English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For 17 July/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10/01-07/:”After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!”And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.

Titels For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 16-17/2022
Guardians of the Cedar Party: The two million displaced Syrians impose an existential threat to Lebanon
US, KSA say Lebanon shouldn't be launchpad for threatening regional stability
President Aoun meets delegation from Army Command
Former Minister El-Khazen, quoting President Aoun: Egypt insists on fairness to the concept of national unity in the approach of...
Lebanese president calls for unity in response to Saudi-US joint statement
Raad: We don't want war but we're ready and we won't give up our resources
Gathering for Sovereignty tells Biden any Iran deal must involve 'disarming Hezbollah'
Geagea renews support for army chief’s possible presidential bid

Titles For Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 16-17/2022
Biden exchanges fist bump with Saudi crown prince before controversial meeting
MBS brought up the US abuse of Abu Ghraib detainees to embarrass Biden when asked about Khashoggi, report says
Iran imposes sanctions on 61 Americans
Biden Leaves Saudi Arabia after 2-Day Visit
Jeddah Communique Stresses Importance of Saudi-US Strategic Partnership
Arab leaders, US President Biden affirm common vision for region at Jeddah summit
Saudi Crown Prince Calls for Unified Efforts to Support Global Economy
US 'will not walk away' from Middle East, Biden tells Arab leaders
Biden: US 'Will Not Walk Away' from Middle East
Biden Promises Jordan with $1.45 Billion in Assistance Per Year
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs: Peace with Israel is a strategic choice, but there are certain requirements that must be made
Jordan’s King Says No Regional Security Without Independent Palestinian State
Israel strikes Gaza Strip after rocket fire

Titles For LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 16-17/2022
Biden Administration: The Friendliest to Iran's Mullahs?/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./July 16, 2022
US policy in the Middle East can only benefit from Biden visit/Luke Coffey/Arab News/July 16, 2022
Today in History: Christian Spain Crushes Islam on the Battlefield/Raymond Ibrahim/July 16, 2022
Ukraine Has Better Heroes Than This Friend of Fascism/Andreas Kluth/Bloomberg/July, 16/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 16-17/2022
Guardians of the Cedar Party: The two million displaced Syrians impose an existential threat to Lebanon
The Guardians of the Cedars Party / Media Command / July 16 / 2022
Lebanon has gone through many crises and tribulations since the early sixties until today, and it has passed many of them thanks to the Lebanese resistance, at high prices and heavy losses in lives and livelihoods.
The Lebanese nation today is facing an unjust and brutal occupation that aspires to dissolve the Lebanese entity in order to attach it to the last ignorance witnessed by the world.
In the midst of the ongoing Lebanese tragedy, we see before us today an imminent danger and a multifaceted burden and negative effects in the compelling circumstances that cloud the life of the Lebanese nation.
For those who do not know, we say that the entry of Syrian refugees, with a number of more than two million, displaced to Lebanon, and in the targeted way that was adopted, is to push them towards the Lebanese borders and spread them over all Lebanese lands and crowd out the Lebanese for their livelihood, forming a heavy burden and a direct demographic danger resulting from the dubious process of reproduction that no one has the ability to limit. of its momentum.
Lebanon has entered a very dangerous stage, especially that the international references have no intention of working to return these displaced persons, but rather they deliberately treat them as refugees, which portends a new catastrophe similar to the disaster that afflicted Lebanon because of the Palestinian refugees, as if we are living the cycle of history that may be repeated at any moment.
We, in the Guardians of the Cedars Party, call on all the Lebanese affiliating forces to work around the clock at home and abroad and through all relevant international facilities to ward off the existential danger from the Lebanese nation. We also hail any initiative or effort made in this context and we are ready to work together with Everyone who is keen on the existence and permanence of our honorable Lebanese nation.
Labbek Lebanon

US, KSA say Lebanon shouldn't be launchpad for threatening regional stability
Naharnet/July 16, 2022
The United States and Saudi Arabia have affirmed their “continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability,” in a joint statement issued after a meeting in Jeddah between U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides also stressed their support for “the Lebanese Armed Forces that protect its borders and resist the threats of violent extremist and terrorist groups.”They also noted the importance of “forming a Lebanese government and implementing comprehensive structural political and economic reforms to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its political and economic crisis, and that it does not become a launching point for terrorists, drug smuggling, or other criminal activities that threatens the stability and security of the region.”Moreover, they emphasized the importance of “the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory, including with reference to fulfilling the provisions of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and the Taif Accord, and for it to exercise full sovereignty, so there will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon or authority other than that of the government of Lebanon.”

President Aoun meets delegation from Army Command
NNA/July 16, 2022
On August 1, President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, will preside over the ceremony to be held at the Shukri Ghanem barracks in Fiyadie.
President Aoun will hand swords to officers of the "centenary course of the Military Academy", in the presence of the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, State Staff, Ministers and Representatives, and the Arab and foreign diplomatic corps. President Aoun is scheduled to deliver a speech on the occasion, then hand over the swords to the graduating officers, and this year there are 132 male and female officers, including a number of female officers.
The President met a delegation from the Army Command that included: Chief of Protocol in the Army Command, Brigadier General Ibrahim Terro, Head of the Public Relations Department in the Military Chamber at the Ministry of National Defense, Colonel Naji Bou Zayan, and Head of the Public Relations and Protocols Department at the Intelligence Directorate, Colonel, Ahmed Hajj Shehadeh, who handed him the invitation of the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, to the celebration.
The delegation briefed President Aoun on the ongoing preparations, knowing that the celebration was absent during the past two years due to the Corona pandemic, and the tradition returns this year.
Lebanon's Ambassador to Algeria:
The President received Lebanon's Ambassador to Algeria, Dr. Mohamed Hassan. Ambassador Hassan conveyed the greetings of the Lebanese community in Algeria and the Algerian people, and their appreciation for the role played by the President and his stances that preserve sovereignty and dignity, and defend Lebanon's rights at various levels.
Ambassador Hassan also said that the meeting also tackled Lebanese-Algerian relations and ways of developing them in all fields, especially in terms of benefiting from the Algerian expertise in the fields of energy and oil.
Finally, Ambassador Hassan stated that officials in Algeria are looking forward to President Aoun to pay an official visit to Algeria.

Former Minister El-Khazen, quoting President Aoun: Egypt insists on fairness to the concept of national unity in the approach of...
NNA/July 16, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, affirmed that he insisted on the fairness of the concept of national unity in his approach to forming a government, especially since the government crisis has lasted longer than it should. The President stressed that consultations will continue to mature a quick solution that leads to the birth of the new government.
President Aoun’s positions were conveyed by former Minister Sheikh Wadih El-Khazen after a meeting, today at Baabda Palace.
In rhe meeting, internal affairs and recent developments were discussed, including the government’s situation, “Which cannot continue as it is in light of the worrying economic and living conditions in the country” El-Khazen said.
Former Minister Al-Khazen added: “I felt from His Excellency the President his insistence on the fairness of the concept of national unity in dealing with the crisis of forming the government, which lasted more than it should, and which threatens the safety of living life and the dangers it may lead to the security of all citizens who are eager to get out of this cycle, against letting the deepening crisis interact on the future of the country, which has become at a difficult and rugged crossroads”.
“His Excellency the President assured me that he is continuing in the consultations he is undertaking to seek a quick solution in cooperation with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati that will lead to the formation of a rescue government that oversees the proper functioning of all sectors of the state, so the wheel of work returns to the institutions, political life is regulated, the judiciary regains its independence, the country its security, and the economy its vitality” El-Khazen said.
El-Khazen concluded: "It remains to say that it is necessary to support the directives of the President of the Republic and facilitate his mission with the designated premier, in order to reach a government that is acceptable to the citizen, and to consolidate the country's unity definitely to prevent strife, and the settlement projects that are looming on the horizon”.
Adha Congratulations:
President Aoun received more cables of congratulations on the blessed Al-Adha feast, most notably from the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Kais Saied. President Saied said: “On the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Adha, I would like to address your Excellency on behalf of myself and on behalf of the Tunisian people, my sincere congratulations and best wishes, asking God Almighty to protect you under his care, grant you abundant health and wellness, and grant the brotherly Lebanese people further progress and prosperity. In this fragrant atmosphere of faith in which the guests of the Almighty turn to the Almighty God with supplication and praise for His blessings and in which Muslims conjure the values ​​of sacrifice and compassion, I can only ask God to give us, you, and all the peoples of the Islamic nation as a whole, the kindness and contentment, and to restore to us such a noble occasion in blessing”.

