English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 28/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.june28.22.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes!
Matthew 18/06-10: "‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes! ‘If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire. ‘Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven."”

Titels For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 27-28/2022
Abu Arz: We remind Ismail Haniyeh that the slogan “No Palestinian will remain on the land of Lebanon” will remain in effect until it is achieved.
Amer Fakhoury Foundation Meet With US Officials In Dc
Lebanon PM holds talks in push for ‘last minute’ new government
Mikati begins non-binding govt. consultations with MPs
PSP to 'help' form govt. without joining as change MPs urge 'salvation govt.'
LF bloc says won't join new govt., urges swift election of president
Bou Saab says any govt. of specialists must be named by politicians
Bassil: Audit won't die as long as President is behind it
Kataeb urges govt. within 2 weeks as Franjieh calls on FPM to cede energy portfolio
Corona - MoPH: 752 new coronavirus infections, one death
Thrilling Memoirs in a Conquered Capital/Ghassan Charbel/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022

Titles For Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 27-28/2022
Iraqi-Iranian Agreement on ‘Achieving Stability in the Middle East’
Iran, US to resume nuclear talks in Qatar this week
10 dead, 250 hurt in toxic gas leak at Jordan port
Israeli FM Under Pressure to Support an Int’l Deal with Iran
Cyberattack Forces Iran Steel Company to Halt Production
NATO to Massively Increase High-readiness Forces to 300,000
G-7 Set to Back Pursuing Russian Oil Price Cap, Tariff Hikes
UN: Ukraine War Could Boost Illegal Drug Production
Zelenskyy Tells G7 Summit Ukraine Forces Face Urgent Moment
UK Presses on with Brexit Rules Rewrite; EU Calls it Illegal
North Korea Says US is Setting Up Asian NATO; Vows Stronger Defense
Afghan Quake Survivors Without Food and Shelter as Aid Trickles in

Titles For LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 27-28/2022
U.S.-Backed Gas Deal Will Benefit Assad Regime/David Adesnik/ Policy Brief/June 27/2022 |
Taiwan's Message for China: We Have a Nuke-Like Weapon/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./June 27/2022
What Middle East Does Biden Want?/Sam Menassa/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
A Middle East NATO/Tariq Al-Homayed/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
Biden’s Upcoming Trip to the Region/Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
Iran’s henchmen stage a coup in Baghdad/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/June 27/2022
Iran’s weaknesses exposed by Israeli security infiltrations/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/June 27/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 27-28/2022
Abu Arz: We remind Ismail Haniyeh that the slogan “No Palestinian will remain on the land of Lebanon” will remain in effect until it is achieved.
Statement issued by the Guardians of the Cedars Party – the Lebanese National Movement
June 27/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/109663/%d8%a3%d8%a8%d9%88-%d8%a3%d8%b1%d8%b2-%d9%86%d8%b0%d9%83%d9%91%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b9%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%87%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a9%d9%8b-%d8%a8%d8%a3%d9%86-%d8%b4%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d9%84/
unwanted visitor
On our land, there is a visitor with a heavy shadow, who heads a terrorist organization called “Hamas”. The petty Lebanese leaders raced to receive him and take souvenir photos beside him.
He inspected the Palestinian camps, where he was cheered and carried by the Palestinians on shoulders. H promised them the liberation of Jerusalem (from his headquarters in Qatar) and the imminent return, under the illusion that he was Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi. He proudly roamed the streets of Sidon as if he was a family member, met the city’s activities and delivered a fiery speech in which he threatened Israel to flood it with a barrage of rockets launched from our land at a rate of 150 rockets every five minutes.
It was forgotten by this conceited conqueror that such stupid rhetorical arrogance sparked a fierce war against Lebanon that ended with the elimination of what was called the Palestinian cause.
And he also forgot that our land is not loose, as it seems to him and to many others, because the Lebanon state that has relinquished its sovereignty of its land and its decision is not Lebanon, the people who are forever clinging to its absolute sovereignty over its land and its decision.
Finally, we remind him that the slogan “No Palestinian will remain on the land of Lebanon” will remain in effect until it is achieved.
#Labeik_Lebanon
#Abu_rice #Etienne_Saqr

