English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 07/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.june07.22.htm
News Bulletin Achieves
Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
You worship what you do not know; we worship
what we know
John 04/21-24: “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the
hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for
salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the
true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father
seeks such as these to worship him.God is spirit, and those who worship him must
worship in spirit and truth.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 06-07/2022
Aoun, Miqati want US mediation after Israel gas ship move
Israel readies for possible Hezbollah attack on gas rig
Berri calls for amending Decree 6433 if Hochstein doesn't act 'to stop Israeli
violations'
Israel says gas rig 'entirely in undisputed territory'
Israel says gas dispute to be resolved through US mediation
FPM: President can't adopt Line 29 without govt. decree
Israel 'ready to prevent' possible Hizbullah attack on Karish gas rig
Bayram says Hizbullah practicing 'positive silence' in offshore gas row
Lebanon Urges US Envoy to End Maritime Dispute with Israel
More of the same in Lebanon as Mikati slated to be next PM
Mikati to Asharq Al-Awsat: I Won't Be PM of Govt that Prolongs Lebanon's Crisis
Reformist MPs urge for amending Decree 6433, adopting Line 29
Lebanon to invite US to mediate Israel maritime border talks/Kareem Chehayeb/Al
Jaseera/June 06/2022
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 06-07/2022
Israel rains missiles on Damascus, but most were intercepted: Syrian
state media
Iran’s Intelligence Minister: Enemies Focus on Popular Protests, Assassinations
Iran warns IAEA against resolution
Death Toll in Iran Tower Collapse Rises to 41
Iran to Face Censure amid Stalled Nuclear Talks
Burglars Cut through Wall to Rob Bank Deposit Boxes in Iran
NATO nations block Russian envoy's plane from Serbia visit
Russia Says Ban on Lavrov’s Plane a ‘Hostile Action’
UK to Give Ukraine Long-range Missile Systems
Ukraine Says Controls 'Half' of Severodonetsk
After ‘Partygate’, UK PM Johnson to Face Confidence Vote on Monday
Israeli nationalists wage battle against Palestinian flag
Canada/Minister Joly meets with Baltic dignitaries
S. Korea, US Fire Ballistic Missiles in Response to N. Korea Tests
Bangladesh Depot Accused over Blast that Killed at Least 49
Titles For The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on June 06-07/2022
SOS: Is The Pentagon Losing the U.S. to China?/Judith Bergman/Gatestone
Institute/June 06/2022
The Liberation of a Continent and the Fall of the Nazi Third Reich/Lawrence
Kadish/Gatestone Institute/June 06/2022
The Battle of Damietta: Saint Louis’ Greatest Victory Over Islam/Raymond Ibrahim/June
06/2022
When the Myth of the Clash of Civilizations Collapses in Kyiv/Mohammed
al-Haddad/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June 06/2022
Lavrov's Visit to Turkey Shows that Ukraine and Syria Are Tied/Omer Onhon/Asharq
Al-Awsat newspaper/June 06/2022
Fear Returns to the Old Continent/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June
06/2022
Why Russian superyachts found safe harbour in Turkish ports/Alexandra de
Cramer/The Arab Weekly/June 06/2022
How Iran’s malign proxies are tearing a nation apart/Baria Alamuddin/Arab
News/June 06, 2022
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 06-07/2022
Aoun, Miqati want US mediation after
Israel gas ship move
Naharnet/June 06/2022
President Michel Aoun and Caretaker PM Najib Miqati agreed on Monday to invite
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein to visit Beirut in order to resume the stalled
negotiations over the maritime demarcation with Israel, the Presidency said. The
two leaders agreed that the demarcation must be completed "as soon as possible
in order to avoid any escalation," after a gas drilling ship had entered a
disputed sea area, sparking Lebanese condemnation.
Aoun and Miqati also decided to make diplomatic calls with the major world
powers and the United Nations to explain Lebanon's adherence to its rights and
maritime resources.
"Any gas drilling carried out by Israel in a disputed area is considered a
provocative and hostile activity, threatening peace and obstructing the
demarcation negotiations led by the U.S.," the statement said. After the
Presidency's statement, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab contacted Hochstein to
schedule a visit, media reports said.
Israel readies for possible Hezbollah attack on gas rig
I24News/June 06/2022
Israeli naval vessels will protect the drilling platform in the disputed
maritime region amid protracted border demarcation dispute with Lebanon and
concerns terror group would act out on past threats. The Israeli military is
readying for a possible attack by Lebanon’s Shiite group Hezbollah on the
Energean gas rig off of Israel’s Mediterranean coast, Hebrew media reported
Sunday. According to Kan public broadcaster, Israeli navy vessels will help
secure the drilling platform, which entered a disputed maritime zone between
Israel and Lebanon. The new gas rig arrived at the Karish site on Sunday and is
expected to drill gas for Israel in the coming months. In response to the rig’s
arrival, Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun warned Israel against any “aggressive
action” in the disputed waters where both states hope to develop offshore
energy.“Any action or activity in the disputed area represents a provocation and
a hostile act,” Aoun’s office said. Bassam Yasin, the head of Lebanon’s
negotiations delegation, said “a response is in the hands of the state and
Hezbollah,” Kan reported. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah group has warned Israel
in the past against unilaterally searching for natural gas in the disputed
maritime region. The Walla! News site quoted an unnamed senior Israeli on Sunday
as saying that Lebanon’s claims to the site “contradict the positions that
Lebanon itself presented in the past.”Israel says the field in question is
within its exclusive economic zone, not in disputed waters. A naval version of
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense systems, along with submarines, will
reportedly protect the rig. The United States began mediating indirect talks
between the sides in 2000 to settle a long-running dispute between old foes that
has obstructed energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
Berri calls for amending Decree 6433 if Hochstein
doesn't act 'to stop Israeli violations'
Naharnet/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has urged U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein to visit
Lebanon and to take the necessary measures to stop the Israeli violations, after
a gas drilling ship crossed the so-called Line 29 and entered a sea area
disputed by Lebanon. Berri stressed, in a press
interview, that Lebanon will not tolerate the Israeli violations."If Hochstein
does not respond and if no results are reached, then Cabinet must convene to
take a national unanimous decision to amend Decree 6433 and send it to the
United Nations," Berri said. The Decree 6433 is based on a 2009 delineation
undertaken by the Lebanese army. An assessment of the 2009 demarcation by the
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) proposed two potential lines that
would add 300 or 1,430 square kilometers to the old 2009 demarcation. The second
line is known as Line 29.President Michel Aoun and Caretaker Prime Minister
Najib Miqati had also condemned Israel's "provocations."
Israel says gas rig 'entirely in undisputed territory'
Associated Press/Monday, 6 June, 2022
The Israeli energy ministry claimed on Monday that an oil rig had arrived Sunday
to an “entirely undisputed territory” in Karish, after a five-week sail from
Singapore. “It’s not even (above) the southern line
that Lebanon submitted to the United Nations. Even according to the United
Nations, it’s not in Lebanon,” Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said, in
an interview. President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Miqati agreed
Monday to invite U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to return to Beirut as soon as
possible to work out an agreement amid the rising tensions along the border.
Elharrar also called on Lebanon to return to indirect negotiations. She added
that the Israeli defense ministry is taking the necessary steps to protect the
rig, without elaborating further. A report by Kan news had said that the Israeli
navy military is preparing to prevent a possible attack by Hizbullah on the
drilling platform and that navy vessels and a naval version of the Iron Dome
missile defense system will arrive in the area to protect it. The Karish field,
according to the Israeli energy ministry, is projected to provide half of
Israel’s demand for natural gas and will allow greater exports to neighboring
Egypt and Jordan.
Israel says gas dispute to be resolved through US
mediation
Naharnet/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Monday that the gas field dispute
with Lebanon will be resolved through a U.S. mediation. "The dispute will be
resolved in the framework of negotiations between us and Lebanon, mediated by
the United States," Gantz said.
Lebanon had called for U.S. mediation Monday after the arrival in disputed
waters of a vessel intended to start producing gas for Israel. Israel claimed
that the rig is “entirely in an undisputed territory.”
FPM: President can't adopt Line 29 without govt. decree
Naharnet/Monday, 6 June, 2022
The Free Patriotic Movement on Monday defended President Michel Aoun, noting
that he or others “cannot consider Line 29 to be an official line for Lebanon if
it does not get endorsed in a decision or decree by the Lebanese
government.”“Line 29 has been adopted by the Lebanese team as a negotiations
line, and the President and others cannot consider it to be an official line for
Lebanon if it does not get endorsed in a decision or decree by the Lebanese
government,” the FPM said in a statement. Slamming the
“ignorance, bad intentions, lies and disinformation of some parties,” the FPM
noted that it was its chief Jebran Bassil who “demanded the endorsement of the
equation ‘No gas from Karish without gas from Qana.’”
“The line that the Lebanese state officially endorsed and demanded ten years
ago, with all its components and institutions, is Line 23, and ever since Israel
has been working in Karish without objections. As for the person who warned of
the seriousness of the matter, it was the Movement’s chief at a press conference
in 2013, when he was the energy minister,” the FPM added. Addressing “those
behind the overbidding campaign,” the Movement said that they should know that
“any balance equation as to lines or fields would require relying on the
equation of strength towards Israel, which has been imposed by the
resistance.”The FPM also called on the Lebanese state not to accept that Israel
extract gas from the Karish field before “consolidating its rights and lines in
the southern blocks,” and to “take all the necessary measures to ensure this.”
The statement comes after reports said Sunday that the Greek-owned
Energean Power FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit) had
crossed the so-called offshore Line 29 that is disputed by Lebanon. Israel's
Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said in an interview on Monday that the field is
"entirely in undisputed territory" and called on Lebanon to return to indirect
negotiations. "It's not even (above) the southern line that Lebanon submitted to
the United Nations. Even according to the United Nations, it's not in Lebanon,"
she said.
Israel 'ready to prevent' possible Hizbullah attack on Karish gas rig
Naharnet/Monday, 6 June, 2022
The Israeli navy military is preparing for a possible attack by Hizbullah on a
new drilling platform in Karish, Israeli media reports said. A report by Kan
news said that navy vessels and a naval version of the Iron Dome missile defense
system will arrive in the area to help protect the platform. Another Israeli
newspaper said Monday that the drilling platform that had arrived at the Karish
site on Sunday is expected to become operational in the next few months. Israel
had assigned Energean to drill gas in the disputed Karish field. Karish contains
1.4 trillion cubic feet of proved and probable gas. The area around Karish is
thought to also contain large hydrocarbon deposits. The media reports quoted
Bassam Yasin, the head of the Lebanese delegation to the negotiations, as saying
that "the decision about a response (to the ship’s entry) is in the hands of the
state and Hizbullah." Hizbullah had previously warned Israel against unilateral
gas drilling in the disputed maritime region before any agreement is reached.
President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Miqati condemned Monday the
"hostile" and "provocative" Israeli activity and agreed to invite U.S. mediator
Amos Hochstein to visit Beirut in order to resume the stalled negotiations over
the maritime demarcation with Israel and to prevent any escalation.
Bayram says Hizbullah practicing 'positive silence' in
offshore gas row
Naharnett/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Caretaker Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram on Monday announced that Hizbullah is
practicing “positive silence” regarding the Lebanon-Israel row over offshore gas
drilling. “The resistance is practicing positive
silence and the Lebanese stance must remain firm,” Bayram, who is close to
Hizbullah, told al-Jadeed TV. “President (Michel) Aoun knows very well how to
act in these situations and he has the sufficient wisdom,” Bayram added,
describing the stances of Aoun and caretaker PM Najib Miqati as “advanced.”“The
resistance does not want to impose the war and peace decision; it is the enemy
that is rather imposing it and the resistance will act according to the state’s
decision and orientations,” Bayram went on to say. “We don’t want war and we
don’t wish for it, but as Lebanese we have all agreed that we have maritime
rights and resources and the drums of war would beat according to the Israeli
enemy’s actions,” the minister added, noting that “Lebanon possesses a very
strong card that says that the enemy cannot extract its oil as long as we
haven’t done the same.”As for Washington’s mediation, Bayram said his party
“does not trust American mediations,” because “they have always been in Israel’s
favor.”
The minister also noted that Hizbullah has learned that Aoun “has asked the Army
Command to clarify where the Greek ship will be positioned in order to act
accordingly.”The remarks come after media reports said Sunday that the
Greek-owned Energean Power FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading
unit) had crossed the so-called offshore Line 29 that is disputed by Lebanon.
Lebanon Urges US Envoy to End Maritime Dispute with
Israel
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
The Lebanese government invited on Monday a US envoy mediating between Lebanon
and Israel over their disputed maritime border to return to Beirut as soon as
possible to work out an agreement amid rising tensions along the border. The
invitation for Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the US
State Department, came a day after Israel set up a gas rig at its designated
location at the Karish field, which Israel says is part of its UN-recognized
exclusive economic zone. Lebanon insists it is in a disputed area. The
US-mediated indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel have been stalled for
months amid disagreement within Lebanon over how big the disputed area is.