Lebanese president calls for unity in response to Saudi-US joint statement
Najia Houssari/Arab News/July 16, 2022
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun says he is committed to national unity and that the country is at a crossroads with regard to its long-running political and economic crisis. The leader said on Saturday that he “insists on abiding by the concept of national unity in his approach to forming a new government” and that “the government crisis has dragged on more than it should in light of the worrying economic and living conditions in the country.”He also warned against “letting the deepening crisis impact the future of the country, which now stands at a crossroads.”Aoun’s comments came after the release of a joint Saudi-US statement on the Lebanese situation. He added that: “Consultations are ongoing to come up with a quick solution that leads to forming a new government.”The joint statement, dubbed the Jeddah Communique, was issued after Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met US President Joe Biden in Jeddah on Friday and Saturday.“The two sides affirmed their continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability, and their support for the Lebanese armed forces that protect its borders and resist the threats of violent extremist and terrorist groups,” it said.
“They also noted the importance of forming a Lebanese government and implementing comprehensive structural political and economic reforms to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its political and economic crisis and that it does not become a launch pad for terrorists, drug smuggling, or other criminal activities that threaten the stability and security of the region.”
The statement added that the two sides “emphasized the importance of the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory, including with reference to fulfilling the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Taif Accord, and for it to exercise full sovereignty, so there will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon or authority other than that of the government of Lebanon.”Lebanese MP Razi Al-Hajj described the Jeddah Communique as a vital message, in both its timing and content. “It accurately describes the reality of the country. Lebanon is still the focus of international attention,” he said “Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s recent speech was not in the context of preserving Lebanon and its interests, but rather to remind us of the existence of a major player in the region, Iran,” Al-Hajj added.
“Lebanese sovereignty is the legitimacy that determines the state’s choices such as peace or war, and foreign relations.”
In its comments on the joint statement, the National Liberal Party said: “The Americans and the Saudis are more concerned about Lebanon’s strategic interests than the Lebanese officials.”Rally for Sovereignty, a group of political activists, described the silence of political parties and sovereign and reformist forces in Lebanon as deplorable, as was the lack of support for the Saudi crown prince’s vision to transform the Middle East into a new Europe.
The group said also it hoped Biden “would interpret what was stated in the communique through US policies in the region, especially in terms of nuclear negotiations with Iran, so that any possible agreement includes the disarmament of Iranian proxies in the region, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“The communique clearly mentioned the implementation of the Taif Agreement and the UN Security Council resolutions that guarantee Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability, all of which are decisions that the US contributed to formulating and approving, and it is thus morally and politically responsible for their implementation.”Rally for Sovereignty also urged Lebanon’s government, and political and partisan forces “to carry out an Arab and international diplomatic campaign to compel Syria to duly acknowledge Lebanon’s ownership of the Shebaa Farms, which Israel occupied from the Syrian army … (and) to inform international bodies of this and remove it from Resolution 242 and attach it to Resolution 425 to compel Israel to withdraw from it.” This was crucial, “especially since Hezbollah’s wars, which have brought destruction and impoverishment to Lebanon, failed to liberate these farms and turned them into a pretext for occupying the Lebanese interior,” it added.

Raad: We don't want war but we're ready and we won't give up our resources
Naharnet/July 16, 2022
The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, announced Saturday that his group does not “wish for war” with Israel but is “ready and prepared for it,” in connection to the standoff over the maritime border. “We loudly tell the Israeli enemy that the gas in our exclusive economic zone is our right and we have the priority over the entire world to make benefit of our rights in our waters and gas,” Raad said during a Hezbollah ceremony in the southern town of Adshit. “When we point to the choice of a war that would allow us to live in dignity, instead of fawning to and begging from others, we are saying that we are the free ones and that you should know who you are dealing with,” Raad added, referring to Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s recent remarks. “We do not wish for war, but we’re ready and prepared for it… and if you had seen at the beginning of our resistance some of our might, you will see our might in the coming days when you make a wrong choice and resort to aggression,” Raad went on to say. He concluded: “We will not give up our right to utilize our resources and demarcate the borders of our sovereignty. We are the ones who decide this and we’re standing alongside every loyal person in this state in order to protect the dignity of the country and its sons, from all sects and regions, even those who do not evaluate things and are not comprehending the situations in a proper way.”

Gathering for Sovereignty tells Biden any Iran deal must involve 'disarming Hezbollah'
Naharnet/July 16, 2022
The Gathering for Sovereignty, which is a Lebanese opposition movement seeking to “liberate Lebanon from Hezbollah’s arms and hegemony,” has called on the Lebanese to join what it called “globalized Arabism,” in the wake of the Jeddah summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia’s leadership. “The Gathering for Sovereignty laments the absence of the Lebanese state and political forces and parties from the Arab workshop of development and modernization,” it said in a statement. “The Gathering, which understands that the Iranian occupation and its tools are in the position of hostility towards this course, is surprised by the deafening silence of the sovereign and pro-change political parties and forces, and by the absence of activities and stances that stress the need to join the vision of turning the Middle East into a new Europe, as declared by Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” the Gathering added. The Gathering also thanked Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for “their keenness on the presence of the Lebanese cause in every regional and international meeting, despite the attempts of the Iranian occupation to eliminate it through usurping the political decision of the Lebanese state.”Pleading to U.S. president Biden, the Gathering said that any new nuclear agreement with Iran should involve “the disarmament of the Iranian proxies in the region, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon, through the U.N. Security Council, especially that the joint (U.S.-Saudi) statement has clearly mentioned the implementation of the Taif Accord and the U.N. Security Council resolutions.”Separately, the Gathering said “Saudi Arabia’s regaining of its sovereignty over the Tiran and Sanafir islands is the valid example for liberating the Shebaa Farms from Israeli occupation.”
“The withdrawal of U.N. forces from the two islands that Israel occupied from the Egyptian army did not take place through the battles and wars of the Iranian proxies, but rather through an Arab Egyptian-Saudi agreement, under which Egypt recognized KSA’s ownership of the two islands before the relevant international authorities were informed of that, which led to excluding them from the Camp David agreements and returning them to Saudi sovereignty,” the Gathering explained.

Geagea renews support for army chief’s possible presidential bid
Naharnet/July 16, 2022
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Saturday reiterated that the LF will support Army Commander General Joseph Aoun’s possible presidential nomination if “it turns out that his chances are high.”“He has run the military institution in a good way and has improved it and acted as a real statesman at its head. And despite pressures from the most senior officials, he did not accept to prevent the army from performing its missions -- which are preserving the border and domestic security,” Geagea said in an interview with the al-Markazia news agency. “I don’t know what General Aoun’s chances to reach the palace are and I hope they will be good chances, because the same as he succeeded in his minor role, he can also succeed in the major role,” the LF leader added. “If it turns out that his chances are high, we will certainly support him,” Geagea went on to say. As for his own nomination, Geagea said the possibility is still being studied by the LF as a party and by its parliamentary bloc.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 16-17/2022
Biden exchanges fist bump with Saudi crown prince before controversial meeting
Maureen Groppe and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY/Sat, July 16, 2022
President Joe Biden exchanged a fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, kicking off a highly scrutinized meeting Friday in a country that Biden once vowed to make a "pariah." The crown prince, also known as MBS, and other members of the royal family greeted Biden at Al Salam Royal Palace after the president arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for delicate talks on energy, human rights and security in the Middle East. Biden has faced criticism for meeting with the crown prince, who U.S. officials believe ordered the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi – and the fist bump only amplified the condemnation. "If we ever needed a visual reminder of the continuing grip oil-rich autocrats have on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we got it today," Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who chairs the House intelligence committee, said in a tweet. "One fist bump is worth a thousand words." Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post, slammed Biden's greeting of bin Salman, as "shameful" and "worse than a handshake.""It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption that he has been desperately seeking," Ryan said in a statement posted on Twitter. More: Biden says 'ground not ripe' for Israel-Palestine peace process in appearance with Palestinian President Abbas. Biden told reporters afterward that he raised Khashoggi's murder during his meeting with bin Salman, pushing back against criticism that he ignored Saudi Arabia's human rights record. "I said, very straightforwardly, for an American president to be silent on an issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am," Biden said, recounting what he told the crown prince. "He basically said that he was not personally responsible for it. I indicated that I thought he was." When asked how he can assure another murder like Khashoggi's doesn't happen again, Biden responded: "What a silly question. How could I possibly be sure of any of that? I just made it clear if anything occurs like that again, they'll get that response and much more." Told that Khashoggi’s fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said the blood of the crown prince’s next victim is on his hands, Biden said: “I’m sorry she feels that way.”
The series of meetings between Biden and Saudi leaders lasted more than two hours. Biden met first with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, who Biden greeted with a handshake, according to video footage released by Saudis. Journalists were not allowed in the room.
The president later sat down separately with the crown prince – the first such encounter between the two leaders – and other Saudi ministers. Flanked by aides, Biden and bin Salman faced each other at a long rectangular table. The crown prince spoke first, then Biden, but reporters in the room could not hear their remarks. Ahead of Biden's trip to the Middle East, which began with a multiple-day swing through Israel, officials said Biden would refrain from hand shakes with foreign leaders out of concerns about the COVID-19 virus. But in Israel, Biden – a tactile politician known for hugs and warm embraces – shook hands with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several others. The no hand-shake rule seemed like a way to avoid to a potentially awkward interaction between Biden and the crown prince. But in the end, the fist bump was no less subtle, and Biden shook hands with the king.

MBS brought up the US abuse of Abu Ghraib detainees to embarrass Biden when asked about Khashoggi, report says
Bethany Dawson/Insider/Sat, July 16, 2022
Biden said he confronted the Saudi crown prince about Jamal Khashoggi's murder during their meeting. The prince retorted by mentioning the US abuse of prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, CNN reported. Biden went to Saudi Arabia to discuss the oil-supply crisis brought on by the Ukraine war. The Saudi crown prince brought up the US abuse of Abu Ghraib detainees when President Joe Biden confronted him about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter. Biden said on Friday that he told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, that he was responsible for the killing of the Saudi journalist during their meeting earlier that day. According to CNN's new account of the meeting, when confronted about Khashoggi, MBS reminded Biden of the abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison by US forces, and brought up the the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir mirrored the comments made by MBS in an interview with CNN afterwards, saying of Khashoggi: "We investigated, punished and ensure that this doesn't happen again. This is what countries do. This is what the US did when the mistake of Abu Ghraib was committed."Abu Ghraib prison became infamous after the 2004 publication of photographs depicting Iraqi detainees being humiliated and abused by their US guards, with the leak resulting in the sentencing of 11 soldiers to up to 10 years in prison.Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera, was fatally shot on May 11 by Israeli forces while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp.Biden and his administration have faced criticism over their response to Abu Akleh's death, which included dismissing a letter from 57 lawmakers to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting such an investigation into the killing. Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia chiefly to discuss the crisis in oil supply caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The visit came less than three years after Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over Khashoggi's death, and Biden defended his visit as one that was necessary to help the US energy crisis.On Saturday, Saudi Arabia agreed to boost oil production.

Iran imposes sanctions on 61 Americans
Reuters/July 17, 2022
DUBAI: Iran said on Saturday it had imposed sanctions on 61 more Americans, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for backing an Iranian dissident group, as months of talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal are at an impasse. Others blacklisted by Iran’s Foreign Ministry for voicing support for the exiled dissident group Mujahideen-e-Khalq included former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House national security adviser John Bolton, Iranian state media reported. Giuliani, Pompeo and Bolton have been widely reported to have taken part in MEK events and voiced support for the group. In January Iran imposed sanctions on 51 Americans, and it blacklisted 24 more Americans in April in its latest sanctions moves. Iran’s indirect talks with the United States on reviving the 2015 nuclear pact began in November in Vienna and continued in Qatar in June.
But the negotiations have faced a months-long impasse. In 2018, then-US President Trump abandoned the deal, calling it too soft on Iran, and reimposed harsh US sanctions, spurring Tehran to breach nuclear limits in the pact.