Amer Fakhoury Foundation Meet With US Officials In Dc
June 27/2022
AFF Delegation Discusses Accountability for Families of American Hostages
Washington, DC – Amer Fakhoury Foundation (AFF) visited the US Capitol to discuss accountability for families of American hostages in the Senate and the State Department. AFF delegation met with the office of Senator Shaheen (D-NH), the office of Senator Cruz (R-TX), a member of the Republican Study Committee in Congress, and officials at the State Department. Discussions focused on holding foreign officials accountable for the mistreatment of Americans held hostage and illegally detained overseas. AFF focussed on the importance of accountability in order to stop foreign officials from illegally detaining innocent American Citizens for their own benefits. AFF discussed their leading efforts in the fight for accountability as a family of a US hostage. AFF also discussed the Middle East and the control of Hezbollah in Lebanon especially following their victory in the most recent election.
Finally AFF shared with US officials the threats and intimidation their family have been receiving due to their fight for accountability for the death of their father Amer Fakhoury.

Lebanon PM holds talks in push for ‘last minute’ new government
Najia Houssari/Arab News/June 27/2022
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has held an initial round of nonbinding parliamentary consultations to discuss the formation of the country’s new government.
After the end of the consultations on June 28, Mikati is expected to submit a draft government to President Michel Aoun. The mission of the new government will be defined in a brief ministerial statement, including the urgent issues that could be accomplished in the few remaining months of Aoun’s presidency, which ends on Oct. 31.If the proposed government fails to receive Aoun’s approval, then Lebanon will face fresh political gridlock.
That scenario could further damage the country’s ability to tackle urgent issues, “because we are running out of time and crises are succeeding one another, and are getting magnified,” one political observer said.
They warned that if Aoun blocks the proposal, “it means that the term of the new government will not exceed two months.
“If we take into consideration that drafting the ministerial statement, approving it and submitting it to the parliament for the government to gain the confidence vote, then this means that the government term will be of two months and would not be expected to resolve the crises or start the necessary 27 administrative and financial reforms determined by the International Monetary Fund.”
The Development and Liberation bloc headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for “forming the government as soon as possible.”
After the bloc met Mikati, lawmaker Ali Hassan Khalil said: “We stressed the necessity of approving the financial recovery plan — which has not yet been referred to Parliament according to the constitutional procedures — while preserving the depositors’ credits in full.”
Berri’s bloc stressed the “necessity of resolving the issue of the electricity plants away from the debates that have been taking place lately, and of restructuring this sector.”Khalil said: “We did not propose the form of the government because Mikati is aware of the current balances of power, and what concerns us is that the government be efficient.”
After meeting with Mikati, Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said that he is “keen on forming the government fast in collaboration with President Aoun.”
Bou Saab, a member of the Free Patriotic Movement bloc, a Hezbollah ally, stressed the need to “form a government of political representation,” and called on the new government “to communicate with the Syrian government to resolve the crisis of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.”
The new government must repatriate Syrian refugees and revive the Kuwaiti initiative to rehabilitate Lebanon’s relations with the Gulf countries, he added.
The Lebanese Forces bloc said: “The Lebanese Forces will not participate in the new government.”Lawmaker Georges Adwan said: “We want a government that recuperates the state’s decision and that rehabilitates Lebanon’s relations with other countries.”
Adwan called on Parliament to “elect a new president of the republic as soon as possible.”The Democratic Gathering bloc, which represents the Progressive Socialist Party, declared that it would not feature in the new government. However, Taymur Jumblatt, president of the bloc, said: “We will help in forming it.”President of the Hezbollah bloc, lawmaker Mohammed Raad, said: “We are not against the participation of anybody in the government, and we tender our hand to everybody.”Before the parliamentary consultations began, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassim called for amendments to be made to the standing caretaker government “in order not to waste time and exhaust the formation of the government with conditions and counter-conditions.”
He said: “Let anybody who wants to participate in the government to do so and cooperate, or let the prime minister-designate change some ministers in order not to fall into the trap of new names, which might take a long time.”
In Sunday’s sermon, Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said that he opposed the Christian blocs’ refusal to nominate a leader of the new government during compulsory consultations last week. He called on political parties to cooperate with Mikati “away from conditions that are not adequate for this crucial period, nor for the time available to them.”
He urged the need to “form a national government fast, and focus on preparing for the election of a rescue president to save the country, for any delay would only be explained by the desire to distract us from this constitutional duty.”
The two biggest Christian parties in Lebanon, the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement, did not nominate Mikati to head the new government. Political observers fear that Aoun’s party, the FPM, will try to impose strict conditions on the formation of a new government.
After meeting with Mikati, reform lawmakers declared that they will not take part in the new government. Lawmaker Halime El-Kaakour said: “We will not participate in any quota government. We demanded a small government of independents with exceptional prerogatives.”
Independent lawmaker Abdul Rahman Bizri said: “We might be heading towards a minority parliamentary government,” adding: “As independent political powers, we had remarks on the performance of the previous governments, especially the ones that were headed by Mikati.
“Had these government made achievements we would not have reached this point. We will not obstruct, and our dealing with Mikati will be based on his handling of hot issues.”
Meanwhile, employees of the Banque Du Liban declared a warning strike for one day on Tuesday in protest against legislative prosecutions and accusations by the prosecutor general of Mount Lebanon, judge Ghada Aoun, against BDL and its employees.
The BDL syndicate threatened open strikes that would paralyze Lebanon’s banking sector, unless the Supreme Judicial Council and the minister of justice intervene to put an end to the actions of the judge.

