English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For 16 July/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.july16.22.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;
whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
03/31-36: “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the
earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes
from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one
accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this,
that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the
Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in
his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the
Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.”
Question: “What does it mean to have the fear of God?”
GotQuestions.org/July 15/2022
Answer: For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God
and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God (Luke 12:5; Hebrews
10:31). For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The
believer’s fear is reverence of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of
this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us
be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ’God
is a consuming fire.’” This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God
means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the
Creator of the Universe.
fear of God
Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”
Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot
have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that
He is holy, just, and righteous. Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21 records, “And now, O
Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to
walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to
him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who
performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”
The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes,
loving Him. Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him.
While respect is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is
more to it than that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes
understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the
life of a believer. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer.
While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As
children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil
actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear
His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases
Him. Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of
Him. We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans
8:38-39). We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews
13:5). Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great
impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying
Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshiping Him in awe.
Titels
For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
& Editorials published on July 15-16/2022
Report: U.S.-GCC summit to discuss Lebanon's stability, other regional
issues
US says Lebanon-Israel border deal remains 'possible'
Bassil from Hungary urges for Syrian refugees repatriation
Rifi not convinced with Hezbollah as resistance, urges disarmament
MP Tony Franjiyeh says father serious candidate for presidency, ties improving
with FPM
Ambassador Grillo: Lebanon will always matter to France, Macron
Hezbollah Shifts Strategy from 'Defense' to Threatening Israel with Escalation
Lebanon: Fires at Beirut Silos Spark Memory of Deadly Port Blast
US Welcomes Lebanon, Israel Maritime Boundary Efforts
Lebanon: US Firm Named in Beirut Blast Lawsuit Denies Wrongdoing
Hizbullah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah Threatens Gas Drilling Facilities Along
Israel's Shore
Titles For Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 15-16/2022
Saudi Crown Prince Meets with Biden at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah
Biden Pledges to Keep up Efforts for Israel-Palestine Peace
Reema bint Bandar: History Has Shown That the US, Saudi Arabia Have Emerged From
Every Challenge Stronger Together
Biden, Bin Salman begin big meeting with fist bump
In West Bank, Biden embraces 'two states for two peoples'
Gargash: Iran’s Activities Don't Help Diplomatic Efforts, We Are Not Open to
Establishing Axis Against It
Saudi opens airspace to 'all carriers' in gesture to Israel
Iran unveils naval drone division as Biden tours Mideast
Biden Welcomes Saudi 'Historic' Decision to Open Air Space to All Carriers
Iran Warns the US against Destabilizing Regional Security
Director Accuses Iranian Authorities of Kidnapping Him
EU: End of Iran Nuclear Talks Near but May Not Yield Deal
Report: U.S.-GCC summit to discuss Lebanon's stability, other regional issues
Titles For LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on July 15-16/2022
The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration/White
House Briefing Room/July 14/2022
How Can Western Civilization Survive with Reviled Institutions?/J.B. Shurk/Gatestone
Institute/July 15/2022
Boris of Britain: What Went Wrong?/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/July, 15/2022
Ukraine's Future Hinges on Holding the Moral High Ground Now/Anjani Trivedi/Asharq
Al-Awsat/July 15/ 2022
Video From FDD/Biden in the Middle East: Opportunities and Challenges/Tamar
Hermann, Dennis Ross, Ebtesam al-Ketbi, Robert Satloff/July 15, 2022
US report highlights violations of religious freedom by regime in Iran/Ray
Hanania/Arab News/July 15, 2022
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on July 15-16/2022
Report: U.S.-GCC summit to discuss Lebanon's stability, other regional issues
Naharnet/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Lebanon's stability and the independence of its political decisions will be
discussed in a U.S.-GCC summit in Jeddah along with other regional matters, a
Saudi media report said Friday. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet
Arab leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as leaders from Egypt,
Iraq and Jordan to reactivate an annual summit between the United States and the
GCC that had begun during the presidency of Barack Obama. Biden's visit will
likely focus on convincing the world's biggest crude exporter to boost its oil
output.
US says Lebanon-Israel border deal remains 'possible'
Naharnet/Friday, 15 July, 2022
The United States announced Friday that it "remains committed to facilitating
negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to reach a decision on the delimitation
of the maritime boundary." "Progress towards a resolution can only be reached
through negotiations between the parties," U.S. State Department spokesman Ned
Price said in a statement. "The Administration welcomes the consultative and
open spirit of the parties to reach a final decision, which has the potential to
yield greater stability, security, and prosperity for both Lebanon and Israel,
as well as for the region, and believes a resolution is possible," the spokesman
added.
Bassil from Hungary urges for Syrian refugees repatriation
Associated Press/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil urged Friday for a dignified return
of the Syrian refugees to their homeland. Lebanon has one of the world’s highest
numbers of refugees per capita and currently hosts over 1 million Syrians who
fled the decade-old conflict. Officials say the influx has cost Lebanon billions
of dollars and further damaged its crippled infrastructure while it struggles
with a financial meltdown. Speaking from Hungary, Bassil affirmed, as he met
Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó, that crisis-hit Lebanon must have
guarantees that it can extract its gas and oil in any future agreement over its
maritime border. On another note, Bassil said that "solutions can only be
reached through dialogue not sanctions."Szijjártó, for his part, called the
European Union to stop threatening Lebanon with sanctions. Earlier this week,
Hungary’s government had declared an "energy emergency" in response to supply
disruptions and skyrocketing energy prices in Europe. "The sanctions from
Brussels have caused energy prices to rise dramatically across Europe, and in
fact a major part of Europe is already in an energy crisis," said Gergely Gulyás,
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff.
Rifi not convinced with Hezbollah as resistance, urges
disarmament
Naharnet/Friday, 15 July, 2022
MPs Ashraf Rifi, Michel Moawad, Fouad al-Makhzoumi and Adib abdel Massih
announced Friday the program of their new parliamentary bloc, Tajaddod. Rifi
demanded the hand over of any illegal "Lebanese or non-Lebanese weapons" to the
state, considering that Hezbollah's arms have lost their resistance character.
"We demand the extension of the authority of the state on all Lebanese
territories without any exceptions," Rifi said. Moawad, for his part, considered
that the loss of sovereignty is the main reason for the collapse. "Lebanon
cannot be isolated from the world," he said, adding that reforms, stability and
prosperity cannot be reached "in the presence of two weapons and two decisions."
MP Tony Franjiyeh says father serious candidate for
presidency, ties improving with FPM
Naharnet/Friday, 15 July, 2022
An upcoming meeting between the leaders of the Free Patriotic Movement and al-Marada
is probable, MP Tony Franjieh said. Franjiyeh told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in
remarks published Friday, that his father, Suleiman Franjieh is a serious
candidate for Presidency and has high chances of becoming President. He added,
that the relations between Franjieh and the FPM are improving, but it is still
not sure whether an agreement on the Presidency will be reached or not. Before
the end of the year, The new parliament must pick a president to succeed Michel
Aoun, who will be 89 by then. The ties between Jebran Bassil and Suleiman
Franjieh, both potential candidates for the upcoming presidential elections, had
been strained for years but they are both key allies of Hezbollah. Months ago,
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah held a meeting with Bassil and Franjieh
to reconcile them.
Ambassador Grillo: Lebanon will always matter to France,
Macron
Naharnet/Friday, 15 July, 2022
French Ambassador Anne Grillo has stressed the uniqueness of Lebanon and its
importance to France and to President Emmanuel Macron, as it called for a
verdict on the Beirut port blast. Grillo said that France is contributing to
reviving Lebanon through direct and indirect negotiations. She added that France
has offered €200 million to Lebanon, since 2020. "France supports Lebanon and
the Lebanese," Grillo said, as she lauded the parliamentary elections that she
considered as "a positive opportunity."
Hezbollah Shifts Strategy from 'Defense' to Threatening
Israel with Escalation
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
The maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel shifted Hezbollah's
strategy from "commitment to defense" to threatening Tel Aviv with an attack.
Hezbollah Sec-Gen Hassan Nasrallah warned of the outbreak of war if Lebanon was
banned from extracting oil and gas from its water.
The official statements of the party's prominent leaders have always been
limited to the threat of retaliation if Israel launches a war on Lebanon, but
this is the first time in at least ten years that the party announced its
readiness to initiate a war with Israel. In a televised speech on Wednesday
evening, Nasrallah warned: "If you do not 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."He indicated that threatening and even going to war is better than
living in the dire economic condition that exacerbates the Lebanese suffering.
The Sec-Gen 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." Nasrallah said the new equation is "Karish and beyond
Karish.""If you want to get to a formula where this country is barred from
taking advantage (of these fields), then no one will be allowed to extract gas
or oil, and no one will be able to sell gas or oil," Nasrallah said. The expert
on Islamic movements, Kassem Kassir, believes Nasrallah escalated his warnings
to boost Lebanon's position in the negotiations and, at the same time, opened
the possibility of an escalation if they reached a dead-end. He told Asharq Al-Awsat
that the threats are not related to the Iranian nuclear issue but linked
exclusively to demarcation. Kassir, an expert on Hezbollah matters, confirmed
that the party "changed its strategy from defense to attack."However, Lebanese
political analyst Tony Abi Najm opposes Kassir, saying Hezbollah is one of the
primary arms of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and all the recent
developments prompted Nasrallah to say that. He was referring to the visits of
US President Joe Biden to the Middle East, President Russian Vladimir Putin to
Iran, and the Israeli drills. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abi Najm said he
believed the circumstances on July 12, 2006, and today are "similar."He
explained that in 2006, the party initiated a military operation, contrary to
Nasrallah's promises at the national dialogue held three months earlier.
He believes the previous war was launched according to Iran's timing when the
military operation took place in parallel with nuclear negotiations to distract
the world's attention. Abi Najm believes the previous war benefited Iran, adding
that the party "turned the country into an arena of Iran."
He linked Nasrallah's escalatory rhetoric with regional meetings, saying he does
not rule out the possibility of a strike where Iran uses the weakest area to
deliver its messages, adding that they may create tensions after the previous
attempts failed. Since last month, developments related to the demarcation of
Lebanon's maritime border have accelerated, following the arrival of a
production and storage vessel near the Karish field, which Beirut says is in a
disputed area. The US mediated negotiations with Israel to delineate a shared
maritime border that would help determine which oil and gas resources belong to
which country. Hezbollah launched three unarmed drones towards the field, which
Israel intercepted. Iran is seeking to partner in the negotiations, and Russia
will not allow substituting its gas to Europe from the Mediterranean, said Abi
Najem, adding that this increases the chances of war, especially in October when
the need for gas in Europe increases. He stated that Nasrallah created an
escalation in the region amid a global economic situation that usually leads to
wars or significant settlements, noting that Europe and the US do not want war
but may be forced to enter one if they are unable to extract gas from the
Mediterranean to secure an alternative to Russian gas. Lebanon called on the US
mediator, Amos Hochstein, to resume negotiations after a vessel to extract oil
arrived in the Karish field. Lebanon also made a new offer to demarcate the
border that did not include Karish, but it didn't reach any result.