Biden Leaves Saudi Arabia after 2-Day Visit
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden left Jeddah on Saturday after a two-day official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during which he participated in the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. The President was seen off at the Royal Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Governor of Makkah Region, Princess Rima bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Ambassador to the United States, the Chargé d'Affairs of the US Embassy in the Kingdom Martina Strong, and the US Consul General in Jeddah Faris Asad. Biden earlier told the Summit that the United States would remain firmly committed to its allies in the Middle East and was "not going anywhere."
He met on Friday with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Jeddah Communique Stresses Importance of Saudi-US Strategic Partnership
Jeddah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
A joint Saudi-US statement reviewed aspects of the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US over the coming decades with the aim of advancing their mutual interests and a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East.
This came following the visit of President Joe Biden to Jeddah and meeting with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The joint statement stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen the strategic partnership to serve the interests of the governments and peoples of the Kingdom and the US. The two sides also emphasized the pivotal role this historic partnership has played in promoting regional stability and prosperity. The two leaders stressed that the Saudi-US partnership has been a cornerstone of regional security over decades, and affirmed that the two countries share a vision of a more secure, stable, and prosperous region, interconnected with the world.
The following is the text of the Jeddah Communique:
At the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President Joseph Biden conducted an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia July 15-16, 2022.
ollowing the meeting with King Salman, President Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held an official meeting, attended by senior officials from both sides.
The two sides reviewed in detail the many shared priorities that contribute to the partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
At the end of this meeting, the two sides issued this communique outlining the strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States over the coming decades with the aim of advancing their mutual interests and advancing a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East.
Strategic Partnership
The two sides reviewed the historical relations and partnership between Saudi Arabia and the US that was established nearly eight decades ago with the meeting between King Abdulaziz Al Saud and President Franklin Roosevelt on board the USS Quincy.
They underscored the importance of continuing to strengthen their strategic partnership to serve the interests of the governments and peoples of the Kingdom and the US.
The two sides also emphasized the pivotal role this historic partnership has played in promoting regional stability and prosperity.
The two leaders stressed that the Saudi-US partnership has been a cornerstone of regional security over decades, and affirmed that the two countries share a vision of a more secure, stable, and prosperous region, interconnected with the world.
The two sides affirmed the importance of resolving international disputes through peaceful and diplomatic means, and alleviating humanitarian crises through economic and financial support to the region’s countries most in need.
They affirmed the importance of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They stressed the need for supporting governments in the region facing threats from terrorists or proxy groups backed by outside powers.
The two sides noted the historic ties between the peoples of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US. They welcomed, in this regard, extending the validity of business and tourism visas to ten years to facilitate closer people-to-people ties and economic cooperation.
The two sides then reviewed cooperation and achievements in the following areas:
Energy Security and Climate Cooperation
The two sides underscored the importance of strategic economic and investment cooperation, particularly in light of the current crisis in Ukraine and its consequences, and reaffirmed their commitment to a stable global energy market.
The US welcomed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to support global oil markets balancing for sustained economic growth. Both sides decided to consult regularly on global energy markets in the near- and long-term, as well as work together as strategic partners in climate and energy transition initiatives, recognizing Saudi Arabia’s leading role in the future of energy.
The US commended the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, and welcomed Saudi Arabia’s participation at the recent Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, joining of the Global Methane Pledge, its status as a founding member of the Net-Zero Producers Forum, and the Kingdom’s announcement to meet 50 percent of its electricity generation from renewables by 2030.
The two sides welcomed the finalization of a Partnership Framework for Advancing Clean Energy, with substantial investments in clean energy transition and addressing climate change, with particular focus on renewable energy, clean hydrogen, human capacity-building in the nuclear energy field, and cooperation in nuclear-regulatory aspects, carbon capture utilization and sequestration, development of sustainable materials, and other initiatives under the Circular Carbon Economy Framework, where Saudi Arabia aims to be a global leader.
Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII)
The two sides emphasized that the energy transition and the national security of both countries require stable and diversified supply chains, and in this regard, the US welcomed Saudi Arabia’s support for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which President Biden announced at the G7 Summit on June 26, 2022.
Through this historic partnership, the US and Saudi Arabia aim to strategically invest in projects that support digital connectivity, supply chain sustainability, and climate and energy security focused on low- and middle-income countries.
Security and Defense
President Biden strongly affirmed the US’ continued commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial defense, and facilitating the Kingdom’s ability to obtain necessary capabilities to defend its people and territory against external threats.
The two sides underscored the need to further deter Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of other countries, its support for terrorism through its armed proxies, and its efforts to destabilize the security and stability of the region, reiterating the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Both sides stressed the importance of preserving the free flow of commerce through strategic international waterways like the Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz. They welcomed the newly-established Combined Task Force 153 with a focus on the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandab passageway and further deterring illicit smuggling into Yemen. They also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s assumption of command of Combined Task Force 150, which reinforces shared maritime security objectives in the Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea. To improve and streamline the exchange of information in the maritime domain, cooperation between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and Combined Task Force 153 will be enhanced in the regionally-networked coordination center led out of the US Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain.
The US also emphasized the growing cooperation between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and US Fifth Fleet’s Task Force 59, which leads an expanding fleet of cutting edge, integrated unmanned surface vessels using artificial intelligence to improve maritime security and domain awareness in support of regional security.
5G/6G Open-RAN Cooperation
The two sides welcomed a new Memorandum of Cooperation that will connect US and Saudi technology companies in the advancement and deployment of 5G using open radio access networks, enable the development of 6G through similar technologies, an advance partnership in cloud infrastructure and related technologies.
The partnerships built under the MOU confirms Saudi Arabia’s leadership as a regional hub for 5G deployments and 6G future developments.
Cybersecurity
The two sides emphasized their mutual cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and its importance to protect the vital interests and national security of both countries. The US and Saudi Arabia welcomed the recent signing of memoranda of understanding on cybersecurity cooperation and decided to continue strengthening real-time information sharing, building human and technical capabilities, and cybersecurity industry development.
Space Exploration
The two sides further welcomed the enhancement of cooperation in all fields of space exploration, including human spaceflight, earth observation, commercial and regulatory development, and responsible behavior in outer space.
President Biden welcomed the Saudi Arabia signing of the Artemis Accords and applauded the Kingdom for affirming its commitment to the responsible, peaceful, and sustainable exploration and use of outer space.
Development of Tiran Island
President Biden welcomed the arrangements by Saudi Arabia to remove the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) from the Island of Tiran, including the removal of US troops there as part of the MFO mission, while preserving and continuing all existing commitments and procedures in the area. This area of the Red Sea will now be developed for tourism and economic purposes, contributing to a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous region.
Expanding Overflights
Within the framework of Saudi Arabia’s keenness to fulfill its obligations under the Chicago Convention of 1944, which stipulates non-discrimination between civil aircraft used in international air navigation, the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) announced its decision to open the Kingdom’s airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of GACA to fly over the Kingdom’s airspace. The US welcomed this announcement, which will enhance global air connectivity and help cement the Kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Vision 2030
The US welcomed the Vision 2030, its blueprint for transformative economic and social reforms, and its efforts to increase women’s economic participation and promote interfaith dialogue. Saudi Arabia welcomed greater US private sector investment in the Kingdom, as well as increasing Saudi investments in the US private sector for the benefit of both countries. The US side welcomed Saudi Arabia’s bid to host World Expo in 2030, and other events to be held over the course of that milestone year, the culmination of Vision 2030 reform program. The Saudi side noted the importance for the region of the World Cup being hosted by Qatar later this year and welcomed the United States serving as host for the World Cup in 2026.
Regional Cooperation
The two sides then addressed particular regional and global issues, including:
Yemen:
Both sides affirmed their strong support for the UN-brokered truce in Yemen and stressed the importance of extending the truce and making progress to transform the truce into a lasting peace agreement.
President Biden expressed his appreciation for the role King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have played in achieving and renewing the truce. The two sides stressed their long-stated goal to end the war in Yemen and called on the international community to take a unified position calling on the Houthis to return to peace talks under the auspices of the UN based on the three references, including UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015). Only a political agreement between the Yemeni parties can durably resolve the conflict and reverse the dire humanitarian crisis.
The two sides also affirmed their support for Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and thanked the Council for its commitment to the truce and steps that have improved the lives of Yemenis across the country, including facilitating fuel imports and restarting flights from Sanaa.
They also stressed the need to remove all impediments to the flow of essential goods and delivery of aid inside Yemen, and the importance of the Houthis opening the main roads to Taiz, Yemen’s third largest city which has been under siege conditions since 2015.
Saudi Arabia and the US encouraged all regional actors to fully support the truce, which has resulted in the longest period of peace in Yemen in six years.
Saudi Arabia welcomed the US’ support of the truce and its contribution to the efforts to advance the political process in Yemen.
Iraq
President Biden welcomed the leading role played by Saudi Arabia in strengthening relations with Iraq, and the historic agreements to be signed on the margins of the Jeddah Security and Development Summit on July 16, 2022, to link the electricity networks of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to the Iraqi grid, in order to provide Iraq and its people with new and diversified electricity sources.
The Palestinian cause
Regarding the Palestinian cause, the two sides underscored their enduring commitment to a two-state solution, wherein a sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state lives side-by-side in peace and security with Israel, as the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in accordance with the internationally-recognized parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The leaders noted their determination to remain closely coordinated on efforts to encourage the parties to demonstrate, through policies and actions, their commitment to a two-state solution. The US and Saudi Arabia welcomed all efforts that contribute to reaching a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
Syria
The two sides reiterated their commitment to preserving the unity, stability, and territorial integrity of Syria and expressed their support for the efforts of the Special Envoy of the UN Sec-Gen to reach a political solution to the conflict consistent with the formula outlined in the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), stressing at the same time the need to prevent renewed of violence, to maintain established ceasefires, and to allow the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all Syrians in need.
Lebanon
The two sides affirmed their continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability, and their support for the Lebanese Armed Forces that protect its borders and resist the threats of violent extremist and terrorist groups. They also noted the importance of forming a Lebanese government and implementing comprehensive structural political and economic reforms to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its political and economic crisis, and that it does not become a launching point for terrorists, drug smuggling, or other criminal activities that threatens the stability and security of the region.
They emphasized the importance of the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory, including with reference to fulfilling the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Taif Accord, and for it to exercise full sovereignty, so there will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon or authority other than that of the government of Lebanon.
Ukraine
The two sides underscored that a rules-based order lies at the heart of international security, emphasizing the importance of the respect for international law, territorial integrity, and national sovereignty.
They reaffirmed the principles as set forth in the March 2, 2022, UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1, endorsed by all GCC members.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to providing critical assistance to the Ukrainian people, and to ensure the unhindered export of grain and wheat products to alleviate the global food crises, which threatens to acutely impact a number of Middle Eastern and African states.
Sudan
The two sides underscored the importance of the dialogue between Sudanese parties and reviving the political process. They commended the efforts made by the UN Mission to support the return to the foundations of a political solution in Sudan, and expressed their satisfaction with the active role of the Quad for Sudan, wishing Sudan and its people peace and prosperity.
Libya
Both sides affirmed their support for the Libyan people as they engage in the UN-brokered political process to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible. They expressed their full support for the Libyan ceasefire agreement concluded on October 23, 2020 and the Libyan call for the complete departure of foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries without further delay, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2570 (2021).
Afghanistan
The two sides stressed the need to support Afghanistan’s security and to address the threat posed by Afghanistan-based terrorists. They also underscored the importance of continuing to support humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. They expressed support for addressing the needs and promoting the rights of the Afghan people including the rights of women and girls to education and enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and, for women, the right to work.
Counter-terrorism
The two sides underscored the importance of confronting terrorism and violent extremism. They expressed their continued commitment to countering al-Qaeda and ISIS, stemming the flow of foreign fighters, countering violent extremist propaganda, and cutting off terrorist financing streams.
The two sides highlighted the joint efforts through the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, which is based in Saudi Arabia. They reviewed and commended the exceptional success of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, established in Jeddah in 2014, and stressed the need for this coalition to continue, and to make long-term and multi-year efforts to return both detained ISIS fighters and the tens of thousands of ISIS family members from northeastern Syria to their home countries. They welcomed the next Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS ministerial meeting to be held in Saudi Arabia in early 2023.
Conclusion
The two sides decided to expand and strengthen bilateral cooperation in all areas discussed in this meeting, prior to the next annual Strategic Dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the United States to be held in the Kingdom later this year. This Jeddah Communique should form the basis of work going forward to consolidate and enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Arab leaders, US President Biden affirm common vision for region at Jeddah summit
Arab News/July 17, 2022
JEDDAH: The one-day Jeddah Security and Development Summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia, brought leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries, in addition to Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, together with US President Joe Biden.
In a joint statement at the end of the event, the leaders affirmed their common vision for a region where peace and prosperity prevail. They renewed their call for Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and with regional countries to keep the Gulf free of weapons of mass destruction.
On regional affairs, the leaders affirmed their common vision for a region where peace and prosperity prevail, noting that this requires taking all necessary measures to jointly confront the challenges the region faces, and requires adherence to the rules of good neighborliness, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the final statement, the leaders renewed their call to Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and with regional countries to keep the Gulf free of weapons of mass destruction.
They stressed the importance of respect for the rules of good neighborliness, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, and positive cooperation with countries in the region and the international community in a manner that preserves regional and international security and stability.
“The leaders reiterated their condemnation of terrorism, and reaffirmed their keenness to strengthen efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, prevent the armament and financing of terror groups and confront all activities that threaten the region’s security and stability,” the final statement said.
In this context, the leaders welcomed Biden’s emphasis on a permanent US commitment to the security of its partners, as well as recognition of the region’s central role in connecting the Indo-Pacific with Europe, Africa and the Americas.
The discussions also aimed to address collectively environmental challenges and confront climate change, including the Saudi Green and the Middle East Green Initiatives, announced last October by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in addition to the development of renewable energy sources.
King of Bahrain Hamad Al-Khalifa listens during the summit. (SPA)
The leaders said they look forward to climate conferences, such as the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), which will be hosted later by Egypt and the UAE.
On energy, the leaders affirmed the importance of the stability of energy markets and praised Saudi Arabia’s leading role in achieving consensus within OPEC+ as well as the latter’s efforts to keep oil markets stable in a manner that serves consumer and producer interests.
The final statement said that “holding the summit confirmed the Kingdom’s global economic weight, in addition to its regional and international responsibility and its pivotal role in the security and stability of the region.
“The response of the GCC leaders to the invitation of King Salman affirms the common vision for a region of peace and stability, the importance of commitment to the security of the region, defense and security cooperation, and the protection of maritime shipping routes in accordance with the principles of international legitimacy.”
The Jeddah meeting sought to confirm the historical partnership among the GCC countries, deepen joint cooperation in various fields, and build joint projects that contribute to achieving sustainable development in the region.
The summit affirmed the importance of close cooperation and common visions on a number of issues and situations in the region, including affirming the GCC stance supporting the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative,
“(Gulf) leaders stressed the need to reach a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-state solution,” the final statement said, adding that they acknowledged the importance of supporting the Palestinian economy and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
On the matter of the Yemen conflict, the leaders condemned Houthi terrorist attacks against civilians, landmarks and energy facilities, and welcomed the formation of a Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen.
The final statement expressed support for a negotiated solution between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, welcomed the extension of the truce, and underscored the importance of commitment to continue supporting the humanitarian and relief needs of the Yemeni people.
Among other things, the summit voiced support for Iraq’s security, stability and prosperity, as well as political solutions to all crises in the region, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and principles.
The leaders discussed Syria and said efforts must be intensified to reach a political solution to the crisis in a manner that maintains the country’s unity and sovereignty, and fulfils the Syrian people’s aspirations. The final statement underscored the importance of Lebanon’s stability and the independence of its political decision.
With regard to the situation in Libya, the leaders renewed their call for unifying military institutions under UN supervision, and voiced the necessity of holding parliamentary and presidential elections.
As far as Sudan is concerned, the leaders reaffirmed their support of efforts aimed at achieving stability and encouraged a consensus among the various parties.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi listens during the session. (SPA)
Addressing the issue of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the leaders called for a diplomatic solution that achieves the interests of all parties concerned — mainly Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan — and contributes to regional prosperity.
With regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Jeddah summit affirmed the participants’ commitment to the principles of international law and the UN Charter, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, non-use of force or the threat of force, in addition to the support for mediation efforts, a political solution to the crisis through negotiations, provision of humanitarian and relief assistance.
On Afghanistan, the leaders noted that efforts must continue to provide humanitarian aid to the country and deal with the threat of terrorists. The leaders also thanked Qatar for supporting the security and stability of the Afghan people.
The leaders welcomed the preparations by the state of Qatar for hosting the 2022 World Cup, and reiterated their support for all efforts to ensure its success.
Final Statement of Jeddah Security and Development Summit Issued
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 16, 2022
1. At the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Iraq, and the United States of America held a joint summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 16, 2022, to underscore the historic partnership among their countries and to deepen their countries' joint cooperation in all fields.
2. The leaders welcomed President Biden reiterating the importance the United States places on its decades-long strategic partnerships in the Middle East, affirming the United States' enduring commitment to the security and territorial defense of U.S. partners, and recognizing the region's central role in connecting the Indo-Pacific to Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
3. The leaders affirmed their joint vision towards a peaceful and prosperous region, stressing the importance of taking all necessary measures to preserve the region's security and stability, developing joint areas of cooperation and integration, collectively confronting common threats, and abiding by the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
4. President Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive Middle East peace. The leaders emphasized the need to bring about a just resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict on the basis of two-state solution, noting the importance of the Arab Initiative. They stressed the need to stop all unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution, to preserve the historical status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, emphasizing the crucial role of the Hashemite Custodianship in that regard. The leaders also stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinian economy and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). President Biden commended the important roles played by Jordan and Egypt, and the members of the GCC, and their support for the Palestinian people and institutions.
5. The leaders renewed their commitment to enhance regional cooperation and integration, and build joint projects between their countries to achieve sustainable development and collectively address the climate challenge through accelerating climate ambition, supporting innovation and partnerships, including the Circular Carbon Economy Framework, and developing renewable sources of energy. In this context, the leaders commended the finalization of the agreements to connect electrical grids between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iraq, and between Saudi Arabia and Jordan and Egypt, as well as connecting the electrical grids between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.
6. The leaders commended the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative announced by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. The leaders expressed their hope for positive contributions by all countries towards a successful COP 27 hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, COP28 which will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates, and the International Horticultural Expo 2023 to be hosted by the State of Qatar titled “Green Desert, Better Environment 2023-2024."
7. The leaders affirmed the importance of achieving energy security and stabilizing energy markets, while working on increasing investments in technologies and projects that aim to lower emissions and remove carbon, consistent with their national commitments. The leaders also noted the efforts by OPEC + that aim to stabilize oil markets in a manner that serves the interests of consumers and producers and supports economic growth, welcomed the decision by OPEC+ to increase production for the months of July and August, and commended Saudi Arabia for its leading role in achieving consensus among the members of OPEC+.
8. The leaders renewed their support to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and the objective of preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region. The leaders also renewed their call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and with countries in the region to keep the Arab Gulf region free from weapons of mass destruction, and to preserve security and stability regionally and globally.
9. The leaders renewed their condemnation in the strongest terms of terrorism in all its forms and affirmed their commitment to strengthening regional and international efforts aimed at confronting terrorism and violent extremism, preventing the financing, arming, and recruitment of terrorist groups by all individuals and entities, and to confronting all activities that threaten regional security and stability.
10. The leaders condemned, in the strongest terms, the terrorist acts impacting civilians, civilian infrastructure, and energy installations in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and commercial ships navigating critical international trade routes, in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al Mandab, and affirmed the need to adhere to relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, including UNSCR 2624.
11. The leaders expressed their full support for Iraq's sovereignty, security, and stability, its development and prosperity, and all of its efforts to combat terrorism. The leaders also welcomed Iraq's positive role in facilitating diplomacy and confidence-building among countries in the region.
12. The leaders welcomed the truce in Yemen, as well as the establishment of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in Yemen, expressing their hope to achieve a political solution in line with the references of the GCC initiative, its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the Yemeni comprehensive national dialogue, and UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSCR 2216. The leaders called on the Yemeni parties to seize this opportunity and engage immediately in direct negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations. The leaders also affirmed the importance of continuing to support the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people, as well as provide economic and developmental support, while ensuring it reaches all areas of Yemen.
13. The leaders stressed the need to intensify efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis, in a manner that preserves Syria's unity and sovereignty, and meets the aspirations of its people, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The leaders stressed the importance of providing the necessary support to Syrian refugees and to the countries hosting them, and for humanitarian aid to reach all regions of Syria.
14. The leaders expressed their support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and stability, as well as all the reforms necessary to achieve its economic recovery. They noted recently-conducted parliamentary elections, enabled by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Internal Security Forces (ISF). With a view to upcoming presidential elections, they called on all Lebanese parties to respect the constitution and carry out the process in a timely manner. The leaders praised the efforts made by friends and partners of Lebanon that have renewed and strengthened the confidence and cooperation between Lebanon and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and that have supported the LAF and ISF in their efforts to maintain security in the country. The leaders took particular note of Kuwait's initiatives aimed at building joint action between Lebanon and the GCC countries, and commended the State of Qatar's recent announcement of direct support for LAF salaries. The United States confirmed its intention to develop a similar program for the LAF and ISF. The leaders also welcomed the support of the Republic of Iraq to the people and government of Lebanon in the fields of energy and humanitarian relief. The leaders welcomed all friends of Lebanon to join this effort to ensure the safety and stability of Lebanon. The leaders emphasized the importance of the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory, including with reference to fulfilling the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Taif Accord, and for it to exercise full sovereignty, so there will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon or authority other than that of the government of Lebanon.
15. The leaders renewed their support for efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 2570 and 2571, the need to hold presidential and parliamentary elections, in tandem, as soon as possible, and the departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries without delay. They continue to support Libyan efforts to unify the country's military institutions under the auspices of the UN process. The leaders expressed their appreciation for the Arab Republic of Egypt's hosting of the Libyan constitutional dialogue in support of the UN-facilitated political process.
16. The leaders affirmed their support for efforts to achieve stability in Sudan, resume a successful transitional phase, encourage consensus between the Sudanese parties, maintain the cohesion of the state and its institutions, and support Sudan in facing economic challenges.
17. Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the leaders reiterated their support for Egypt's water security and to forging a diplomatic resolution that would achieve the interests of all parties and contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous region. The leaders reiterated the imperative of concluding an agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD within a reasonable timeframe as stipulated in the Statement of the President of the United Nations Security Council dated September 15, 2021, and consistent with international law.
18. With regard to the war in Ukraine, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of respecting the principles of international law, including the UN Charter, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the obligation to refrain from the use of force and the threats of using force. The leaders urged all countries and the international community to intensify their efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful solution, ending the humanitarian crisis, and supporting refugees, displaced persons and those affected by the war in Ukraine, as well as facilitating the export of grain and other food supplies, and supporting food security in affected countries.
19. ​With regard to Afghanistan, the leaders stressed the importance of continuing and intensifying efforts to support humanitarian access to Afghanistan, to address the threat posed by Afghanistan-based terrorists, and striving for the ability of all Afghans to be able to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including their right to education and enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and, particularly for women, the right to work. The leaders expressed appreciation for Qatar's role in promoting security and stability for the Afghan people.
20. The leaders welcomed the preparations by the state of Qatar for hosting the 2022 World Cup, and reiterated their support for all efforts to ensure its success.
21. The participating countries affirmed their commitment to convening again in the future. ​​