Mikati begins non-binding govt. consultations with MPs
Naharnet/June, 27/2022
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati kicked off Monday his non-binding consultations with the parliamentary blocs over the shape of the new government. Mikati began the two-day consultations by meeting Speaker Nabih Berri in parliament. He later met with Berri's Development and Liberation bloc.
"Our stance is clear on the need form a government as soon as possible," the bloc's MP Ali Hassan Khalil announced after the meeting. "We must benefit from the time separating us from the presidential juncture and must focus on approving the financial recovery plan," he added. MP Mohammed Raad of Hezbollah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc meanwhile said that his party has no "veto" on the participation of political rivals in any new government. "We did not describe the shape of the government but we stressed that it should be an active government," Raad added.
The National Moderation bloc of Akkar meanwhile asked Mikati to be represented in the government, arguing that it represents "half of North Lebanon."MP Michel Mouawad of the North of Confrontation bloc for his part warned that "continuing with national unity governments would be a continuation of corruption." "Any reference in the ministerial statement to the army-people-resistance equation would link the fate of the Lebanese state to Hezbollah," he cautioned. And as independent MP Ghassan Skaff called for an "emergency government," the al-Ahbash bloc called for a "real salvation government."
"We call on PM-designate Mikati to form a mission-oriented government that comprises competent figures, so that it works on the negotiations with the IMF with the highest possible competency," Jamaa Islamiya's MP Imad al-Hout for his part said. Mikati also met Monday with Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, the Strong Republic bloc, the so-called change bloc, the Democratic Gathering bloc, the Independent National bloc and the Kataeb bloc. He will meet with the rest of the blocs and MPs on Tuesday. Mikati was named PM-designate on Thursday with 54 votes, as former Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Nawaf Salam received 25 votes and 46 MPs abstained from naming any candidate. The country’s two main Christian blocs – led by the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement – were among those who did not nominate any candidate. In a televised address that followed his designation, Mikati said “we must all cooperate to rescue our country and people,” while noting that his hand is extended to “everyone without exception.”“The chances are still available to rescue what should be rescued,” Mikati noted, calling on the political forces to put their differences aside. “We no longer have the luxury of time and we have wasted enough time,” the PM-designate warned, cautioning against “drowning in conditions and demands.”“We are now before the challenge of full collapse or gradual salvation,” Mikati went on to say, adding that the government must “cooperate with parliament to pass the needed reforms.”

PSP to 'help' form govt. without joining as change MPs urge 'salvation govt.'
Naharnet /June, 27/2022
The Progressive Socialist Party-led Democratic Gathering bloc announced Monday that it “will not take part” in the new government but will rather “help in forming” it. The stance was voiced by MP Taymour Jumblat following talks with PM-designate Najib Mikati as part of the non-binding consultations for forming a new government.“We wished the PM-designate success in his mission,” Jumblat added. The so-called change MPs, who emerged from the October 17 uprising, meanwhile called for the formation of a “small salvation government” that would have “extraordinary powers.”“It would have to distribute the losses in a fair way and to carry out rescue missions,” MP Halima Qaaqour said on behalf of the aforementioned MPs. “We told the PM-designate that he bears responsibility for what has happened” in the country, and “we won't take part in any quotas government or a national unity government,” Qaaqour added.

LF bloc says won't join new govt., urges swift election of president
Naharnet/June, 27/2022 
The Lebanese Forces-led Strong Republic bloc announced Monday that it will not take part in the new government that the PM-designate Najib Mikati intends to form. “We will not take part in the government, seeing as the conditions we have announced cannot be implemented in the last three months of this (presidential) tenure,” MP George Adwan said on behalf of the bloc, after meeting Mikati as part of the non-binding parliamentary consultations. n“Our conditions would be represented in a government that would restore the state’s decisions in all matters, because with such a government restoring ties with the foreign countries becomes possible,” Adwan added. Stressing that “no ministerial portfolio should be exclusively allotted to a certain sect or party,” the MP emphasized that any new government should not be a “mini-parliament” because that would prevent accountability. “We hope parliament will elect a new president for the republic as soon as possible, because then it would be possible to implement all the conditions that we mentioned,” Adwan added. Asked about the so-called army-people-resistance equation, the MP said: “Our equation is people-state-army.”

Bou Saab says any govt. of specialists must be named by politicians
Naharnet/June, 27/2022 
Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab said Monday that the new government “can consist of specialists,” but that “they should be named by politicians.” “Political participation in the government has become a fait accompli, seeing as the notion that ‘the existent MPs do not represent the street’ fell after the parliamentary elections,” Bou Saab said after meeting PM-designate Najib Mikati as part of the non-binding consultations that the latter began Monday with the parliamentary blocs. “I sensed that the PM-designate intends to cooperate with the President,” Bou Saab added. “The new government must re-establish normal relations with the Arab countries, the GCC and the international community, and the Kuwaiti initiative must be revived,” he went on to say. Bou Saab also said that he asked that the government be formed quickly and that he called for “continuing the discussion of the reformist files.”

Bassil: Audit won't die as long as President is behind it
Naharnet /June, 27/2022
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil stressed Monday that the forensic audit into the central bank’s accounts “will not die.”“More than two years have passed since the government approved the forensic audit into the central bank! Despite all the obstacles, difficulties and procrastination, the Alvarez & Marsal firm has become in Lebanon and is ready to start its work today,” Bassil tweeted. “They have 12 weeks to deliver the preliminary report. Only God knows what we will discover… The audit will not die as long as the President (Michel Aoun) is behind it,” Bassil stressed.

Kataeb urges govt. within 2 weeks as Franjieh calls on FPM to cede energy portfolio
Naharnet/June, 27/2022 
The Kataeb parliamentary bloc on Monday called on PM-designate Najib Mikati to “submit his government line-up within two weeks,” as MP Tony Franjieh of the Independent National bloc called on the Free Patriotic Movement to allow another party to be in charge of the energy ministerial portfolio. “Waiting would be a collective crime committed by the political parties against the people… and the PM-designate must submit his government line-up within two weeks,” Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel said after meeting Mikati during the non-binding consultations. President Michel Aoun and Mikati “should shoulder their responsibilities should the obstruction continue,” Gemayel added. Warning that “the state’s disintegration cannot wait for four months,” Gemayel said his bloc told Mikati that it is “not concerned with taking part in a government that resembles the previous governments.”“We call for forming a government as soon as possible,” Gemayel added. Franjieh meanwhile said that “the energy ministry is a priority, the same as the education ministry.”“We won’t demand these two portfolios, but we hope those who will handle them will be at the level of responsibility,” Franjieh added, calling on the FPM to allow another party to be in charge of the energy portfolio. “The economic plan contains a lot of positive points… and we want a plan that protects the weak,” Franjieh went on to say, noting that his bloc’s priorities are “totally not related to taking part in the government or not.”
“We do not reject participation but we’re not also calling for it,” he added.

Corona - MoPH: 752 new coronavirus infections, one death
NNA/June, 27/2022  
Lebanon has recorded 752 new coronavirus cases and one death in the last 24 hours, as reported by the Ministry of Public Health on Monday.

Thrilling Memoirs in a Conquered Capital
Ghassan Charbel/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
The second episode of late Prime Minister Saeb Salam’s memoirs, which was published by Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday, awakened memories of the Lebanese summer of 1982, with its horrors and resounding repercussions. It was a dramatic phase, and it is not possible to understand what happened in Lebanon and the Palestinian issue without stopping at it lengthily.
The scenes were unprecedented and unbearable. The sight of Israeli tanks encircling the first Arab capital and subsequently invading it. The stubborn image of Yasser Arafat’s keffiyeh in a city that bleeds under the sound of air raids and artillery shells… The scene of Arafat leading what he called “the longest Arab-Israeli war” and then leaving by sea, refusing to exit the country by land to Syria… The scene of the Lebanese Parliament electing Bashir Gemayel as President of the Republic, who will lie in the grave before he takes over the reins of the palace… The image of a wounded but resilient capital, hoping for a less cruel future.It was the summer of fates. Arafat left with the victory sign, but the PLO actually lost its last position on the Arab-Israeli line of contact. This loss will be a major reason for going to Madrid and then to Oslo.
Bashir Gemayel was assassinated. Fighting would erupt later between the heirs, including Michel Aoun, the current president, who in that summer was an officer who had great admiration for Bashir and his policies before sailing, decades later, towards another direction. Lebanon will subsequently be torn apart under the beat of the “Mountain war”, the “war of the camps”, the “wars of the general” and many other wars.
Iran, which was mired in its war with Iraq, will seize the opportunity of the Lebanese summer, taking advantage of the absence of Egypt and the exit of Syria from Beirut. Hezbollah will be born, and will later leave its mark on the Lebanese destiny and on the fate of more than one Arab country. During that time, a prominent Beiruti figure, named Saeb Salam, played an important role in alleviating the sufferings of the capital, after countless arguments with many politicians. Saeb Salam is lucky to have left before the season of great humiliation. He did not see a Lebanese digging in the garbage to stave off hunger, nor mothers heartbroken in front of grocery shops. He did not see the capital swinging between the darkness of electricity and the gloom of politicians. He was not saddened by the theft of citizens’ deposits, which the most skilled mafias and organized crime gangs were unable to commit. He did not witness the collapse of institutions and the disintegration of bonds. He did not see the state scattered and the palaces vacant, despite the statements of their residents. He did not see how they emptied homes of their youth, how they killed the universities, the hospitals and the hotels… How they shut all windows of hope.
He did not hear the screams of hopeless people, who fell from the “death boats” and lingered at the bottom of the sea. He did not see the witches and clowns repeating their same old tricks. He is not aware that Lebanon has become a forgotten island, unable to meet the conditions of begging aid from the International Monetary Fund.
Saeb Salam is lucky. We can imagine the extent of the pain that he would have suffered if he were to live to these days… Among all titles, he chose to be called “the ancient Beiruti.” Saeb Salam was born in 1905 and disappeared at the beginning of the current century. He was an important partner and a great witness in a thrilling and sad story called Lebanon. He spent thirteen years under Ottoman rule. He lived the days of the Mandate and participated in the Battle of Independence. He assumed the role of prime minister in four presidential terms. Outside the government and parliament, he was a leader who felt the pulse of the capital. It is no exaggeration to say that he was one of the symbols of the city, with his frank and daring stances, his outstretched hand, and his generosity. The days have shown that he was among a minority of men who were greater than their offices and titles. He did not hesitate to go against the prevailing winds when he considered that the interest of the nation required opposing them. He did not allow the seat of the prime minister to turn into an obsession that justifies accepting weakness or dictates. When begging for offices, positions and safety became a common habit, he preferred exile.
A journalist learns more from some of his interlocutors than from books. Saeb Salam, with his positions, successes and failures, was like a notebook in which the story of Lebanon was written. It is a difficult story because Lebanon was born out of a complicated equation between its sects and regions.
In an interview I had with him, Salam did not hesitate to openly express his feelings of rejection as a young man - similar to the majority of people in his sect - when the birth of Greater Lebanon was announced as a result of the annexation of districts belonging to Syria to Mount Lebanon in order to invent the Lebanese entity. He also did not hesitate to declare that after joining the Lebanese scene, he did not accept that there would be someone more Lebanese than him.
I asked Saeb Salam about the slogans he used, which are the most famous in the history of Lebanon, and he replied:
“They say he has slogans. The truth is that those are the fruit of experience and expertise. Was I wrong when I raised the slogan, ‘One Lebanon, not Two’? A divided Lebanon does not have the means to live and sustain. I spoke of ‘understanding and agreement’. Each side must listen to the other side’s concerns to move from understanding to agreement. “I raised the slogan, ‘No winner or loser’, after the 1958 revolution. I remember that Kamal Jumblatt, may God have mercy on him, criticized me a lot for it. Didn’t experience show that the pillars of Lebanon are shaken when one party feels dominant and the other feels defeated? Lebanon’s composition is sensitive. You cannot defeat your partner just because you overthrow the justifications for his presence.”Salam emphasized the need for the Lebanese to gather around their state, rather than sharing and despoiling it. He recounted that during the Israeli siege of Beirut, Yasser Arafat asked about the elements of steadfastness in terms of weapons and money, adding that the Palestinian leader expressed his willingness to open the reserves of the Lebanese Central Bank, saying that the money could be returned later. Salam’s rejection was strong and unequivocal.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 27-28/2022
Iraqi-Iranian Agreement on ‘Achieving Stability in the Middle East’
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on Sunday. “We have agreed to work together to bring stability and calm to the region,” Kadhimi said in a joint televised news conference with Raisi. “Dialogue with regional officials can resolve the regional issues without foreign intervention,” Raisi said. Kadhimi arrived in Tehran after visiting Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah to discuss regional and bilateral issues. The premier is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising political and economic officials. According to a statement carried by the Iraq News Agency (INA), the meeting reiterated commitment to supporting the armistice in Yemen and reinforcing peace efforts there. It also affirmed that a peace solution for the Yemeni crisis must stem from the internal will of Yemenis. “We also agreed to make joint efforts to meet the challenges of food security posed by the Ukraine war,” said Raisi, according to Iran’s presidential website. “Good bilateral and regional relations between Iraq and Iran can be very effective in role-playing of the two countries in the region and international issues,” added the president. Raisi stressed the need to resolve the problems of the Yemeni people as soon as possible and establish a ceasefire in the country. “Lifting the siege of Yemen and the Yemenis, and the Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue can solve the problems of this country and end the suffering of Yemeni people,” said Raisi. “Without a doubt, the continuation of this war is fruitless and will not result in anything but the suffering of the Yemeni people, so this war must be ended as soon as possible and the ceasefire can be a step towards resolving the issues,” he added. “Iran and Iraq emphasize the need for peace and stability in the region and we believe that peace in the region happens through the role-playing of the officials of all countries in the region and the presence of foreigners in the region will not solve any problem, but instead will add to the problems,” warned Raisi.

