialize: to amend Japan's post World War II Constitution to allow Tokyo more aggressively to project military power in the South and East China Seas. Such an addition would be a great boost to Free Asia's hope to keep the Indo-Pacific secure and free. It is to be hoped that all countries in the region will follow in Abe's extraordinary footsteps.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 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.

Biden in Bethlehem
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al-Awsat/July, 14/2022
We do not need to wait for the official statements usually issued after official US visits to look into the second stop on their trip, Bethlehem. Situated between two major stops, it is akin to a comma between two lines. The visit to Bethlehem was preceded by developments that set the stage and practical expectations, which are based on how the Americans understand the Palestinian grievances that President Mahmoud Abbas has reiterated, which, in turn, speak to the nominal US position on the Palestinian-Israeli question, though the Palestinians are aware that this rhetoric does not translate into actions. The shift in US policy from the old formula in which financial and administrative facilitations were made in parallel with political steps to a formula based purely on financial and administrative solutions worries the Palestinians more than it reassures them. It has been said a thousand times that financial support cannot replace progress on the political track. Biden’s visit is shorter, but it has many parallels with Bill Clinton’s visit to Gaza and Bethlehem so many years ago. When Clinton was there, a massive American flag was laid on the façade of a ten-storey building in celebration. The Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center, the largest in Gaza and perhaps in Palestine as a whole, was home to a host of political, social and syndical activities held in celebration of the president of the largest country in the world’s visit. These events also demonstrated the great enthusiasm for the removal of two paragraphs of the Palestinian National Charter, a decision that emphasized the sincerity of the Palestinians’ intention to make a fresh start and build lasting peace with Israel. Those organizing the festivities did not anticipate Gaza falling into the hands of Hamas just a few years later. They did not realize that the peace they had sponsored and been promised would morph into a series of unprecedentedly devastating wars.That huge flag was folded as flags are folded in rituals celebrating the funeral of an American soldier or officer; it wasn’t folded only during the rule of Hamas but also during the rule of Fatah, whose leader received the American president while the desired peace is on its deathbed- a peace whose death everyone fears, terrified of its catastrophic unpredictable repercussions.
President Biden offers respirators to this dying body, visiting a Jerusalem hospital without an Israeli escort and offering financial support to the health facilities and perhaps to the authorities’ budget, as well as talk of a two-state solution, which continues to dominate US political rhetoric, with the idea put forward whenever needed. There was no massive American flag this time. Indeed, there was not even one the size of a rearview mirror beside the one demanded by protocol and decency. Biden will leave Bethlehem after having stayed for a few minutes to visit Jerusalem. He will then head to Ben Gurion Airport and take a flight to Jeddah. Abbas will return to his headquarters in Ramallah after having met his prominent guest with a list of demands that he usually describes as simple, just like Arafat. I am not asking for the moon... I am asking for an end to the occupation of my country, an end to settlements, and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem)- the term Al-Sharif, a title Muslims give the city, is a politely worded stand-in for East (Jerusalem)-, and a solution for the refugee question that is in line with international law and UN resolutions.”
They are undoubtedly just demands. Every previous American president elected since his term began has heard them, and they will certainly be heard by the next one. However, as far as Biden, the latest US President to visit, is concerned, they are great in every way besides in practice. The man does not hide his sympathy for the suffering of the Palestinians nor his understanding of the rationale of their demands. However, despite this sympathy and understanding, he sees them as demands that cannot be met in the foreseeable future. Any Palestinian demand, be it small or large, must pass through an Israeli gate closed shut with only a narrow window through which facilitations can pass. Palestinian officials know this well, not by inference but thanks to direct and explicit US statements. However, these officials, especially President Abbas, who has a wealth of experience in how the US engages with the Palestinians, are still working under the formula of demanding a lot and accepting little they see as imposed by realpolitik. This was the case before and during the visit, and it will continue to be the case for a long time.

Washington Should Keep the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya on Its Sanctions List
Saeed Ghasseminejad and Richard Goldberg/Policy Brief/July, 14/2022
As part of negotiations to revive a version of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran is reportedly demanding the suspension of U.S. sanctions imposed on Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) hub for infrastructure and construction projects. If the reports are accurate, Iran is effectively asking President Joe Biden to unshackle the IRGC’s key economic arm from sanctions, thereby undermining the administration’s decision to keep the Guard on the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list.
The Revolutionary Guard operates in Iran’s economy through three key entities sanctioned by the United States: Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, the IRGC Cooperative Foundation, and the Basij Cooperative Foundation. The two cooperative foundations are financial holdings investing in various firms across Iran’s economy, including publicly traded firms. Khatam is the largest construction firm in Iran, dominating infrastructure projects throughout the country.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Khatam is “the engineering arm of the IRGC that serves to help the IRGC generate income and fund its operations. Khatam al-Anbiya is controlled by the IRGC and is involved in the construction of streets, highways, tunnels, water conveyance projects, agricultural restoration projects, and pipelines.” As part of the IRGC, Khatam has a specific disbursement line in the country’s annual budget and helps finance Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile development, and terrorist activities.
Furthermore, using its influence, Khatam receives the lion’s share of the country’s infrastructure projects. Khatam is not just a key generator of revenue for the IRGC; it also provides the IRGC with opportunities to reward loyalists by appointing them to lucrative positions and to expand its web of influence in Iranian society.
The Obama administration did not remove Khatam from the U.S. sanctions list as part of the nuclear deal in 2015. Even while Washington remained in the agreement, Khatam could not engage directly with Western multinational firms. But the IRGC now wants the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to ensure that sanctions relief for Khatam — meaning sanctions relief for the IRGC — is a condition of any revised nuclear deal going forward.
The United States should not lift sanctions on Khatam as part of any new agreement with Tehran. Since the Biden administration recently reaffirmed the president’s view that the IRGC is a terrorist organization and should remain on the U.S. FTO list, sanctions relief guaranteed to pump billions of dollars into the IRGC’s coffers would be a hard sell to Congress and U.S. allies in the Middle East.
*Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior advisor on Iran and financial economics at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Richard Goldberg is a senior advisor. They both contribute to FDD’s Iran Program and Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP). For more analysis from the authors, the Iran Program, and CEFP, please subscribe HERE. Follow the authors on Twitter @SGhasseminejad and @rich_goldberg. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_Iran and @FDD_CEFP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, non-partisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.