Saudi Crown Prince Calls for Unified Efforts to Support Global Economy
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, addressing an Arab-US summit, said on Saturday that unified efforts were required to support the global economy. COVID-19 and the geopolitical situation necessitated more joint efforts to support the global economy, he said, adding that the environmental challenges required a "realistic and responsible" approach to gradually transition to sustainable energy sources. "The future of the region we seek requires adopting a vision that prioritizes the achievement of security, stability, and prosperity, based on mutual respect among the countries of the region, strengthening common cultural and social bonds, and confronting security and political challenges, toward achieving comprehensive economic development," he said. The summit gathered US President Joe Biden with leaders from six Gulf Arab states and Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. Biden held bilateral talks with Saudi leaders on Friday in Jeddah.In his opening remarks on Saturday at the Jeddah summit on security and development, the Saudi Crown Prince also called on Iran to be cooperative and not interfere in regional affairs.  He said Iran should adhere to "the principles of international legitimacy, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and fulfilling its obligations in this regard." The Saudi Press Agency said that the summit aims to confirm the historical partnership among the GCC countries, deepen joint cooperation in various fields, and stress the importance of developing ways of cooperation among them and build joint projects that contribute to achieving sustainable development in the region. This event also aims to address collectively environmental challenges and confront climate change, including through the Green Saudi and Green Middle East Initiatives, announced by the Crown Prince, in addition to the development of renewable energy sources. The summit affirms the importance of close cooperation on a number of issues in the region, including affirming the GCC stance supporting the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, said SPA. It also stresses preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the region, calling on Iran to return to its nuclear commitments, full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), respect for the rules of good-neighborliness, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, and positive cooperation with countries in the region and the international community in a manner that preserves regional and international security and stability, the news agency added.

US 'will not walk away' from Middle East, Biden tells Arab leaders
Agence France Presse/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden told Arab leaders on Saturday that Washington would remain fully engaged in the Middle East and would not cede influence to other world powers. "We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran," Biden said during a summit in Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The summit, the final stop on Biden's Middle East tour, brings together the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. Biden had been looking to use it to discuss volatile oil prices and outline his vision for Washington's role in the region.
On Friday he met Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler who US intelligence agencies assess "approved" the 2018 operation that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi. After a fist bump with Prince Mohammed, Biden said he raised the Khashoggi case and warned against future attacks on dissidents. Prince Mohammed chaired the opening session of Saturday's summit, which King Salman did not attend. He has denied any role in the death of Khashoggi, who was dismembered in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate and whose remains have never been found. In his remarks on Saturday, Biden told the assembled Arab leaders that "the future will be won by countries that unleash the full potential of their populations... where citizens can question and criticize leaders without fear of reprisal".Russia's invasion of Ukraine has exposed a once unthinkable divergence between Washington and key Middle East allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the oil giants that are increasingly independent on the international stage. The wealthy Gulf nations, which host US forces and have dependably backed Washington for decades, have notably refrained from supporting the Biden administration as it tries to choke Moscow's lifelines, from energy to diplomacy. Analysts say the new position reveals a turning point in Gulf relations with the UزSز, long the region's protector against neighbour Iran.

Biden: US 'Will Not Walk Away' from Middle East
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the United States will remain an active and engaged partner in the Middle East. Washington “will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by Russia, China or Iran,” Biden said in a speech during a summit with six Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq in Jeddah. "We will seek to build on this moment with active, principled, American leadership.”"The United States is invested in building a positive future of the region, in partnership with all of you - and the United States is not going anywhere," Biden told the Arab leaders. Biden also told the summit that the US is committed to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. He announced $1 billion in US aid to alleviate hunger in the region, Before the speech, Biden spent the morning meeting individually with the leaders of Iraq, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Biden Promises Jordan with $1.45 Billion in Assistance Per Year
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
US President Joe Biden announced Saturday that Washington intends to sign a new MoU to assist Jordan with no less than $1.45 billion per year in US bilateral foreign assistance to the country. “Biden announced the intention of the United States to enter into a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) for assistance for Jordan, in which the United States plans to make a commitment to support the provision of no less than $1.45 billion per year in US bilateral foreign assistance to Jordan, beginning in FY 2023 and ending in FY 2029,” a joint statement said following a meeting between Biden and King Abdullah II on the sidelines of an Arab-US summit in Jeddah. “The MOU represents a major US political commitment to Jordan’s stability and the durability of the partnership,” it said. “The MOU is designed to address Jordan’s extraordinary needs, supports King Abdullah II’s economic reform program, and ensure the long-term strength of the close partnership between the United States and Jordan,” the statement added. The king stressed the importance of this support to Jordan’s economic reform plans, its efforts to realize more sustainable economic growth, and to mitigate the impact of regional crises.
The two leaders highlighted the strong defense partnership between the two countries, and reiterated commitment to their partnership in the fight against terrorism. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continue working for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of the two-state solution. “They stressed the importance of fostering political and economic horizons through confidence-building measures that would set the ground for meaningful Palestinians-Israeli negotiations. They also emphasized the importance of including the Palestinians in regional cooperation projects,” the statement added.

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs: Peace with Israel is a strategic choice, but there are certain requirements that must be made
NNA/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, noted in an interview with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, that peace with Israel is a “strategic choice, but there are certain requirements that must be made” before it, adding that countries that signed the Abraham agreements with Israel made sovereign decisions.Al-Jubeir said, “Saudi Arabia supports the Arab peace initiative. In fact, we presented it and made it clear that peace comes at the end of this process and not at the beginning. We also said that the countries that signed the Ibrahim Agreements with Israel are sovereign decisions taken by those countries. We hope that these The decisions have a positive impact on the Israeli interior.” Regarding whether Saudi Arabia is ready to join the agreement, Al-Jubeir said, “We have made it clear that we need a process and that this process must include the implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative. Once we achieve that, we are committed to a two-state settlement with the Palestinian state on the occupied territories and its capital. East Jerusalem. This is our demand for peace.” Al-Jubeir stressed that peace with Israel “is a strategic choice, but there are certain requirements that must be met before this happens.” --- MEA 24

Jordan’s King Says No Regional Security Without Independent Palestinian State
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 July, 2022
Jordan’s King Abdullah II stressed on Saturday that there can be no security, stability, nor prosperity in the region without a solution guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security. In remarks at the Jeddah Security and Development Summit, King Abdullah said economic cooperation must include the Palestinian National Authority to ensure the success of regional partnerships. "We must examine opportunities for cooperation and collective action, in pursuit of regional integration in food security, energy, transport, and water," he added. King Abdullah noted that Jordan is keen on transforming these opportunities into real partnerships in the region. In addition to Jordan’s king, the summit was attended by US President Joe Biden and leaders from six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Iraq. King Abdullah thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their great efforts to enhance cooperation and coordination, in service of the region and the world. He also thanked Biden “for his ongoing efforts to work towards peace, security, and prosperity in our region and our world."

Israel strikes Gaza Strip after rocket fire
Agence France Presse/July 16, 2022
Israel hit the Gaza Strip before dawn on Saturday in what it said was a retaliatory strike for rocket fire from the Palestinian territory controlled by the Islamist movement Hamas. The exchange of fire came hours after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Israel and the occupied West Bank. "A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck a military site in the central Gaza Strip belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization," a statement from the Israel Defense Forces said."The military site consists of an underground complex containing raw materials used for the manufacturing of rockets," it said, describing the facility as "one of the most significant" of its kind in the territory. "The strike on this site will significantly impede and undermine Hamas' force-building capabilities," it said, adding that Israel was responding to "attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israeli territory."Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem denounced the strikes, which the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said caused no injuries. WAFA said Israeli missiles were fired at two locations, one "near a tourist resort" where nearby houses were severely damaged. Balls of fire lit up the night sky over Gaza City after the strikes, which at one location left a hole in the earth beneath dislodged paving stones in front of a low-rise building. A man later swept up shattered glass in front of what appeared to be an office. During the night there had been two separate launches, each of two rockets, towards Israeli territory, the military said.
Warning sirens alerting residents to the rocket fire had sounded during the night in the city of Ashkelon and elsewhere in Israel's south. Israel's military said one of the rockets had been intercepted while the other three fell on empty land. Impoverished Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, has been under Israeli blockade since 2007 when Hamas seized power from the secular Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
Biden visit
Before flying to Saudi Arabia on Friday, Biden visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank where he reiterated his administration's commitment to a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There "must be a political horizon that the Palestinian people can actually see," Biden said. "I know that the goal of the two states seems so far away," he said in Bethlehem, alongside the Palestinian leader Abbas. Abbas said "recognizing the state of Palestine" is the key to peace. With Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations moribund since 2014, the U.S. delegation has been focusing on economic measures.
Biden announced an additional $200 million for the United Nations agency serving Palestinian refugees, which saw funding cut by the previous US president Donald Trump. During a visit earlier Friday to a hospital in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, Biden pledged a $100 million aid package for medical institutions in the area.He also announced plans to roll out infrastructure for 4G internet across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank by the end of next year, fulfilling a longstanding aspiration among Palestinians. Biden earlier held talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, during which a focal point was Iran's nuclear program and that country's support for Hamas and other Islamist groups. Israel occupied both the Gaza Strip and West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but has maintained a blockade of the coastal territory since the Hamas takeover.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 16-17/2022
Biden Administration: The Friendliest to Iran's Mullahs?
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./July 16, 2022
Even [Iran's mullahs] probably cannot believe that they have gotten away with so many violations since the Biden administration assumed office.
Now, in Natanz, the Iranian regime is digging an underground nuclear facility that is reportedly extremely difficult to bomb.
The problem is that Iranian leaders keep testing the Biden administration with violations -- such as increasing uranium enrichment to near weapon-grade levels, the transfer of weapons and oil to Venezuela, attempting to kill former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, trying to kidnap a US citizen on American soil, targeting US bases in Iraq with barrages of missiles, harassing US Navy ships, smuggling weapons in violation of UN resolutions, and turning off International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cameras that monitor the regime's nuclear activities -- and keep witnessing no repercussions.
As a result, the ruling mullahs have become even more emboldened to ramp up their nuclear program.
Iran's leaders can also see that the Biden administration is not holding accountable those countries that are violating the sanctions on Iran, including China and Venezuela, which continue to buy Iranian oil.
The Biden administration's appeasement and inaction, sadly, have done nothing but breed terrorism and transgressions. It is to be hoped that the Biden administration will not leave the world an expansionist, terror state, Iran, imminently armed with nuclear weapons.
The Biden administration's appeasement and inaction, sadly, have done nothing but breed terrorism and transgressions from Iran. Now, in Natanz, the Iranian regime is digging an underground nuclear facility that is reportedly extremely difficult to bomb. (Image source: iStock)
Prior to the Biden administration, since the ruling mullahs came to power in 1979, two US administrations -- the Obama and Carter administrations -- appeared soft on the Iranian regime. Now, the Biden administration seems to have perfected the skill of appeasing the ruling mullahs of Iran.
Even they probably cannot believe that they have gotten away with so many violations since the Biden administration assumed office.
Concerning the regime's nuclear program, the clerical establishment has now reached the highest level of advancement. Even The New York Times recently acknowledged:
"By most accounts, Iran is closer to being able to produce a bomb today than at any other point in the two-decade-long saga of its nuclear program — even if it is planning, as many national security officials believe, to stop just short of producing an actual weapon."
Some of the regime's dangerous advancements include enriching a substantial amount of uranium -- of up to 60% purity, a short technical step away from the 90% purity level required to build a nuclear weapon. Uranium enrichment is the main problem: if there were no uranium enrichment, there would be no bomb.
Even America's allies -- France, Germany and the United Kingdom -- recently warned that the Iranian government's latest action is "further reducing the time Iran would take to break out towards a first nuclear weapon and it is fueling distrust as to Iran's intentions."
In addition, the Biden administration's own officials recently acknowledged that Iran is only weeks away from obtaining nuclear breakout capability. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently issued the warning during a hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Now, in Natanz, the Iranian regime is digging an underground nuclear facility that is reportedly extremely difficult to bomb. Even Israel would not have the military capability to attack this underground nuclear site. In a recent report, David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, pointed out:
"Fordow is already viewed as so deeply buried that it would be difficult to destroy via aerial attack. The new Natanz site may be even harder to destroy."
Under previous US administrations, any single one of these kinds of nuclear violations would have been considered a major transgression, and would most likely have triggered proportionate actions against Iran's regime.
The problem is that Iranian leaders keep testing the Biden administration with violations -- such as increasing uranium enrichment to near weapon-grade levels, the transfer of weapons and oil to Venezuela, attempting to kill former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, trying to kidnap a US citizen on American soil, targeting US bases in Iraq with barrages of missiles, harassing US Navy ships, smuggling weapons in violation of UN resolutions, and turning off International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cameras that monitor the regime's nuclear activities -- and keep witnessing no repercussions.
As a result, the ruling mullahs have become even more emboldened to ramp up their nuclear program. As the latest report from the IAEA on Iran's nuclear program has revealed, the Iranian regime is preparing to raise its uranium enrichment at the Fordow plant. According to Reuters:
"Iran is escalating its uranium enrichment further by preparing to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordow site that can more easily switch between enrichment levels, a United Nations nuclear watchdog report... showed."
Iran's leaders can also see that the Biden administration is not holding accountable those countries that are violating the sanctions on Iran, including China and Venezuela, which continue to buy Iranian oil.
Iran is, in addition, freely harassing US Navy ships and has ramped up smuggling weapons to Yemen's Houthis in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2140. The Biden administration removed the Houthis from the terrorist list soon after it assumed office; this is how the Houthis repay the "gesture."
As if that were not sufficient, according to IranWire:
"The [United Nations] Panel of Experts [on Yemen] say there are several critical pieces of evidence that suggest the Islamic Republic has been smuggling weapons to Yemen, in violation of UNSCR 2140. Last year a cargo ship was discovered heading to Yemen from the port of Jask in southern Iran, carrying a variety of rifles and launchers. They in turn had been seized from vessels originating in Iran."
Iran's regime has also been ratcheting up its sponsorship and employment of terror cells in foreign countries.
The Biden administration's appeasement and inaction, sadly, have done nothing but breed terrorism and transgressions. It is to be hoped that the Biden administration will not leave the world an expansionist, terror state, Iran, imminently armed with nuclear weapons.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
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US policy in the Middle East can only benefit from Biden visit
Luke Coffey/Arab News/July 16, 2022
After 18 months in the Oval Office, Joe Biden finally paid his first visit as president to the Middle East. This was the longest any US president had waited in more than two decades before making a first visit to the region.
Biden’s visit came at an important time in international affairs. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted global energy markets and has created the potential for large-scale food shortages in North Africa and the Middle East. Many countries around the world are dealing with the fallout from the COVID-19 disease pandemic and suffering from rampant inflation and slow, if not negative, economic growth. Iran continues to spread its malign influence across the Middle East and has shown no genuine willingness to negotiate a new agreement over its nuclear program. Throughout his many meetings, these were topics that were discussed.
Admittedly, Biden’s visit to the Middle East was better late than never. His meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled for an hour and a half but lasted twice that long. US and Saudi officials signed 18 agreements on different issues including space exploration, energy and investments. Most importantly, Biden had a chance to learn a lot from his trip. Obviously, whether he takes these lessons onboard and acts on them is another matter. So what should Biden have learned on his trip to the Middle East? There are three important things.
Now that this visit has taken place, it is in the interests of the Biden administration to build on what was agreed upon and have regular high-level US engagement in the Arab world.
The first lesson that Biden should have learned is that his predecessor did a pretty good job advancing both stability and US national interests in the region. A great example of this is the Abraham Accords. It took months after entering the White House before Biden administration officials would even acknowledge the existence of the accords, much less offer any praise for them. However, it is now widely accepted across his administration, and even by Biden himself, that this Trump-era initiative was transformative for the region. It is crucial that the Biden administration now doubles down on the Abraham Accords and works to deepen relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
The second lesson Biden should have learned from his trip is the true threat of Iran to regional stability. On the campaign trail, Biden regularly criticized Trump for leaving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and downplayed the threat from Iran. Biden has since advocated for the US to rejoin the flawed nuclear agreement with Iran. However, it has been 18 months since entering the Oval Office and the US is no closer to agreeing to a new deal with Iran. Biden has been in denial over Iran from the beginning, but hopefully this trip has made him realize a new and meaningful nuclear deal with Iran will be almost impossible to achieve. There is no doubt that the need to be tougher with Iran featured prominently in his meetings with his Saudi and Israeli counterparts. Even during his visit, a slight change in the president’s rhetoric regarding Iran was detected. However, actions speak louder than words.
Finally, after his trip Biden should have learned that the small but vocal group of commentators at home that criticized his trip to Saudi Arabia are wrong. Sadly, it is this group’s lobbying against US relations with Saudi Arabia that probably had the biggest role in delaying Biden’s visit to the Kingdom. Now that this visit has taken place, it is in the interests of the Biden administration to build on what was agreed upon and have regular high-level US engagement in the Arab world.
The word on the street in Washington, DC is that the administration will finally launch its National Security Strategy in the coming weeks. This strategy is long overdue. In this dangerous world, it beggars belief that the Biden administration published a National Gender Strategy before its National Security Strategy.
It is anyone’s guess what the main focus of the National Security Strategy will be. Without a doubt, China will receive a lot of attention. Russia will feature prominently too. The big question remains about how the administration will approach the Middle East in the strategy document. Will the Biden administration continue to put its head in the sand over Iran? Or will it finally develop a meaningful policy of deterring Iranian aggression, rolling back its nuclear program, and bolstering and reassuring US partners in the region?
Hopefully, the lessons learned by Biden on his trip will be taken to heart and will help inform his thinking about US policy in the Middle East.
Biden needs to start operating in the world he is in and not in the world he wants to be in. In the real world, Saudi Arabia is an important partner for the US in the Middle East.
• Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