Lebanon: Fires at Beirut Silos Spark Memory of Deadly
Port Blast
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 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, AFP said. 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. 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 outgoing
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. 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.
US Welcomes Lebanon, Israel Maritime Boundary Efforts
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
The United States on Friday applauded efforts by Lebanon and Israel seeking to
reach a decision on maritime boundaries and said it remains committed to
facilitating the ongoing negotiations that will help determine oil and gas
resources. The Biden administration thinks a deal could "yield greater
stability, security, and prosperity for both Lebanon and Israel, as well as for
the region, and believes a resolution is possible," State Department spokesman
Ned Price said in a statement. Lebanon and Israel are locked in US-mediated
negotiations to delineate a shared maritime border that would help determine
which oil and gas resources belong to which country. The dispute over their
boundary has obstructed energy exploration in parts of the eastern Mediterranean
and risks exacerbating tensions between the two foes. A US mediator met with
Israeli negotiators last month after Lebanon put forward a proposal. Earlier
this week, the head of powerful armed group Hezbollah however warned "no one"
would be allowed to operate in maritime oil and gas fields if Lebanon was barred
from its "rights" in extracting from areas off of its own coast. "Progress
towards a resolution can only be reached through negotiations between the
parties," the US State Department's Price said Friday.
Lebanon: US Firm Named in Beirut Blast Lawsuit Denies
Wrongdoing
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 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 US-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, AFP
said. "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 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. 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.
Hizbullah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah Threatens Gas Drilling Facilities Along
Israel's Shore, Adds: War And Martyrdom Are More Honorable Than Dying In
Altercation In A Gas Station Or Bakery
MEMRI/July 15, 2022
Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said in a July 13, 2022 address
that was uploaded to the Spot Shot channel on YouTube that if Lebanon is unable
to extract offshore oil and natural gas, then no one will be able to extract or
sell gas and oil, either. He said that Hizbullah is prepared to attack the
Karish oil field and that war is more honorable than fighting over food and gas.
He also said that while Hizbullah is supportive of Lebanon's negotiations over
demarcation of its maritime borders with Israel, it is not involved in the
actual talks, and it reserves the right to "exert pressure on the enemy" and
take steps that "serve the negotiations." In addition, he said that the recent
drone attack on the Karish field was deliberately carried out with unarmed
drones in order to provoke Israel into firing missiles in response, which would
send the FPSO boat workers the message that they are unsafe and under a serious
threat.
https://www.memri.org/reports/hizbullah-sec-gen-hassan-nasrallah-threatens-gas-drilling-facilities-along-israels-shore
To view the clip of Hizbullah Secretary-General Nasrallah, click here or below:
Hizbullah Stands Behind The Lebanese Government With Regard To The Demarcation
Of The Maritime Border, But Will Not Take A Back Seat When It Comes To Exerting
Pressure On The Enemy
Hassan Nasrallah: "Some people ask: How come Hizbullah sent drones, while saying
that it was backing the [Lebanese] state? You got it wrong, people. We said that
we stand behind the state with regard to the demarcation of the maritime border.
We do not interfere in this matter, but this does not mean that if the state
accepts this or that approach, we would sign off on it. No. We are not involved
in this. We are not for nor against. We do not wish to intervene in the
demarcation of the maritime border.
"I've talked about it before, and there is no need for me to waste time on this
again. The reasons are religious, cultural, ideological, moral, and tactical.
This is what backing the state means. The state demarcates the border, and we do
not intervene. By saying that we are backing the state, we mean that the state
conducts the negotiations. We don't want to negotiate. Many people have spread
rumors about Hizbullah joining the negotiations track, and that it has opened a
channel of negotiation. These are all baseless lies. We are not involved with
this to begin with. But we have never said that we would take a back seat to the
state when it comes to exerting pressure on the enemy, and taking steps that
would serve the negotiations. We have never said that.
"On the contrary, I have said that our hands will not be tied. So nobody should
misunderstand this. We did not give our commitment to anyone, and we are not
doing it now. We are following the developments, and we have the right to take
any measure we deem appropriate, at any time, in any scope, and in any form, in
order to pressure the enemy, for the benefit of the Lebanese negotiators.
"We Are Capable Of Sending A Large Number Of Drones Simultaneously... We Sent
Three Because Three Were Enough To Deliver Our Message"
"We sent three drones of different sizes, like it said in the communique by the
resistance. They were unarmed on purpose. Why? Even when I discussed this matter
with some brothers before making the decision, we agreed that we would send
drones so that the Israelis could shoot them down. The brothers said that we
could send a drone on a reconnaissance mission and bring it back. But there was
a consensus that we should send drones to conduct reconnaissance, and that the
Israelis would shoot them down. Why? Because we wanted the [Israeli] air force
to launch missiles. Honestly. We wanted the [Israeli] warships to launch sea-air
missiles.
"We wanted there to be fire in their area, so that the engineers and the
employees on the [FPSO] boat take notice that they are operating in an area that
is not safe, that there is a real and serious threat.
"For the first time in the history of the Israeli entity, three drones were
launched at it at the same time. We are capable of sending a large number of
drones simultaneously. We can send them unarmed, we can send them armed, and
they can be of different sizes. With the help of Allah, we can do this. There is
no problem in this regard. We did not send three drones because we could not
send five. No. We sent three because three were enough to deliver our message.
Enemies "Want The Lebanese People To Die Of Hunger" And "Fight One Another Over
Bread'; "War Is A Much More Honorable Alternative"
"There are people who want the Lebanese to die of hunger. They want us to fight
one another, in the bakeries and in the gas stations. They want us to fight one
another over bread, because the Lebanese pound is worthless, the salaries are
worthless. Someone wants to destroy this country. No. I am being completely
honest tonight. If the alternative is that Lebanon receives on aid – and this is
the normal way to help the country – and Lebanon is pushed towards collapse,
hunger and people fighting one another. No. War is a much more honorable
alternative. The threat of war, and even going into war, is much more honorable
and glorious. The first track of letting things collapse and go into ruin has no
future. There is no future in people fighting over food, but a war has a future.
If we decide to go to war, this alternative has a future.
"The enemy can be defeated – before the war, when it begins, during the war,
when it ends...
"Then we will be able to impose our conditions, bring in hundreds of millions of
dollars, and save our country. Whoever dies in such a war dies as a martyr,
rather than dying in an altercation at a bakery or a gas station.
If Lebanon Is Prevented From Extracting And Selling The Gas And Oil It Is
Entitled To, Then No One Will
"The message of the drones is a modest beginning, [indicating] where we can go.
If things reach a negative ending – we will not stand only in the face of the
Karish gas field. We are now commemorating the July [2006] war, so mark the new
equation: Karish, what's beyond Karish, and what's beyond that. I brought with
me a chart, prepared by our relevant brothers in the resistance.
"We are monitoring everything that is happening along the Palestinian shore. All
the fields, wells, and rigs. We know their names, everything that is happening
there, which are working, which are not yet working, where the drilling is still
in development, and so on and so forth. We are monitoring all the details. If
you reach an equation of Lebanon... I'm not saying the Karish and Qana fields.
For me, the question is a much bigger one.
"If you want to reach an equation where Lebanon is forbidden from saving itself
by means of its natural right to [its share of] gas and oil, nobody will be able
to extract oil and gas, and nobody will be able to sell oil and gas."
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 15-16/2022
Saudi Crown Prince Meets with Biden at Al-Salam Palace
in Jeddah
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Defense, and US President Joe Biden held talks at the al-Salam Palace in Jeddah
on Friday. Talks focused on aspects of cooperation between their countries and
ways to confront regional and world challenges.
Saudi and American officials attended the talks. Crown Prince Mohammed had
welcomed Biden upon his arrival at the al-Salam Palace soon after he arrived in
the coastal city. Biden is on a two-day visit to the Kingdom. He held talks with
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. He will attend a
summit called for by King Salman for the Gulf Cooperation Council leaders on
Saturday. The summit will be attended by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi,
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Biden Pledges to Keep up Efforts for Israel-Palestine Peace
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden pledged on Friday to keep up efforts to support a just
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, Biden said
the United States would not give up on the goal of a just settlement to the
decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. “The Palestinian
people are hurting now,” Biden said. “You can just feel it. Your grief and
frustration. In the United States, we can feel it.”Biden said they “deserve a
state of their own that’s independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous. Two
states for two peoples, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land,
living side by side in peace and security.”Although such a goal “can seem so far
away,” he said he wouldn't give up on the peace process. “Even if the ground is
not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my
administration will not give up on bringing the Palestinians and the Israelis,
both sides, closer together,” he noted. Biden announced that the US will
allocate $200 million to support the Palestinians. Earlier Friday, Biden
appeared in east Jerusalem at the Augusta Victoria Hospital, which serves
Palestinians, to discuss financial assistance for local healthcare. He proposed
$100 million, which requires US congressional approval, plus smaller amounts for
other assorted programs. “Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal measures of
freedom, security, prosperity and dignity,” he said at the hospital. “And access
to healthcare, when you need it, is essential to living a life of dignity for
all of us.”He also affirmed that the US will continue to insist on full
accounting for death of Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed during an Israeli raid
in the West Bank city of Jenin on May 11. Biden said the US “will continue to
insist on a full and transparent accounting of her death and will continue to
stand up for media freedom everywhere in the world.”He called her death "an
enormous loss to the essential work of sharing with the world the story of the
Palestinian people.”Palestinian journalists wore black T-shirts with Abu Akleh's
picture and placed a poster of her on an empty chair in the room where the
leaders spoke. For his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said there was
a narrowing window for the two-state solution to resolving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "The opportunity for a two-state solution on the
1967 borders may be available today, and it may not remain for a long time,"
Abbas said after meeting with US President Joe Biden in the occupied West Bank.
He also stressed the importance of re-establishing the foundations upon which
the peace process was based. “The key to peace” in the region “begins with
ending the Israeli occupation of our land.”Abbas said Israel “cannot continue to
act as a state above law" and said the killers of Palestinian-American
journalist Shireen Abu Akleh “need to be held accountable.”He indicated that
they were looking forward to steps from the US administration "to strengthen
bilateral relations by reopening the US consulate in East Jerusalem, removing
PLO from US terrorist list, and re-opening PLO office in Washington."
Reema bint Bandar: History Has Shown That the US, Saudi
Arabia Have Emerged From Every Challenge Stronger Together
Washington - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar said
the US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia is “pivotal” for
developing the US-Saudi partnership and ensuring mutual, and global peace and
prosperity for both of "our peoples and the wider world", stressing that "we
must redefine the contours of the next eight decades of this critical
alliance."In her OP-ED: "A New Shape for US-Saudi Relations", published by
POLITICO on Thursday, Princess Reema said that the US and Saudi Arabia "worked
together to defeat Soviet communism, guarantee global energy security, contain a
revolutionary Iran, repel Saddam Hussein from Kuwait and, more recently, destroy
al-Qaeda and ISIS.""But there is still much more our countries can do together
as partners, especially in these very perilous times," she added. The Saudi
Ambassador said as the Kingdom develops, so too, must the US-Saudi partnership.
"And that is why the upcoming visit by President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia is so
pivotal. For our relationship to deliver peace and prosperity for both of our
peoples and the wider world, we must redefine the contours of the next eight
decades of this critical alliance."Princess Reema affirmed that the days when
the US-Saudi relationship could be defined by the outdated and reductionist “oil
for security” paradigm are long gone. "The world has changed and the existential
dangers facing us all, including food and energy security and climate change,
cannot be resolved without an effective US-Saudi alliance. These priorities must
guide the US-Saudi partnership of the 21st century, and we view the visit of
President Biden as an important moment for laying out our shared vision for how
to tackle the challenges that lie ahead."She added that today, Saudi Arabia is
barely recognizable from how it once looked, "even just five years ago.""Today,
we are not just a global leader in energy, but also in investment and
sustainable development. Through hundreds of billions of dollars of investment
in education, technology, economic diversification and green energy, we have
launched a transformation agenda that is unlocking the enormous potential of our
young men and women," stressing that now Saudi women have legal guarantees of
equal pay and nondiscrimination in the workplace. "Today, Saudi women outnumber
men in our institutes of higher education. And women represent the same share of
entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia as they do in the United States. We are entering
sectors such as construction, mining and the military. We are creating
companies, becoming CEOs and assuming top government posts, empowered by a
government determined to see us succeed."Princess Reema said she is the first
Saudi woman to be appointed ambassador, which will allow her to speak "firsthand
to the new realm of the possible we are establishing.""It is a success story we
hope others will emulate."She noted that the US-Saudi efforts to ensure peace
and security should focus on enhancing cooperation and reinforcing a rules-based
system so that it delivers tangible benefits to all, adding: "In this way, we
can confront the vision of chaos promoted by Iran with a vision of cooperation
that people of region can see and feel.""History has shown us that the United
States and Saudi Arabia have emerged from every challenge stronger together, and
the future should be no different. When we are united, we are a formidable force
for good."
Biden, Bin Salman begin big meeting with fist bump
Associated Press/Friday, 15 July, 2022
A crucial meeting to repair one of the world's most important diplomatic
relationships began with a fist bump Friday as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden at a royal palace. The first encounter,
captured by Saudi television, occurred as Biden stepped out of his presidential
limousine in Jeddah for a visit that is intended to reset their countries'
longstanding partnership. There was little evidence of any warmth between the
leaders, and none of the backslapping or smiles that Biden or the crown prince
usually display when greeting other leaders.
Until now, Biden had refused to speak to Prince Mohammed, the presumed heir to
the throne currently held by his father, King Salman. Biden has harshly
criticized the oil-rich kingdom for its human rights abuses, particularly the
murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S.-based journalist.
But those concerns have since been eclipsed by other challenges, including
rising gas prices and Iranian aggression in the Middle East. At the same time,
Saudi Arabia is looking to bolster its security relationship with the United
States and seeking investments to transform its economy into one that's less
reliant on pumping oil.
The Saudis held a subdued welcome for Biden at the airport in Jeddah, with none
of the ceremony that accompanied his stop this week in Israel. Biden was greeted
by Mecca's governor, Prince Khalid bin Faisal, and Saudi Arabia's ambassador to
the U.S., Princess Reema bint Bandar, and then walked down a lavender carpet
that led to the limousine that whisked him to the palace. The president was
scheduled to sit down with King Salman, the 86-year-old monarch who has suffered
from poor health, including two hospitalizations this year. Then he was to
participate in a broader meeting including Prince Mohammed, the presumed heir to
the throne who is known by his initials MBS. The future of the region, including
the possibility of closer ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as the
ebb and flow of the world's oil supply could depend on the relationship between
the 79-year-old U.S. president and the 36-year-old Saudi royal. The visit may
already be seen as a win for Prince Mohammed. His rise to power has ushered in a
new era for the kingdom as it works to build a homegrown military and weapons
industry, wean itself from reliance on oil for revenue and build ties with
Israel and other nations as a hedge against the perception that the U.S. is a
less reliable security partner. The meeting with Biden could bestow greater
legitimacy on the crown prince's plans and his path to the throne. There's been
considerable speculation about both the choreography and the substance of how
Biden, who had vowed as a presidential candidate to treat the Saudis as a
"pariah" for their human rights record, would go about interacting with Prince
Mohammed. Asked if Biden would shake hands with him, a senior administration
official demurred and noted the White House is "focused on the meetings, not the
greetings."Last year Biden's administration approved the release of a U.S.
intelligence finding that determined the crown prince likely approved
Khashoggi's killing. The release of the report caused a further rupture in
U.S.-Saudi relations.
"My views on Khashoggi have been absolutely, positively clear. And I have never
been quiet about talking about human rights," Biden has said. "The reason I'm
going to Saudi Arabia, though, is much broader. It's to promote U.S. interests —
promote U.S. interests in a way that I think we have an opportunity to reassert
what I think we made a mistake of walking away from: our influence in the Middle
East."
Biden arrived in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on the third day of a four-day
swing through the Middle East. He spent the first two days meeting with Israeli
officials and traveled to the West Bank on Friday to meet with Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and others before flying to Saudi Arabia. The
Saudis took a step toward normalization of relations with Israel before Biden's
visit, announcing early Friday that it was opening its airspace to "all air
carriers," signaling the end of its strict limits on Israeli flights flying over
its territory. Biden hailed the decision as "an important step towards building
a more integrated and stable Middle East region," adding that the decision "can
help build momentum toward Israel's further integration into the region,
including with Saudi Arabia." Biden also will take part in a Saturday gathering
of leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council —Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — before returning to Washington. The
leaders of Mideast neighbors Egypt, Iraq and Jordan are also to attend. The
Saudi visit is one of the most delicate that Biden has faced on the
international stage. Any kind of respectful greeting that Biden can manage, and
the Saudi crown prince can reflect back, might help both sides soothe relations.
But it could also open Biden, already floundering in the polls at home, to
deeper criticism that he is backtracking on his pledges to put human rights at
the center of foreign policy. Khashoggi's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said that,
with the visit to Saudi Arabia, Biden was backing down on human rights.
"It's a very huge backing down actually," Cengiz told The Associated Press in an
interview Thursday. "It's heartbreaking and disappointing. And Biden will lose
his moral authority by putting oil and expediency over principles and values."
Biden's criticism of the Saudis as a candidate became more tempered in recent
months as Russia's war on Ukraine aggravated what was already a global supply
crunch for oil and gas. Elevated gasoline prices have driven inflation in the
United States to its highest levels in four decades. Saudi political analyst
Turki al Hamad said he was not optimistic about the prospects for Biden's trip.
"Biden and his team will come and set their eyes on the U.S. elections, and
improving the Democrats' situation by coming out with an agreement on increasing
oil production," Hamad tweeted, saying that "does not matter to the Saudi
leadership." Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace and former U.S. State Department official, said Biden is
looking forward to visiting Saudi Arabia "like I would look forward to a root
canal operation." Miller contrasted Biden with his predecessor, President Donald
Trump, who visited Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip. That trip was
highlighted by a mystifying photo op of the leaders gathered around a glowing
orb and Trump briefly joining a ceremonial sword dance. With Biden and Prince
Mohammed, "there aren't going to be a lot of sword dances, or smiling photo ops,
or warm embraces," Miller said.
In West Bank, Biden embraces 'two states for two
peoples'
Associated Press/Friday, 15 July, 2022
President Joe Biden acknowledged Friday that an independent state for
Palestinians "can seem so far away" as he confronted hopelessness about the
stagnant peace process during a visit to the West Bank.
"The Palestinian people are hurting now," he said. "You can just feel it. Your
grief and frustration. In the United States, we can feel it."Biden commented
during a joint appearance in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas. Although he's announced $316 million in financial assistance for
the Palestinians during his visit, there's no clear path to getting peace talks
back on track. "Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart
negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on
bringing the Palestinians and the Israelis, both sides, closer together," he
said. Biden said the "Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that's
independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous. Two states for two peoples, both
of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace
and security." Abbas, in his own remarks, said it was time to "turn the page on
the Israeli occupation on our land." He also said Israel "cannot continue to act
as a state above law."
Biden was welcomed to Bethlehem by a pair of Palestinian children, who gave him
a bouquet of flowers, and a band that played the U.S. national anthem. Earlier
in the day, he appeared at the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, which serves
Palestinians, to discuss financial assistance for local healthcare. He's
proposed $100 million, which requires U.S. congressional approval, in addition
to $201 million for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, plus
smaller amounts for other assorted programs. Israel has also committed to
upgrading wireless networks in the West Bank and Gaza, part of a broader effort
to improve economic conditions. "Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal
measures of freedom, security, prosperity and dignity," he said. "And access to
healthcare, when you need it, is essential to living a life of dignity for all
of us."
When Biden finished speaking at the hospital, a woman who identified herself as
a pediatric nurse at another healthcare facility thanked him for the financial
assistance but said "we need more justice, more dignity."Biden's trip to the
West Bank is being met with skepticism and bitterness among Palestinians who
believe Biden has taken too few steps toward rejuvenating peace talks,
especially after President Donald Trump sidelined them while heavily favoring
Israel. The last serious round of negotiations aimed at creating an independent
Palestinian state broke down more than a decade ago, leaving millions of
Palestinians living under Israeli military rule. Israel's outgoing government
has taken steps to improve economic conditions in the occupied West Bank and
Gaza. But Yair Lapid, the caretaker prime minister, does not have a mandate to
hold peace negotiations, and Nov. 1 elections could bring to power a right-wing
government that is opposed to Palestinian statehood.
Meanwhile, the 86-year-old Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority administers parts
of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security, is more
representative of the status quo than Palestinian aspirations.
His Fatah party lost an election, and control of Gaza, to the Islamic militant
group Hamas more than 15 years ago. He called off the first national elections
since then last year — blaming Israel — when Fatah appeared to be heading for
another crushing defeat. Polls over the past year have consistently found that
nearly 80% of Palestinians want him to resign. Biden acknowledged this week that
while he supports a two-state solution, it won't happen "in the near-term." The
U.S. also appears to have accepted defeat in its more modest push to reopen a
Jerusalem consulate serving the Palestinians that was closed when Trump
recognized the contested city as Israel's capital.
Palestinian leaders also fear being further undermined by the Abraham Accords, a
diplomatic vehicle for Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel despite
the continuing occupation. Biden, who heads next to Saudi Arabia to attend a
summit of Arab leaders, hopes to broaden that process, which began under
Trump.Hours before Biden was set to become the first U.S. leader to fly directly
from Israel to the kingdom, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation
announced early Friday "the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air
carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying."
It signaled the end of its longstanding ban on Israeli flights overflying its
territory — an incremental step toward the normalization of relations between
Saudi Arabia and Israel that builds on the strong, but informal ties the
erstwhile foes have developed in recent years over their shared concerns about
Iran's growing influence in the region. Biden hailed the decision in a statement
Friday as an important step to "help build momentum toward Israel's further
integration into the region." There's been hardly any mention of the
Palestinians over the past two days, as Biden has showered Israel with praise,
holding it up as a democracy that shares American values. At a news conference
with Biden, Lapid evoked the U.S. civil rights movement to portray Israel as a
bastion of freedom.
It all reeked of hypocrisy to Palestinians, who have endured 55 years of
military occupation with no end in sight. "The idea of shared values actually
makes me sick to my stomach," said Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer and
political analyst. "I don't think Israeli values are anything that people should
be striving towards." Both Biden and Lapid said they supported an eventual
two-state solution in order to ensure that Israel remains a Jewish-majority
state. But their approach, often referred to as "economic peace," has
limitations. "Mr. Biden is trying to marginalize the Palestinian issue," said
Mustafa Barghouti, a veteran Palestinian activist. "If he does not allow
Palestinians to have their rights, then he is helping Israel kill and end the
very last possibility of peace." At this point, the Palestinian goal of an
independent state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza — territories Israel
seized in the 1967 Mideast war — appears more distant than ever. Israel is
expanding settlements in annexed east Jerusalem and the West Bank, which are now
home to some 700,000 Jewish settlers. The Palestinian view the settlements —
many of which resemble sprawling suburbs — as the main obstacle to peace,
because they carve up the land on which a Palestinian state would be
established. Most of the world considers them illegal.
Well-known human rights groups have concluded that Israel's seemingly permanent
control over millions of Palestinians amounts to apartheid. One of those groups,
Israel's own B'Tselem, hung banners in the West Bank that were visible from the
presidential motorcade.
Israel rejects that label as an attack on its very existence, even though two
former Israeli prime ministers warned years ago that their country would be seen
that way if it did not reach a two-state agreement with the Palestinians. The
U.S. also rejects the apartheid allegations. Other banners along the motorcade
route called for justice for Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh,
who was killed during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank in May. Israel
says she might have been struck by Palestinian gunfire, while investigations by
The Associated Press and other media outlets support Palestinian witnesses who
say she was shot by Israeli forces. The U.S. says she was likely killed
unintentionally by Israeli troops, without saying how it reached those
conclusions. That angered many Palestinians, including Abu Akleh's family, who
accused the U.S. of trying to help Israel evade responsibility for her death. In
Bethlehem, Palestinian journalists covering Biden's visit wore black T-shirts
with Abu Akleh's image on the front in solidarity with their slain colleague.
Gargash: Iran’s Activities Don't Help Diplomatic Efforts, We Are Not Open to
Establishing Axis Against It
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
The UAE is working to send an ambassador to Tehran as it seeks to rebuild
bridges with Iran, the president's diplomatic adviser said on Friday, adding
that the idea of a confrontational approach to Iran was not something Abu Dhabi
supported. "Our conversation is ongoing ... we are in the process of sending an
ambassador to Tehran. All these areas of rebuilding bridges are ongoing," Anwar
Gargash told reporters ahead of a visit to Paris by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
al-Nahyan. Abu Dhabi still shared concerns about Iran’s regional activities but
it wanted to work hard on finding diplomatic solutions, he stressed, Reuters
reported. He also affirmed that the UAE wants a more stable oil market and will
abide by decisions made by OPEC+, noting that bu Dhabi would back any accord
between Saudi Arabia and the United Sates if a deal is agreed during President
Joe Biden's visit to the kingdom.
Saudi opens airspace to 'all carriers' in gesture to
Israel
Agence France Presse/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Saudi Arabia announced Friday it was lifting restrictions on "all carriers"
using its airspace, an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel hours before
U.S. President Joe Biden's arrival. The U.S. leader welcomed the "historic"
decision, the latest conciliatory move by Riyadh concerning the Jewish state,
which it has refused to recognize despite intensive efforts by the Israelis to
establish ties with Arab countries. The Saudi civil aviation authority
"announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that
meet the requirements of the authority for overflying", it said in a statement.
The decision was made "to complement the Kingdom's efforts aimed at
consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global hub connecting three
continents". Biden said in a statement later Friday that Riyadh's move came
"thanks to months of steady diplomacy between my administration and Saudi
Arabia", where he is set to travel in the afternoon as part of a Middle East
tour. "As we mark this important moment, Saudi Arabia's decision can help build
momentum toward Israel's further integration into the region, including with
Saudi Arabia," Biden said. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid thanked Biden on
Friday for "long, intense and secret diplomatic negotiations between Saudi
Arabia and the United States" to reach a deal on overflights. "And I want to
thank the Saudi leadership for opening their airspace. This is only a first
step," Lapid said. Prior to Biden's arrival in Israel at the start of his Middle
East trip on Wednesday, Washington had hinted that more Arab nations could take
steps to pursue relations with the Jewish state. That spurred speculation about
whether Riyadh would alter its long-held position of not establishing official
bilateral ties until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.
The kingdom did not show any opposition when its regional ally, the United Arab
Emirates, established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain
and Morocco under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Yet analysts have stressed
that any immediate gains are likely to be incremental and that Riyadh will
probably not agree to formal ties -- not during Biden's visit or while King
Salman, 86, still reigns.
- 'A major change' -
Biden will travel to the Saudi city of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast Friday
afternoon, despite a previous vow to treat the kingdom as a "pariah" over the
2018 murder and dismemberment of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He is to
travel directly from the Jewish state to Saudi Arabia -- becoming the first U.S.
president to fly from there to an Arab nation that does not recognize it. In
2017, his predecessor, Donald Trump, made the journey in reverse. Shortly after
the Abraham Accords were announced in 2020, Saudi Arabia allowed an Israeli
aircraft to pass over en route to Abu Dhabi and announced that UAE flights to
"all countries" could overfly the kingdom. Friday's announcement effectively
lifts overflight restrictions on aircraft travelling to and from Israel. Israel
has been pushing for the overflight rights to shorten links to destinations in
Asia. Israeli Transport Minister Merav Michaeli said Friday that the lifting of
restrictions would "significantly shorten flight times and lower prices".
Authorities in Israel also want Muslim pilgrims from Israel to be able to travel
directly to Saudi Arabia. Currently they are required to make costly stopovers
in third countries. There has been "a major change in Saudi thinking" concerning
Israel under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Biden is
expected to meet on Friday, said Dan Shapiro, Washington's former ambassador to
Israel. Prince Mohammed "and to some degree even the king himself have indicated
that they see normalization with Israel as a positive", said Shapiro, now with
the Atlantic Council. "They supported the Abraham Accords. Their own
normalization may take time and may be rolled out in phases, but it seems close
to inevitable that it will happen."
Iran unveils naval drone division as Biden tours Mideast
Agence France Presse/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Iran's navy on Friday unveiled its first division of ships and submarines
capable of carrying armed drones, as U.S. President Joe Biden tours the Middle
East. The United States and Israel, the sworn enemies of Iran, have previously
accused the Islamic republic of using drones and missiles to attack U.S. forces
and Israel-linked ships in the Gulf. "The first drone-carrier division of the
Iranian navy consisting of ships and submarine units carrying all types of drone
for combat, detection and destruction has been unveiled," state television said.
"All types of the latest advanced drones produced by the military and the
defense ministry have flown over the Indian Ocean's waters to demonstrate their
capabilities," it added, showing images of drones taking off from a naval
vessel. The announcement comes as Biden undertakes his first presidential visit
to Israel, where he and the Jewish state's caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid
on Thursday signed a security pact reinforcing their common front against Iran.
Biden's trip also included a presentation of Israel's "Iron Beam" air defense
system, which uses lasers to intercept drones and missiles. "As we are aware of
the aggressive attitude in the (United States') system of domination, it is
necessary to increase our defensive capabilities day-by-day," Iranian army
commander Abdolrahim Mousavi said on television. "If the enemies make a mistake,
(these drones) will present them with a regrettable response," he warned during
the unveiling. In October 2021, the United States imposed sanctions targeting
Iran's drone program, accusing it of supplying the technology to its allies in
the region, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Huthis of Yemen and the Palestinian
Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip. White House national security adviser
Jake Sullivan on Monday said Iran plans to deliver "hundreds of drones" to
Russia to aid its war on Ukraine. In response, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman
Nasser Kanani said "there has been no special development in that regard
recently", without specifically mentioning drones. Iran began developing its
drone program in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war.
Biden Welcomes Saudi 'Historic' Decision to Open Air Space
to All Carriers
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed the historic decision by Saudi
Arabia to open its airspace to all civilian carriers, White House national
security adviser Jake Sullivan said. "President Biden welcomes and commends the
historic decision by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to open Saudi airspace to
all civilian carriers without discrimination, a decision that includes flights
to and from Israel," read Sullivan's statement. "This decision is the result of
the President’s persistent and principled diplomacy with Saudi Arabia over many
months, culminating in his visit today," the statement added. The Saudi civil
aviation authority announced Friday the decision "to open the Kingdom's airspace
for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying".
The decision came as a result of the Kingdom’s “keenness to fulfill its
obligations under the Chicago Convention of 1944, which stipulates
non-discrimination between civil aircrafts used in international air
navigation,” the authority said in its statement.
Iran Warns the US against Destabilizing Regional Security
London – Tehran – Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the United States and its allies against
destabilizing the security of the Middle East after US President Joe Biden
signed a joint security declaration in Tel Aviv directed primarily against
Tehran. "The great nation of Iran will not accept any insecurity or crisis in
the region, and Washington and its allies should know that any mistake will be
met by a harsh and regrettable response from Iran," Raisi said during a speech
in Kermanshah province. Raisi made an earlier comment about Biden's tour to the
region, saying on Wednesday that the US President's visit will not achieve
"security" for Israel. Israel is firmly against the efforts to revive the
nuclear agreement between Iran and the major powers. Tehran has previously
accused Tel Aviv of sabotaging its facilities and assassinating its scientists.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry warned that the US proposed boosting cooperation
with its regional allies in the field of air defense. Iranian Foreign Ministry
spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said in his weekly press conference Wednesday that
the military alliances in the region led by the United States will not guarantee
regional security. He told reporters that the policy of establishing military
groupings, especially under the supervision of a country outside the region,
will certainly not contribute to achieving security and stability. Kanaani
stressed that "security cannot be bought or imported," warning that as long as
Washington's main goal was to maintain "the fake state of Israel's security,"
the Middle East will not achieve stability and peace. He asserted that regional
stability and security could only be achieved through cooperation between the
regional states concerned with this area.
Director Accuses Iranian Authorities of Kidnapping Him
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Iranian renowned film director Jafar Panahi described his arrest by authorities
last Monday as “theft” and “kidnapping.”In his first phone call with his wife,
Tahira Saidi, after he was transferred to Iran's notorious Evin Prison, Panahi
said that prison officials did not allow him access to medical services.
His wife also noted that she was prevented from meeting her husband to hand over
his personal affairs, medicines and medical shoes, according to an audio
recording published by the London-based Iran International channel. Panahi is
the third Iranian director to be arrested in less than a week. Panahi was
arrested by security forces when he was at the prosecutor's office in Tehran on
Monday evening to check on the cases of his two colleagues, Mohamad Rasoulof and
Mostafa al-Ahmad, media reports said. Rasoulof and al-Ahmad were accused of
undermining the nation's security by voicing opposition on social media to the
government's violent crackdown on unrest in the country's southwest. Panahi, 62,
is one of Iran's best-known dissident filmmakers. He won international awards,
including the top prize in Berlin for "Taxi Tehran" in 2015, and best screenplay
at Cannes for his film "Three Faces" in 2018. Following his support for
anti-government protests, he was arrested in 2010. He was later convicted of
"propaganda against the system", sentenced to six years in jail and banned from
directing or writing films for 20 years. He has also been banned from leaving
Iran or speaking to the media. On Tuesday, the Venice film festival called for
the ‘immediate release’ of the Iranian filmmaker. In a statement, La Biennale di
Venezia said it was “deeply dismayed” by the reported arrests of Panahi on
Monday, and Rasoulof and Aleahmad on Friday. “La Biennale di Venezia joins its
own voice to the many that are now speaking out in the world to condemn the
repressive actions underway,” the statement said. It also demanded the immediate
liberation of the directors arrested for defending the right to freedom of
expression and creation.
EU: End of Iran Nuclear Talks Near but May Not Yield Deal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Negotiations to bring Iran back into compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear
accord are coming to an end, but it is not clear if they will result in an
agreement between Tehran and world powers, a senior EU official said on Friday.
In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, calling it too soft
on Iran, and reimposed harsh US sanctions, spurring Tehran to breach nuclear
limits in the pact. "We are very, very advanced in the negotiations. We have had
a round of so-called proximity talks in Doha; they produced no results and the
reason is very clear because we have negotiated everything that was on the
table," the official said. "We can be more precise on some details that are
still pending, we are waiting for some ideas from Tehran and what the Americans
have to say...I don't know (if it is) the end of the process, but the end of the
negotiation, yes." France's foreign minister said this week there were only a
few weeks left to revive the deal and it was up to Iran to decide whether to
sign what had been negotiated. The United States says Iran has tacked on demands
unrelated to discussions on its nuclear program and had made alarming progress
in enriching uranium. Under the 2015 pact, Iran limited its disputed enrichment
program, a potential pathway to nuclear weapons though Tehran says it seeks only
civilian atomic energy, in return for a lifting of international sanctions.
Report: U.S.-GCC summit to discuss Lebanon's stability,
other regional issues
Naharnet/Friday, 15 July, 2022
Lebanon's stability and the independence of its political decisions will be
discussed in a U.S.-GCC summit in Jeddah along with other regional matters, a
Saudi media report said Friday. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet
Arab leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as leaders from Egypt,
Iraq and Jordan to reactivate an annual summit between the United States and the
GCC that had begun during the presidency of Barack Obama. Biden's visit will
likely focus on convincing the world's biggest crude exporter to boost its oil
output.
The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on July 15-16/2022
النص الحرفي الإنكليزي لإعلان الشراكة الإستراتيجي بين
إسرائيل وأميركا
The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration
White House Briefing Room/July 14/2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
The leaders of the United States and Israel, President Biden and Prime Minister
Lapid, met in Jerusalem on 14 July 2022, and adopted the following Joint
Declaration on the US-Israel Strategic Partnership:
The United States and Israel reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two
countries and the enduring commitment of the United States to Israel’s security.
Our countries further reaffirm that the strategic U.S.-Israel partnership is
based on a bedrock of shared values, shared interests, and true friendship.
Furthermore, the United States and Israel affirm that among the values the
countries share is an unwavering commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and
the calling of “Tikkun Olam,” repairing the world. The leaders express
appreciation to former Prime Minister Bennett, who led the most diverse
government in Israel’s history, and under whose leadership this extraordinary
partnership has continued to grow stronger.
Consistent with the longstanding security relationship between the United States
and Israel and the unshakeable U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, and
especially to the maintenance of its qualitative military edge, 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. The United States further reiterates that
these commitments are bipartisan and sacrosanct, and that they are not only
moral commitments, but also strategic commitments that are vitally important to
the national security of the United States 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 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 United States and Israel note that nothing better reflects the steadfast and
bipartisan support of the United States to Israel’s security than the
unprecedented Memoranda of Understanding on security assistance signed by
successive U.S. administrations over the last few decades, and that these
arrangements demonstrate in word and deed that the United States considers
Israel’s security essential to U.S. interests and an anchor of regional
stability.
The United States strongly supports implementing the terms of the current
historic $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding in full, which honors the
United States’ enduring commitment to Israel’s security, as well as its
conviction that a follow-on MOU should address emerging threats and new
realities. In addition, the United States is committed to seeking additional
missile defense assistance in excess of MOU levels, in exceptional circumstances
such as the hostilities with Hamas over eleven days in May 2021. Israel
appreciates the U.S. commitment to the MOU and for providing an additional $1
billion over MOU levels in supplemental missile defense funding following the
2021 conflict. Further, the countries express enthusiasm to move forward the
U.S.-Israel defense partnership through cooperation in cutting-edge defense
technologies such as high energy laser weapons systems to defend the skies of
Israel and in the future those of other U.S. and Israel security partners.
Israel thanks the United States for its ongoing and extensive support for
deepening and broadening the historic Abraham Accords. The countries affirm that
Israel’s peace and normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates,
Bahrain, and Morocco constitute a critical addition to Israel’s strategic peace
treaties with Egypt and Jordan, all of which are important to the future of the
Middle East region and to the cause of regional security, prosperity, and peace.
The countries note that the historic Negev Summit, initiated and hosted by Prime
Minister Lapid, was a landmark event in joint U.S.-Israeli efforts to build a
new regional framework that is changing the face of the Middle East.
The United States and Israel welcome in this regard the meeting held in Manama,
Bahrain on June 27th, forming the Negev Forum on regional cooperation. The
United States welcomes these developments and is committed to continue playing
an active role, including in the context of President Biden’s upcoming visit to
Saudi Arabia, in building a robust regional architecture; to deepen the ties
between Israel and all of its regional partners; to advance Israel’s regional
integration over time; and to expand the circle of peace to include ever more
Arab and Muslim States.
The United States and Israel also welcome the opportunity to participate in a
quadrilateral (hybrid) meeting, together with the leaders of India and the
United Arab Emirates, in the context of the I2U2 initiative, bringing together
these four countries to advance cooperation in economy and strategic
infrastructure, and demonstrating the importance of this new partnership, first
launched by their Foreign Ministers in October 2021.
The United States and Israel reiterate their concerns regarding the ongoing
attacks against Ukraine, their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity, and affirmed the importance of continued humanitarian
assistance to the people of Ukraine.
The United States and Israel affirm that they will continue to work together to
combat all efforts to boycott or de-legitimize Israel, to deny its right to
self-defense, or to unfairly single it out in any forum, including at the United
Nations or the International Criminal Court. While fully respecting the right to
freedom of expression, they firmly reject the BDS campaign. The two countries
will use the tools at their disposal to fight every scourge and source of
antisemitism and to respond whenever legitimate criticism crosses over into
bigotry and hatred or attempts to undermine Israel’s rightful and legitimate
place among the family of nations. In this context, they express their deep
concern over the global surge in antisemitism and reassert their commitment to
counter this ancient hatred in all of its manifestations. The United States is
proud to stand with the Jewish and democratic State of Israel, and with its
people, whose uncommon courage, resilience, and spirit of innovation are an
inspiration to so many worldwide.
The United States and Israel commit to continuing to discuss the challenges and
opportunities in Israeli-Palestinian relations. The countries condemn the
deplorable series of terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens in recent months
and affirm the need to confront radical forces, such as Hamas, seeking to
inflame tension and instigate violence and terrorism. 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. The United States stands
ready to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and regional stakeholders
toward that goal. The leaders also affirm their shared commitment to initiatives
that strengthen the Palestinian economy and improve the quality of life of
Palestinians.
The United States and Israel enjoy extensive bilateral cooperation and dialogue
between their two countries in many critical spheres – from groundbreaking
collaboration in science and technology, to unique intelligence sharing and
joint military exercises, to shared efforts in confronting pressing global
challenges such as climate change, food security, and healthcare. To complement
the extensive existing scientific and technological cooperation between their
two countries, and to bring their cooperation to a new height, the leaders
launched a new U.S.-Israel Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology to form a
U.S.-Israel technological partnership in critical and emerging technologies, as
well as in areas of global concern: pandemic preparedness, climate change,
artificial intelligence, and trusted technology. This new technological
partnership will be designed to boost the countries’ mutual innovation
ecosystems and address geostrategic challenges.
In this same spirit, the United States and Israel affirm their commitment to
continue their shared and accelerated efforts to enable Israeli passport holders
to be included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program as soon as possible, as well as
their support for increased collaboration on operational cyber exchange and on
combatting cybercrime. The leaders state that all of these initiatives, and
countless other joint endeavors, undertaken between their peoples at every level
of government and civil society demonstrate that the U.S.-Israel strategic
partnership is indispensable and makes an outsized contribution not only to the
good of American and Israeli citizens but also to the good of the Middle East
and of the world.
With this record of remarkable achievement and with a sense of the incredible
promise that the unparalleled U.S.-Israel relationship holds for the future, the
United States and Israel warmly welcome entering the 75th year of this
extraordinary partnership.
Signed at Jerusalem on the 14th day of the July, 2022, which corresponds to the
15th day of Tamuz, 5782, in the Hebrew calendar, in duplicate in the English
language.
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
President of the United States of America
Yair Lapid
Prime Minister of the State of Israel
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/14/the-jerusalem-u-s-israel-strategic-partnership-joint-declaration/
How Can Western Civilization Survive with Reviled
Institutions?
J.B. Shurk/Gatestone Institute/July 15/2022
A Monmouth University poll released on July 5 reveals that 57% of Americans
believe that U.S. federal government actions over the last six months have
directly hurt their families. In that same poll, Monmouth compiles the 22 most
important priorities of the American people. Neither Russia's war in Ukraine nor
Congress's January 6 Committee hearings appear anywhere on the list; instead,
the top four issues all deal with skyrocketing inflation and economic
uncertainty.
A new Gallup poll documents a precipitous drop in Americans' confidence across
16 major institutions, including historic lows for confidence in newspapers, the
criminal justice system, big business, police, and all three branches of the
federal government. The survey's results represent the lowest overall
institutional confidence ever recorded in its decades-long survey history, and
not a single institution reflected an increase in confidence over last year's
measures. Only 7% of Americans have a "Great deal / Quite a lot" of confidence
in Congress, while only 11% feel similarly about television news.
Only adding to Westerners' perception of widespread institutional corruption, an
investigation by the British Medical Journal recently documented pervasive
conflicts of interest within Western drug and health regulatory agencies whose
budgets are funded primarily by monetary gifts from major pharmaceutical
companies, the very industry players whose products the government agencies are
charged with regulating.