Iranian civil society needs West’s help
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 14/ 2022
Not only has a rift within Iran’s political establishment become more noticeable recently, but public dissent against the political establishment also continues to mount, posing a significant threat to the ruling clerics’ hold on power.
The regime last week arrested several high-profile figures, including Mostafa Tajzadeh, one of the best-known political reformists in Iran who served as the deputy interior minister during former President Mohammed Khatami’s administration. The Iranian authorities have accused him of “a conspiracy to act against the country’s security” and he has been charged with “publishing falsehoods to disturb the public mind.” Tajzadeh, who recently criticized Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was previously disqualified from running for the presidency by the regime’s Guardian Council.
Two prominent filmmakers, Mohammed Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad, were also arrested and accused of “association with counterrevolution,” as well as “inflammation and disrupting the psychological security of society.”
Such developments indicate that the Iranian regime is seriously concerned about a potential uprising or a revolt against the political establishment. After all, the regime has been shaken by several major protests in recent years. In the final days of 2017, protests broke out in Iran’s second most-populous city, Mashhad, and immediately spread to dozens of others, with democratic change being the rallying cry. Another uprising in November 2019 presented the clerical regime with an even greater challenge. Terrified by the breadth and organized nature of these protests, authorities opened fire on crowds, killing approximately 1,500 people.
While criticizing the presidential office has become common among Iran’s lawmakers and state-controlled media outlets, pointing a finger at the supreme leader is considered taboo by politicians across the political spectrum, including the moderates, reformists and hard-liners.
Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, who is widely believed to be the cleric who will ultimately succeed Khamenei as supreme leader, has also been a target for criticism by government officials. Poverty, unemployment and inflation have reached record highs during his presidency. Even Mostafa Eghlima, a social worker expert for the Iranian government, recently warned about a potential revolt.
He wrote: “In recent months, every day a section of the community has been protesting their living conditions. Teachers and retirees were among the groups protesting their living conditions. The same is true for other occupational groups. People are unable to tolerate this situation and, if this situation continues, you will have to wait for the explosion of the starved. Do not doubt that if this situation continues, if the explosion of those starving does not happen this year, it will happen next year.”
Instead of addressing the nation’s grievances, the authorities resort to their modus operandi of cracking down on the opposition.
Unfortunately, the regime continues to spend the nation’s wealth on its militia and terror groups across the Middle East, as well as on funding the military adventurism of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its elite branch, the Quds Force, which carries out operations beyond Iran’s borders in order to export and advance the regime’s revolutionary ideals.
In fact, the Iranian leadership has offered little or no response to the people’s demands for an economic policy that shrinks the gap between their stagnant incomes and the rising cost of living.
Instead of addressing the nation’s grievances, the authorities resort to their modus operandi of cracking down on the opposition. The regime frequently deploys its police and security forces to use tear gas and batons and fire shotguns at protesters, which normally results in innocent people being injured or killed.
In its latest report on the situation of human rights in Iran, the UN acknowledged and expressed concern over the regime’s use of excessive force. It reported last month: “Concerning potential violations of the right to life allegedly by the state, including arbitrary executions, use of deadly force by security forces against peaceful protesters and border couriers, as well as arbitrary deprivation of life in detention as a result of torture or denial of timely access to medical care.”
Many Iranians have been asking the international community, particularly the Western powers, to assist them in their goal of fighting the regime’s theocracy and setting up a democratic system of governance. For example, human rights defenders Narges Mohammadi and Alieh Motallebzadeh last month wrote a message from the notorious Qarchak women’s prison to the Melbourne branch of the writers’ association PEN International, stating that the “costly international policies of the regime have paralyzed the economic foundations of the country and social and political suppression has weakened the civil society… We expect you and the international community to support the efforts made by the Iranian civil society and its activists in any way possible.”
One of the most effective methods to counter the Iranian regime is for Western policymakers to support Iranian activists and civil society, as well as to make it clear that they support any effort by the Iranian people to push back against state repression and advocate for democracy.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh