English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For 20 July/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.july20.22.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
There were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 04/22-30/:"All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!" And you will say, "Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum." ’And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way."

Titels For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 19-20/2022
Archbishop El-Hage’s detention is Unlawful, Arbitrary and Revengeful/Elias Bejjani/July, 19/2022
US State Department calls on more countries to ban Hezbollah
Israeli leader warns Hezbollah during visit to border
Israeli army says no drone has crashed in Lebanon
Gantz warns Lebanon against choosing 'path of fire'
Lapid flies over Karish, says Lebanon can also benefit from gas reserves
Lebanese security forces raid central bank in search of governor Riad Salameh/Bank employees go on strike in protest against 'militia methods'
Lebanese PM: Agreement Needed on New C.bank Chief Before Probe Takes Course
Lebanon PM wants agreement on new c.bank chief before probe proceeds
BDL allows payments through fresh dollar debit cards
FPM urges Mikati to 'stop wasting time,' start forming govt.
Geagea says Archbishop El-Hage's detention is 'message' to al-Rahi
Aoun addresses reasons for stopping Beirut Port crime investigations, gets briefing on preparations for “Beirut, Capital of...
Army chief meets American Task Force for Lebanon delegation, UNDP’s Hauenstein, Swiss Ambassador
Berri tackles political developments with Ain El-Tineh visitors, meets UN’s Rushdie, MP Camille Chamoun, Caretaker Displaced...
Bou Saab discusses maritime border demarcation dossier with US Task Force for Lebanon
Geagea says Archbishop El-Hage's detention is 'message' to al-Rahi

Titles For Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 19-20/2022
Tehran Makes Rare Hints at Capacity to Build Nuclear Weapons, Israel Threatens Military Response
Iranian Judiciary Says Panahi Must Serve Six-year Sentence
Israel Finance Minister seeks transfer of Russian funds to immigrants
Israel Strikes Hamas Site after Bullet Hits Israeli Building
Palestinian attacker shot; Israel and Hamas exchange fire
Russia pounds Ukraine as Putin holds talks in Tehran
Putin arrives in Iran for Syria summit overshadowed by Ukraine war
Putin holds talks in Tehran with leaders of Iran, Turkey
The significance of Iraq’s presence at the Jeddah summit
Erdogan threatens again to ‘freeze’ Swedish, Finnish bids for NATO membership
New Maliki Recording Reveals Coordination with Militia to Confront Sadrists

Titles For LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 19-20/2022
5 Things Every American Should Know About President Biden's Controversial Middle East Tour/Amanda Taheri/Yahoo/July 19/2022
World Needs to Initiate More Effective Policy against Damascus Regime/Charles Lister/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 19/2022
Military understandings between Riyadh and Washington/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 19/2022
Will China Shoot Down Explorers to the Moon?/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/July 19/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 19-20/2022
Archbishop El-Hage’s detention is Unlawful, Arbitrary and Revengeful
Elias Bejjani/July, 19/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/110470/elias-bejjani-archbishop-el-hages-detention-is-unlawful-arbitrary-and-revengeful/
General Security in Iranian occupied Lebanon, arbitrarily detained today for hours, the Lebanese Maronite archbishop Moussa El-Hage upon his return from the State of Israel, and he was exposed to humiliating lengthy unlawful interrogation. El-Hage is the Archbishop of Haifa, the Holy Land, and the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan. He was detained at the Naqoura border crossing before being interrogated for eight hours. El-Hage’s detention is not comprehensible at all or acceptable by any means. Meanwhile, El Hage has also been summoned for interrogation before Military Examining Magistrate Fadi Akiki on Wednesday.
We call on the head of the Higher Judicial Council and the state prosecutor in occupied Lebanon to put an immediate end to the derailed judicial behavior of Judge Akiki, who viciously fabricated the case against El Hage, and to revoke the summoning and close the false file.
It was learned that El-Hage felt humiliated after he was subjected to an extensive search that involved all the items that he was carrying with him. His religious post was not taken into consideration, nor the fact that he is a patriarchal exarch who represents Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.
He was released following the intervention of senior church and judicial officials. It is worth mentioning that there had been recent attempts to link Archbishop Moussa El-Hage to cases related to collaboration with Israel.
The Archbishop was falsely accused of transferring money and medicines from Lebanese exiles in Israel to their families in Lebanon. Sources close to El-Hage stated with sadness that he was very dismayed by the manner in which he was detained, and the Patriarch al-Rahi was also extremely disappointed and harsh-toned in dealing with those whom he considered responsible for this detention. El-Hage will put al-Rahi in the picture of everything that has happened with him, after which a release is expected to be issued.
We, deeply believe that the whole provocation is sinful, vicious, unlawful, revengeful and strongly condemned.

US State Department calls on more countries to ban Hezbollah
Naharnet/July 19/2022
The U.S. department of state has said in a statement that the U.S. is committed to countering Hezbollah and Iran’s "malign influence." The statement was issued in memory of the victims and survivors of the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the 2012 attack on a tour bus in Burgas, Bulgaria, carrying Israeli tourists. The attacks were described by the U.S. department of state as "two heinous Hezbollah attacks, carried out with Iranian support.""The callous murder of civilians must not stand. With our support, more than a dozen countries across Europe, South America, Central America, and the Pacific have issued national level designations, bans, or other restrictions against Hezbollah," the statement said. The U.S. department of state urged more countries to take similar measures, "which makes it harder for the group and its backers in Tehran to threaten peace and security around the globe."

Israeli leader warns Hezbollah during visit to border
JERUSALEM (AP)/July 19/2022
Israel’s new prime minister paid an unannounced visit to the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, threatening to unleash a harsh military response to what he described as “unacceptable” aggression by the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. The visit came at a time of heightened tensions with Hezbollah, a heavily armed group that fought Israel during a monthlong war in 2006. On Monday, Israel said it intercepted a drone that crossed from Lebanese territory, and last week, Hezbollah’s leader threatened Israel with military escalation if a dispute over a maritime border is not resolved in Lebanon’s favor. “Israel is prepared to act against any threat,” said Yair Lapid, who took over Israel’s caretaker prime minister on July 1. “We have no interest in escalation but Hezbollah’s aggression is unacceptable and is liable to lead the entire region into an unnecessary escalation.”He was joined by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and top military officials as he toured the area. Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating the Iranian-backed group has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. Earlier this month, the Israeli military said it shot down three unmanned aircraft launched by Hezbollah heading toward an area where an Israeli gas platform was recently installed in the Mediterranean Sea. Hezbollah confirmed it had launched three unarmed drones toward the disputed maritime area. The launch of the drones appeared to be an attempt by Hezbollah to influence U.S.-brokered negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over their maritime border, an area that is rich in natural gas. In a speech last week, Hezbollah’s leader, said Lebanon should be able to extract oil and gas in Lebanese waters and warned that sending the drones was “a modest beginning to where the situation could be heading.” Lebanon claims the Karish gas field in the eastern Mediterranean is disputed territory, while Israel says it lies within its internationally recognized economic waters. The United States has been mediating indirect negotiations since October 2020. Late Tuesday, Lapid flew over the gas field in an apparent message to Lebanon. “Israel’s natural gas reserves have the potential to contribute toward a solution to the global energy crisis," he said. Israel and Lebanon, which have been officially at war since Israel’s creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to exploit offshore gas reserves as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history.

Israeli army says no drone has crashed in Lebanon
Naharnet/July 19/2022
The Israeli army on Tuesday denied that any of its drones had crashed into Lebanon in the past week, after a reporter of Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV said an Israeli drone had crashed in the Lebanese region of al-Wazzani earlier in the day. The al-Manar reporter also tweeted a picture of the small quadcopter. “Despite the attempt of ‘Hezbollah’s flies’ to repeat lies, that does not make them real: over the past week, no Israeli army drone has crashed on the Lebanese border,” Israeli army Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee meanwhile tweeted. The conflicting reports come a day after the Israeli army said it brought down a small quadcopter drone likely belonging to Hezbollah after it crossed from southern Lebanon into Israel. The incidents come around two weeks after Israel shot down three unarmed Hezbollah UAVs headed for the Karish offshore gas field. Hezbollah said those drones were on a “reconnaissance” mission aimed at delivering a “message” to Israel as to the sea border dispute with Lebanon. Israel later revealed that it had shot down another Hezbollah drone on June 29 as it was still flying in Lebanon’s airspace.