Westerners increasingly do not trust their governments or their major news media
to report accurate and reliable information. They increasingly view government
actors as perpetuating two standards of justice and economic security — one for
those at the very top of society's pyramid of wealth and power and one for
everyone else.
Westerners increasingly do not trust their governments or their major news media
to report accurate and reliable information. They increasingly view government
actors as perpetuating two standards of justice and economic security — one for
those at the very top of society's pyramid of wealth and power, and one for
everyone else.
Surely Western authorities cannot expect to maintain long-term legitimacy if
their populations judge governing institutions as irredeemably marred by
corruption and political leaders as indifferent, if not downright hostile, to
ordinary citizens' wants and needs.
It has become fashionable for Western politicians to divide up the global
chessboard between virtuous "democracies" struggling for world peace and
threatening "dictatorships" causing hardship and chaos. Whatever the West's
"democracies" are today, however, they are not bastions for representing
honestly their peoples' most dire concerns, nor are they above doling out to
their citizenries hefty portions of hardship and chaos.
Institutions can be broadly categorized as those that are created and maintained
through human cooperation and consent and those that require force and coercion
to endure. In a "democratic" society, cooperation and consent are the principal
building blocks, as well as tools, for fashioning strong institutions capable of
surviving unknown threats and unexpected emergencies.
What happens when consent is replaced by government force and coercion? Laws
lose legitimacy. News sources are reduced to pure propaganda. Political
disagreement turns to bloodshed and murder. It is as if society's cement has
instead been replaced by strongmen trying to squeeze humanity's discrete blocks
together with sheer muscle...
What happens when consent is replaced by government force and coercion? Laws
lose legitimacy. News sources are reduced to pure propaganda. Political
disagreement turns to bloodshed and murder. It is as if society's cement has
instead been replaced by strongmen trying to squeeze humanity's discrete blocks
together with sheer muscle... (Image source: iStock)
Western authorities cannot expect to maintain long-term legitimacy if their
populations judge governing institutions as irredeemably marred by corruption
and political leaders as indifferent, if not downright hostile, to ordinary
citizens' wants and needs.
Across the West, there is a sharp divergence between the needs of normal
citizens and the worldview articulated and pushed by their "representatives" in
government. Faith in the institutions staffed by those "representatives" is
plummeting. Shouldn't this disconnect be setting off alarm bells from D.C. to
Brussels? Are we not approaching a Rubicon where the West's future survival is
at stake?
With regard to nearly every contentious issue, the fissure separating the
expressed preferences of ordinary citizens and those of their governments is
expanding.
Last month the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to renew the EU Digital
COVID-19 Certificate infrastructure for another year, despite near unanimous
rejection from European citizens responding to a months-long public consultation
on the use of mandatory digital health passports.
For decades, both European and American citizens have expressed overwhelming
opposition to illegal immigration, yet leaders have done little on either side
of the Atlantic to stem the persistent problem. As inflation and social unrest
rise in Europe, nearly 60% of EU citizens are "not ready" to defend Ukraine's
sovereignty against Russia's invasion if doing so necessarily triggers higher
fuel and food costs. Still, Germany and France have warned their populations to
"prepare for a total cut-off of Russian gas."
Likewise, the World Economic Forum just released a position paper arguing that
"protecting democracy" requires Westerners to endure much higher gas and oil
prices. Without bountiful supplies of hydrocarbon energy, however, some analysts
argue that global famine and Western economic collapse become inevitable.
A Monmouth University poll released on July 5 reveals that 57% of Americans
believe that U.S. federal government actions over the last six months have
directly hurt their families. In that same poll, Monmouth compiles the 22 most
important priorities of the American people. Neither Russia's war in Ukraine nor
Congress's January 6 Committee hearings appear anywhere on the list; instead,
the top four issues all deal with skyrocketing inflation and economic
uncertainty. That said, the U.S. House recently passed the "Federal Reserve
Racial and Economic Equity Act" that would require the Federal Reserve to pursue
"woke" socialism over financial growth, and President Joe Biden and a willing
Congress have already spent more on the Ukraine conflict than the U.S. did
during the first five years of war in Afghanistan. Recent polling shows a
whopping 78% of American voters judge the United States to be on the wrong track
today, jumping 27 points since Biden assumed office. And nearly 40% of Americans
now believe the U.S. government is "not sound at all."
Institutional confidence is cratering.
A new Gallup poll documents a precipitous drop in Americans' confidence across
16 major institutions, including historic lows for confidence in newspapers, the
criminal justice system, big business, police, and all three branches of the
federal government. The survey's results represent the lowest overall
institutional confidence ever recorded in its decades-long survey history, and
not a single institution reflected an increase in confidence over last year's
measures. Only 7% of Americans have a "Great deal / Quite a lot" of confidence
in Congress, while only 11% feel similarly about television news.
Only adding to Westerners' perception of widespread institutional corruption, an
investigation by the British Medical Journal recently documented pervasive
conflicts of interest within Western drug and health regulatory agencies whose
budgets are funded primarily by monetary gifts from major pharmaceutical
companies, the very industry players whose products the government agencies are
charged with regulating.
Westerners increasingly do not trust their governments or their major news media
to report accurate and reliable information. They increasingly view government
actors as perpetuating two standards of justice and economic security — one for
those at the very top of society's pyramid of wealth and power, and one for
everyone else. And as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's early forced
retirement shows, public tolerance for turning a blind eye to the propagation of
this dual and conflicting set of realities is rapidly waning.
Surely this situation is untenable. Surely Western authorities cannot expect to
maintain long-term legitimacy if their populations judge governing institutions
as irredeemably marred by corruption and political leaders as indifferent, if
not downright hostile, to ordinary citizens' wants and needs. It has become
fashionable for Western politicians to divide up the global chessboard between
virtuous "democracies" struggling for world peace and threatening
"dictatorships" causing hardship and chaos. Whatever the West's "democracies"
are today, however, they are not bastions for representing honestly their
peoples' most dire concerns, nor are they above doling out to their citizenries
hefty portions of hardship and chaos.
Institutions can be broadly categorized as those that are created and maintained
through human cooperation and consent and those that require force and coercion
to endure. In a "democratic" society, cooperation and consent are the principal
building blocks, as well as tools, for fashioning strong institutions capable of
surviving unknown threats and unexpected emergencies. Representative governments
are formed reflecting the democratic votes of citizens and the public's general
will.
When representative bodies create laws that reflect the public's preferences,
citizens generally respect the criminal codes and regulations that restrict
their freedoms. When the news media are judged to produce truthful information,
they are relied upon as a worthy check against unjust government power. When
people who represent a minority viewpoint in society are nonetheless permitted
to express their thoughts, seek change, and accrue power, then a multitude of
groups with conflicting points of view can coexist without factionalism
necessarily leading to political violence.
Voluntary cooperation creates remarkably powerful institutions because
individual citizens have a personal stake in their continued existence. Discrete
blocks of humanity are hermetically cemented together, so that civilization can
rise to towering heights.
What happens when consent is replaced by government force and coercion? Laws
lose legitimacy. News sources are reduced to pure propaganda. Political
disagreement turns to bloodshed and murder. It is as if society's cement has
instead been replaced by strongmen trying to squeeze humanity's discrete blocks
together with sheer muscle, straining and sweating under the pressure of keeping
everything being held up from collapsing on those doing the heavy lifting.
The Soviet Union may have lasted 70 years, but its institutions were built with
disintegrating bricks and soupy mortar and held together by a series of
obstinate strongmen. That was the most important lesson of its collapse.
For civilizations to prosper, the people must never be ignored. For Western
leaders to have missed that monumental lesson, or even worse, for them to ignore
that enduring truth today, they put nothing less than the future of Western
Civilization at risk.
*JB Shurk writes about politics and society.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Boris of Britain: What Went Wrong?
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/July, 15/2022
It is hard to believe but it was only a year ago that Boris Johnson, imagining
himself at the peak of glory as a political leader, was waxing lyrical about his
“strategic goal” of rescuing millions of Britons out of poverty and neglect.
Adopting the sobriquet of a 17th-century movement known as the Levelers he
created a Ministry of Leveling Up headed by the heavy-weight member of his
Cabinet Michael Gove.
Needless to say, as it was typical of good old Boris, he never spelled out what
he meant to do under a flag borrowed from the English Civil War. As for Gove,
the minister in charge, all he could reveal was that the aim was to elevate the
degraded northern part of England up to the level of modernity and prosperity
achieved in the southeast.
Now we shall never know what kind of miracle was in the offing because Johnson
has been forced out and, before doing so, fired Gove.
The interesting point is that Johnson was shown the exit not because of policies
he actually espoused let alone those, like Levelling Up, that he merely mused
about.
Boris won power with the slogan “Get Brexit Done” which, instead of focusing
attention on what Brexit would actually do to Britain presented the whole thing
as a matter of practical measures with the emphasis on form rather than content.
As some of us noted years ago, the whole Brexit narrative was built on a number
of misconceptions and outright lies. Interestingly, with the exception of a
single substantive debate in the House of Commons, the issue was never seriously
debated or probed through a proper parliamentary process let alone at a popular
level with the help of the media and proximity activists.
As a result, Britain was plunged into a politico-cultural civil war between
“Leavers” and “Remainers”; the former promised paradise and the latter promoted
“Project Fear”. And like in any other war, even a civil one, the first victim
was the truth.
The trouble is that Johnson’s departure does not put an end to that civil war.
He was not forced out because it has become clear that “Brexit”, at least in its
current shape, doesn’t work. Outside the small Liberal-Democrat Party, no major
political group in England advocates dropping the worst aspects of Brexit, let
alone reversing it. Nor was Johnson forced out because of his policy to increase
the military budget to a level not known since the 1980s.
Johnson’s saber-rattling policy on Ukraine wasn’t a cause for his demise either.
In fact, even opposition parties mumbled chagrined approval for it. Johnson’s
questionable handling of the situation in the first stage of the Covid-19
pandemic, at least in the early stages, didn’t contribute to his demise either
while his boast about “leading the world in mass vaccination” was swallowed by
many including his political adversaries.
Johnson’s departure was not caused by his economic policies either. He presided
over the doubling of the national debt, to finance generous “furlough” schemes
during the pandemic and subsidize businesses hit by Brexit. Nor did the fact
that he went in the opposite direction of the traditional Conservative Party
shibboleth of tax cuts by raising taxes to their highest level in a generation
contributed to his downfall.
In other words, none of Johnson’s macro-political choices forced him towards the
exit.
He was forced out by drip-drip reports of peccadillos, what ancient Greeks
called skendein, small slips, and the origin of the word scandal. He was
attacked because one of his advisers broke lockdown rules by making a train
journey to see his mum. Then came a report that Johnson’s Health Minister had
broken the rules by staging a love-fest in his ministerial office with his
Italian paramour. That was followed by reports that the Prime Minister had
attended mini-bacchanalian parties in his official residence in Downing Street.
The final straw that broke the back of Boris’s camel was his claim that he
didn’t know that the man he promoted to the Cabinet as deputy Chief-Whip was a
pincher of male derrieres.
What does all this tell us? Don’t you think it tells us that there is something
wrong with British democracy when a Prime Minister is ousted not because of
policy failures but as a result of little “slips” that old Athenians would have
corrected with a rap on the culprit’s knuckles?
The Boris episode underlines the poverty of democratic debate in Britain today
where politics is reduced to sloganeering with the sole aim of winning
elections. The fetishistic approach turns elections from a means to serve
precise aims to an end in themselves. The result is the short-termism that
deprives Britain and other Western democracies of strategic thinking.
Even before Boris has left Downing Street the chattering classes are wondering
who of his wannabe successors as Conservative Party Leader could win an
election.
As for Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition Labor Party leader, no one is asking
what he offers as policy but whether he could win an election. The obsession
with elections and lack of interest in actual policy is fed by daily opinion
polls analyzed and aggrandized by pundits and focus groups. What matters is the
process leading to power, not what to do once in power.
Imagine Disraeli or Gladstone or more recently Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair
basing every move on opinion polls and pundit speculations about election
results. None of them would have achieved the major reforms and socio-political
changes that they introduced.
Gladstone could have been chased out by tittle-tattle about nocturnal visits to
Saint James Park. Disraeli might have been shaken by innuendo about inheriting a
fortune in murky ways. Thatcher would have been destabilized when her closest
aide made a baby with his secretary out of wedlock. Blair could have been
derailed by rumors that his wife, a top-notch lawyer, earned sky-high fees from
clients with interests in the public sector.
Boris was a symptom of the current ailment of British politics, not its cause.
And unless that ailment is tackled whoever succeeds Boris will end up like him,
albeit minus his charisma, or even worse than him.
What Britain needs is a return to the noble aspect of politics which means
focusing on the real issues of the “polis” rather than skendein.
Ukraine's Future Hinges on Holding the Moral High Ground
Now
Anjani Trivedi/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 15/ 2022
If you lean toward supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, or if you’re a
pacifist convinced of the inherent criminality of armed conflict, you’ll find
evidence that, for all of its adroit messaging, Ukraine’s conduct during the war
is hardly impeccable.
There’s the recent United Nations report that appears to confirm Vladimir
Putin’s frequent accusation that the Ukrainian military uses civilians as
“living shields” — a practice banned by the Geneva Conventions — by deploying in
residential areas and buildings from which people have not been evacuated. Both
the UN and some reputable human rights organizations also have questioned
Ukraine’s treatment of Russian prisoners of war.
There’s the alarming story of Ukraine’s former human rights commissioner,
Lyudmyla Denysova, who told horror tales of child rape by Russian soldiers that
could not be independently confirmed after getting her daughter a contract with
the international aid organization UNICEF to run a telephone helpline. The
daughter apparently provided the evidence-free material to Denysova,
strengthening the Russian narrative that Ukraine is faking evidence of Russian
atrocities.
There’s former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk’s stubborn defense
of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, whom Poles and Israelis consider a
genocidaire but whom many Ukrainians, especially in the country’s west, revere
for his single-minded pursuit of his people’s independent statehood. Melnyk’s
scandalous apologia for the nationalist assassinated in Germany by the KGB has
added fuel to Putin’s claim that Ukraine needs “denazification.”
Finally, examples abound of Ukrainians profiting from the national emergency. In
April, the Ukrainian parliament lifted customs duties to speed the import of
vehicles for the military and emergency services. In the next two months, almost
100,000 vehicles were imported, including a Ferrari, a McLaren and other
expensive cars; on July 1, the customs duty was reimposed. Given how
corruption-rotted Ukraine’s economy has been throughout the post-Soviet years,
stories of wartime graft, profiteering and abuse of Western assistance will
doubtless increase once peace is restored.
You could dismiss these unsavory examples simply by recalling the most
fundamental fact of the war: Ukraine is the side that has been attacked and
invaded by its much bigger neighbor. It is the wronged party and the underdog.
All independent reports overwhelmingly blame Russia for wreaking outrage on
civilians, from targeting residential areas to documented cases of rape and
summary execution. Russian propaganda lies on a grand scale. Putin’s
increasingly fascist, almost-totalitarian regime has no right to talk of
denazifying anyone.
And let’s be clear: Western human rights activists and UN officials arguably
lack the moral standing to hold Ukrainians to account. For all the military aid
Western nations have sent, they have not put boots on the ground for Ukraine. So
any aberrant behavior on Ukrainians’ part must be weighed against the trauma
they have endured by watching Russians pillage, kill, raze entire cities to the
ground — with the world effectively standing on the sidelines.
Yet such a blanket dismissal would be a cop-out. Here’s why.
Modern Russia and Ukraine have been forged by the same brutal Soviet tradition:
Win at any cost, give no quarter to enemies, lie if that’s what it takes to win,
grab your chances wherever you see them. Information on Ukraine’s military
losses is more carefully guarded than that on Russian KIA and MIA numbers, and
not even the UN knows how many prisoners each side has taken. Just as Russia has
thrown waves of young soldiers from its poorest regions into the meat grinder of
urban combat, so Ukraine has engaged in ruthless triage, sacrificing troops and
civilians in some cities that have been all but erased to bleed the invaders and
keep them out of the rest of the country. “War will wipe the slate clean,” as
they used to say in Russia and Ukraine during World War II. The unsentimental,
bitter tradition is, in part, why the belligerents are worthy of each other
militarily — and why few nations would do better fighting against either Russia
or Ukraine.
But while Russia is unlikely to subject itself to any public reckoning for its
crimes even if it loses on the battlefield — t-shirts emblazoned with “I am
Russian and I’m not ashamed” say it in so many words — Ukraine’s civilizational
choice in favor of the West and its status as a country that has lost more lives
than any other this century in an effort to remain a sovereign democracy do not
allow it to adopt this kind of attitude.
Regardless of the military outcome of the conflict as it’s been conducted in
recent months — as a war of attrition fought for bits of territory — Ukraine’s
stalwart effort to retain its statehood and independence represents a decisive
victory. Now, despite the urgency of staving off further Russian gains and the
hope of reversing the ones already made, Ukraine also must consider what kind of
country it will be once some kind of peace is re-established — and what kind of
country it doesn’t want to be.
Will it enter the post-war reality perpetually embittered and perpetually
entitled, always complaining that it didn’t get enough help during the war and
isn’t getting enough for its reconstruction efforts? Will it justify political
repression by the need to eradicate Russian influence? Will it sink again into
the familiar quagmire of thievery as its elite tries to seize the day while
Western aid is still forthcoming? Will it, like some Balkan nations after the
Yugoslav wars, cover up for its war criminals and honor Nazi collaborators as
its spiritual precursors?
Ukraine is no stranger to bad choices made after its most heroic moments —
witness the botched state-building efforts after both of its 21st century
revolutions.
This time around, however, there are hopeful signs, even amid the invasion’s
horrors. Not only was Human Rights Commissioner Denysova fired by the
parliament, but Ukrainska Pravda, one of the country’s top news outlets,
published an investigation into her unconfirmed claims and her daughter’s UNICEF
gig. “This story doesn’t attempt to cast doubt on Russians’ rapes in Ukraine,”
Ukrainska Pravda wrote. “But untrue stories about it only play into the enemy’s
hands.” It’s hard to imagine a Russian news outlet following a similar logic.
Ambassador Melnyk has been fired, too, along with several colleagues. President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy provided no explanation for the move, but the Ukrainian
Foreign Ministry officially distanced itself from Melnyk’s defense of Bandera.
Clearly, the Ukrainian government — at least under this president and with the
current pro-European agenda — is not going to reinforce the nationalist’s cult,
which has flourished since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. Keeping up good
relations with a neighbor such as Poland, which has accepted millions of
Ukrainian refugees and donated generously to the war effort, takes precedence
over misplaced national pride.
As for the way Ukrainians are fighting, Zelenskiy’s increasingly successful
drive to procure Western long-range artillery and the skillful use of the new
weapons to take out Russian ammunition depots signal a welcome shift from
earlier, forced scorched-earth tactics. Ukraine’s desire to fight a more modern
war rather than engage in grueling 20th century-style trench and urban warfare
is evident — and, even if Western allies won’t send troops, at least they can
help shift the character of the battlefield action.
As the world’s attention inevitably drifts away from what has become a
protracted, slow-moving conflict, Ukraine cannot afford to backslide and become
indistinguishable from its enemy. Much to their credit, Zelenskiy and his team
appear to be aware of the danger. Holding the moral high ground that Ukraine has
gained at huge cost is as important as battlefield heroism if it is to win a
better future for its people, not just the fight over territory.
Video From FDD/Biden in the Middle East: Opportunities and
Challenges
Tamar Hermann, Dennis Ross, Ebtesam al-Ketbi, Robert Satloff
The Washington Insitute/Jul 14, 2022
Brief Analysis
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/biden-middle-east-opportunities-and-challenges
A panel of veteran diplomats and scholars from the Gulf, Israel, and Washington
discuss the trip’s goals and risks, as well as the president’s chances for
success.
On July 11, The Washington Institute held a virtual Policy Forum with Tamar
Hermann, Dennis Ross, Ebtesam al-Ketbi, and Robert Satloff. Hermann is a senior
research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and academic director of its
Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research. Ross is the
counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Ketbi is founder and president of the Emirates Policy Center and a member of the
Consultative Commission of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Satloff is the
Institute’s executive director. The following is a rapporteur’s summary of their
remarks.
Tamar Hermann
Recent poll results suggest that the success of President Biden’s visit to
Israel will be determined by how he handles five specific challenges and three
opportunities. The first challenge lies in Israel’s upcoming election, which is
disadvantageous for Biden because Israelis will be more focused on that than the
issues he raises during the trip. Second, the Palestinian issue has been
sidelined for years, and raising it now seems unrealistic to the “average”
Israeli. Third, Israeli media have long amplified and found controversy in the
stances taken by progressive voices within Biden’s party, leading many citizens
to suspect that he will make concessions on issues important to Israel. Fourth,
most Israelis believe that Washington and Jerusalem disagree on Iran, and they
assume that this disparity will color Iran-related discussions on this trip.
Finally, polls indicate that Biden is much less popular among Israelis than
President Trump was, though he is more popular than President Obama.
As for opportunities, the foremost one is the deep support that Israeli Jews
express for normalization with Arab states, including the Abraham Accords and
the current prospect of reaching a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia during Biden’s
visit. Second, Israelis seem more willing to listen to the United States because
they perceive that the administration has not pressured Jerusalem much on
sensitive issues before the trip. Third, Israel’s centrist and leftist parties
are hoping for a new agenda. For instance, Yair Lapid spoke about a Palestinian
agenda in his first speech as prime minister, which had not happened in years.