Hezbollah has warned it would use its weapons to protect Lebanon’s economic
rights. On Sunday, Lebanon warned Israel not to start drilling in the Karish
field and President Michel Aoun said maritime border negotiations have not
ended, adding that any move by Israel will be considered "a provocation and
hostile act."
Aoun’s office said Lebanon formally notified the United Nations in February that
Karish is part of the disputed area and that the UN Security Council should
prevent Israel from drilling there in order "to avoid steps that could form a
threat to international peace and security."The Israeli energy ministry
confirmed that the oil rig arrived Sunday, after a five-week sail from
Singapore. The ministry said that the Karish field is projected to provide half
of Israel’s demand for natural gas and will allow greater exports to neighboring
Egypt and Jordan. Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said in an interview
on Monday with Army Radio that the field was "entirely in undisputed territory"
and called on Lebanon to return to indirect negotiations. "It’s not even (above)
the southern line that Lebanon submitted to the United Nations. Even according
to the United Nations, it’s not in Lebanon," she said. Elharrar added that the
Israeli defense ministry is taking the necessary steps to protect the rig,
without elaborating further. Elharrar also told the 103FM radio station that the
Lebanese allegations were "very far from reality" and that "all the relevant
forces are involved, and I recommend not trying to surprise Israel." But she
said the likelihood of conflict was small. Satellite images on Sunday from
Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Marshall
Islands-flagged Energean Power floating production storage and offloading vessel
in the Karish field area of the Mediterranean Sea. Nearby was the
Bahamas-flagged platform Arendal Spirit. Ship tracking data from the two vessels
analyzed by the AP also confirmed the vessels’ presence in the area.
On Monday, the office of Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said
that he has agreed with Aoun to invite Hochstein to return to Beirut for talks
on the border dispute and "to work on concluding them as soon as possible in
order to prevent any escalation that will not serve the stability that the
region is currently witnessing."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 unleash offshore
oil and gas production as it grapples with an economic crisis.
Last year, the Lebanese delegation - a mix of army generals and professionals -
offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550
square miles). An official at the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett said "Karish is a natural gas reservoir within Israel’s UN-recognized
exclusive economic zone." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in
line with regulations, said that the Lebanese themselves had recognized it as
Israeli waters in the past. A Lebanese legal expert said if Israel begins
exploration work in Karish, the risk of conflict between the neighboring
countries will increase, adding that Hezbollah’s precision-guided missiles can
easily hit the oil rig. "Their missiles are long-range and they are more precise
in hitting these targets that are not mobile like ships and fighter jets," said
Paul Morcos, founder and owner of Justicia Consulting Law firm in Beirut. The
Israeli military and ministry of defense declined to comment on whether they
were taking any specific measures to protect Karish.
More of the same in Lebanon as Mikati slated to be next
PM
The Arab Weekly/June 06/2022
No date has yet been set for Lebanese President Michel Aoun to start the
necessary parliamentary consultations that will precede his choice of the new
prime minister-designate, who will be tasked with forming the new government.
But all signs point to the likelihood of the selection of current Premier Najib
Mikati, who wields a parliamentary majority of more than 65 deputies and may yet
garner the support of seventy MPs, even without the backing of the Free
Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces, the Phalange and the Forces of Change.
Well-informed sources said that President Aoun is preparing the ground for his
consultations, which he is expected to launch next week or very shortly
thereafter. Sources said that among the reasons for the delay in the
consultations is the failure of the representatives of the Forces of Change to
resolve their disagreements over the choice of political allies.But in any case,
Mikati is perceived as the clear front runner for the premier’s job, especially
since no real rival has so far emerged.
The Lebanese Forces and some of their allies in parliament are leaning towards
nominating their own candidate. The Forces of Changes are also trying to agree
on a potential nominee, while the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) is exploring
other options beside Mikati, after the latter confirmed his rejection of any
preconditions, thus dashing the hopes of Gebran Bassil to improve his own
position within the new government. Joining a consensus around Mikati does not
seem to appeal to the disparate opposition factions. The Lebanese Forces Party (LFP)
for example, believes the mere “cloning” of the current government will not make
possible the changes that people sought through the polls, even if new faces are
added to the cabinet to represent the forces that emerged from the parliamentary
elections. The LFP is sticking to its view that the so-called “national
consensus governments”, which it prefers to call “governments of national lies,”
have proven to be the “worst models” of government and are inadequate to deal
with the crises Lebanon is facing.
In the choice of the premier, LFP-affiliated politicians prefer to throw the
ball into the court of the representatives of the Forces of Change, leaving them
with the challenge of either fulfilling the trust put in them by the voters or
repeating the same “sin” of electing the speaker of parliament and his deputy.
Mikati's nomination is supported by the duo of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah
and their allies as well as a significant number of independents or other MPs
who won their seats outside the framework of the Future Movement and the
Armenian Tashnaq deputies. Political analysts said that the Lebanese president
had told a number of visitors at Baabda Palace that he is not opposed to
renewing his confidence in a Mikati government, unless there are
constitutional objections. Mikati said earlier that he is not seeking the
premiership and would not accept being tasked with forming the government.
Hezbollah strongly supports keeping the caretaker government and keeping it
afloat until the next presidential term, even if it is not possible to elect a
new president after this October when Aoun's term ends. Advocates of this option
say it has the advantage of not wasting the remaining period of the presidential
term in consultations and quota-based bargaining sessions for a new government
whose lifespan will not exceed four months. With this process, the Shia duo is
expected to maintain its dominance over the government the same way it was able
to re-elect Nabih Berri as speaker of parliament while independents and Forces
of Changes challenged the Amal-Hezbollah manoeuvres with their ranks divided. If
the positions remain unchanged, it is likely the next government’s make-up will
be similar to that of the present line-up except for changes in names or
distribution of portfolios.The analysts point out the Mikati-led cabinet can
start working quickly as it is familiar with all pressing issues, besides having
to a large extent succeeded in obtaining regional and international support.
France, according to recent reports, may be among the leading international
powers likely to back the Mikati government as it starts work.
Mikati to Asharq Al-Awsat: I Won't Be PM of Govt that
Prolongs Lebanon's Crisis
Beirut - Mohammed Choucair/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed that he will not shirk
his responsibilities, vowing that he is committed to saving the country. In
remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said he will not become the head of a new
government that would only prolong Lebanon's crises. Mikati is favorite to
retain his position ahead of binding parliamentary consultations to name a new
prime minister after the parliamentary elections and election of a new
parliament speaker. Mikati added that if he were to be renamed to the post, he
would be committed to adopting reforms and the financial recovery plan and
addressing the electricity crisis. The caretaker PM recently met with President
Michel Aoun. Asked about the meeting, he replied that he will not be the head of
a government that "manages and prolongs the crisis while the country is on the
verge of total collapse." The imminent collapse "demands that everyone work
together to save Lebanon instead of becoming embroiled in debates that serve no
purpose but to impede salvation efforts." Meanwhile, prominent sources from the
government and opposition revealed that Aoun will not call for the binding
consultations before head of the Free Patriotic Movement and his son-in-law
Gebran Bassil completes his search for candidates other than Mikati. The delay
is seen as an attempt to pressure Mikati to extort him to comply with his
conditions, added the sources. MPs have revealed that Bassil adamantly refuses
the return of Mikati if he will not accept his demands. Aoun is aware, however,
that delays in naming a PM and forming a government will be costly on Lebanon
and raise popular anger. The sources have ruled out the possibility that the
consultations will be held this week, unless Aoun succumbs to the demands of the
independent blocs and MPs.
They wondered at the delay even though the constitution does not set a deadline
for them and neither does it set a deadline for the designated PM to form a
government. They warned of past experiences when Saad Hariri was named as
PM-designate and was months later forced to step down after refusing to yield to
Bassil's conditions and which Aoun had blindly accepted, refusing to pressure
his son-in-law to facilitate the formation of the government. The sources
revealed that Bassil is in direct contact with several potential PM candidates
and has in fact met several of them, arranging meetings with them with political
leaderships so that they can present their programs on how to save Lebanon. He
has made little progress.
Reformist MPs urge for amending Decree 6433, adopting
Line 29
Naharnet/June 06/2022
the Oct. 17 MPs condemned Monday the arrival in disputed waters of a vessel
intended to start producing gas for Israel. "Amending the 6433 Decree is a
national duty and we have legal proofs that Lebanon has the right to the Line
29," MP Melhem Khalaf said from Parliament on behalf of the reformist MPs.
Khalaf said the group calls the Lebanese to stand in solidarity in Naqoura next
Saturday to demand the amendment of the Decree 6433 and the adoption of the Line
29. "The Decree must urgently be amended and sent to the U.N.," Khalaf said,
urging for a clear, national and official decision.
Lebanon to invite US to mediate Israel maritime border
talks
Kareem Chehayeb/Al Jaseera/June 06/2022
Lebanese officials agree to invite US senior energy adviser Amos Hochstein to
Beirut to mediate dispute with Israel. Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanon has agreed to
call on the United States to resume mediating indirect maritime border talks,
after a ship arrived in disputed waters to produce gas for Israel. President
Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on Monday and agreed
to invite United States senior energy adviser and mediator Amos Hochstein to
Beirut. Member of Parliament Elias Bou Saab, President Aoun’s adviser on
international cooperation, reportedly spoke to Hochstein following the meeting
to plan a date for a visit. The Israeli defence ministry said the dispute will
be resolved through American mediation. Lebanon and Israel do not have
diplomatic relations and are officially enemies. A vessel operated by Energean
arrived in disputed waters Sunday to produce gas for Israel, angering Lebanese
officials. Israeli authorities say the area, known as the Karish field, falls
under its exclusive economic zone. Lebanon says part of the field falls within
its claimed maritime territory under negotiation. A previous round of talks to
resolve the decades-long dispute began in October 2020 at UN peacekeeping
forces’ headquarters in southern Lebanon, but the negotiations stalled within
weeks. Hochstein has since resorted to shuttle diplomacy between Beirut and Tel
Aviv in an attempt to break the impasse, without success. Though tensions are
now flaring between the two countries, Israeli energy minister Karine Elharrar
dismissed concerns about a potential conflict and rejected Lebanon’s claims to
the territory, calling them “very far from reality”. Meanwhile, senior Lebanese
officials have accused Israel of an aggression into the disputed waters. Prime
Minister Mikati said Israel was imposing a “fait accompli” in an attempt to
swing negotiations in its favour. ‘Lost a decade of opportunity’
As Lebanon scrambles to halt Israel’s preparations to produce gas at the Karish
site, experts have blasted senior Lebanese officials for not staking their claim
to the greatest extent of maritime territory possible. Lebanon in 2011 issued
Decree 6433 to the United Nations of its claims to maritime territory in the
Mediterranean Sea, dubbed as Line 23, which does not intersect with the Karish
field. However, studies conducted by the UK Hydrographic Office and later by the
Lebanese Army indicated that Lebanon could claim a further 1,430 square km (889
square miles), which breaks into the Karish field. It is referred to as Line 29,
but Lebanon has never amended Decree 6433. “The Army conducted extensive studies
on Line 29, and it has valid technical and legal considerations,” Marc Ayoub,
associate fellow at the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of
Beirut told Al Jazeera. “We have lost a decade of opportunity to reach a point
where we are losing our [economic] rights.” Lebanon’s government has struggled
to keep its institutions functioning, as the prospects of economic reform and
recovery are hampered by political bickering among ruling elites and the
systematic mismanagement of resources. In April 2021, then-caretaker Prime
Minister Hasan Diab approved a draft decree to amend Decree 6433 that would
expand Lebanon’s claims, but President Michel Aoun has yet to sign the document.
“He said it was because the draft decree was from a caretaker government and
because negotiations with the United States had already opened,” Ayoub said.
Some parliamentarians have responded to the recent developments calling the
government and president to amend the decree. Member of Parliament Hassan Mourad,
allied to Hezbollah, presented a draft law to Parliament on Monday to amend
Decree 6433 to expand Lebanon’s claims to Line 29.
Meanwhile, 13 anti-establishment MPs, referred to locally as the change forces,
in a press conference called on the government and president to deliver an
amended Decree 6433 to the United Nations, send a warning letter to Energean,
and file a complaint against Israel to the UN Security Council. “Under public
international law and international agreements, we have legitimacy to impose
this matter,” legislator Melhem Khalaf of the bloc said. Legislator Mark Daou of
the same bloc told Al Jazeera that there are no valid excuses for President Aoun
and the government to not sign off an amended decree.
“There is nothing stopping them,” he says. “Lebanon should do what it should
have done from day one; send an updated map recognising Line 29 as the sovereign
line for Lebanon.”
No unified position
Parliament is set to meet on Tuesday, but Decree 6433 is not on the agenda.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office did not respond to Al Jazeera’s
request for comment, nor did caretaker energy minister Walid Fayyad. Member of
Parliament Alain Aoun, a senior legislator in President Aoun’s party the Free
Patriotic Movement, says the situation is not as straightforward as critics
claim. “It is more complex than just signing [the decree],” Aoun told Al Jazeera,
without disclosing further details. Since late 2019, Lebanon has suffered
financial and economic collapse. The Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its
value against the US dollar and 80 percent of the country’s population live in
poverty. While a fledgling oil and gas industry would not be sufficient for it
to pay off its ballooning debts and pay back millions whose savings were trapped
in the country’s banks, experts say that Lebanon is losing an economic
opportunity to boost its coffers.
“Poor governance, an inability to strategise and implement a vision for the
sector has hampered prospects for Lebanon to develop an oil and gas industry
that would, at least, cater for the country’s domestic energy needs or even
position it as a possible export for Europe which is seeking alternatives to
Russian gas,” Sibylle Rizk, Director of Public Policies at Lebanese advocacy
group Kulluna Irada told Al Jazeera. But in the meantime, as Lebanon scrambles
to get indirect talks back on track, Rizk expressed concern that the lack of a
unified position among Lebanon’s political leadership could result in a
diplomatic debacle. “Is it Line 23 or Line 29? The Lebanese Army and the Naqoura
delegation have built a strong case for Line 29, but the official position is
still at Line 23,” Rizk said. “This lack of clarity leaves the door open to all
sorts of foreign intervention and political bargaining that could benefit some
stakeholders, but most certainly not the collective interest of the Lebanese
people.” Talks are ongoing between Lebanese officials. Following Aoun’s talks
with Mikati, caretaker foreign minister Abdullah Bou Habib met with Speaker
Nabih Berri.But it is not clear whether an agreement is likely, nor whether the
authorities will amend Decree 6433. When a reporter asked Bou Habib about why
President Aoun has not yet signed the decree, he told him to “go ask at the
presidential palace.”
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on June 06-07/2022
Israel rains missiles on Damascus,
but most were intercepted: Syrian state media
AFP/June 07, 2022
DAMASCUS: Syrian air defense intercepted Israeli missiles south of Damascus on
Monday, with no casualties reported, a military source told Syria’s official
news agency SANA. “The Israeli enemy carried out an airstrike from the occupied
Syrian Golan, targeting points south of Damascus,” with Syria’s air defense
intercepting most of the missiles, SANA quoted the military source as saying.
“The losses were limited to material damage.”An AFP correspondent in the capital
Damascus heard loud noises in the evening. Last month, Israeli
surface-to-surface missiles killed at least three Syrian officers near Damascus,
according to war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Israeli
strikes had targeted Iranian positions and weapon depots near Damascus, the
monitor said. Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out
hundreds of air strikes against its neighbor, targeting government troops as
well as allied Iran-backed forces and fighters of Lebanon’s Shiite militant
group Hezbollah. While Israel rarely comments on individual strikes, it has
acknowledged carrying out hundreds of them. The Israeli military has defended
them as necessary to prevent its arch-foe Iran from gaining a foothold on its
doorstep. The conflict in Syria has killed nearly half a million people and
forced around half of the country’s pre-war population from their homes.
Iran’s Intelligence Minister: Enemies Focus on Popular
Protests, Assassinations
London – Tehran/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib has said that his country is facing
two enemy strategies centered around popular protests and assassinations. The
country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had earlier accused foreign parties of
stoking conflict between the public and Iranian authorities. “The enemies are
mobilizing all their energies against us because they realized that there is a
force within the regime that is ready to confront any threat, despite the
presence of all these foreign intelligence services," Khatib said at a
Revolutionary Guards meeting in Zahedan, the capital of Balochistan province.
Khatib accused the US of mobilizing equipment and facilities of “18 intelligence
and security agencies” against Iran. “Their expenditures are greater than Iran's
general budget,” claimed the minister without providing evidence for that. He
then went on to say that currently, the enemy is focused on three issues:
First, it counts on the people’s protests and Iran’s social conditions, and
tries to broaden them by misleading the true demands of the people and
organizing networks and illegal gatherings. Second, it is capitalizing on
terrorist actions, which are committed by the Israeli regime. And third, it is
trying to “confuse" the minds of Iranians through cyberspace and social media.
One of these events was the assassination of Hassan Sayyad-Khodaei -- a member
of IRGC’ Quds Force, responsible for operations outside Iran’s borders. Khodaei
was killed outside his home on a residential street in Tehran on Sunday when two
gunmen on motorcycles approached his car and fired five bullets at him. Iran
blamed Israel and vowed revenge for the killing. Israel informed the US that it
carried out the assassination. The New York Times has quoted an Israeli
intelligence official as saying that Tel Aviv has informed American officials it
was responsible for the killing of the Revolutionary Guard colonel in Tehran.
Iran warns IAEA against resolution
Al-Monitor Staff/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Iran has threatened to reduce its cooperation with the IAEA if a resolution is
written against it. Iranian officials have continued to fire back at the United
Nations nuclear watchdog over its findings as the negotiations to revive the
Iranian nuclear deal remain at a standstill. During a television interview,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh discussed the latest findings of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Khatibzadeh said that the IAEA's
board of governors is currently in a meeting that is expected to last several
days. One of the points on the board's agenda is to discuss the status of the
Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA was signed in 2015. It reduced Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for
sanctions relief from the United States. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump
exited the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran increased
its nuclear program and reduced its cooperation with the IAEA. Western countries
that were part of the signing of the JCPOA (France, the United States, Germany
and the United Kingdom) are urging the IAEA to write a resolution condemning
Iran for its lack of cooperation.
Khatibzadeh accused IAEA director Rafael Grossi of writing a “hurried, biased
and inaccurate” report against Iran. He said that Iran and the IAEA still have a
third round of meetings and added that Iran has already addressed the technical
questions of the IAEA, stating that accusations in the IAEA are “footprints of
the Zionist regime.” Grossi visited Israel recently and met with Israeli Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett. Israel reportedly has nuclear weapons and has never
signed the nonproliferation treaty, but its research activities are subject to
IAEA verification — though nothing that would require the head of the agency to
personally visit. Khatibzadeh said that the IAEA board of governors would likely
be discussing Iran on Tuesday or Wednesday. Iran will make its next decisions
based on what's discussed, he said, but he warned it would impact the nuclear
negotiations. As part of a previous deal with the IAEA, Iran had agreed to
continue to record work at its nuclear sites but keep the recordings until
negotiators agreed to a nuclear deal. Iran is a member of the nonproliferation
treaty but has also signed additional protocols and permits deeper inspections
due to the JCPOA. Iran’s position is that if the JCPOA is not implemented, it
should reduce cooperation with the IAEA — presumably just short of leaving the
IAEA. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian tweeted that he
spoke with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Josep Borrell about the nuclear talks in Vienna and how to move forward. He
warned that the countries pushing for a resolution from the IAEA against Iran
“will be responsible for all the consequences.” He added that Iran would welcome
a “good, strong and lasting agreement,” and it can happen if the United States
and the three European countries are “realistic.”
Death Toll in Iran Tower Collapse Rises to 41
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
The death toll in the collapse of a building in southwestern Iran rose Monday to
at least 41, state media reported, two weeks after the disaster struck. Ehsun
Abbaspour, the governor of the city of Abadan, gave the figure based on an
official report, state television said, according to the Associated Press. The
May 23 collapse at the Metropol Building some 660 kilometers southwest of the
capital, Tehran, has dredged up painful memories of past national disasters and
shined a spotlight on shoddy construction practices, government corruption and
negligence in Iran. It follows weeks of sporadic protests roiling Khuzestan
province over skyrocketing prices after the government cut subsidies for several
food staples. There have been protests in Abadan over the collapse, which have
seen police club demonstrators and fire tear gas.
Iran to Face Censure amid Stalled Nuclear Talks
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Major European countries and the United States are expected to seek to censure
Iran when the UN atomic watchdog meets this week amid stalled talks to revive
the 2015 nuclear deal. The resolution drafted by the United States, Britain,
France and Germany is a sign of their growing impatience as diplomats warn the
window to save the landmark deal is closing. The International Atomic Energy
Agency's Board of Governors meets Monday through Friday in Vienna. If the
resolution urging Iran to "cooperate fully" with the IAEA is adopted, it will be
the first motion censuring Iran since June 2020. Talks to revive the accord
started in April 2021 with the aim to bring the United States back into the deal
and lift sanctions again and get Iran to scale back its stepped-up nuclear
program. The 2015 landmark deal -- promising Tehran sanctions relief in exchange
for curbs in its nuclear program -- started to fall apart in 2018 when then
president Donald Trump withdrew from it. Talks to revive the agreement have
stalled in recent months. The coordinator of the talks, the EU's top diplomat
Josep Borrell, warned in a tweet this weekend that the possibility of returning
to the accord was "shrinking". "But we still can do it with an extra effort,"
AFP quoted him as saying. In a report late last month, the IAEA said it still
had questions that were "not clarified" regarding traces of enriched uranium
previously found at three sites which had not been declared by Iran as having
hosted nuclear activities. Iran has warned "any political action" by the United
States and the so-called E3 group of France, Germany and the UK would "provoke
without any doubt a proportional, effective and immediate response". "There is
no excuse for Iran's continued failure to provide meaningful cooperation with
the agency's investigation," Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control
Association, told AFP. "A resolution censuring Iran is necessary to send a
message that there are consequences for stonewalling the agency and failing to
meet safeguards obligations," she said. China and Russia, which are also parties
to the Iran nuclear deal -- together with Britain, France and Germany -- have
warned that any resolution could disrupt the negotiation process.
Russia's ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, in a tweet called on
the EU to "undertake extra diplomatic efforts". But even if the climate is
tense, negotiations are unlikely to fall apart, according to Clement Therme,
associate researcher at the Rasanah International Institute for Iranian Studies.
"Given the war in Ukraine, the Europeans are not ready to trigger a new crisis
with Iran when they are already dealing with a crisis with Russia" which invaded
its neighbor in February, he said. The expert suggested that the resolution
would be worded "in a way that does not close the door to further negotiations".
A key sticking point is Tehran's demand for Washington to remove the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps from the official US list of terror groups. US
President Joe Biden's administration has refused to do so ahead of tough
November midterm elections.
"The political cost Biden will pay for lifting sanctions on the IRGC is high,
but it pales in comparison to the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran," Davenport
said. She said Biden's administration "should double down on other creative
proposals to get negotiations back on track". According to the latest IAEA
report, Tehran now has 43.1 kilograms (95 pounds) of 60-percent-enriched
uranium. If enriched to 90 percent, this could be used to make a bomb in under
10 days, Davenport warned in a report last week. "Weaponizing would still take
one to two years, but that process would be more difficult to detect and disrupt
once Iran moved the weapons-grade uranium from its declared enrichment
facilities," Davenport said.Iran has always denied wanting to develop a nuclear
weapon.
Burglars Cut through Wall to Rob Bank Deposit Boxes in Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Dozens of safe deposit boxes were robbed after burglars cut through the wall of
a bank from a neighboring building in Iran’s capital, state TV reported Monday.
The report said several bandits took advantage of a three-day holiday in Iran to
break into a major branch of the government-owned Bank Melli Iran and rob 250
boxes. Safe deposit facilities are underground in many banks in Tehran. The
report did not say what items were stolen from the boxes or how much the haul
totaled. No additional details were provided. The bank in a statement
acknowledged the incident but said it caused "limited damages." The semiofficial
Mehr news agency reported that an alarm went off, triggering an automatic alert
that was sent to the branch's manager. However, he ignored the alarm because in
the past he had received false alarms, the news agency reported. Mehr said the
alarm system was not set up to alert police.The robbers also stole surveillance
cameras and other monitoring items from the bank, which is located on one of
Tehran's major streets near Tehran University and in walking distance of a
police station. Police said several suspects, including some bank staffers, are
under investigation.Robbery of governmental banks is rare in Iran.
NATO nations block Russian envoy's plane from Serbia
visit
Associated Press/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Serbia and Russia on Monday formally confirmed that a planned visit by Russia's
foreign minister to the Balkan country will not take place, with Moscow accusing
the West of preventing the trip. The announcement followed reports that Serbia's
neighbors — Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro — had refused to allow
Sergey Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia. "An
unthinkable thing has happened," Lavrov said during an online news conference
Monday. "A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign
policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been
blocked." Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier Monday met with Russia's
ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the
Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions, a statement
issued after the meeting said. Vucic expressed "dissatisfaction" over the
"circumstances" that prevented the visit and added that "despite all, Serbia
will preserve independence and autonomy in political decision-making."
While formally still seeking European Union membership, Serbia has
maintained friendly ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, refusing
to join Western sanctions against Moscow. Many in Serbia view the fellow-Slavic
nation as a close ally and Moscow has backed Serbia in its effort to retain its
claim on Kosovo. Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban —
Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO — noting that
the action showed again that the main purpose of the alliance expansion is to
try to isolate Russia. Lavrov is set to travel to Turkey on Wednesday, where he
can fly directly over the Black Sea. Turkey has sought to harbor good relations
with both Russia and Ukraine while also trying to help international mediation
efforts in the crisis. The Russian foreign minister said the West has trampled
on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners. "From the Western
viewpoint, Serbia mustn't have any choice, any freedom in choosing its
partners," he said. "The West clearly shows that it would use any base means to
apply pressure."Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deplored what what he described
as "hostile actions," but said this "won't significantly hamper the continuation
of our country's contacts with friendly countries like Serbia."In Belgrade,
Serbia's pro-Russian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin expressed "deep regret"
that a "great and proven" friend of Serbia could not come. Vulin added that
"Serbia is proud that it is not part of anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries
that are (part of it) will have time to be ashamed." Serbia, meanwhile, also is
almost fully dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian
President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for
the next three years. Analyst Slobodan Stupar
described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a "show" that would have been
used by Moscow to further vilify the West. "I believe the Russians invited
themselves" to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. "They are terribly
isolated. ... They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and
won't allow a simple flyover." Stupar said Vucic has placed himself "in between"
Russia and the West.
"That is the worst possible position one can imagine," Stupar said. German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in the region later this week.
Russia Says Ban on Lavrov’s Plane a ‘Hostile Action’
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
The Kremlin on Monday said airspace closures by three eastern European countries
which prevented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from traveling to Serbia
were a "hostile action."Countries surrounding Serbia - Bulgaria, North Macedonia
and Montenegro - closed their airspace to an official plane that would have
carried Moscow's top diplomat to Belgrade on Monday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry
Peskov told reporters such actions could cause problems with the timetabling of
high-level diplomatic meetings. But they would not prevent Moscow from
maintaining contacts with friendly countries, he said.
Serbia on Monday confirmed that a planned visit by Lavrov to the Balkan country
will not take place. President Aleksandar Vucic said Monday that Russia's
ambassador to Serbia had met with him and informed him of the reasons why Lavrov
could not come.
Vucic offered no details, but the pro-Russian Vecernje Novosti daily carried
photos of what it said were official documents rejecting the overflights. Lavrov
described the ban as "unprecedented", adding that he had yet to receive an
explanation for the decision. He said that he would instead invite his Serbian
counterpart to visit him in Moscow, adding: "The main thing is no one will be
able to destroy our relations with Serbia".Lavrov told reporters: "If a visit by
the Russian foreign minister to Serbia is seen in the West as something
approaching a threat on a universal scale, then things in the West are clearly
pretty bad."Serbia has maintained friendly relations with Russia despite the war
in Ukraine, refusing to join sanctions against Moscow. Serbia also is fully
dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir
Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for the next three
years.
Serbia's Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said he deeply regretted "the
obstruction" of the visit of Lavrov, whom he described as "a great and proven
friend of Serbia.""A world in which diplomats cannot seek peace is a world in
which there is no peace. Those who prevented the arrival of Sergei Lavrov do not
want peace, they dream of defeating Russia," Vulin said in a statement. "Serbia
is proud that it is not part of the anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries
that are, will have time to be ashamed."Analyst Slobodan Stupar described
Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a "show" that would have been used by
Moscow to further vilify the West. "I believe the Russians invited themselves"
to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. "They are terribly isolated. ...
They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and won't allow a
simple flyover."Analysts in Belgrade have pointed out that Lavrov's visit would
further erode Serbia's standing in the West after Belgrade rejected imposing
sanctions on Moscow. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in the region
late this week. Stupar said that Vucic has placed himself "in between" Russia
and the West, by attempting to maintain ties with Moscow while Serbia is seeking
membership in the European Union at the same time. "That is the worst possible
position one can imagine," Stupar said.
UK to Give Ukraine Long-range Missile Systems
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Britain said Monday it will mirror the United States and send long-range missile
systems to Ukraine, defying warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin
against supplying Kyiv with the advanced weapons. The UK Ministry of Defense
said London had coordinated closely with Washington over its gift of the
multiple-launch rocket systems, known as MLRS, to help Ukraine defend itself
against Russian aggression, AFP said. The M270 launchers, which can strike
targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away with precision-guided rockets, will
"offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces," the ministry
added. The US last week announced it would give Kyiv its high mobility artillery
rocket system, known as HIMARS, which can simultaneously launch multiple
precision-guided missiles and is superior in range and precision to existing
systems Ukraine has. However, US President Joe Biden has ruled out supplying it
with systems that could reach as far as Russia, despite Kyiv's repeated demands
for them. Despite that, the US move prompted Putin to warn Sunday that Moscow
will strike new unspecified "targets" if the West supplies the missiles to
Ukraine and said new arms deliveries to Kyiv were aimed at "prolonging the
conflict". But unveiling the latest UK contribution, Defense Secretary Ben
Wallace insisted Ukraine's Western allies must maintain their weapons deliveries
to enable it to "win" its war repelling invading Russian forces. "The UK stands
with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic
troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country from unprovoked
invasion," he said in a statement. "As Russia's tactics change, so must our
support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will
enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use
of long-range artillery, which Putin's forces have used indiscriminately to
flatten cities."Ukrainian troops will be trained on how to use the launchers in
the UK, so they can "maximize the effectiveness of the systems", Britain's
defense ministry said. London has so far offered more than £750 million ($937
million, 874 million euros) in military support to Ukraine, including sending
air defense systems, thousands of anti-tank missiles and various types of
munitions, hundreds of armored vehicles and other equipment.
Ukraine Says Controls 'Half' of Severodonetsk
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Ukrainian troops have beaten back Russian forces to control half of a flashpoint
eastern city, local officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the
front lines to support his country's "true heroes".As the see-saw battle raged
on for the strategically important city of Severodonetsk -- the largest in the
Lugansk region not under Russian control -- more help was promised from abroad,
reported AFP. The United Kingdom said it would follow the United States and send
long-range missile systems to Ukraine, defying warnings from Russian President
Vladimir Putin against supplying Kyiv with the advanced weapons. Thousands of
civilians have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Putin
ordered Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24. Fighting since April has
been concentrated in the east of the country, where Russian forces have made
slow but steady advances after being beaten back from other parts of Ukraine,
including the capital Kyiv. Ukraine's gains in Severodonetsk, announced by
regional governor Sergiy Gaiday, would represent a significant advance by Kyiv's
troops, who earlier appeared on the verge of being driven out of the city. "The
Armed Forces have cleared half of Severodonetsk and are moving forward," Gaiday
posted on Telegram. However, he warned in a video in the same post that a major
new Russian push on the industrial hub appeared imminent.
'It's a horror show' -
Across a river in the neighboring city of Lysychansk, pensioner Oleksandr
Lyakhovets said he had just enough time to save his cat before the flames
engulfed his flat after it was hit by a Russian missile. "They shoot here
endlessly... It's a horror show," the 67-year-old told AFP. Lysychansk was among
areas visited Sunday by Zelensky, who "got himself acquainted with the
operational situation on the front line of defense", the presidency said. He
also visited Bakhmut, to the southwest in the Donetsk region of the Donbas, and
talked with servicemen, his office said. "I want to thank you for your great
work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state. I am grateful to
everyone," he told them. "I am proud of everyone whom I met, whom I shook hands
with, with whom I communicated, whom I supported," Zelensky said in his daily
evening address after his visit. "Each family has its own story. Most were
without men," he said. "Someone's husband went to war, someone's is in
captivity, someone's, unfortunately, died. A tragedy. No home, no loved one. But
we must live for the children. True heroes –- they are among us."Sunday also
brought the first Russian missile strikes on Kyiv since April 28.
"High-precision, long-range missiles fired by the Russian Aerospace Forces on
the outskirts of Kyiv destroyed T-72 tanks supplied by eastern European
countries and other armored vehicles that were in hangars," a Russian defense
ministry spokesman said.
One person was wounded, and AFP reporters saw several buildings with blown-out
windows near one of the sites that were targeted.
- UK pledges missiles -
Ukraine has asked supporting countries for ever more powerful arms to fend off
the Russian attack, and its deputy defense minister stressed Sunday this support
was needed until Moscow was defeated. The United States last week said it would
supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems, the latest in a long list of
weaponry sent or pledged to the pro-Western country. But Putin said long-range
missile supplies to Ukraine meant "we will draw the appropriate conclusions and
use our arms... to strike targets we haven't hit before". Unveiling the latest
UK contribution, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace insisted Ukraine's Western allies
must maintain their weapons deliveries to enable it to win. The UK Ministry of
Defense said London had coordinated closely with Washington over its gift of the
multiple-launch rocket systems, known as MLRS. The M270 launchers, which can
strike targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away with precision-guided
rockets, will "offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian
forces", the ministry added. Western powers have imposed increasingly stringent
sanctions on Russia but divisions have emerged on how to act, particularly on
whether to engage in dialogue with Russia. Speaking from the apostolic palace in
St Peter's Square, Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls for "real negotiations"
to end what he called the "increasingly dangerous escalation" of the war.
Russian troops now occupy a fifth of Ukraine's territory, according to Kyiv, and
Moscow has imposed a blockade on its Black Sea ports, sparking fears of a global
food crisis. Ukraine and Russia are among the top wheat exporters in the world.
The United Nations said it was leading intense negotiations with Russia to allow
Ukraine's grain harvest to leave the country.
After ‘Partygate’, UK PM Johnson to Face Confidence Vote
on Monday
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a confidence vote by lawmakers in
the governing Conservative Party later on Monday, the chairman of the 1922
Committee Graham Brady has told lawmakers. "The threshold of 15% of the
parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the
Conservative Party has been exceeded," he wrote in a note to Conservative
lawmakers. Brady said a vote would be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (1700-1900
GMT) on Monday. "The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An
announcement will be made at a time to be advised," Brady said. Johnson,
appointed prime minister in 2019, has been under growing pressure, unable to
move on from a report that documented alcohol-fueled parties at the heart of
power when Britain was under strict lockdowns to tackle COVID-19. Dozens of
Conservative lawmakers have voiced concern over whether Johnson, 57, has lost
his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising
fuel and food prices and strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.
Jesse Norman, who served as a junior minister in the finance ministry between
2019 and 2021, was the latest Conservative lawmaker to publicly request a
confidence vote, joining a growing number who have voiced concern about
Johnson's electoral appeal. Norman said he could no longer stand by Johnson.
"Recent events have served to clarify the position this country is in under your
leadership, beyond any doubt; and I am afraid I can see no circumstances in
which I could serve in a government led by you," Norman said in a letter he
published on Twitter. A majority of Conservative lawmakers - or 180 - would have
to vote against Johnson for him to be removed - a level some Conservatives say
might be difficult to reach. If passed, there would then be a leadership contest
to decide his replacement. Since the release of the damning report into the
so-called "partygate" scandal, which listed fights and alcohol-induced vomiting
at lockdown-breaking parties at his Downing Street office and residence, Johnson
and his government had urged lawmakers to move on.
Israeli nationalists wage battle against Palestinian flag
Associated Press/Monday, 6 June, 2022
It's not a bomb or a gun or a rocket. The latest threat identified by Israel is
the Palestinian flag. Recent weeks have seen a furor by nationalists over the
waving of the red, white, green and black flag by Palestinians in Israel and in
Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
Yet the fracas over the flag tells a broader story about how much hopes for
peace with the Palestinians have diminished and about the stature of the fifth
of Israelis who are Palestinian. They for long have been viewed as a fifth
column because of their solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Palestinian
citizens of Israel see the campaign against the flag as another affront to their
national identity and their rights as a minority in the majority Jewish state.
"The Palestinian flag reminds Israelis that there is another nation here and
some people don't want to see another nation here," said Jafar Farah, who heads
Mossawa, an advocacy group promoting greater rights for Palestinian citizens of
Israel. In recent weeks, Israeli authorities have gone
out of their way to challenge the hoisting of the Palestinian flag. Police at a
funeral in east Jerusalem last month for the well-known Palestinian-American Al
Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh snatched Palestinian flags from mourners,
reportedly following an order from a district police chief to make sure the
Palestinian colors don't fly at the politically-charged event.
Two Israeli universities were slammed by nationalists for allowing
Palestinian flags to be waved at campus events. Israel Katz, a senior opposition
lawmaker, urged flag-waving Palestinian-Israeli students to remember the war
leading to Israel's establishment in 1948, saying Jews "know how to protect
themselves and the concept of the Jewish state."A group promoting coexistence
between Palestinians and Israelis raised the Palestinian flag alongside the
Israeli one on a high-rise outside Tel Aviv, only to have authorities remove the
Palestinian flag hours later. Those events culminated
in a push by opposition legislators to ban the waving of the Palestinian flag at
institutions that receive state funding, which would include universities and
hospitals, among others. The bill passed overwhelmingly in its first reading on
Wednesday, 63-16, although several parties in the governing coalition were
absent and the coalition may seek to block the bill from moving forward.
"In the state of Israel there is room for one flag: the Israeli flag,
this flag," Eli Cohen, the legislator who sponsored the bill, said from the dais
of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, as he pointed to an Israeli flag hung
behind him. "This is the only flag there will be here," he said to applause from
some legislators. According to Adalah, a legal rights
group for Palestinian Israelis, waving the flag is not a crime under Israeli
law. A police ordinance grants officers the right to confiscate a flag if "it
results in disruption of public order or breach of peace."Israel's Palestinian
citizens make up 20% of the population and they've had a turbulent relationship
with the state since its creation in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians fled or were forced to flee in the events surrounding the
establishment of the state. Those who remained became citizens, but have long
been viewed with suspicion by some Israelis because of their ties to
Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories Israel
captured in the 1967 Mideast war. That sense deepened last year when mob
violence erupted in mixed Jewish-Arab cities, with looting and attacks scarring
residents on both sides.
Palestinian citizens have carved a life for themselves in Israeli society,
reaching the highest echelons in various spheres, including health, education
and public service. An Arab Islamist party for the first time in history is now
a member of a governing coalition. But Palestinians in Israel are generally
poorer and less educated than Jewish Israelis and they have long suffered
discrimination in housing, government funding and public works.
While there have been efforts in recent governments to address that
socio-economic gap, the nationalist rights of Palestinians have been slowly
eroded over the years, especially as Israeli nationalist sentiment has grown.
"It is our right to raise our Palestinian flag," said Alin Nasra, an
activist and student at Tel Aviv University. "This is something that
distinguishes us as a minority inside Israel." Yitzhak
Reiter, president of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Association of Israel,
said the uproar against the flag is part of a feeling by nationalists and some
mainstream Israelis that they are "losing the state," to Palestinian nationalism
from within Israel's borders. He cited previous laws
that bar municipalities or institutions from marking Israel's Independence Day
as a day of mourning or the Jewish state law that tried to strengthen Israel's
character as a Jewish state but which Palestinian citizens saw as a further
downgrade of their status and a blow to their national identity. Israel's
national symbols — a biblical candelabra, the star of David on its flag — do not
include Palestinian or Arab emblems and Israel's anthem speaks of the yearning
of the Jewish soul. The flag, Reiter said, "symbolizes
the enemy, but waving the flag, for those who oppose it, is harmful to Israeli
sovereignty."Israel once considered the Palestinian flag that of a militant
group, no different than the Palestinian Hamas or the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah.
But after Israel and the Palestinians signed a series of interim peace
agreements known as the Oslo Accords, the flag was recognized as that of the
Palestinian Authority. The left-leaning daily Haaretz
chided the bill against the flag, saying Israel had an "obsession" with it
because it reminds the country of "the sin of the occupation" of lands the
Palestinians want for a future state. With peace talks a distant memory and the
occupation dragging on, the battle over the flag shows how far from reality
Palestinian statehood is, with the nationalist narrative in Israel increasingly
going mainstream. Ronni Shaked, of Jerusalem's Harry
S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, said he remembers a
time when politicians wore lapel pins that bore both the Israeli and Palestinian
flags and that even hawkish former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the
current head of the opposition and Israel's longest serving leader, had a
Palestinian flag hanging behind him during events with the Palestinian
leadership when relations between the sides were less frosty. "If we are afraid
from the Palestinian flag," he said, "it means that we are afraid to make any
kind of peace with the Palestinians."
Canada/Minister Joly meets with Baltic dignitaries
June 5, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, this week welcomed to
Canada Eva-Maria Liimets, Estonia’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Zanda
Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Latvia’s Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
In meetings with the Baltic representatives, Minister Joly discussed the
collective effort to strengthen European security and address the humanitarian
and economic impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, both immediately and in the
long term. Minister Joly emphasized Canada’s commitment to NATO’s presence in
the eastern flank, including through Operation REASSURANCE in Latvia, a key
assurance and deterrence mission.
Together with the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, Minister
Joly and the Baltic delegations visited CFB Valcartier to meet and thank the
Canadian Armed Forces personnel stationed there, many of whom have been or will
be deployed to Operation REASSURANCE.
Minister Joly also met with each of the Baltic representatives bilaterally, and
discussed the importance of building on more than three decades of restored
relations with each of them to further expand cooperation. This conversation
continued in Toronto, where Minister Joly and the Baltic delegations met with
business leaders across multiple sectors to deepen Canada-Baltic economic ties.
Given the current global context, Minister Joly and the Baltic delegates
affirmed that their security relationships are now more important than ever and
expressed their desire to build on the already strong transatlantic
relationship.
S. Korea, US Fire Ballistic Missiles in Response to N.
Korea Tests
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles on Monday in
response to North Korean weapons tests the previous day, Seoul's military said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army
Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile at targets in the East Sea, also known
as the Sea of Japan, in the early morning, AFP said. The 10-minute volley comes
a day after North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles following
a South Korea-US joint military exercise involving a US aircraft carrier."Our
military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations
and sternly urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on
the peninsula," it added. Monday's launches mark the second such joint show of
force by the allies under South Korea's hawkish new President Yoon Suk-yeol, who
has vowed a tougher stance against Pyongyang. "Our government will respond
decisively and sternly to any provocations from North Korea," Yoon said Monday
during a speech commemorating Memorial Day. Last month, Seoul and Washington
carried out combined launches after Pyongyang fired three ballistic missiles --
including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile -- in their first such
joint move since 2017. Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons
program, despite facing crippling economic sanctions, with officials and
analysts warning that the regime is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test.
The regime has carried out a blitz of sanctions-busting weapons tests this year,
including firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at full range.
Bangladesh Depot Accused over Blast that Killed at Least 49
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 6 June, 2022
Bangladesh authorities accused a container depot operator Monday of not telling
firefighters about a chemical stockpile before it exploded with devastating
consequences, killing at least 49 people -- nine of them from the fire service.
The toll from the giant blast, which followed a fire at the B.M Container Depot
in Sitakunda and sent fireballs into the sky, was expected to rise further, AFP
said. Some containers were still smoldering on Monday, more than 36 hours after
the explosion, preventing rescuers from checking the area around them for
victims. Around a dozen of the 300 injured were in critical condition.
The nine dead firefighters are the worst toll ever for the fire department in
the industrial-accident-prone country, where safety standards are lax and
corruption often enables them to be ignored. "The depot authority did not inform
us that there were deadly chemicals there. Nine of our officers were killed. Two
fighters are still missing. Several people are also missing," fire department
official Mohammad Kamruzzaman told AFP. Purnachandra Mutsuddi, who led the
fire-fighting effort at the 26-acre facility on Saturday night, said it "didn't
have any fire safety plan" and lacked firefighting equipment to douse the blaze
before it turned into an inferno. "The safety plan lays out how the depot will
fight and control a fire. But there was nothing," Mutsuddi, an assistant
director of the Chittagong fire station, told AFP. "They also did not inform us
about the chemicals. If they did, the casualties would have been much less," he
said. The B.M Container Depot in Sitakunda, an industrial town 40 kilometers (25
miles) from Chittagong Port, is a joint venture between Bangladeshi and Dutch
businessmen with around 600 employees, and began operations in 2012. Its
chairman is named on its website as Bert Pronk, a Dutch citizen, but AFP was
unable to reach him for comment. Few European businessmen operate in the
country. Local newspapers said another of its owners is a senior official of the
ruling Awami League party based in Chittagong, who is also the editor of a local
Bengali daily. Police have yet to lay charges over the fire. "Our investigation
is going on. We will look into everything," said local police chief Abul Kalam
Azad.
'Falling like rain'
Wisps of smoke rose into the bright morning sky from dozens of twenty-foot
containers at the depot on Monday. "Some 30-40 containers are still smoldering,"
said fire department inspector Harunur Rashid. "Fire is under control. But
chemicals are main problems."Once the flames are entirely out rescuers will
search the area for more victims, he said. Mujibur Rahman, a director of B.M.
Container Depot, said the cause of the initial fire remained unknown. The
container depot held hydrogen peroxide, according to fire service chief
Brigadier General Main Uddin, and witnesses said the entire town shook when the
chemicals exploded. "The explosion sent fireballs into the sky," said Mohammad
Ali, 60, who runs a nearby grocery store. "Fireballs were falling like rain. "We
were so afraid we immediately left our home to find refuge," he added. "We
thought the fire would spread to our locality as it is very densely populated."
Elias Chowdhury, the chief doctor in Chittagong, said doctors at multiple
hospitals had been called back from holidays to help treat the hundreds of
injured. Around 90 percent of Bangladesh's roughly 100 billion dollars in trade
-- including clothes for H&M, Walmart and others -- passes through the
Chittagong port at the top of the Bay of Bengal. Rakibul Alam Chowdhury from the
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said that
about 110 million dollars worth of garments were destroyed in the fire. "It is a
huge loss for the industry," he said.
The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on June 06-07/2022
SOS: Is The Pentagon Losing the U.S. to China?
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/June 06/2022
"We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right
now, it's already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion." — Nicolas
Chaillan, former first Chief Software Officer for the Air Force, who resigned in
protest over the Pentagon's slow pace of technological development, citing
China's fast advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and
general capabilities in cybersecurity, Financial Times, October 10, 2021
"By the time the Government manages to produce something, it's too often
obsolete." — Preston Dunlap, the Pentagon's first Chief Architect Officer,
responsible for promoting technological innovation at the Pentagon, who also
resigned, labelling the Pentagon "the world's largest bureaucracy;" The Japan
Times, April 19, 2022.
"Our lack of adopting these [commercial innovations] quickly creates an
asymmetric disadvantage if our adversaries adopt them more rapidly... These
differences are extremely relevant for conflicts we may face in the next decade
where our adversaries effectively employ commercial technologies. For example,
when U.S. troops were stationed in Iraq, ISIS sent small drones, which can be
purchased on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, with grenades to kill American
soldiers in Mosul... The DoD must add new capabilities like these in 1-2 years
rather than 1-2 decades." — Michael Brown, Director of the Defense Innovation
Unit at the Pentagon, testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee,
April 6, 2022.
"[In the PRC and Russia], private companies... work together closely with their
militaries to gain experience with new technologies and concepts. From drone
swarming to anti-satellite weapons programs, Russia and the PRC have studied our
capabilities carefully and are rapidly modernizing its own military capabilities
with a priority both on asymmetry designed to neutralize U.S. overmatch and
accessing innovations in its commercial sector... Imagine how well our forces
will defend against PLA swarms of drones if we have not experimented with this
concept," — Michael Brown, testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee,
April 6, 2022.
"The current sequential process lags commercial product cycles and delivers
technology several generations behind which would be the equivalent of supplying
flip-phones and fax machines to our warfighters today..." — Michael Brown,
testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, April 6, 2022.
The US Defense Department's current outdated and slow approach to technological
innovation could eventually lead China to overtake the US in areas such as
artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space. Pictured: A showcase of
artificial intelligence usages at the 14th China International Exhibition on
Public Safety and Security at the China International Exhibition Center in
Beijing, China on October 24, 2018.
Last July, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William J. Burns,
said that China is "the single biggest geopolitical challenge that the United
States faces far out into the 21st century" and that "the main arena for
competition and rivalry with China" is technology.
The Pentagon has been facing massive criticism for being unable properly, if at
all, to meet that very technological challenge. "The U.S. government is not
prepared to defend the United States in the coming artificial intelligence (AI)
era," the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence warned in
March 2021, while also saying that China was on its way to become the world's
top AI superpower.
In October 2021, a senior cybersecurity official at the Pentagon, Nicolas
Chaillan, who was the first Chief Software Officer for the Air Force, resigned
in protest over the Pentagon's slow pace of technological development. "We have
no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, it's
already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion" Chaillan said, citing
China's fast advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and
general capabilities in cybersecurity. "Whether it takes a war or not is kind of
anecdotal."
"I realized pretty quickly, we're very behind in cyber, to a point that it was
very scary when it comes to critical infrastructure and the lack of security,"
Chaillan said in August 2021. "And we see it every day, more and more, and I
still don't believe we have any kind of handle on what's going on."
In April, another senior official, Preston Dunlap, the Pentagon's first Chief
Architect Officer, responsible for promoting technological innovation at the
Pentagon, also resigned. In a nine-page resignation statement, Dunlap made it
clear that the Pentagon, which Dunlap labeled "the world's largest bureaucracy",
was far behind the American domestic commercial sector in data, distributed
computer processing, software, AI and cybersecurity and that it badly needed
"structural change."
"By the time the Government manages to produce something, it's too often
obsolete," he wrote. "Much more must be done if DoD is going to regrow its
thinning technological edge." Additionally, Dunlap pointed out that the Pentagon
would have to stop focusing on internal turf wars and "reinventing the wheel"
and work together with the private sector.
In this, he echoed Nicolas Chaillan, who also pointed out that the Pentagon
suffers from "silo thinking" where different agencies work on the same tasks and
do not share information. "We have silos within silos," Chaillan said.
"We have people reinventing the wheel, whether for good reasons or bad reasons,
whether it's ego-driven or for little kingdom-building exercises... we need to
start having a cohesive cybersecurity and IT capability stack."
Also in April, another outgoing official, David Spirk, the Pentagon's Chief Data
Officer, said that the organization would have to accelerate efforts to counter
adversaries developing military tools based on modern technologies.
The concerns do not only come from resigning DoD officials but also from
high-ranking current officials.
"In an era where the PRC has stolen plans for our exquisite weapons platforms
and carefully studied our way of fighting, advances in commercial technology
offer a unique opportunity to achieve surprise rapidly," Director of the Defense
Innovation Unit at the Pentagon, Michael Brown, said in testimony before the
Senate Armed Services Committee on April 6.
"Despite its importance, the Pentagon does not currently have a systematic or
effective approach to rapidly access and leverage commercial technologies at
scale."
Brown went on to say that 11 of the 14 critical technologies for national
security are commercial and that the absence of an effective approach for the
military to rapidly adopt commercial technology, such as advanced
communications, AI software, small drones, synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
satellite imagery and many others, represents a "glaring weakness". There is
little difference in those commercial technologies from strictly defense
technologies, and the Department of Defense (DoD) needs to "move much faster in
assessing and fielding these technologies". The Pentagon, in other words, does
not adopt the immense advances made in the commercial sector for the benefit of
the military broadly or fast enough and that puts the US at a serious
disadvantage compared to adversaries such as China.
"Since DoD does not control the global diffusion of these technologies, our lack
of adopting these quickly creates an asymmetric disadvantage if our adversaries
adopt them more rapidly," Brown said.
"These differences are extremely relevant for conflicts we may face in the next
decade where our adversaries effectively employ commercial technologies. For
example, when U.S. troops were stationed in Iraq, ISIS sent small drones, which
can be purchased on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, with grenades to kill
American soldiers in Mosul... The DoD must add new capabilities like these in
1-2 years rather than 1-2 decades."
Brown delivered more damning testimony, when he detailed how much the DoD lags
behind:
"The current sequential process lags commercial product cycles and delivers
technology several generations behind which would be the equivalent of supplying
flip-phones and fax machines to our warfighters today... While the Pentagon
prides itself on following voluminous and well-specified DoD processes, the
result is that in commercially advanced technologies such as advanced
communications, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cyber and
autonomous systems, we will be placing outdated, overpriced technology in the
hands of our warfighters... DoD has not yet established a complementary process
to the one Secretary McNamara put in place in the 1960s for defense
technologies... At DoD, we continue in a 'business as usual' fashion at our
peril."
By comparison, Brown made it clear that:
"The PRC and Russia compel their private companies to work together closely with
their militaries to gain experience with new technologies and concepts. From
drone swarming to anti-satellite weapons programs, Russia and the PRC have
studied our capabilities carefully and are rapidly modernizing its own military
capabilities with a priority both on asymmetry designed to neutralize U.S.
overmatch and accessing innovations in its commercial sector...
"Imagine how well our forces will defend against PLA swarms of drones if we have
not experimented with this concept... Imagine if we do not support more
non-traditional suppliers of satellites or quantum sensors such that these
technologies do not remain competitive in the U.S. and go the way of solar
panels or small drones—controlled by the PRC."
There are also concerns about a widespread sense of risk-aversion in the
Pentagon. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, also in April, warned that
risk-aversion is standing in the way of technological innovation.
"Innovation is slowed down by resistance to technological risk, especially for
hypersonic weapon programs, Hicks told Defense Writers Group reporters in
Washington, D.C. The United States used to be first class in its approach to
innovation, which necessitated a willingness to fail during tests, she said."
China tested its first hypersonic missile last summer. In March, Russia said
that it had used a hypersonic missile, known as the Kinzhal, in Ukraine for the
first time.
According to Hicks:
"What we see in general is a real resistance to that approach and concern over
whether the U.S. investments are making a difference up on Capitol Hill, and so
you get curtailment of programs, you get concerns over concurrency""
The current outdated and slow approach to technological innovation could
eventually lead China to overtake the US in space, among other areas. NASA, for
instance, has spent more than $23 billion to build the single-use Space Launch
System (SLS), as a replacement for its Space Shuttle program. Announced back in
2010, the project has been delayed by more than five years so far and is already
obsolete, in addition to being, at $4.1 billion per launch, almost prohibitively
expensive to deploy. By comparison, China has been advancing in space by copying
the commercial space sector, specifically the American one. The Long March 2C
rocket that China launched in the summer of 2019 for the first time had parts --
the grid fins -- that were "virtually identical" to those that are used to steer
the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. A year after that test, according to Eric Berger,
senior space editor at Ars Technica, "China's main space contractor revealed
plans to develop the ability to reuse its Long March 8 booster, which is powered
by kerosene fuel, the same type of power that fuels SpaceX rockets. By 2025,
Chinese officials said, this rocket would be capable of landing on a sea
platform, like SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster does.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished
Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The Liberation of a Continent and the Fall of the Nazi
Third Reich
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/June 06/2022
Understanding who we are today as Americans living in a democracy -- because of
the sacrifices of those we honor on June 6th -- is a solemn responsibility for
every American. Pictured: US Army infantrymen wade ashore at Omaha Beach in
France, during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.
Understanding who we are today as Americans living in a democracy -- because of
the sacrifices of those we honor on June 6th -- is a solemn responsibility for
every American. Yet few will acknowledge the date or the solemn obligation.
On that date, June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a
50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, confronting Nazi troops
that had conquered much of Europe. General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded the
invasion, reminding his troops, "We will accept nothing less than full victory."
More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by
day's end, the Allies had begun to push the Germans back, but some 10,000 Allied
soldiers were killed or wounded that day.
Pinned down for hours by German fire, brave Allied soldiers recognized what was
at stake: literally the liberation of a continent. Confronting unimaginable
obstacles, they found the means to push the enemy back, climb the heights
overlooking at the beaches, destroy the bunkers that contained heavy cannons and
begin the task of defeating the Nazi Third Reich.
Having walked the Normandy beaches with my wife a number of years ago, we were
struck by the serenity of its current condition as we quietly reflected on the
carnage and courage that was on this same stretch of beach the morning of June
6th, 1944. We would offer silent prayers to the thousands who fell there that
day and those now buried not far from where they died.
To their credit, the French have never lost sight of what occurred there. They
continue to honor those interred just behind the beaches with a daily flag
ceremony at the cemetery that leaves the visitor choked with emotion.
Yet too many Americans will mark June 6th as just another day on the calendar.
We have no reason to blame them, however, for our society has not instilled
within them an appreciation of our nation's history, the sacrifice of those who
have worn the uniform, or the fact that on one dreary morning in June 1944, the
world held its breath. It was fate and the indomitable courage of young
Americans who determined whether our world would be plunged forever into
darkness or be offered the ability to rekindle the spark of freedom.
*Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The Battle of Damietta: Saint Louis’ Greatest Victory
Over Islam
Raymond Ibrahim/June 06/2022
Today in history, on June 6, Louis IX of France—better known to posterity as
Saint Louis—scored a dramatic victory over the Islamic jihad.
It was late May, 1249, and the Seventh Crusade had begun. Louis and his army,
which consisted of some twenty-five thousand Crusaders, set sail from Cyprus.
Their destination, based on the by now standard Crusader logic that Egypt must
be neutralized before Jerusalem could be secured, was the Egyptian port of
Damietta.
Considering that Damietta was also the focus of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1221),
none of this came as a surprise to Egyptian sultan al-Salih Ayyub. He sent men
under Emir Fahreddin to refortify Damietta’s garrison and hold the coast against
any Crusader landing. He next sent a message warning Louis to forfend: “No one
has ever attacked us without feeling our superiority,” the sultan boasted.
“Recollect the conquests we have made from the Christians; we have driven them
from the lands they possessed; their strongest towns have fallen under our
blows.”
The heart of the Muslim world, the Middle East and North Africa—from Iraq in the
east to Morocco in the west—later Turkey, and for centuries Spain and the
Balkans, were originally inhabited by and conquered from Christians. Muslims,
such as al-Salih Ayyub, were well aware of and enjoyed throwing this fact in the
face of Christians.
By June 4, the Christian fleet had anchored on the west bank of the Nile, across
from Damietta. Between it and the city, legions of Muslims lined the shore and
river bank, where they “made a loud and terrible noise with horns and cymbals.”
A council was held in the king’s ship. Although some said to wait for the other
ships that had been delayed by a storm, Louis was set on taking the shore now.
“Our men,” wrote Gui, one of the knights present, “seeing the lord King’s
steadfastness and unwavering resolve, at his bidding made ready…to occupy the
shore by force and go on land.” When his counsellors urged him not to join in
the initial landing, due to the danger it posed to his person, Louis responded,
“I am only one individual whose life, when God wills it, will be snuffed out
like any other man’s.”
And so, on today’s date, June 6, 1249, the Crusaders, to a loud battle cry,
furiously paddled to shore in smaller boats, and “in accordance with the lord
King’s strict and most urgent command, hastily leaped into the sea up to their
loins.” Clad in heavy iron and slowly plodding toward the coast, they were met
by and fended off a hail of arrows. “Of all the ships, the lord King’s put in
first,” continues Gui. “Louis leapt into the water up to his armpits and waded
ashore, shield round neck, helm on head, and sword in hand.” Jean de Joinville
(1224–1317), a close friend of Louis who participated in the Crusade, continues:
“So soon as they [Muslims] saw us land, they came toward us, hotly spurring. We,
when we saw them coming, fixed the points of our shields into the sand and the
handles of our lances in the sand with the points set towards them.” Confronted
by this massive spike-studded shield wall, and seeing “the lances about to enter
into their bellies,” the Muslims “turned about and fled”—all except one, who,
thinking his comrades were charging behind him, was instantly “cut down.”
Thereafter, the Crusaders “fell manfully upon the enemies of the Cross like
strong athletes of the Lord,” writes Gui: “The armed Saracens, stationed mounted
on the shore, disputed the land with us…maintaining a dense fire of javelins and
arrows against our men. And yet our men… pushed on and set foot on the land
despite the Saracens.” The more the Muslims gave way, the more the Christians
advanced onto dry ground. Before long, horses had been ferried over and mounted,
leading to heavy, splashy cavalry charges, all under the cover of missile fire
from the Christian fleet. Terrified by such daring, the Muslims tucked tail and
ran.
Rather than falling back on and holding Damietta, Emir Fahreddin entirely fled
the scene. On seeing this ignominious retreat, and not wanting to face, in the
words of Muslim chroniclers, “the fury of the Christians,” the garrison in
Damietta, followed by its entire citizenry, fled the city under the cover of
night in great disorder and panic—“barefoot and unclad, hungry and thirsty, in
poverty and disarray, women and children”—though not before cutting the throats
or “dashing out the brains” of most of their Christian prisoners, many of whom
were captured during the Fifth Crusade.
A few escaped captives and slaves intercepted the Crusaders on their march to
Damietta, which they were astonished to find completely deserted. On the morning
following this spectacular start to his Crusade, Louis and his men went to
Damietta’s chief mosque. “Here, three days earlier,” a shocked Gui wrote, “the
prisoners categorically assured us, the most filthy Mahomet had been glorified
with abominable sacrifices, cries from on high, and the blast of trumpets.” But
because the mosque was formerly a church—“where [Coptic] Christians long ago had
been in the habit of celebrating Mass and ringing their bells”—the king had the
mosque purified with holy water and, “once it had been utterly purged of the
pagans’ filth,” celebrated mass there. In this manner, and as Louis’s mother,
Blanche, wrote to Henry III, “the site of the mosque, which some time ago—when
the city was previously captured [by Muslims in the seventh century]—was the
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was reconciled and thanks were given there to
God Most High.”
As these accounts make clear, thirteenth century Europeans were not oblivious to
the fact that all of the Near East and North Africa—not just Jerusalem—were
originally part of Christendom. This comes out especially in the Crusaders’ talk
concerning Egypt. For example, the foundation charter for the re-consecration of
this church-turned-mosque-turned-church again, dated November 1249, makes the
following assertions: “after this country [Egypt] is liberated from the hands of
the infidels” and “when this land is liberated.” Similarly, Guillaume de Sonnac,
the Grand Master of the Templars, wrote about how “the Lord King plans…to return
the entire country [of Egypt] to Christian worship.”
Lofty aspirations to be sure. At any rate, it was an amazing start to the
Seventh Crusade.
*This article was abstracted from Raymond Ibrahim’s new book, Defenders of the
West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam (which includes a chapter on
Louis IX, or Saint Louis).
When the Myth of the Clash of Civilizations Collapses in Kyiv
Mohammed al-Haddad/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June 06/2022
A lot is being said about the war between Ukraine and Russia: its facts,
motives, and implications for the world. This article does not delve into these
matters, nor does it present a projection regarding its outcomes. Instead, it
asks, far away from the loudness of war though not separate from it, how will
this war affect human culture, regardless of its potential conclusions,
militarily and politically? It seems the answer is as follows: The myth of a
“clash of civilizations” has collapsed. This myth has been shaping global
culture for more than a quarter of a century, especially since 1996, the date of
publication of the book by American political scientist Samuel Huntington, who
used this phrase as his title. This myth has been embedded in all cultures. The
dominant powers saw in it justification for their dominance when it supposed
that the “other” was malevolent, seeking its downfall (this was one of
Huntington’s theories). And the dominated world saw in it a justification for
rejecting reform, arguing that it is an alien demand aimed at solidifying that
hegemony.
The great Arab philosopher Mohammed Abed al-Jabri responded to the theory of the
“clash of civilizations” in a book titled “Criticizing the Need for Reform”
(2005). Among his more prominent arguments is the need to abandon the notion of
“reform” because it is a Western demand. We are still embroiled in this debate
for more than a quarter of a century; neither are we reforming nor are we
overcoming others’ hegemony, nor will the other reform us nor remove its
influence on us.
The “clash of civilizations” thesis was not broadly adopted because of the
strength of its arguments, the clarity of its concepts, and the depth of its
implications. Rather, it was popular because of major events that it seemed to
have predicted before they occurred. It provided the simplest explanation for
these developments, the most prominent of which is what was called the second
and third Gulf War, i.e., the US interventions in Iraq between 1990 and 2003.
Writing about this matter, the Arab philosopher Mahdi Elmandjra, in The First
Civilization War, predicts the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein along the
exact same lines that some have interpreted Putin’s war in Ukraine. He saw it as
a defensive act and the invasion and the West’s reaction as the beginning of a
new phase, one of “disobedience,” referring to the myth of a clash of
civilizations and using it against the dominant party.
However, the clash of civilizations is nothing but a myth that can be used by
both the dominant and dominated party. It was not necessary for Arab thinkers to
busy themselves with building their ideas on the basis of that myth or for
Huntington’s book to be translated into Arab several times while other, more
important modern works have yet to be translated. Arab thinkers did not have to
choose between Huntington’s clash of civilizations hypothesis and that of the
End of History and the Last Man, which Francis Fokoyama published years ago and
is also a myth.
And in any case, this ongoing war in Ukraine has disproved the clash of
civilizations hypothesis for all to see. It is a war between two neighbors who
share the same religion; indeed, not only are they both Christian, they are also
both Orthodox. Moreover, they share the same (Russian) culture and history
(Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is the historic capital of the Russian nation and
its first empire), the countries’ borders used to be open, and millions of
Russians used to vacation in Ukraine. Despite all of that, war nonetheless broke
out. Like the second Gulf war, which began with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, two
countries that also share the same civilization, this is not a clash of
civilizations.
The question here is not why the war in Ukraine broke out. That question implies
political analysis, but everyone listening to the long speech given by the
Russian President hours before the war, in which he justified it, noticed that
it is rooted in the distant past. There is no reference to any clash between
civilizations or even the Cold War, though the Soviet period was violently
criticized. His rhetoric is that of the conflicts nineteen century and the first
half of the twentieth century, when it was normal to justify wars with questions
of strategic depth and national security. That is how wars were justified at
that time, including the First and Second World Wars. These wars reached an
unimaginably horrific scale with Nazism, and the justifications of old seemed a
thing of the past because of how heavily the impact of these conflicts on our
conscience.
In the final analysis, why do wars break out? Firstly, for interests. The Cold
War was not a clash between imperialism and socialism like Lenin wanted it to
be. Instead, it was fought between an imperial project led by the US and another
led by the USSR. It propelled a confrontation between new geo-economic poles,
with Russia the weaker of the two because its economy remained dependent on the
export of raw materials. Thus, it took the initiative in starting wars because
it could not continue to compete economically. As for the West, which pays lip
service to democracy, pluralism, and acceptance of difference, it is once again
reaffirming that it does not tolerate seeing a power outside the global economy
and does not share its view of how the world should operate.
Second to furthering interests, we have ideology. Certain cultural traits could
be catalysts for war or used as a pretext to perpetuate even after interests are
not realized. We can classify religious wars within this category, and the same
could be said of the conflict between the Arabs and Israel, which continues
despite the parties not furthering any interests through it.
And on this basis, the clash of civilizations theory is not a useful analytical
tool. It does not help explain the new world order, which has nothing new about
it to begin with. The Ukraine war has made this uselessness all the more
evident. As for the relationship between wars and interest, the two influence
one another; theirs is a “dialectical” relationship, as Marx put it. Neither are
interests merely the fodder of a clash of civilizations, as Huntington believed
nor is culture a pretext for furthering interests as Marxism claims. A
particular cultural conviction can intersect with a particular interest, and the
same conviction can intersect with a different or contradictory interest.
Therefore, no culture can be associated with class or nation’s interests, nor
can any class or national produce a culture of its own.
In the end, no hypothesis can provide a comprehensive explanation; neither the
holy wars hypothesis, the imperialism hypothesis or the clash of civilizations
hypothesis. Every historical case has its particularities. As for the
anthropology of war, it is the anthropology of man’s relationship with violence
or violence in man. Man is, of course, civil, and of course, violent as well.
The clash between violence and civilization dates back to the Stone Age, as no
one can know for sure whether the first men sharpened the stones to build
dwellings, enjoy the beauty of their shape, or kill their rivals. But they
undoubtedly declared, with this obscurity surrounding their intentions, the
emergence of civilization, which is a mixture of all that.
Lavrov's Visit to Turkey Shows that Ukraine and Syria Are
Tied
Omer Onhon/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June 06/2022
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov continues his diplomatic rounds in and
beyond the region. Recently, he met with foreign ministers of Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) as Russia regards the stance of Arab countries, in general, as
balanced.
Lavrov is going to visit Turkey on June 8. There are a number of items to be
discussed including Ukraine and Syria, which are at the top of the agenda.
In fact these issues are somehow connected now.
The war in Ukraine continues with some Russian advances and fierce resistance
from the Ukrainians. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview that they
will continue to fight but that an end to the war can only be reached at the
negotiating table. That statement is correct and gives hope, but both sides aim
to take their seat at the table as the side with a stronger hand.
One of the foremost issues related to the war in Ukraine is the food crisis.
Even though there are different statistics, it is a fact that grain from Ukraine
and Russia make up an important portion of grain supplies in the world. Many
countries, especially in the Middle East and Africa, have been suffering the
consequences of shortage of grain supplies.
Millions of tons of grain are waiting in silos in Ukraine. They can not be
exported because of Russia’s blockade and security conditions, including the
mines laid in the Black Sea.
Efforts are underway to work out a plan or a mechanism which would allow the
Ukrainian grain to be exported. The aim is to open a safe corridor where grain
could be loaded onto ships and then transported to their destinations without
becoming a target.
There are quite a number of issues to deal with including payment methods. Then,
there is the problem of trust. Ukrainians are concerned that Russia may use this
as something to use in order to capture Odesa.
As one of the Black Sea countries and as the one who has the control of the
Straits (the Turkish Straits), Turkey is in the picture and its foreign minister
told the press last week that Turkey has been talking to Russia, Ukraine and the
United Nations to facilitate efforts to move the grain out of Ukraine.
On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin argued last Friday that the
food crisis was artificial. He said the grain in question could be exported
through Belarus but added that in order to be able to do this, sanctions against
Belarus would have to be lifted. Belarus' President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a
statement to the same effect.
It is difficult to say how these thoughts of Putin fit into the aforementioned
efforts of the UN to come up with a plan to deal with the problem.
Sanctions are hurting Russia. But Putin is not giving in and is trying to
reverse the situation with various tactics. Russia aims to make or at least make
the other side feel that sanctions are self-defeating, He aims to create
tensions among the opposite camp.
The EU’s difficulties in imposing sanctions against oil imports from Russia,
Hungary’s opposition and the exemption can be regarded within this framework.
Syria will be another issue that will be on the table during Lavrov’s visit to
Turkey.
Turkey’s president stated that terror organizations on the other side of the
border in northern Syria pose a threat and Turkey aims to cleanse these areas.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has even specified the targets: Tal Rıfaat and
Manbij. That is not something which is usual, as it gives the enemy warning and
time to prepare. The areas in question are leftovers from operations which were
carried out in past years. These areas are under the control of People's
Protection Units (YPG).
The Russians, Americans, Iranians and Assad regime forces are “in, around and in
the vicinity” of these areas. In Syria, Russia has military bases and an unknown
number (estimated at around 30-40,000) of military personnel, including
Chechens, mostly functioning as military police, and the Wagner mercenaries.
As I pointed out before, Russians may be re-positioning in Syria, or re-locating
some troops and hardware to Ukraine, but they are certainly not abandoning or
withdrawing. Syria has become very important for Russia and unless something
very dramatic happens, Russia will continue to remain in this country in one
form or another. Where Russia is re-locating from, Iran and allied militias are
moving in. They are not occupying or grabbing, but moving in within the
framework of understandings or agreements between the two countries in question
and the Assad regime.
In the bigger picture, Iran continues to pursue a policy of influence and
expansion throughout the region through various means, with the objection of
several countries.
In the coming days or weeks, some sort of Turkish operation directed at the YPG
looks inevitable. There are those who argue that the operation will be
comprehensive and others foresee one of limited scope operation in places that
are much less likely to cause any tension with other international forces
deployed there. We must point to two notes: The fact that Russia still controls
the airspace in Syria is something that cannot be overlooked; and that a Turkish
operation, which would lead to a fresh tensions among NATO allies, would be very
welcomed by Russia.
Against this background and the availability of a variety of issues which can be
up for negotiations, Lavrov's visit will be interesting to follow.
Fear Returns to the Old Continent
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June 06/2022
A journalist sometimes falls in love with a city he visits in search of a story
or to carry out an interview or write a report. Perhaps this love stems from the
sense that the city sleeps on ageless poems, melodies and art. Or perhaps
because they are heirs to a raucous history that has left deep wounds in its
spirit.
Traveling the world, I was taken by Baghdad and Paris. History is the greatest
and harshest teacher. Wrong are those who do not learn from it, whether they are
rulers, the opposition or journalists.
I love Baghdad regardless of who is ruling it or what system governs it. It
boasts a rich history and the pride of Al-Mutanabbi and Al-Jawahiri. I love
Paris because its streets boast the names of poets and writers who, more than
generals, helped shape its crown
The difference between the two cities is that when night sets on the Tigris, I
sense the fear of coming days that is absent in Paris, which pretends to have
completed its wars and left behind the days of bloodshed.
Envy is a bad feeling but it is natural among the people of the terrible Middle
East. I used to feel it when I slept in Vienna, Paris or Berlin. I envied these
cities that never thought to prepare their armies for a possible invasion or to
prepare themselves for impending civil war. I used to ask myself: "When will the
capitals in our region shake off the fear of the outside and the inside?"
We used to say that we are a generation of lucky journalists. We witnessed the
end of an empire, without the eruption of a major war. We witnessed successive
technological and media revolutions. We listened as Mao Zedong's heir defended
the benefits of capitalism at Davos. We watched as products and capital made
their way throughout the "global village". We see governments that are
preoccupied with the environment and global warming. But the generation that
thought itself lucky in wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall may yet witness a
world that goes back to darkness and turn to missiles, drones and tanks. It is
evident that the clever and wounded Vladimir Putin has started to write a
Russian novel that is more dangerous than those written by his predecessors.
A little over a hundred days ago, Putin dealt a painful blow to the post-Wall
world. He has allowed alarm to creep back into European capitals that were
hesitant about increasing their defense spending, as if they believed that the
time of armies and general was over.
It is not odd for Poland to panic. History hasn't been kind to it. Foreign
invaders have eaten up its map several times. The Russian war has reawakened old
demands. It fears that the Ukrainian feast will not be enough to satiate the
czar, who is waging the greatest coup since the suicide of the Soviet Union.
The same fear has pushed Sweden and Finland to abandon neutrality, reservations
and hesitation to join NATO to protect themselves against the Russian army.
Stable and confident Germany used to welcome refugees from sick and sad
countries. Days ago in Berlin I sensed Germany's fear that was translated into
dedicating a massive budget to bolstering military capabilities that it thought
it would not need.
When Germany becomes frightened, then Russia must take the situation seriously.
This economically strong country has the ability to form a powerful army. The
powerful Germany will return old envies and fears to Europe even though is
committed to its democratic choices. When the first shots were fired in the
Russian war on Ukraine, Europe woke up to a new scene that almost made it forget
its celebration of the fall of the notorious Wall. Fear has returned to the
continent. As the war dragged on, it seemed that Europe, including France, would
pay a hefty price for the conflict that would exceed the rise in costs of gas,
oil and grain.
France spent decades befriending the US in NATO. The American shadow looming
large over the continent bothers it and it is uncertain over Washington's
long-term commitment to defend the "Old Continent". European countries have no
choice but to increase their defense spending and shoulder the impending
economic crisis. Europe has no choice but to extend its stay under the wing of
the American general. Putin has re-pushed the European continent into the
American lap. Only Joe Biden's country has the massive abilities that can alter
the course of the major coup that was launched by Putin.
The master of the Elysee is trying to promote the idea of refraining from
humiliating Russia. But as it stands, it appears as though Putin is seeking a
victory for his coup, not a way out from it. Sitting under the American wing
also means going along with Washington's stance on Taiwan. Any further tensions
with China would likely lead to a major economic catastrophe.
Visiting Paris, I had to discuss some issues from Middle East and of course,
Ukraine was the main topic at hand. I sat down with a former foreign minister
who served in his post for nearly a decade. He believes that the West mishandled
Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It did not realize how much
Ukraine means to Putin, both in history and geography. The former FM said the
ruler sometimes feels that the fate of his country is tied to another. I paused
at this. It reminded me of late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, whom the
minister had met dozens of times. He said Assad believed that Syria would remain
isolated and surrounded if Lebanon sailed off in a different direction or
strayed too far away from it. That is why Assad was obsessed with Lebanon as a
negotiations card with the West and regional countries. If you go back in
history, you'll realize that Russia and Ukraine are more historically
interconnected that Lebanon is with Syria. It is a completely new stage. It is
no simple feat for fear to visit European capitals and reserve a long-term stay.
The world has indeed changed.
Why Russian superyachts found safe harbour in Turkish ports
Alexandra de Cramer/The Arab Weekly/June 06/2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted an international hunt for superyachts
owned by Russian oligarchs. In a bid to punish those close to President Vladimir
Putin, governments everywhere are seizing vessels and preventing them from
leaving port.
Everywhere, that is, except in Turkey.
Oligarchs with foresight have swiftly moved their luxury toys to the
sanction-free Turkish Riviera. Roman Abramovich, a businessman with ties to
Putin, was one of the first to do so. Abramovich’s 140 metre-long superyacht, My
Solaris, entered the port city of Bodrum at the end of March. Eclipse, his 162.5
metre yacht, the second largest superyacht in the world with two swimming pools,
18 guest cabins and a helicopter deck, docked in Marmaris a few weeks later.
Clio, the 73 metre vessel owned by the founder of Russian aluminum giant Rusal,
Oleg Deripaska, arrived off the coast of Gocek in mid-April. And the $400
million Flying Fox has been moored in Bodrum since May.
Hosting Russian billionaires is consistent with Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s regional strategy. His foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, recently
commented that “Russian oligarchs could do business in Turkey as long as it was
not against international law.” It is Erdogan’s special relationship with Putin
that allowed Turkey to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine back in
March. Keeping ports open for Russian superyachts as the Mediterranean season
kicks off is undisputedly a smart move for local economies.
But there is an even more pragmatic reason for Turkey to let the yachts sail:
seize and freeze campaigns are time-consuming, legally complicated, and
potentially costly.
The reality is that countries cannot simply take ownership of private property.
Even when assets are frozen, oligarchs retain ownership until a court has proven
that they were used to commit a crime or harbour illegal activity. As laws vary
by country, it is likely that these proceedings will take years. How courts
might tie oligarchs’ vessels to a crime is unclear. Super yachts are typically
owned and managed by third parties; such is the case for Scheherazade, which
carries a Cayman Island flag, is managed by Imperial Yachts out of Monaco and
its owner is undisclosed.
Most seized yachts are a financial drain on the country doing the seizing, as it
is rarely decided beforehand who will pay docking fees, insurance payments and
other expenditures. La Ciotat Shipyards, where Russian state oil company Rosneft
CEO Igor Sechin’s Amore Vero is held captive, does not even know where to send
its invoices. French authorities have passed on the responsibility to the ship
owner, yet nobody has reimbursed the shipyard.
It seems like the outburst of excitement at having captured these superyachts
will surpass the reality of the situation of what to do with them. Why, then,
make such a show of seizing the luxury toys in the first place?
Forcibly taking oligarchs’ property is an aggressive means of sanctions
implementation. In 2021, Russia’s uber-rich owned nine percent of the world’s
superyachts and squeezing the wealthy has been heralded as one way to force
Putin’s hand in Ukraine. The only problem is it does not seem to be working. For
months yachts and other luxury properties have been seized in Britain, France,
Italy, Fiji and beyond and yet, Russia’s brutal campaign in Ukraine continues.
Personally, I have a problem with superyachts in general and would not mind
seeing all of them idled. For one, they are highly polluting and owning one in
an era where the world is on fire should be outlawed internationally. A
superyacht’s carbon footprint averages 7,020 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Abramovich’s superyachts produced 22,440 tons of CO2 in 2018 and was responsible
for two-thirds of the oil and gas mogul’s carbon footprint that year, according
to an estimate by Forbes.
Yachts are also the epitome of economic inequality. While most of us labour in a
figurative raft, the world’s ultra-rich snub their noses from the decks of
actual floating cities. To think that the pandemic prompted an increase of 75
percent in superyacht sales is alarming. The newest captain is Amazon founder
Jeff Bezos, who is set to receive the biggest private yacht ever built. As tall
as a 13-story building it will require the city of Rotterdam to dismantle a
historic bridge for it to pass into international waters.
In the end, Turkey’s approach may prove prescient. The complications of seizing
a yacht are manifold, the costs excessive. While owning a multi-million-dollar
toy is environmentally and socially dubious, commandeering them to change
Putin’s behaviour is a policy that is clearly sinking.
**Alexandra de Cramer is a journalist based in Istanbul. She reported on the
Arab Spring from Beirut as a Middle East correspondent for Milliyet newspaper.
Her work ranges from current affairs to culture and has been featured in
Monocle, Courier Magazine, Maison Francaise and Istanbul Art News.
How Iran’s malign proxies are tearing a nation apart
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/June 06, 2022
The Iran-backed Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi paramilitary movement has adopted a
“divide-and-conquer strategy” in its efforts to dominate Iraq’s ethnically
diverse Nineveh province.
A new report by the International Crisis Group also warns that the activities of
these Iranian proxies risk triggering a regional war with Turkey, with tensions
further exacerbated by Ankara’s proposed new military incursion into northern
Syria.
As Daesh was pushed out of this ethnically complex region between 2015 and 2017,
the Hashd backed a confusing range of local militias, pushing civil tensions to
breaking point. Every conceivable local sect and ethnicity — Yazidi, Shabak,
Shiite Turkmen, Sunni, Kurd, and Assyrian and Chaldean Christian — now has their
own Hashd faction, who in turn have preyed upon local populations while
competing to monopolize the local economy and cross-border smuggling trade.
A wider regionalized power play is at work. Turkey has sought to cultivate ties
with the Kurdish Democratic Party in Iraqi Kurdistan, while trying to eliminate
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK, and its Iraqi affiliate the
Sinjar Resistance Units. The Hashd have even brought segments of the latter on
to their payroll as the “80th battalion,” while Hashd factions have staged
provocative attacks against Turkish military positions in northern Iraq. Turkey
has meanwhile assassinated Hashd-affiliated Kurdish personnel, including 80th
battalion commanders.
This is a deeply traumatized region. When Daesh unleashed its genocidal campaign
in 2014, minorities suffered the worst fates imaginable. Yazidi men were
slaughtered en masse. Women were captured for sexual slavery and brutal
servitude. While enslaved women have sometimes been received back into
communities, they were often forced to take the inconceivable step of leaving
behind children from forced marriages to Daesh members.
Such devastating traumas require generations to alleviate. Each time I meet the
Yazidi activist and Nobel peace laureate Nadia Murad, I am struck by her
oceanic, sad eyes, which eloquently speak of unimaginably shattering experiences
that will cling to her for ever.
Many Nineveh communities initially viewed the Hashd as their saviors for their
role in liberating these territories. However, citizens have come to bitterly
recognize that the Hashd’s divide-and-conquer agenda serves only Iran. Likewise,
Shiite communities in southern Iraq have increasingly turned against this
predatory movement, which exists under the pretext of defending them.
Iran manipulates confessional identities for its own ends: “Christian” militias
stage ceremonies to venerate Shiite imams, while Shiite populations were
mustered to vote for pro-Hashd politicians to occupy parliamentary seats
reserved for minority groups. An Iran-funded school in the Christian district of
Bartella was even named after Imam Khomeini! The mind boggles as to what
ideological agendas such institutions indoctrinate children with.
There has been fierce rivalry among smaller minority militias to get themselves
included on the Hashd payroll, financed at the expense of the Iraqi state. This
creates a dangerous dynamic whereby these groups struggle to outdo each other in
advancing Iran’s aggressively expansive agenda. Hashd-aligned militias have
reaped millions of dollars from illegal checkpoints and extorting “protection
money” from local businesses.
Impoverished Christian and Yazidi farming communities have been dispossessed of
their lands. Mosul is awash with Hashd economic offices, as rival factions
compete to dominate every conceivable sector of the local economy and monopolize
reconstruction funds.
To counter this blatant corruption, successive Iraqi prime ministers sought to
have the worst-offending militias relocated. However, these factions defied
orders from Baghdad, mustered supporters to cause chaos, and secured
high-profile backers such as the Iranian ambassador and Hashd leadership figures
to fight their cause.
Efforts by Hashd factions to permanently entrench themselves at a local level
throughout Iraq come at a time when these groups are fighting tooth and nail to
mitigate the consequences of their shattering election losses in October last
year. These parasitic entities believe they can’t be ousted if they dominate all
levels of society. They hope to compel rival parties to grant them Cabinet seats
and allow their retention of powerful positions throughout Iraq’s governing
system.
When Hezbollah wields the means to drag Lebanon into war with Israel, or the
Hashd controls large segments of the Iraqi economy, there is little hope for the
survival of these states as coherent nations.
As with Hezbollah in Lebanon, these groups’ control of key border points allows
them to exert a stranglehold on the Iraqi governing system, while dominating
regional trade and preventing customs revenues from reaching the state purse.
The wider region is awash in weapons, drugs, laundered funds and counterfeit
goods peddled by these militants. Assad mafiosi, Hezbollah and the Hashd collude
to drown Jordan, the GCC and other Arab states in tons of narcotics. What the
world fails to acknowledge is that these are not scattered, miscellaneous
activities but part of a wider strategy by Iran and its proxies to dominate the
region and cause rival states to dissolve into civil chaos.
Arab states consequently must respond at the highest levels with a holistic and
ambitious strategy for countering this regionwide threat. They must ensure that
outcomes of elections in Iraq and Lebanon are respected and government
institutions are given the necessary capabilities to extend their powers
throughout these nations, so that out-of-control paramilitary factions can’t
dominate the resulting vacuum. The Iraqi government meanwhile must crack down
against programs of cultural, social and ideological brainwashing perpetrated by
these paramilitary forces.
Nations cannot be truly sovereign if they do not monopolize the use of force
throughout their territories. When Hezbollah wields the means to drag Lebanon
into war with Israel, or the Hashd controls large segments of the Iraqi economy,
there is little hope for the survival of these states as coherent nations.
Furious local-level tensions between Nineveh’s complex patchwork of ethnicities
and sects are replicated at the national level as Tehran plays Sunni, Kurdish
and Shiite factions off against each other.
It little bothers Iran that the ripping apart of Iraq’s social fabric and the
undermining of its democratic institutions will surely at some point tip the
country back into civil conflict and state collapse.
Indeed, Tehran may even be banking on this ruinous outcome, in the belief that
such chaos could be exploited to enable its proxies to permanently erase the
Arab identity of these shattered states, and establish its supremacy over the
rubble that remains.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle
East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has
interviewed numerous heads of state.