Today in History: Christian Spain Crushes Islam on the Battlefield
Raymond Ibrahim/July 16, 2022
Painting of King Sancho VII of Navarre bulldozing through the African slave soldiers chained around Caliph Muhammad’s tent.
Today in history, on July 16, 1212, an epic battle — which the Islamic State still vows vengeance for — took place between Christians and Muslims, and presaged the demise of Islam in Spain, five hundred years after Muhammad’s followers first invaded and subjugated that nation beginning in 711.
From the start, a small pocket of Christian resistance remained in the northwest of Spain; from this “mustard seed” the Reconquista—the Christian reconquest of Spain from Islam—spread out. Century after century, the Christians made slow advances south, until they had reclaimed nearly the northern half of Spain.
By the early thirteenth century, the Muslims, under Almohad caliph Muhammad al-Nasir, decided enough was enough. They marshalled one of the largest armies ever to march on Spanish soil, intent on extirpating Christianity by fire and sword. In a widely circulated letter attributed to the caliph himself, Muhammad declared that all Christians must “submit to our empire and convert to our [sharia] law.” Otherwise, “all those who adore the sign of the cross … will feel our scimitars.”
Pope Innocent III responded by proclaiming a crusade and calling on the Christians of Spain to unite and fight “against the enemies of the cross of the Lord who not only aspire to the destruction of the Spains, but also threatened to vent their rage on Christ’s faithful in other lands and, if they can — which God forbid — oppress the Christian name.”
Troubadours everywhere sought to rile Christians: “Saladin took Jerusalem,” they sang in verse, and “now the king of Morocco announces that he will fight against all the kings of the Christians with his treacherous Andalusians and Arabs,” who “in their pride think the world belongs to them.” The religious divide was heightened by a racial one: “Firm in the faith, let us not abandon our heritage to the black dogs from oversea.”
On July 14, the Christian and Muslim armies finally reached and camped at Las Navas de Tolosa, where the fate of Spain would be decided. The army Caliph Muhammad headed “was a very large, heterogeneous force,” writes Darío Fernández-Morera, “made up of Berbers, tough black slave warriors (the imesebelen, who were chained together as an unbreakable guard around the Almohad caliph’s tent), Arabs, Turkic mounted archers, Andalusian Muslim levies … mujahidin (volunteer religious fighters — jihadists — from all over the Islamic world), and even Christian mercenaries and defectors.”
The two forces could not have looked any more different: most of the approximately twelve thousand Spaniards were heavily armored; knights carried three-foot-long double-sided swords. In comparison, most of the African Muslims were near naked, their shields made of hippo hides. But the Muslims’ numbers — thirty thousand — and unbridled ferocity made up for it.
The Christians spent July 15, a Sunday, recuperating and preparing, including spiritually. On their knees, tearful men beat their chests and implored God for strength. Militant clergymen — all of whom were determined “to rip from the hands of the Muslims the land they held to the injury of the Christian name” — roamed the camp, administered the Eucharist, heard the confessions of and exhorted the crusaders to fight with all their might. Then, about midnight, “the voice of exultation and confession,” wrote a participant, “sounded in the Christian tents and the voice of the herald summoned all to arm themselves for the Lord’s battle.”
Looking on the enemy hordes arrayed against them, Alfonso VIII of Castile, the supreme leader of the Christian coalition, grew dismal: “Archbishop,” he addressed Rodrigo of Toledo, who stood beside him, “here we will die,” though a “death in such circumstances is not unworthy.” “If it please God,” Rodrigo responded, “let it not be death, but the crown of victory; but if it should please God otherwise, we are all prepared to die together with you.”
With the crack of dawn, battle commenced on July 16. For long it was something of a stalemate. “Those lined up in the first ranks discovered that the Moors were ready for battle,” writes an eyewitness:
They attacked, fighting against one another, hand-to-hand, with lances, swords, and battle-axes; there was no room for archers. The Christians pressed on; the Moors repelled them; the crashing and tumult of arms was heard. The battle was joined, but neither side was overcome, although at times they pushed back the enemy, and at other times they were driven back by the enemy.
For every Muslim line the Christians broke through, others instantly formed, so great were the ranks of Islam. “At one point certain wretched Christians who were retreating and fleeing cried out that the Christians were overcome.” When King Alfonso “heard that cry of doom,” he and his knights “hastened quickly up the hill where the force of the battle was.”
“Then we,” Alfonso continues, “realizing that the fighting was becoming impossible for them [retreating Spaniards], started a cavalry charge, the cross of the Lord going before [us] and our banner with its image of the holy Virgin and her Son imposed upon our device.” They fought valiantly, but the Africans continued to close in on them. Undeterred and now fighting like berserkers, the native sons of Spain finally broke through the Muslim center, slaughtering “a great multitude of them with the sword of the cross.” Sancho VII, the nearly seven-foot-tall giant king of Navarre, followed by his men, was first to bulldoze through and rout the African slave soldiers chained around the caliph’s tent. Instantly mounting a horse, Muhammad “turned tail and fled. His men were killed and slaughtered in droves, and the site of the camp and the tents of the Moors became the tombs of the fallen. … In this way the battle of the Lord was triumphantly won, by God alone and through God alone,” concluded the victorious king, Alfonso VIII of Castile.
Las Navas de Tolosa was seen as a miracle by pope and peasant. Not only was the full might of the hitherto unbeatable Almohad caliphate decimated, but whereas tens of thousands of Muslims died, only some two thousand Christians — mostly the warrior-monks of the military orders who were always wherever fighting was thickest — perished.More importantly, it ushered in the liberation of Spain from Islam, as Muslim kingdoms in southern Spain came to fall one by one to the sword of the Reconquista, particularly at the hands of Alfonso’s grandson, Saint Ferdinand, so that, by 1248, only the remote kingdom of Granada, at the southernmost tip of Spain, remained to Islam — and it was a tributary of Castile. Indeed, as an indicator of the importance of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, for centuries thereafter, today, July 16, was celebrated as the “Triumph of the Holy Cross” in the Spanish calendar, until the reforms following the Second Vatican Council abolished it — in keeping with the spirit of the new age of historical amnesia.
*The above account was excerpted from the author’s book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West.

Ukraine Has Better Heroes Than This Friend of Fascism
Andreas Kluth/Bloomberg/July, 16/2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin must be delighted that Germans, Poles, Israelis, Ukrainians and others are suddenly in each other’s hair about a historical figure named Stepan Bandera.
Part of Putin’s web of lies is that Ukraine, a democratic country he attacked without provocation, is allegedly run by Nazis and must therefore be “de-Nazified.” This is absurd, as almost everybody understands — at least outside of Russia and the reality distortion field of Putin’s propaganda. The counter-narrative is much closer to the truth: Ukraine has become a nation of heroes and heroines fighting for their freedom.
But life is complicated, in part because there are so many ways to spin narratives. The stories we tell are about events that already happened, and the past is a veritable minefield even for well-intentioned people in the present. Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany has now stepped onto one of its explosives.
All year, Andrij Melnyk, Kyiv’s envoy to Berlin, has basked in controversy. With relish, he’s been berating Germany for coddling Russia in the past, for wallowing in naivete, for ducking responsibility, and not helping Ukraine boldly and swiftly enough. He’s made Germans squirm. And, most of the time, he’s been right.The other day, however, he wasn’t. Melnyk was talking to Tilo Jung, the host of a provocative German webshow. Like a heat-seeking missile, Jung homed in on a historical figure the ambassador has long admired and paid public homage to.
Stepan Bandera (1909-59) was a Ukrainian ultranationalist and quasi-Fascist. He was born in Galicia, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, turned into the short-lived West Ukrainian People’s Republic, then became part of Poland, later the Soviet Union and eventually today’s Ukraine.
In the 1930s, when the region was Polish, Bandera became a leader of the radical wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. In effect, he was a partisan fighting for national independence and arranging things like the assassination of the Polish interior minister.
When Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, Bandera spotted an opportunity to push his cause. Collaborating with the Nazis, his OUN massacred their perceived national enemies — Jews, Poles and Russians — in a quest to ethnically cleanse Ukraine and prepare it for fascist statehood. Bandera was to lead this new nation, and Hitler was to be his ally. Bandera didn’t personally partake in the mass killings perpetrated in Ukraine by the Germans and their local helpers. But his underlings — presumably with his blessing — did.
On June 30, 1941, the partisans declared an independent Ukrainian state. But to their surprise, their putative patron, Hitler, decided that he didn’t want a separate country in what he viewed as the German people’s future Lebensraum. The Fuehrer had Bandera arrested and locked up in a concentration camp — albeit as a privileged prisoner in comfortable surroundings. In 1944, Bandera was released.
After the war, he made a home in Munich, where the Soviet Union’s KGB found and murdered him in 1959. This was the height of the Cold War, so the Ukrainian diaspora in the West built a hero cult around Bandera, painting him as a freedom fighter against, and victim of, the Soviets — which he was, but only in part. After the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine became independent, the mythology around Bandera was revived, especially in western Ukraine, where Melnyk comes from. Statues and monuments went up in Bandera’s name. People marched under his banners. In recent years, however, the government has wisely distanced itself from the man and his complicated legacy.
In his interview with Jung, Melnyk dove headlong into this morass of biographical, historical and ethical ambiguity. The ambassador insisted that Bandera was a freedom fighter. He denied Bandera’s role in wartime atrocities. Sure, Melnyk conceded, times were tough. Bandera was caught between two evils, Hitler and Stalin, but his motive — Ukrainian independence — was good. People also love Robin Hood, Melnyk added, and he was a rogue, too.
It wasn’t a good showing, especially for a professional diplomat at a time when his country is at war, its enemies are calling it Nazi, and its closest allies include Poland. The Polish foreign ministry called Melnyk’s performance “absolutely inacceptable.” The Israeli embassy said that his distortions “belittle the Holocaust.”Even Kyiv realized that something had gone badly wrong. Melnyk’s view of Bandera “does not reflect the position” of Ukraine, the foreign ministry clarified, while emphasizing how grateful it is to Poland for “its unprecedented support in the fight against Russian aggression.” There are rumors that Melnyk will be recalled to Kyiv.Melnyk’s faux pas reminds us how treacherous the past is for all of us, as we build the fragile narratives we base our lives on. Very little that happened in human history can reliably be labelled all good or all bad. Historical figures, like most of us, were often simultaneously heroes and villains, victims and perpetrators, signers of declarations that all men are created equal and slave owners, freedom fighters and terrorists, partisans of good and of evil.
Does that mean we should cancel all our stories? No, because story-telling is part of human nature; it is inevitable. But it does mean we must approach the past with ruthless honesty, embracing all facts — the convenient and the countervailing — and surrendering to life’s ambiguity.
As we do that, we must constantly reevaluate what role the past plays in the present, which is our ward. What matters today is not who Stepan Bandera was on balance. It’s who Vladimir Putin is, what atrocities he’s committing every day, and how Ukrainians are resisting. Ukrainians have plenty of contemporary role models to choose from in their valiant struggle. They can afford to leave behind those no longer fit for purpose.