At the same time, however, polls confirm that most of Israel’s Jewish population
identifies as right-wing, so it is unrealistic to hope for a major shift in the
upcoming election. Although a large majority of Arab Israelis express support
for a two-state solution, only one-third of Jewish respondents do. Moreover,
both groups are deeply pessimistic about the prospect of achieving this solution
in the near future, and they do not believe Biden can reach a breakthrough. They
are more optimistic about his ability to advance Israeli-Saudi relations. Yet
most poll respondents indicate they do not trust the administration to take
Israel’s interests into account bilaterally—a figure that rises to 75 percent on
Iran issues specifically. In short, Biden will be received politely, but
Israelis have low expectations for his visit and sense that it will be largely
symbolic.
Dennis Ross
Although Biden’s goal for this trip is in line with traditional U.S.
interests—namely, fostering stability and peace in a region characterized by
conflict—the visit itself represents a striking shift in his foreign policy
priorities. The administration initially focused on competition with China, but
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected its general approach. One notable
result is that the Middle East has been elevated in the White House’s new
geopolitical strategy for upholding the rules-based international system.
For this visit, energy, security, and normalization are the president’s top
objectives. Sanctioning Russian oil has raised gas prices in Western countries,
forcing Biden and other leaders to scramble for substitutes. Saudi Arabia and
the United Arab Emirates are key to this quest, prompting the Biden
administration to seek rapprochement with the Gulf monarchies. Ultimately,
cooperation with these countries will be necessary to facilitate a stable
transition from fossil fuels to green energy, including joint research on green
hydrogen and carbon neutrality.
In security terms, President Biden is now emphasizing efforts to integrate the
region’s early warning and air/missile defenses. This policy does not represent
an exit from the Middle East, but rather a sounder basis for sustaining
America’s presence and sharing the burden under the umbrella of CENTCOM. This
will require allies in the Middle East to work more closely with each other and
the United States in preserving regional stability.
Regarding Iran, President Biden will not bridge differences with allies over the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on this trip. Yet there will be
discussions with Israel and Saudi Arabia over how to respond to Iran’s advancing
nuclear program.
Regarding peace issues, the president can be expected to emphasize his deep
connections with Israel—while simultaneously restating his support for a
two-state solution and repeating U.S. calls for practical, material assistance
to the Palestinians. This may lead to discussions in Saudi Arabia on investing
in West Bank water infrastructure, which would have the twin benefits of
addressing an acute Palestinian need and catalyzing direct Israeli-Saudi
coordination.
Indeed, the trip could become a watershed moment if it places Israeli-Saudi
relations on a normalization path. That path is likely incremental—the kingdom
will not join the Abraham Accords anytime soon, but it is probably willing to
take initial steps such as granting overflight rights to Israel’s El Al airline
and allowing direct flights for Israeli pilgrims attending the Hajj.
As for Biden’s meetings with Israeli politicians, he will no doubt try to avoid
playing favorites during their election season. As such, he will meet with the
prime minister, the alternative prime minister, the defense minister, the
president, and the leader of the opposition—though he will necessarily spend the
most time with Lapid, which may bring the new prime minister extra attention and
stature. More than anything, Biden will emphasize what comes naturally to him:
his deep, emotional commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Ebtesam al-Ketbi
The Gulf states welcome this visit as a historic moment that should be used to
create a more robust relationship with the United States. The Abraham Accords
have generated unprecedented Arab-Israel cooperation, and U.S. officials seem
focused on developing this regional partnership. The visit will also solidify
U.S. strategy on burden sharing—in particular, there is an opportunity to
solidify the multilateral framework engendered by the Negev Summit and encourage
countries to go beyond their immediate economic and security needs. The first
Negev Summit in March was a watershed in regional cooperation, and the working
groups formed there should be continued and strengthened.
Despite the great promise for increased Arab-Israel cooperation, however, it is
crucial not to lose sight of other important issues. On the Israeli-Palestinian
front, reducing tension and escalation while integrating the Palestinians in
regional cooperation are prerequisites for a sustainable peace. Elsewhere,
concerns persist about Iran’s regional behavior, missile/drone activities, and
nuclear program. Gulf leaders hope that Biden’s visit will enhance GCC security
and expand U.S. ties with member states. A new approach to regional
cooperation—one that combines deterrence and de-escalation with economic
solutions—would promote security and deeper engagement among Arab states,
Israel, and Turkey.
Ultimately, the most important benchmarks for the success of Biden’s trip are
twofold: a solid U.S. approach to containing Iran, and clarification of U.S.
policy on China and Russia. On the second benchmark, the Gulf states want
Washington to take their interest in strategic balancing into account and
provide assurances of U.S. security commitments to the region. Put another way,
they do not want to be a great-power battlefield.
The building blocks for peace in the Middle East exist, but the United States
still has a very large role to play in the region. It can do so by demonstrating
a durable and sensitive commitment to its allies, both during Biden’s visit and
beyond.
Robert Satloff
Based on my own recent visit to Saudi Arabia, I believe that several of Biden’s
statements in the lead-up to his trip were mistakes—namely, that he would not
meet with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, and that he was taking the trip
because Israel asked him to. Yet even though such remarks drew tough comments
from the Saudis, Riyadh still wants a successful visit in order to showcase its
convening power.
In particular, the Saudis want answers to five questions. First, will Biden
continue Obama’s legacy on Saudi Arabia, or will he follow the traditional U.S.
policy of being the guarantor of Saudi security and urging regional cooperation
and integration? Second, is Biden’s focus transactional, or is he pursuing a
strategic reset with Saudi Arabia? Third, will Biden view human rights solely
through the lens of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, or will he use a broader lens that
includes women’s rights, personal freedoms, tolerance, and anti-extremism?
Fourth, will Biden press for normalization with Israel quickly or support an
incremental process underpinned by an improved U.S.-Saudi relationship? Fifth,
is Biden visiting as part of a withdrawal from the Middle East, or does he
intend to reassert the region’s importance to U.S. strategy? If the Saudis
receive encouraging answers, they will reciprocate, though likely not with a
huge and sudden increase in oil production.
More broadly, Saudi policy is less adventurous today than in the past, and the
crown prince wants to become a regional leader. The goal is to project his
country as a consensus-maker in the Middle East rather than a change-maker. At
the moment, the biggest developments in the kingdom are its sweeping social,
cultural, and economic changes, which are broadly popular and have met little
resistance. More reform is coming, but major transformations such as lifting
alcohol and prayer restrictions and normalizing with Israel will take place
incrementally. It is in America’s interest to encourage these trends.
This summary was prepared by Gabriel Epstein. The Policy Forum series is made
possible through the generosity of the Florence and Robert Kaufman Family.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Tamar Hermann is a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and
academic director of its Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy
Research.
Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the
counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Ebtesam al-Ketbi, founder and president of the Emirates Policy Center, the UAE's
leading foreign policy and security think tank; professor of political science
at United Arab Emirates University; and a member of the Gulf Cooperation
Council's Consultative Commission.
Robert Satloff is executive director of The Washington Institute, a post he
assumed in January 1993.
US report highlights violations of religious freedom by
regime in Iran
Ray Hanania/Arab News/July 15, 2022
Published by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, it details
widespread religious repression, the targets of which include Baha’is, Christian
converts, Sunnis, and Gonabadi Sufis
The report was published on the same day a Swedish Court sentenced Iranian
former government official Hamid Noury to life in prison for his role in the
1988 massacre of dissidents
CHICAGO: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom on Thursday
published a scathing report detailing the Iranian regime’s continuing attacks on
religious freedom.
It came on the day a Swedish Court sentenced Iranian citizen Hamid Noury to life
in prison for his role in the 1988 massacre of Iranian dissidents.
Officials from the USCIRF, a federal government organization, said the report
details widespread religious repression in Iran, the targets of which include
members of the Baha’i faith, Christian converts, Sunnis, and Gonabadi Sufis, who
“continue to face ongoing violations of their freedom of religion or belief.”
The four-page report begins by accusing Iran of “egregious violations” of
religious freedoms and urges the US State Department to designate Iran as a
Country of Particular Concern for its ongoing and systematic attacks on
religious freedom.
“Iran’s government has continued to escalate its repression of Baha’is,
including arrests and the seizure of Baha’i property,” it states. “Christians in
Iran — particularly converts from Islam — have also been subject to arrest and
excessive prison sentences. Iran also persecutes smaller religious communities,
including Zoroastrians, Mandeans and Yarsanis.
“The government continues its arrest and detention of Sunni Muslims as well.
Religious minorities who flee Iran continue to face threats to their safety from
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iran continues its attempts to
influence other governments in the Middle East to persecute religious
minorities. Iran’s government also continues to use religion as a pretext for
the repression of women, denying them individual freedom of religion or belief,
and showing leniency on religious grounds toward perpetrators of so-called
‘honor killings.’”
The report also details repression and persecution by the Iranian regime based
on gender identity and sexual preference, and “illustrates how the Iranian
government uses a singular interpretation of Ja’afri Shi’a Islam to restrict
religious freedom.”
According to the US State Department, under the International Religious Freedom
Act of 1998 the president is required to annually review the status of religious
freedom in every country and designate as a Country of Particular Concern any in
which authorities engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of
religious freedom.” The law defines this as “systematic, ongoing, egregious
violations of religious freedom,” including: torture, prolonged detention
without charge, forced disappearances, or other flagrant denial of life, liberty
or security.
Under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, the
president is also required to designate on a Special Watch List “each country
that engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom during the
previous year but does not meet” all the criteria for designation as a Country
of Particular Concern.
The report comes at a time when Iran is facing growing international pressure.
During an official trip to the Middle East this week, US President Joe Biden is
meeting the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region to
pursue, among other goals, a strategy that will prevent Iran from developing
nuclear weapons. The court case in Sweden involving Noury, an Iranian former
government official who was convicted over his role in the massacres of Iranian
dissidents in 1988, adds to the pressure on Tehran. Maryam Rajavi, the
president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition
opposed to the regime in Tehran, welcomed the conviction of Noury and described
it as a first step on the path to full justice. She said that comprehensive
justice will be achieved when the main perpetrators of the crime, including
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi among others, are
put on trial in the courts of a free Iran or at international tribunals. “In 92
hearings, the Swedish court dealt with a number of events in only one prison (Gohardasht)
out of more than 100 prisons where the massacre was carried out,” said Rajavi.
“The dossiers on the massacre in Evin and the enormous crime that took place in
more than 100 cities, and on the heroic actions of women affiliated with
(opposition group) the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK for
short) in the 1988 massacre and the executioners’ crimes against them, should be
opened.” This week Hossein-Ali Nayeri, who was the head of the Death Committee
in Tehran at the time of the massacre, said during an interview that had it not
been carried out “maybe the regime would not have survived at all.”In response
to this statement, Rajavi said that it shows that the religious dictatorship
views the PMOI/MEK as an existential threat.
She added that the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini for the massacre of all
MEK members and sympathizers, who refused to cooperate with the regime’s
religious fascism or participate in its crimes, shows that the physical,
political and ideological elimination of the opposition has always been at the
top of the regime’s priorities.