Gantz warns Lebanon against choosing 'path of fire'
Naharnet/July 19/2022
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday warned Lebanon’s leaders that “if they choose the path of fire,” they will be “severely burned,” while noting that the “path of stability” can help Lebanon’s citizens.“I toured the northern border today with Prime Minister (Yair) Lapid. We conducted an operational situation assessment and dialogue with the senior commanders in the sector,” Gantz tweeted after touring the border with Lebanon. “Israel is willing to do much to make its neighbors prosper and is willing to act at all times to protect its citizens. We are ready on all fronts -- in air, at sea, on land and electronically,” he added. “Our eyes are on the crisis in Lebanon, which is affecting civilians. The State of Lebanon and its leaders are well aware that if they choose the path of fire, they will be harmed and severely burned. And if they choose the path of stability, they will help the citizens of Lebanon,” Gantz went on to say. Earlier this month, Israel intercepted three drones launched by Hezbollah that were headed towards the Karish offshore gas field in the Mediterranean. Another Hezbollah drone "which approached Israel's economic waters" was downed in late June, according to the Israeli army. Lebanon had condemned Israel last month when a vessel chartered by Israel and operated by London-listed energy firm Energean entered the Karish offshore field. Hezbollah at the time warned Energean against proceeding with its activities. Lebanon and Israel resumed negotiations on their maritime border in 2020, but the process was later stalled by Lebanon’s claim that the map used by the United Nations in the talks needed modifying. Lebanon initially demanded 860 square kilometers of waters it said were in dispute but then asked for an additional 1,430 square kilometers, including part of the Karish field. Israel claims that the field lies in its waters and is not part of the disputed area subject to ongoing negotiations. According to media reports, Lebanon has recently told Israel through U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein that it can keep the entire Karish field in return for granting Lebanon the entire Qana field. Conflicting reports later emerged on whether the talks have made tangible progress and Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned that his group is ready to engage in an all-out war if Lebanon is not allowed to extract gas and oil from its offshore fields.

Lapid flies over Karish, says Lebanon can also benefit from gas reserves
Naharnet/July 19/2022
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid flew over the Karish natural gas platform in the Mediterranean on Tuesday and was briefed by competent Israeli officials during the flight, his office said. "Israel's natural gas reserves have the potential to contribute toward a solution for the global energy crisis. Lebanon could also benefit from developing the reserves in its economic waters, through negotiations, which should be concluded forthwith,” Lapid said. "This new platform is the energy future of the State of Israel and constitutes an economic opportunity, which includes the export of gas to Egypt and Europe, that every Israeli citizen will benefit from in the not-too-distant future," he added. Lapid had earlier in the day inspected the land border with Lebanon along with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz. “Israel is prepared to act against any threat. We do not seek confrontation but whoever tries to attack our sovereignty or Israeli citizens will learn very quickly that they have made a serious mistake," Lapid said during that visit. “While we have no interest in escalation, Hezbollah's aggression is unacceptable and is liable to lead the entire region into an unnecessary escalation, just when there is a genuine opportunity for Lebanon to develop its energy resources,” he added. Earlier this month, Israel intercepted three drones launched by Hezbollah that were headed towards Karish. Another Hezbollah drone "which approached Israel's economic waters" was downed in late June, according to the Israeli army. Lebanon had condemned Israel last month when a vessel chartered by Israel and operated by London-listed energy firm Energean entered the Karish offshore field. Hezbollah at the time warned Energean against proceeding with its activities. Lebanon and Israel resumed negotiations on their maritime border in 2020, but the process was later stalled by Lebanon’s claim that the map used by the United Nations in the talks needed modifying. Lebanon initially demanded 860 square kilometers of waters it said were in dispute but then asked for an additional 1,430 square kilometers, including part of the Karish field. Israel claims that the field lies in its waters and is not part of the disputed area subject to ongoing negotiations. According to media reports, Lebanon has recently told Israel through U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein that it can keep the entire Karish field in return for granting Lebanon the entire Qana field. Conflicting reports later emerged on whether the talks have made tangible progress and Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned that his group is ready to engage in an all-out war if Lebanon is not allowed to extract gas and oil from its offshore fields.

Lebanese security forces raid central bank in search of governor Riad Salameh/Bank employees go on strike in protest against 'militia methods'
The National/July 19/2022
A Lebanese judge raided the central bank in Beirut on Tuesday in search of its governor Riad Salameh, after state security forces failed to find him at one of his houses earlier in the day.
Judge Ghada Aoun, a state prosecutor, has charged Mr Salameh and his brother Raja with illicit enrichment. But the 71-year-old governor could not be found, and Ms Aoun said she was unable to search for Mr Salameh in Banque du Liban's offices. “We immediately received a judicial order [to leave],” she said. Central bank employees then began a three-day strike following the raid. “The dignity of the institution and its employees comes first. We refuse to be treated with militia methods and we announce the strike”, said Abbas Awada, the head of the central bank’s employee union. “We are not defending Riad Salameh but the institution, and we do not accept these methods.”A separate statement by the bank's employees called on authorities to “intervene to put an end to these inappropriate behaviours by Judge Ghada Aoun, which deviate from all legal principles … so that we do not have to regret announcing an open strike.” Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said the raid was “not the appropriate solution” to Mr Salameh's case. “What is required is to solve this case with a prior political agreement on a central bank governor and then take the appropriate legal course after,” he said. Mr Salameh is at the centre of two corruption investigations in Lebanon, but has failed to appear at several hearings. A previous raid last month by Ms Aoun and security forces on Mr Salameh’s property in Rabieh, in northern Beirut, failed to locate him. Banque du Liban staff went on a one-day strike a week later to protest against “the unjust situation against the central bank and its employees, and to avoid later escalation”.Mr Salameh is one of Lebanon’s most controversial figures and has held the governor role for three decades. An economic collapse that began in 2019 has plunged much of the population into poverty and seen the local currency lose more than 90 per cent of its value.

Lebanese PM: Agreement Needed on New C.bank Chief Before Probe Takes Course
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said on Tuesday a political agreement on a new central bank governor was required before a probe into current head Riad Salameh progresses. He made his comments shortly after a judicial raid on the Beirut headquarters of Banque du Liban, a move Mikati denounced as inappropriate because the bank dealt with issues related to monetary stability and it could lead to an "ominous shock.""What is required is that this file be dealt with via prior political agreement on a new governor of the Banque du Liban, and that the case take its appropriate legal course after that," a statement from Mikati's office said, Reuters reported. Salameh, the central bank governor for about three decades, faces corruption probes in at least five European countries and in Lebanon, which has been plunged into a deep financial crisis that critics blame, in part, on his policies. He has defended his actions and denied wrongdoing, saying the investigations are politically motivated and aim at scapegoating him for the Lebanon's financial problems. Judge Ghada Aoun charged Salameh in March with illicit enrichment related to a case involving the purchase of Paris apartments by him and his close associates that were subsequently rented to the central bank Salameh heads. Aoun ordered Tuesday's central bank raid to implement a subpoena against Salameh but was unable to find him, according to statements by Aoun to local news outlets. A central bank spokesperson told Reuters he had received conflicting information on whether Salameh was at the central bank at the time of the raid and so could not confirm whether he was there or not.

Lebanon PM wants agreement on new c.bank chief before probe proceeds
Timour Azhari/BEIRUT, July 19 (Reuters)
- Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said on Tuesday a political agreement on a new central bank governor was required before an investigation into current head Riad Salameh could progress.He made his comments shortly after a judicial raid on the Beirut headquarters of Banque du Liban, a move Mikati denounced as inappropriate because the bank dealt with issues related to monetary stability and it could lead to an "ominous shock".

BDL allows payments through fresh dollar debit cards
Naharnet/July 19/2022
The Central Bank issued Tuesday a ruling that allows the payment through debit cards from fresh dollar accounts, starting July 25. "The payments in fresh dollars will be made via the "Visa" and "MasterCard" companies," the Central Bank said in a statement, adding that the ruling will boost the economic activity. The BDL said it is also working on a new mechanism to encourage the use of LBP debit cards.

FPM urges Mikati to 'stop wasting time,' start forming govt.
Naharnet/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
The Free Patriotic Movement said Tuesday that PM-designate Najib Mikati's vacation trip has cost Lebanon $250 million. "Each day without a government costs Lebanon $25 million," the FPM posted on social media, urging Mikati to stop "wasting time" and to start forming a government. Last week, President Michel Aoun exchanged statements with Mikati concerning the government formation file, as Mikati accused Aoun of never calling back after he asked to meet him and Aoun responded that he was waiting for a new approach in light of the observations that he had expressed over the proposed line-up.
"The President will not give up his full constitutional partnership in the formation of the government," Aoun said. Mikati responded that he is not seeking to prevent Aoun from voicing reservations. Mikati had also slammed the Presidency's silence in the face of fake news and "repeated offences" against him. He said it's the President's responsibility to refute what is being said.

Geagea says Archbishop El-Hage's detention is 'message' to al-Rahi
Naharnet/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022 
General Security’s detention and lengthy interrogation of Lebanese Maronite archbishop Moussa El-Hage upon his return from Israel is a “message” to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over his “patriotic stances,” Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Tuesday.
El-Hage is the Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land and the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan. According to the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, he was detained at the Naqoura border crossing before being interrogated for eight hours.
El-Hage’s detention is “not comprehensible at all,” Geagea said in a written statement. Noting that the vicar has also been summoned for interrogation before Military Examining Magistrate Fadi Akiki on Wedensday, the LF leader stressed that “visiting Maronite monasteries in the Holy Land and looking after their affairs is at the heart of his mission as the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan.”“Summoning Archbishop El-Hage for interrogation at the Military Court is not based on a certain suspicion, evidence or proof. We rather consider it to be a message to His Eminence Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi based on his patriotic stances,” Geagea went on to say. “On many occasions before now, Judge Fadi Akiki proved that he is not present at the Military Court to fulfill justice and safeguard the security of the country and its citizens, but rather to achieve an obvious motive that clearly manifested itself in the unfortunate Tayyouneh incidents and other similar instances,” the LF leader charged. “The head of the Higher Judicial Council and the state prosecutor are asked to put an end to the behavior of Judge Akiki and to revoke the summoning of Archbishop El-Hage,” Geagea added.
The Nidaa al-Watan newspaper had reported Tuesday that El-Hage “felt humiliated after he was subjected to an extensive search that involved all the items that he was carrying with him.”
“His religious post was not taken into consideration, nor the fact that he is a patriarchal exarch who represents Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi,” the daily added, noting that he was released following “the intervention of senior church and judicial officials.”
The newspaper added that there had been recent attempts to “link Archbishop Moussa El-Hage to cases related to collaboration with the Israeli enemy.”“He was accused of transferring money and medicines from Lebanese exiles in Israel to their families in Lebanon,” Nidaa al-Watan added.
“Archbishop El-Hage was very dismayed by the manner in which he was detained and the Patriarch al-Rahi was also very dismayed and harsh-toned in dealing with those whom he considered responsible for this detention,” the daily said.It added that El-Hage will head Tuesday or Wednesday to Diman to put al-Rahi in the picture of everything that has happened with hi

Aoun addresses reasons for stopping Beirut Port crime investigations, gets briefing on preparations for “Beirut, Capital of...
NNA/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received Deputy Parliament Speaker, Elias Bou Saab, today at the Presidential Palace, and tackled with him general affairs and recent developments.
Youth and Sports Minister:
The President met Youth and Sports Minister, Dr. George Kallas.
Statement:
After the meeting, Minister Kallas made the following statement:
“I had the honor to visit His Excellency the President. I presented a report on the visits I made to Iraq, Egypt, the UAE and Turkey in response to the official invitations of the Ministers of Youth and Sports.
I also addressed matters related to sports and youth affairs and took the President’s directives on the theme of the celebration “Beirut, Capital of Arab Youth 2022”. This program’s schedule is to be announced in detail, when the specified credit is disbursed from the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Youth and Sports Ministers in the League of Arab States.
On the occasion of the Army Day on the 1st of August, I offered to His Excellency, as Commander in Chief of Armed Forces, my congratulations, wishing Lebanon all the best and that it regain its health with the strength of the army and the guarantee of the security forces and the efforts of activists.
I asked His Excellency to ensure that the youth have a respectable position in any speech he addresses to the Lebanese, and I hoped from the position of my experience and responsibility that the state would think about re-working the service of science under any name, so that we do not have generations that diverge instead of converging and interacting.
His Excellency expressed his hope that Lebanon will have a new government and a new President will be elected, in order to complete the constitutional formula and mechanism that distributes the powers of government. Only with this, Lebanon will regain its health and its position among the countries of the world”.—Presidency Press Office

Army chief meets American Task Force for Lebanon delegation, UNDP’s Hauenstein, Swiss Ambassador
NNA/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Tuesday received at his Yarzeh office, UNDP Resident Representative in Lebanon, Melanie Hauenstein.
Maj. Gen. Aoun also met with a delegation from the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), headed by its President Edward M. Gabriel, with discussions touching on the means to continue supporting the army to carry out its missions.
The army chief also received Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon, Marion Krupski, accompanied by the outgoing Military Attaché, Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolas Winterg.

Berri tackles political developments with Ain El-Tineh visitors, meets UN’s Rushdie, MP Camille Chamoun, Caretaker Displaced...
NNA/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022 
House Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday received at the Second Presidency in Ain El-Tineh, United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and Humanitarian Coordinator, Najat Rushdie, who paid him a farewell visit marking the end of her mission in Lebanon and her appointment as the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria. Speaker Berri separately met with National Liberal Party Chief, MP Camille Chamoun, accompanied by a delegation from the Party’s political council. Discussions reportedly touched on the current general situation and most recent political developments. Berri later met with Caretaker Minister of the Displaced, Issam Charafeddine, where they discussed the current general situation, especially the economic and daily living conditions, the issue of public sector employees’ wagges and the Ministry's work program in terms of the Syrian refugee dossier.
This afternoon, Berri received former MP Samir Al-Jisr.

Bou Saab discusses maritime border demarcation dossier with US Task Force for Lebanon
NNA/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
Deputy House Speaker, Elias Bou Saab, on Tuesday received in his office at the Parliament, a delegation from the US Task Force for Lebanon, where they discussed the issue of maritime border demarcation, in addition to ways to support the development of parliamentary cooperation.

Geagea says Archbishop El-Hage's detention is 'message' to al-Rahi
Naharnet/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
General Security’s detention and lengthy interrogation of Lebanese Maronite archbishop Moussa El-Hage upon his return from Israel is a “message” to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over his “patriotic stances,” Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Tuesday.
El-Hage is the Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land and the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan. According to the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, he was detained at the Naqoura border crossing before being interrogated for eight hours.
El-Hage’s detention is “not comprehensible at all,” Geagea said in a written statement. Noting that the vicar has also been summoned for interrogation before Military Examining Magistrate Fadi Akiki on Wedensday, the LF leader stressed that “visiting Maronite monasteries in the Holy Land and looking after their affairs is at the heart of his mission as the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan.”“Summoning Archbishop El-Hage for interrogation at the Military Court is not based on a certain suspicion, evidence or proof. We rather consider it to be a message to His Eminence Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi based on his patriotic stances,” Geagea went on to say. “On many occasions before now, Judge Fadi Akiki proved that he is not present at the Military Court to fulfill justice and safeguard the security of the country and its citizens, but rather to achieve an obvious motive that clearly manifested itself in the unfortunate Tayyouneh incidents and other similar instances,” the LF leader charged. “The head of the Higher Judicial Council and the state prosecutor are asked to put an end to the behavior of Judge Akiki and to revoke the summoning of Archbishop El-Hage,” Geagea added. The Nidaa al-Watan newspaper had reported Tuesday that El-Hage “felt humiliated after he was subjected to an extensive search that involved all the items that he was carrying with him.”“His religious post was not taken into consideration, nor the fact that he is a patriarchal exarch who represents Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi,” the daily added, noting that he was released following “the intervention of senior church and judicial officials.”The newspaper added that there had been recent attempts to “link Archbishop Moussa El-Hage to cases related to collaboration with the Israeli enemy.”
“He was accused of transferring money and medicines from Lebanese exiles in Israel to their families in Lebanon,” Nidaa al-Watan added. “Archbishop El-Hage was very dismayed by the manner in which he was detained and the Patriarch al-Rahi was also very dismayed and harsh-toned in dealing with those whom he considered responsible for this detention,” the daily said. It added that El-Hage will head Tuesday or Wednesday to Diman to put al-Rahi in the picture of everything that has happened with him.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 19-20/2022
Tehran Makes Rare Hints at Capacity to Build Nuclear Weapons, Israel Threatens Military Response
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
A few hours after Iran made a rare hint at its technical capacity to build a nuclear bomb, Mohammad Javad Larijani, a former high-ranking official and one of the Larijani brothers who have long been influential regime insiders, said that if Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb “no one can stop it.”
Israel’s military chief, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, maintained that his country was preparing for a military response to Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking on a TV program in Tehran on Sunday, Larijani referred to a Fatwa by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei against producing weapons of mass destruction.“We do not have permission to pursue weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, but if at some point we decide to do it naturally no one can prevent us,” said Larijani. Larijani also underestimated the possibility of eliminating Iran's nuclear capabilities by bombing uranium enrichment facilities.
Hours before Larijani’s remarks on television, Kamal Kharrazi, Khamenei’s top foreign policy adviser said: “It is no secret that we have the technical capabilities to manufacture a nuclear bomb, but we have no decision to do so.”Kharrazi’s statements represented a rare indication that Iran might be interested in acquiring nuclear weapons, despite previous Iranian denials of the possibility of changing the course of its nuclear program. “Within a few days we were able to enrich uranium to up to 60 %, and we can easily produce uranium enriched to 90 %... Iran has the technical means to make a nuclear bomb; But it has not yet made a decision to make it,” said Kharrazi. Meanwhile, Kochavi said Sunday that preparing a military option against Iran is a moral duty and an urgent national security matter. “Preparing the home front for war has been an important issue since the inception of the state, but it has become increasingly important over the years,” Kochavi said Sunday during a speech at a military ceremony. “This is a task that must be accelerated in the coming years, especially in view of the possibility that we will be required to act against a nuclear threat, and it should be part of the intensive preparations we are advancing for the moment of truth.”Kochavi said “preparing a military option against the Iranian nuclear program is a moral imperative and a national security order.” He revealed that such plans are “at the center” of the army's preparations, which include “a variety of operational plans, the allocation of resources, the acquisition of appropriate weapons, intelligence and training.”

Iranian Judiciary Says Panahi Must Serve Six-year Sentence
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
Award-winning dissident Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi, arrested last week in Tehran, must serve a six-year sentence previously handed to him in 2010, the judicial authority announced Tuesday. Panahi, 62, has won a number of awards at international festivals for films that have critiqued modern Iran, including the top prize in Berlin for "Taxi" in 2015, and best screenplay at Cannes for his film "Three Faces" in 2018.He is the third director to be detained this month, alongside Mostafa Aleahmad and Mohammad Rasoulof, who won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2020 with his film "There Is No Evil".
"Panahi had been sentenced in 2010 to a total of six years in prison... and therefore he was entered into Evin detention center to serve his sentence there", judiciary spokesman Massoud Setayeshi told reporters, according to AFP. He was arrested in 2010, following his support for anti-government demonstrations. He was convicted of "propaganda against the system", sentenced to six years in jail, banned from directing or writing films and blocked from leaving the country. But he served only two months in jail in 2010, and was subsequently living on conditional release that could be revoked at any time. Panahi was arrested again on July 11 after he went to the prosecutor's office to follow up on the situation of Rasoulof. The arrests come after Panahi and Rasoulof denounced in May the arrests of several colleagues in their homeland in an open letter. Despite the political pressures, Iran has a thriving film industry and the country's products regularly win awards at major international festivals. Panahi's detention has sparked condemnation from fellow filmmakers.Cannes film festival organizers said they "strongly condemn" the arrests as well as "the wave of repression evidently under way in Iran against its artists". The Venice film festival called for the "immediate release" of the directors, while the Berlin film festival said it was "dismayed and outraged" at the arrest. France's foreign ministry on Friday expressed concern at the "arbitrary" arrests of the filmmakers, citing a "worrying deterioration in the situation of artists in Iran".

Israel Finance Minister seeks transfer of Russian funds to immigrants
Steven Scheer/JERUSALEM (Reuters)
Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman is looking for ways to enable Russian immigrants to access their bank accounts in Russia and transfer money to Israel, a senior ministry source said on Tuesday. Sanctions imposed by Western governments on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict have made it difficult for Russians living abroad, such as the ex-Soviet immigrants who tend to favour Lieberman's political party, to obtain funds. The ministry source said that in Israel, home to more than one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, there are 57,000 retirees who receive Russian pensions but are unable to transfer those funds to Israel. To that end, Lieberman would on Tuesday convene discussions with ministry staff and representatives of the Bank of Israel "on the transfer of funds from Russia to innocent citizens living in Israel," the source told Reuters, confirming a report in the Calcalist newspaper.
"In addition, there are citizens who are not under sanctions who ... are trying to transfer their money from there to Israel through financial institutions that are active in Russia and not under sanctions but are facing difficulties due to the refusal of Israel banks to approve the transfers."
Lieberman was born in Moldova and his Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party typically attracts an ex-Soviet immigrant constituent base. Israel is holding a new election on Nov. 1 after parliament dissolved itself last month. The Bank of Israel said only that it would present its regulatory positions at the meeting. While Israel is not a party to the sanctions, it has obeyed them since they are set by allies the United States and Europe. In recent years, Israeli banks have been fined heavily by the U.S. Department of Justice for tax evasion by American citizens.

Israel Strikes Hamas Site after Bullet Hits Israeli Building
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
Israeli aircraft struck a post belonging to the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in response to a gunshot fired into southern Israel from the Palestinian territory earlier in the day, the military said. Palestinian media said the site was struck multiple times by missiles from the air. Earlier Tuesday, a bullet fired from Gaza hit an industrial building in the community of Netiv HaAsara, the military said. There were no reports of injuries in either incident. No one has claimed responsibility for firing the bullet, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all violence originating from Gaza, which has been under the rule of the movement since 2007. On Saturday, the Israeli military carried out a series of airstrikes on a Hamas site in response to a rocket fire toward Israel. The rocket attack came hours after President Joe Biden concluded a three-day trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’ rival, holds sway.Hamas does not recognize Israel and has fought four wars with it in the past 15 years.

Palestinian attacker shot; Israel and Hamas exchange fire
JERUSALEM (AP)/July 19, 2022
A Palestinian attacker in Jerusalem stabbed a man on a bus with a screw driver on Tuesday before he was shot by a bystander, Israeli police said. Earlier Tuesday, Israeli aircraft struck a post belonging to the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip, in response to a gunshot fired into southern Israel from the Palestinian territory earlier in the day, the military said. In the Jerusalem stabbing, hospital officials said the victim, a man in his 40s, was moderately wounded. The alleged attacker was shot by a nearby bystander and taken to hospital in critical condition. Police said initial reports indicated the attack was nationalistically motivated but gave no further details. In the Gaza airstrike, Palestinian media said the site was struck multiple times by missiles from the air. Earlier Tuesday, a bullet fired from Gaza hit an industrial building in the community of Netiv HaAsara, the military said. There were no reports of injuries in either incident. No one has claimed responsibility for firing the bullet, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all violence originating from Gaza, which has been under the rule of the Islamic militant since 2007. On Saturday, the Israeli military carried out a series of airstrikes on a Hamas site in response to a rocket fire toward Israel. The rocket attack came hours after President Joe Biden concluded a three-day trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’ rival, holds sway. Hamas does not recognize Israel and has fought four wars with it in the past 15 years.

Russia pounds Ukraine as Putin holds talks in Tehran
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)/July 19, 2022
Russian missiles struck cities and villages in eastern and southern Ukraine, hitting homes, a school and a community center on Tuesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Iran to discuss a U.N.-backed proposal to unblock exports of Ukrainian grain. In Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province considered a likely Russian occupation target, one person was killed and 10 wounded in an airstrike that hit a five-story apartment building, regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said. Fresh blood stained the concrete amid green leaves shorn off trees as nearby apartments on at least two floors burned. Shrapnel was placed in a small pile near an empty playground. “There was no one here. Everything is ruined,” said Halyna Maydannyk, a resident of one burned apartment. “Who knows why they’re doing this? We were all living peacefully.”Kramatorsk residents Mykola Zavodovskyi and Tetiana Zavodovska stood in bandages outside a hospital. They heard a loud clap and went to their balcony to investigate, then everything exploded and the windows shattered. “Probably it was a rocket, and probably it was brought down by Ukrainian forces,” Zavodovska said. The midday strike came after Kyrylenko had reported four earlier Russian strikes in Kramatorsk and urged civilians to evacuate. On the humanitarian front, Putin planned a high-stakes meeting in Tehran on Tuesday with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has sought to broker talks on a peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as help negotiations to unblock Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. As the West heaps sanctions on Russia and the costly campaign drags on, Putin is also seeking to bolster ties with Iran, a fellow target of severe U.S. sanctions and a potential military and trade partner. In the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, Russian forces fired seven Kalibr cruise missiles overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry said strikes on the village of Bilenke achieved a legitimate military goal and "destroyed depots of ammunition for weapons supplied by the United States and European countries.” A local official disputed Moscow's claim and said six people were wounded. “These strikes on peaceful people have one goal — to intimidate the population and the authorities and keep them in constant tension,” Serhiy Bratchuk, the speaker of the Odesa regional government, told Ukrainian television.
With indications that Ukraine is planning counterattacks to retake occupied areas, the Russian military in recent weeks has targeted Odesa and parts of southern Ukraine where its troops captured cities earlier in the war. In the east, Ukrainian forces are fighting to hold onto the declining territory under their control. Donetsk has been cut off from gas supplies and partly from water and power as the Russians try to complete their capture of the province. Russia's ground advance has slowed, in part because Ukraine is using more effective U.S. weapons and partly because of what Putin has called an “operational pause.” Russia has been focusing more on aerial bombardment using long-range missiles. “The infrastructure of the cities is being methodically destroyed by missile strikes, and the civilian population, cut off from bare necessities, suffers the most,” Kyrylenko said. Russian-installed officials in the southern region of Kherson, under Moscow’s control since early in the war, said Ukrainian forces damaged the only bridge in the city of Kherson over the Dnipro River, east of Odesa. Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Kherson region's Kremlin-backed administration, told the Russian news agency Interfax that Ukrainian forces used American-made rocket launchers to damage the bridge in an attempt to cut Kherson off from the left bank of the Dnipro. Ukrainian officials have spoken of plans for a counter-offensive to retake Kherson and other southern Ukrainian territory from the Russians. Serhiy Khlan, an official with the Ukrainian administration of the Kherson region, tacitly confirmed the strike on Ukrainian television, reporting “a precise hit” and explosion in the area of the bridge.Ukraine and Russia continued their sporadic exchanges of bodies of fallen soldiers. Each side gave the other 45 soldiers’ bodies in the Zaporizhzhia region. Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency said the soldiers had been killed in Mariupol, the Azov Sea city that captured worldwide attention because of a weeks-long siege of a steel plant.
At least two civilians were killed and 15 more were wounded by Russian shelling across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s presidential office said in a morning update. With Russia's missiles hitting cities 799 kilometers (497 miles) apart Tuesday, “there remains a high level of threat of missile strikes throughout the territory of Ukraine,” said Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesman of the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces. The missile strikes came as the British military said it believes Russia is struggling to keep up its troop strength in its grinding war of attrition that began with the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
The British Defense Ministry said in a Tuesday assessment that Russia “has struggled to sustain effective offensive combat power since the start of the invasion, and this problem is likely becoming increasingly acute” as Moscow seeks to conquer the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
The British military added: “While Russia may still make further territorial gains, their operational tempo and rate of advance is likely to be very slow without a significant operational pause for reorganization and refit.”

Putin arrives in Iran for Syria summit overshadowed by Ukraine war
AsharqAl Awsat/July 19, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tehran for talks Tuesday on the Syrian war at a three-way summit overshadowed by fallout from his country’s war on Ukraine. Putin travelled abroad for only the second time since ordering the invasion of Ukraine. He was attending the gathering that also involves Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The summit comes days after US President Joe Biden visited the Middle East for the first time in his presidency, with stops in Iran’s regional foes Israel and Saudi Arabia. This is the first summit hosted by Iran’s ultra-conservative president Ebrahim Raisi since he took office last year and is ostensibly aimed at ending more than 11 years of conflict in Syria. All three are involved in the conflict, with Iran and Russia supporting Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey backing rebel forces. Ahead of the trilateral meeting, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met Erdogan, who has repeatedly threatened to launch a new military offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Syria. Khamenei warned the Turkish leader that such a move would be “detrimental” for the region and called for the issue to be resolved through dialogue between Ankara, Damascus, Moscow and Tehran. Erdogan, speaking later at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart, said Kurdish militias caused “great trouble” for both Iran and Turkey. “We should fight against these terrorist organisations in solidarity and alliance,” he added.The presidents also oversaw the signing of a number of agreements in different fields, including in trade and economy.
Ukraine grain
Erdogan has for months been offering to meet Putin in a bid to help resolve heightened global tensions. “The timing of this summit is not a coincidence,” Russian analyst Vladimir Sotnikov said. “Turkey wants to conduct a ‘special operation’ in Syria just as Russia is implementing a ‘special operation’ in Ukraine.”Turkey has launched waves of attacks on Syria since 2016, targeting Kurdish militias as well as Islamic State group jihadists and Assad loyalists. In their talks, Putin and Erdogan would discuss mechanisms to export grain from Ukraine, a Kremlin source said. Russia’s war on Ukraine has massively hampered shipments from one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat and other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages. Turkey, a NATO member on speaking terms with both Russia and Ukraine, has spearheaded efforts to resume the grain deliveries. Ultimately, Erdogan is hoping to get “the green light” from Putin and Raisi for Turkey’s military operation in Syria, said Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned on Monday that Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports threatens supplies to countless thousands vulnerable to starvation.
Borrell dubbed the issue “one of life and death for many human beings.”
‘Iran-phobia’
On Sunday, a day after Biden ended his tour of the Middle East, Iran accused the United States of provoking crises in the region. Biden had vowed the US would not “tolerate efforts by any country to dominate another in the region through military buildups, incursions, and/or threats”, in reference to Iran.
In a speech at a Saudi summit of Gulf Arab states as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, Biden assured those gathered that the US would remain fully engaged in the Middle East. “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran,” he said. Following the meeting, a joint statement committed the leaders to “preserve regional security and stability.”It also underscored diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a goal the Islamic republic has always denied seeking. On Sunday, Iran accused the US of having “once again resorted to the failed policy of Iran-phobia, trying to create tensions and crises in the region”. The US last week alleged Iran planned to deliver “hundreds of drones” to Russia to aid its war on Ukraine, an accusation the Islamic republic dismissed as “baseless”.

Putin holds talks in Tehran with leaders of Iran, Turkey
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)/Tue, July 19, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin held meetings Tuesday in Iran, seeking to deepen ties with regional heavyweights as part of Moscow's challenge to the United States and Europe amid its grinding campaign in Ukraine.
In only his second trip abroad since Russian tanks rolled into its neighbor in February, Putin met Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on pressing issues facing the region, including the conflict in Syria and a U.N.-backed proposal to resume exports of Ukrainian grain to ease the global food crisis. As the West heaps sanctions on Russia and the costly campaign drags on, Putin is seeking to bolster ties with Tehran, a fellow target of severe U.S. sanctions and a potential military and trade partner. In recent weeks, Russian officials visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice to review Tehran's weapons-capable drones for possible use in Ukraine, the White House has alleged. Iran rolled out a long red carpet for Putin at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, where Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji greeted him warmly before he was whisked into his presidential convoy to the city.
But perhaps most crucially, the Tehran trip offers Putin a chance for a high-stakes meeting with Erdogan, who has sought to help broker talks on a peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as help negotiations to unblock Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
Turkey, a NATO member, has found itself opposite Russia in bloody conflicts in Syria and Libya. It has even sold lethal drones that Ukrainian forces have used to attack Russian troops. But Turkey hasn't imposed sanctions on the Kremlin, making it a sorely needed partner for Moscow. Grappling with runaway inflation and a rapidly depreciating currency, Turkey also relies on the Russian market. Speaking to Erdogan at the start of their meeting, Putin thanked him for his mediation to help “move forward” a deal on Ukrainian grain exports. “Not all the issues have been resolved yet, but it's good that there has been some progress,” Putin added. Erdogan praised what he described as Russia’s “very, very positive approach” during last week's grain talks in Istanbul. He voiced hope a deal will be made, and “the result that will emerge will have a positive impact on the whole world.” The trip to Tehran has symbolic meaning for Putin’s domestic audience as well, showing off Russia’s international clout even as it grows increasingly isolated and plunges deeper into confrontation with the West. It comes just days after U.S. President Joe Biden’s visited Israel and Saudi Arabia — Tehran’s primary rivals.
From Jerusalem and Jeddah, Biden urged Israel and Arab countries to push back on Russian, Chinese and Iranian influence that has expanded with the perception of America’s retreat from the region.
It was a tough sell. Israel maintains good relations with Putin, a necessity given Russian presence in Syria, Israel's northeastern neighbor and frequent target of its airstrikes. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined to pump more oil beyond a plan approved by their energy alliance with Moscow.
But all the countries — despite their long-standing rivalries — could agree on drawing closer to counter Iran, which has rapidly advanced its nuclear program since former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned Tehran's atomic accord with world powers and reimposed crushing sanctions. Talks to restore the deal have hit a deadlock.
Backed into a corner by the West and its regional rivals, the Iranian government is ramping up uranium enrichment, cracking down on dissent and grabbing headlines with optimistic, hard-line stances intended to keep the Iranian currency, the rial, from crashing. Without sanctions relief in sight, Iran's tactical partnership with Russia has become one of survival, even as Moscow appears to be undercutting Tehran in the black market oil trade.
“Iran is (the) center of dynamic diplomacy,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote on Twitter, adding the meetings will “develop economic cooperation, focus on security of the region ... and ensure food security.”Fadahossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament's influential committee on national security and foreign policy, described Russia as Iran's “most strategic partner” on Monday. His comments belied decades of animosity stemming from Russia’s occupation of Iran during World War II — and its refusal to leave afterward.
After his arrival, Putin held talks with Raisi that followed meetings in Moscow in January and again last month in Turkmenistan. During his fifth visit to Tehran, Putin also met Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, continuing what Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov called a “trusting dialogue.” “Our relations are developing at a good pace,” Putin said at the start of the meeting with Raisi, noting that Moscow and Tehran “strengthen their cooperation on international security and contribute significantly to the Syrian settlement.”Raisi voiced hope that Putin's visit will help expand cooperation on regional and international issues. According to the IRNA news agency, Raisi and Putin discussed boosting ties in energy, transportation and trade. The focus of later trilateral talks among the presidents will be the decade-old conflict in Syria, where Iran and Russia have backed President Bashar Assad’s government, while Turkey has supported armed opposition factions. Russia intervened in the conflict in 2015, pooling efforts with Iranian forces and using its air power to shore up Assad’s fledgling military. Ushakov said the parties will discuss efforts to encourage a political settlement, while Erdogan is expected to take up Turkey's threats of a new military offensive in northern Syria to drive away U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters from its borders. The operation is part of Turkey's plan to create a safe zone along its border with Syria that would encourage the voluntary return of Syrian refugees. In a meeting with Erdogan, Khamenei delivered a stern warning against the planned Turkish incursion. “Any sort of military attack in northern Syria will definitely harm Turkey, Syria and the entire region, and will benefit terrorists," Iran's top leader said, stressing the need to “bring the issue to an end through talks.”
Iran and Turkey signed preliminary agreements covering investment, diplomacy, media and business, among other fields, and pledged to triple bilateral trade, to $30 billion.
In his speech, Erdogan called for solidarity in the fight against Kurdish militant groups as well as a network led by a U.S.-based Muslim cleric whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016.
“They are nuisances that disrupt the calm of the countries where they are present,” he said. “We need to continue to lead a struggle against them.” Humanitarian issues in Syria have also come into focus since Russia used its veto power at the U.N. Security Council last week to restrict aid deliveries to 4.1 million people in Syria’s rebel-held northwest after six months, instead of a year. Talks to lift a Russian blockade and get Ukraine’s grain into global markets also are on the agenda. Last week, U.N., Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials reached a tentative agreement on some aspects of a deal to ensure the export of 22 million tons of desperately needed grain and other agricultural products trapped in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports by the fighting. Tuesday’s meeting between Putin and Erdogan could help clear remaining hurdles, a major step toward alleviating a food crisis that has sent prices of vital commodities like wheat and barley soaring.

The significance of Iraq’s presence at the Jeddah summit
The Arab Weekly/July 19/2022
It is a source of some optimism that the Arab Gulf is seeking to play an independent role away from Iran's designs. President Joe Biden has left the region. His visit to Saudi Arabia, which was preceded by a visit to Israel, with a stopover in Bethlehem, was an occasion to reaffirm one very important fact; that global energy security depends on the Arab Gulf on the one hand and needs a deterrent counterweight to the Iranian expansionist project on the other. Once again, at the regional level, Biden's tour and the Jeddah summit, have demonstrated the importance of Iraq, which sits on great oil wealth, but must reckon with serious imbalances caused by the absence of an Arab Gulf deterrent to Iranian ambitions. Iraq is still hostage to Iran, despite the fact that the majority of the Iraqi people strives every day to reject this reality. No one better than Moqtada al-Sadr expresses that rejection, especially when he says that there is no room for an Iraqi state as long as there are such militias affiliated with Iran as the so-called “Popular Mobilisation Forces.”Iraq was present at the Jeddah Summit. There is no doubt that Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi used a lot of tact and diplomacy in his political discourse, whether in Jeddah or before he left Baghdad for Saudi Arabia. He stressed at all times the regional role of Iraq as a power that refuses to be aligned with any of the two axes. The question however is whether this is enough for the “Islamic Republic” to acknowledge that Iran is not Iraq and that Iraq is not Iran.
Obviously, Kadhimi’s coming to Jeddah was a very important development. However, this does not mean that ensuring independent Iraqi decision-making is an easy task considering the Iran factor. Iraq has fallen under Iranian hegemony since in the spring of 2003, when the administration of George W Bush handed Baghdad over to the “Islamic Republic” on a silver platter,
This was not only due to the naivety and short-sightedness of Bush and his staff, but also to the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi leader never understood anything about the nature of regional and international balances of power. He never knew what was going on in the region and the wider world. Iraq fell victim to American ignorance and the simplistic mindset of a man who came from the countryside to the city and refused to learn anything about the facts of life in the region and the world and how to deal with them. Following global developments since the Ukraine war, Iranian aggression has increased in all directions. It is no longer a secret that Vladimir Putin needs the “Islamic Republic” more than ever, even if from a different perspective than before. Iran is more aggressive in Iraq than anywhere else. Iraq remains for Tehran the great prize that it cannot relinquish in any way. Tehran suspended political life in Iraq about nine months ago, since it did not like the results of the parliamentary elections. Kadhimi can undoubtedly play the role of mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia and host meetings between the two sides in Baghdad. However, it is clear that he has not been able, at least until now, to achieve any major advances in the relationship between the kingdom and the “Islamic Republic.” This made the Saudi-Iranian meetings akin to negotiations for the sake of negotiations considering the Iranian propensity for stalling.
The arrival of the Iraqi prime minister in Jeddah was not simply an expression of an Arab desire to rehabilitate Iraq. It was also an American move to correct a historic mistake committed by George Bush and completed by Barack Obama. There are two questions at this particular juncture. The first pertains to Kadhimi’s margin of manoeuvre, as he tries to play a balanced role at the regional level. The other question pertains to how seriously the Joe Biden administration is willing to set limits to Iran's aggressive behaviour. In light of political wrangling and a state of chaos in Iraq which benefits only Iran, it is obvious that Kadhimi faces a complicated task as the head of a government that actually resigned nine months ago. The recent audio leaks of statements by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki are evidence of the depth of the internal Iraqi divisions. Maliki, who is loyal to the "Islamic Republic", was not satisfied simply with harsh criticism of Moqtada al-Sadr and attacks on Sunnis and Kurds. He went even further when he admitted that he was behind the creation of the Popular Mobilisation Forces and that his aim was to reenact the experience of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Iraq. At the White House, there is a wavering US administration which has never understood the danger of Iran's expansionist project. It was only after the Ukraine war and the emergence of the global energy crisis that it realised the importance and role of the Gulf. It is a source of some optimism nonetheless that the Arab Gulf is seeking to play an independent role away from Iran's designs. Backed by Egypt and Jordan, the region aims to rehabilitate Iraq’s role without provoking Iran. The project which aims to connect Iraq to the Gulf electricity grid is evidence of the desire to facilitate Kadhimi’s task. Is the bet on Iraq and its balanced role warranted? It is difficult to answer such a question at a time when Iran, through its Iraqi militias, is bound to do everything in its power to keep the country hostage to its will, as it is also doing with Syria, Lebanon and part of Yemen.

Erdogan threatens again to ‘freeze’ Swedish, Finnish bids for NATO membership
The Arab Weekly/July 19/2022
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday renewed his threat to “freeze” the NATO membership bids of both Sweden and Finland unless the military alliance complies with Ankara’s conditions. At a NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June, Erdogan called on the two countries to “do their part” in the fight against terrorism and accused them of providing a haven for outlawed Kurdish militants. Speaking Monday, on the eve of three-way summit with Russia and Iran, Erdogan told reporters; “I want to reiterate once again that we will freeze the process if these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfil our conditions”.“We particularly note that Sweden does not have a good image on this issue,” the Turkish leader added. Earlier this month NATO kicked off the accession procedures for Sweden and Finland after a deal was struck with Turkey, which had blocked the Nordic nations from joining. Erdogan has accused both countries of being havens for Kurdish militants, specifically highlighting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) he has sought to crush, and for promoting “terrorism”. He was due to board a plane to Tehran on Monday evening for talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi, from whom he hopes to get the green light for armed intervention in northwest Syria. Ankara has been threatening since late May to launch an operation to create a 30-kilometre “security zone” along its border to tackle Kurdish fighters waging an insurgency against the Turkish state. Both Tehran and Moscow have already expressed their opposition to such an offensive. Russia, Turkey and Iran are all major players in the war that has ravaged Syria since 2011, with Moscow and Tehran supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad and Ankara supporting rebels.

New Maliki Recording Reveals Coordination with Militia to Confront Sadrists
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 July, 2022
A new damning voice recording of Iraqi former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been released.The fifth recording of what is now known in Iraq as the "Maliki WikiLeaks" revealed that the former PM was discussing partnering up with an armed Shiite faction to wage a confrontation with the Sadrist movement, led by influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The new recording will only deepen the dispute between the rivals. Other leaks have Maliki severely criticizing Sadr, which prompted the cleric to demand that he turn himself over to the judiciary and quit political life. In the latest recording, Maliki is heard having discussions with representatives of a largely unknown Shiite faction, the "Ummet al-Akhyar", whose religious reference is known as "Ayatollah al-Mirza". One of the members of the group, “Abu Hassan”, was heard offering allegiance to Maliki to “shed blood”. The hours-long conversation between the group and Maliki revealed that the faction enjoys support among Shiites in central and southern Iraq. Maliki is also heard speaking of his “good” relationship with Qais Khazali, leader of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia, which is designated as terrorist by the United States. He also said that the leaders of the Fatah Alliance, led by Hadi al-Ameri, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Badr Organization are directly affiliated to Iran and “care about nothing but farms and money. They are in a different world.”Maliki also called on armed factions to adhere to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and steer away from the orders of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry. On the ground, tensions have mounted between Sadr and Maliki supporters, especially after the cleric revealed that he had received death threats. Maliki’s Dawa Party issued a statement on Tuesday calling for “putting out the strife” and accusing “internal and foreign secret agencies” of seeking to fuel strife and inter-Shiite fighting.He insisted that the recordings were fabricated and fake. Local media reported that the residence of Mahmoud al-Salami, an MP from Maliki’s coalition, was attacked by gunmen. The attack on his home in the Dhi Qar province led to material damage, said a security source.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 19-20/2022
5 Things Every American Should Know About President Biden's Controversial Middle East Tour
Amanda Taheri/Yahoo/July 19, 2022
Last week President Joe Biden spent four days touring the Middle East. His agenda included supporting Israel's integration into the Arab world, ensuring limits on Iran's nuclear program and talking with the world's largest producers of oil and gas amid rising American pump prices. Biden's trip was not well-received by everyone, summoning criticism that he went too easy on Israel and Saudi Arabia, and too hard on Palestine. Biden Reaffirmed and Bolstered American Support for Israel. Biden began his tour in Israel. There, he met with many of the country's leaders, including ​​Prime Minister Yair Lapid, President Isaac Herzog and former Prime Minister Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his opening remarks, Biden said "the connection between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep." He later added, "As long as we're the United States, you will never, ever be alone," emphasizing American financial and militaristic support for Israel, particularly in face of Iranian military threats.
Biden says talks with Israeli leaders focused on ensuring "no nuclear Iran," expanding 4G cellular network technology to the Palestinian Territories and "trying to build a moderate coalition here in the Middle East" for Israel.
A longtime supporter of Israel, Biden has visited the country 10 times over the past 50 years. Further emphasizing his support for the country, he boldly declared, "You don't have to be Jewish to be a Zionist, and I'm a Zionist," upon arriving in the country.
On Thursday evening, Biden was awarded the highest civil medal given by Israel, the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor. President Herzog said the medal was given "in recognition of the strong support for Israel you have consistently demonstrated, and the depth of the friendship our nations share."
Later, when Biden met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he announced that "Saudi airspace is now open to flights to and from Israel. This is the first tangible step in the path of what I hope will eventually be a broader normalization of relations."
Biden Cautiously Acknowledged Palestinians' Aspirations
On Friday, Biden visited Bethlehem, Palestine, where he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Biden announced new contributions of $316 million in support of Palestinians in both of the Palestinian Territories–Gaza and the West Bank. He also spoke to technological advances including rolling out 4G by the end 2023 and ensuring food security for Palestinians. Many Palestinians were dissatisfied with the new initiatives or funding, as their aspirations are instead set on achieving statehood and halting U.S. support of Israel. President Abbas said to Biden in a speech, "After 74 years of the Nakba displacement and occupation, isn't it not the time for this occupation to end and for our steadfast people, again, to gain their freedom and independence, and for the hopes of our young men and women, whom we cherish and trust their creativity, to achieve a promising future without occupation?"
Conflict between Israel and Palestine has engulfed the region for decades. There are various competing land claims and shifting borders as a result of a series of wars and diplomatic arrangements. Currently, an armed, Israeli border wall exists along most of the border between Israel and the West Bank. According to Amnesty International, Israel commits "apparent war crimes and possible crimes against humanity" against Palestinians, while Human Rights Watch calls Israel's actions "crimes of apartheid."
Biden Didn't Hold Israel Accountable for Slain American Palestinian Journalist
During a planned media appearance with Abbas in Bethlehem, Biden was greeted by an "empty chair facing the podium" with a picture of slain American Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in her bulletproof press vest. Written in Arabic across the poster were the words "The voice of Palestine," according to White House correspondent Aurelia End. The president notably did not meet with the Abu Akleh's family after her sister authored a letter to Biden seeking justice and accountability regarding Abu Akleh's murder. According to CBS News, Secretary of State Antony Blinken invited the family to the United States, but the family wished to see Biden on his tour. Abu Akleh was a renowned journalist in the region. She was recently killed in May while reporting on a raid by the Israeli Defense Forces in Jenin in the West Bank. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' found that "Israeli forces were behind the fatal shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh."
Despite these findings, the U.S. Department of State says it "could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet that killed [her]," but found that "gunfire from IDF positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh." Palestinian officials and citizens have criticized the U.S.'s failure to hold Israel accountable in the matter.
In Bethlehem, Biden said to Abbas: "The United States will continue to insist on a full and transparent accounting of her death and will continue to stand up for media freedom everywhere in the world," despite not having publicly raised the issue to Israeli leaders during the trip.
The relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has been incredibly tense since the Saudi government's involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist. Khashoggi was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in late 2018.
A 2019 report by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner ruled that "his killing was the result of elaborate planning involving extensive coordination and significant human and financial resources. It was overseen, planned and endorsed by high-level officials. It was premeditated."
Two years later, in 2021, the Biden administration released a declassified intelligence report on the killing which concludes that the Saudi "Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." Since Khashoggi's murder, Biden vowed to make the country a "pariah," isolating it from the U.S. and its neighbors.
But, Biden's visit seemed to do the opposite. Despite the tense history and the crown prince's failure to acknowledge his direct role in Khashoggi's death, Biden still met with the leader and even fist-bumped him. The president faced backlash from both sides of the aisle for his hand movement, with many believing that it resets U.S.-Saudi relations regardless of human rights abuses.
After the leaders met, Biden addressed questions at a press conference, stating that he directly brought Khashoggi up to the crown prince, who replied that "he was not personally responsible for" the journalist's death. He told reporters, "For an American president to be silent on the issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am. I'll always stand up for our values."The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said, "The Crown Prince responded to President Biden's remarks on ... Khashoggi after quite clearly — that this crime, while very unfortunate and abhorrent, is something that the kingdom took very seriously (and) acted upon in a way commiserate with its position as a responsible country." According to CNN, Saudi officials retorted by bringing up the abuse at Abu Ghraib, a notorious prison in Iraq that was run by the U.S. military where human rights violations were rampant. The foreign minister added, "These are issues, mistakes that happen in any country, including the U.S. The Crown Prince pointed out that the U.S. has made its own mistakes and has taken the necessary action to hold those responsible accountable and address these mistakes just as the kingdom has."
Biden Failed to Get Saudi Arabia on Board with Increasing Oil Supply for Americans
By the end of Biden's visit, Saudi Arabia had not publicly pledged to increase oil supply to Americans, an initiative Biden was seeking to accomplish during his tour. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has interrupted global oil supply, leading gas at the pump to surpass $6 per gallon in the U.S.
Biden traveled to the Middle East amid an era of extraordinarily high gas prices for Americans, which was speculated to be a major motivation of the trip. After meeting with Saudi leaders, Biden said, "Based on our discussions today, I expect we'll see further steps in the coming weeks," presumably referring to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in August, of which Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait are members. The Saudis hosted the GCC+3 summit, with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE — as well as three other nations: Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. Outside of energy sources, the president also spoke about "Iran's destabilizing activities" in the region, adding that the administration is "pursuing diplomacy to return constraints on Iran's nuclear program."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Ultimately, Biden's trip to the Middle East conveyed renewed U.S. interest and investment in the region. Over the course of four days, Biden and his team emphasized American support for Israel and diplomatic avenues to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities — while overlooking various human rights abuses in the region and unsuccessfully guaranteeing increased oil supply for Americans.
Many experts believe the trip was not particularly successful for Biden, and instead the Arab leaders, particularly Crown Prince MBS, got more out of his visit.

World Needs to Initiate More Effective Policy against Damascus Regime
Charles Lister/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 19, 2022
On July 12, the United Nations’ Security Council passed Resolution 2642 – giving the UN a new mandate to provide cross-border humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria for a period of six months.
The resolution was described as a compromise between the international community and Russia, but in truth, it was the result of a capitulation to Russia’s aggressive veto power. A six-month timeframe gives donor governments, the UN and implementing bodies little time to focus on aid delivery before diplomats will have to begin bracing themselves for a renewed battle with Russia in the halls of the UN, to secure aid access once again. Moscow has the world right where it wants them to be: on edge and vulnerable. The greatest victims here, as has so often been the case, are Syrian civilians – at least 4.5 million of whom live in Syria’s northwest. Eighty percent of those 4.5 million civilians are women and children; and at least 70% of them are displaced. Over 90% of the 4.5 million are wholly dependent on UN aid coming via Turkey in a mammoth effort that delivers as many as 1,000 trucks of aid per month. Russia’s demand at the UN – shared by its ally, the Assad regime – is that the UN deprioritize cross-border and instead, focus on delivering aid cross-line, via Damascus. However, in the past 12 months, the Syrian regime permitted a total of only 60 trucks of aid into northwestern Syria cross-line – a figure that pales in comparison to the nearly 12,000 that the UN delivered over Turkey’s border during the same timeframe.
Even with cross-border aid being securely delivered, displaced Syrians have frozen to death in poorly resourced camps in the northwest each winter. Should aid delivery be severed later this year, a “humanitarian catastrophe” will swiftly result, with at least 70% of the region’s food needs almost immediately vanishing.According to data collected by the World Food Programme, Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine earlier this year has been the primary driver responsible for a 60% surge in food prices inside Syria. The World Food Programme itself has been forced to cut the size of its food baskets in Syria by as much as 20%, due to food cost increases.
That Russia is now using its UN veto to exacerbate humanitarian suffering on an even greater level reflects a disinterest in human welfare of an extraordinary level. Since 2014, the international community has collectively donated enormous sums of money to the UN to deliver aid – almost entirely cross-border, through a Security Council mandate – to those in need across Syria. If Russia got its way, those billions of dollars would be funneled through Damascus, where Assad’s regime is known to siphon off as much as 50% of funding via distorted exchange rates, before empowering the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to divert as much as 50% of the aid to pro-regime forces. Put simply, the existing mechanisms utilized by the international community to support UN aid efforts inside Syria do little more than finance the regime and provide assistance to its security forces.
It is therefore long past time for the international community to adopt a different, and more just approach to assisting those in need in Syria. A criminal regime associated with more documented war crimes than the Nazi Party at Nuremberg does not deserve to determine how the world feeds the millions of people it has spent over a decade bombing, gassing and torturing en masse. With six months until yet another vote on cross-border access, world leaders must surge preparations for what has long been known as the “Plan B” for delivering assistance to the needy in Syria.
In recent months, extensive discussions had been held between the United States, Turkey, France, the United Kingdom and Germany over this Plan B, as well as within the recently evolved “Contact Group” on Syria, which also includes regional governments like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan and Iraq. Collectively, such nations are more than capable of resourcing, alongside a great many other like-minded nations, a serious and effective international aid mission that would reach those in need across northern Syria without the unnecessary fear of cut-off by Russia at the UN. Given Turkey’s acute concern for the stability of northwestern Syria, it has made itself a willingly integral player in any Plan B efforts – but this will require unity of effort.
In taking better control of aid provision, the international community could also pivot towards delivering more strategic assistance and investment, within an environment in which kinetic conflict is largely frozen. That we continue to provide tents and food baskets more than 11 years into Syria’s crisis is a poor reflection of our collective response. The brutality meted out by Assad’s regime, along with Russia and Iran does mean that Syrians free of regime control still need emergency aid, but what they need the most is stabilization assistance, targeted investment aimed at building local capacity and engendering cross-line inter-connectivity and self-sustainable local economies. The world desperately needs to initiate a more meaningful and constructive approach to Syria policy – one that helps those in need of help, but also aims to create realities that further the goal of a future political settlement. This reformed policy, which could be described as simply as “Freeze and Build,” could promise just that.

Military understandings between Riyadh and Washington
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 19, 2022
Despite the muddling media hubbub surrounding US President Joe Biden’s visit to the city of Jeddah, the outcomes announced officially make Biden’s visit to the Kingdom one of the most important in terms of strategic value.
Whatever the occasion, popular media is always on the lookout for scoops and sensational stories. A few years ago, the photograph of former President Donald Trump, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi placing their hands over an orb to mark the inauguration of a certain center became the news, instead of the actual opening of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. Similarly, President Obama’s bowing to receive an honorary collar made headlines, as did the handshake between late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and former President George W. Bush, not to mention the incidents of Biden stumbling on the flight stairs or falling off his bike. And now comes the turn of Biden’s fist bump with the Saudi Crown Prince when the latter greeted him at the door of the Royal Palace, which some in Washington rushed to decry, writing: ‘Why did he not greet him on the tarmac?
But when following and assessing such meetings, press scoops are not what counts. What matters here is the agreements reached between the two countries and the political summit that brought together the leaders of the GCC states, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, as well as Biden.
With the exception of those strategic arrangements that may have been agreed upon but not announced, the official statements issued after the meetings constitute, in and of themselves, a significant development in bilateral ties and cooperation. In my opinion, the key aspect is the US return to military cooperation with Saudi Arabia. In fact, it is safe to say that the United States rekindled yesterday its strategic relationship with Riyadh, which had receded significantly for nearly a decade of stalemate, since the presidency of former President Barack Obama, who then chose to reduce cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Arab countries and negotiate with Iran. Then, during President Trump’s term, Congress halted some aspects of military deals and cooperation with Riyadh.
During their meeting on Friday, Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Biden agreed that the US and other peacekeepers and observers would leave the Saudi island of Tiran, located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, by the end of the year. This came at Riyadh's request to transform Tiran from a military base to an economic base now that Egypt ceded sovereignty over the island. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, would exercise its sovereign authority in that strategic region, overseeing international shipping routes that allow the passage of ships, including Israeli ones, as well as Israeli aircraft crossing into Saudi airspace, similarly to other waterways and regional airspaces, as announced two years ago.
More important are the agreements reached by the two governments on military and security dossiers, with Washington announcing the return of military cooperation and military sales, including advanced military defense and technical systems. Washington also pledged to cooperate with the Kingdom in building a system to counter peace-threatening drones and ballistic missiles, i.e., those launched by Iran and its militias in the region, which it did not explicitly name.
According to the outcomes announced officially, the meeting also agreed to establish a combined task force in the Red Sea and another Saudi-led joint group in the Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea. It was also agreed that Saudi forces would work with the US Fifth Fleet to leverage modern technology such as unmanned ships and artificial intelligence to protect the maritime field.
We also see the US returning to security cooperation with Riyadh after a period of estrangement. The understanding included two agreements relating to cybersecurity, between the Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority on the one hand and the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on the other.In terms of telecommunications technology, keeping in mind that Saudi Arabia had begun using Chinese 5G technology, we noted in yesterday's announcement of the meeting outcomes that the US signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in linking Saudi and US technology companies to deploy 5G and 6G technologies, as well as other high-value agreements in the areas of trade cooperation, investment, health, and law.

Will China Shoot Down Explorers to the Moon?
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/July 19, 2022
"We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: 'It's ours now and you stay out,'" — Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, interview with Bild, July 2, 2022.
The Chinese have made it clear that, if they get there [to the moon] first, they will shoot down visitors.
"Many are beginning to wonder if China will soon do to the moon and the rest of space that which it has done to the South and East China Seas, Taiwan, and northern India: claim them as sovereign." — Brandon Weichert, author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, to Gatestone, July 6, 2022. Unfortunately, President Joe Biden has no apparent interest in getting to the moon. Only Elon Musk, with his Starship effort, is developing the means to compete with the Chinese.
"We are in a second moon race, this time it's for keeps. Whoever gets to the moon with the mostest gets to keep the moon, and the United States is lagging." — Richard Fisher, International Assessment and Strategy Center, on John Batchelor 's CBS Eye on the World radio program, July 6, 2022.
China does not care about international law in general or the Outer Space Treaty in particular. China has made it clear that, if they get there to the moon first, they will shoot down visitors. Pictured: A Long March 5B rocket, carrying China's Tianhe space station core module, lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan province on April 29, 2021.
"This is not the first time that the NASA administrator has lashed out at China in disregard of facts," said Zhao Lijian, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, at his July 4 regular press briefing. "Some U.S. officials have spoken irresponsibly to misrepresent the normal and legitimate space endeavors of China. China firmly rejects such remarks."Zhao, known for rabid anti-Americanism, was reacting to attention-grabbing comments of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: 'It's ours now and you stay out,'" Nelson told German newspaper Bild in an interview published July 2. Nelson has every right to be concerned. America may have to go to war with China if it even wants to land on the moon. The Chinese have made it clear that, if they get there first, they will shoot down visitors.
Chinese officials themselves reveal grand ambitions and malevolent intentions. "The universe is an ocean, the moon is the Diaoyu Islands, Mars is Huangyan Island," said Ye Peijian, the head of China's lunar program, in 2017, referring to features in the East China and South China Seas to which Beijing claims sovereignty. "If we don't go there now even though we're capable of doing so, then we will be blamed by our descendants. If others go there, then they will take over, and you won't be able to go even if you want to."
In short, Ye was projecting, blaming others for what Beijing itself intends to do. He was essentially saying that China would exclude others from these heavenly bodies.
In fact, Ye's choice of examples is telling. He said the moon is like the Diaoyu Islands. The Diaoyus, in the East China Sea, have been claimed and administered by Japan, which calls them the Senkakus. The claim of the People's Republic of China to the outcroppings appears weak as a matter of international law: Beijing acknowledged they were Japanese until 1971. This month, Chinese vessels intruded into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkakus, as a means of pressuring Tokyo to surrender them.
Ye also said Mars is like Huangyan Island, China's name for Scarborough Shoal. In early 2012, Chinese vessels seized the South China Sea reef from the Philippines. Beijing claims Scarborough even though it is just 124 nautical miles from the main Philippine island of Luzon and 472 nautical miles from the Chinese coast.
The name of China's Mars rover, Zhurong, is instructive. The official Xinhua News Agency explains Zhurong is the god of fire. What Beijing did not say is that Zhurong is also China's god of war—and the god of the South China Sea. China claims about 85% of that body of water as "blue national soil."
"Many are beginning to wonder if China will soon do to the moon and the rest of space that which it has done to the South and East China Seas, Taiwan, and northern India: claim them as sovereign," Brandon Weichert, the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, told Gatestone after Nelson's comment. Some scholars dismiss the Chinese rhetoric and Nelson's warning. Svetla Ben-Itzhak and R. Lincoln Hines, two assistant professors at the Air University of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, say that China cannot "take over" the moon because it is constrained by international law. Article II of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which China signed and ratified, prohibits "national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means."
If Beijing were to try to claim the moon, write Ben-Itzhak and Hines, "China would risk further tarnishing its international image by breaking international law, and it may invite retaliation."
God save America from its intellectuals. China does not care about international law in general or the Outer Space Treaty in particular. Last year, for instance, the Chinese military tested an orbital hypersonic glide vehicle, essentially an announcement of an intention to violate the treaty's prohibition of orbiting nuclear weapons in space. "China is a space criminal," Weichert says. "It thinks nothing of willy-nilly violating its international obligations."
"The Chinese Communist Party requires control of the earth-moon system in order to achieve its ambitions for hegemony on earth," Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center told John Batchelor of the CBS Eye on the World radio program on July 6.
America's Artemis program, a joint effort with 20 other nations, is straggling far behind Chinese efforts to land on the moon. The Chinese, for instance, are completing their Tiangong space station, a military project, just as the civilian International Space Station is nearing the end of its time in orbit. Moreover, China is fast developing heavy lifters, which are needed to get to the moon and to maintain colonies there. "I don't think they understand the mass that the Chinese are prepared to literally throw at the moon to gain the dominant presence," said Fisher to Batchelor, referring to the Americans.
Unfortunately, President Joe Biden has no apparent interest in getting to the moon. Only Elon Musk, with his Starship effort, is developing the means to compete with the Chinese.
"We are in a second moon race," Fisher told Batchelor. "This time it's for keeps. Whoever gets to the moon with the mostest gets to keep the moon, and the United States is lagging."
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of The Coming Collapse of China, a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board.
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