Iran, US to resume nuclear talks in Qatar this week
Agence France Presse/Monday, 27 June, 2022
Iran and the United States plan to resume indirect talks this week in a Gulf country, in a fresh bid to revive the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, both sides said Monday. They did not name a country, but Iranian state media said the negotiations would be held in Qatar. The talks will be separate from broader EU-mediated negotiations in Vienna between Iran and major powers, the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell said Saturday in Tehran. The nuclear deal has been hanging by a thread since 2018, when then U.S. president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it and began reimposing harsh economic sanctions on America's arch enemy. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has sought to return to the agreement, saying it would be the best path ahead with the Islamic republic, although it has voiced growing pessimism in recent weeks. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Monday the talks would focus on the lifting of U.S. sanctions and be held "in a Persian Gulf country in the coming days, later this week."Iran's Tasnim news agency, quoting an unnamed foreign ministry source, reported separately that Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri would visit Qatar on Tuesday for "negotiations on lifting sanctions," and that the U.S.-Iranian indirect talks would be held there. In Washington, a State Department spokesperson confirmed that the talks would take place this week in the Gulf, also without specifying the country. "We are grateful to our EU partners, who continue to convey messages and are working to advance these negotiations," the spokesperson said. "We are prepared to immediately conclude and implement the deal we negotiated in Vienna for mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA," he said, referring to the deal's formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"But for that, Iran needs to decide to drop their additional demands that go beyond the JCPOA."
Key role for Qatar -
Qatar, which has better relations with Tehran than most Gulf Arab monarchies, has sought a role as a diplomatic hub, earlier helping arrange talks between Washington and the Taliban before the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Khatibzadeh voiced hope for "positive results" from the talks. "What we will do in the coming days does not concern the nuclear dimension but existing differences (and) the lifting of sanctions," Khatibzadeh said. "If Washington comes with answers, then we can do the work quickly... The ball is in Washington's court."Talks to revive the nuclear deal began in Vienna in April last year but hit a snag in March this year amid differences between Tehran and Washington, notably over a demand by Iran that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be removed from a US terror list. During the Vienna talks, Iran also repeatedly called for U.S. guarantees that there will be no repeat of Trump's pullout. The Biden administration says that ending Trump's blacklisting of the Revolutionary Guards -- a step sure to outrage much of Congress -- falls out of the purview of talks to restore the nuclear accord. In a step to address concerns raised when Trump made the move in 2019, the Biden administration said last week that Iranians who were previously forced to serve in the Revolutionary Guards would not be denied entry into the U.S.

Israel, Arab countries deepen cooperation ahead of Biden visit
Agence France Presse/Monday, 27 June, 2022
The United States, Israel and four Arab countries agreed to closer cooperation and annual foreign ministers' meetings on Monday, two weeks before President Joe Biden's first visit to the Middle East. Bahrain, host of the six-way talks, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco all opened ties with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, while Egypt made peace with the Jewish state in 1979. Monday's meeting follows a foreign ministers' summit in the Negev desert in March, and comes ahead of Biden's visit to Israel, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16. "We're trying to build a new regional framework... and tangible initiatives that can put flesh on the bones of the Negev forum," said Yael Lempert, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Working groups will investigate cooperation in six areas, including security, clean energy and food and water security. A joint statement also expressed the group's support for a negotiated settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "It's a very holistic approach, towards trying to advance this goal of building a new architecture that really has meaningful results," Lempert told reporters. Foreign ministers from the six countries are expected to meet annually and the next ministerial talks should take place later this year, the statement said. The Manama meeting is part of a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region ahead of Biden's visit, which Washington has played up as a boost for regional ties. The U.S. president has drawn heavy criticism over the trip, which contradicts his description of Saudi Arabia as a "pariah" over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. His visit to the world's top oil exporter follows a sharp rise in crude prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, causing pain for US voters and economies around the world. Among the rash of official visits, Saudi's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week was in Turkey for the first time since Khashoggi's killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Iraq's prime minister was in Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Qatar's emir visited Cairo for the first time since the countries restored relations following a Saudi-led rift. On Monday, Egyptian flags fluttered in the Bahraini capital ahead of the visit of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is expected in the kingdom after a trip to Oman. The UAE and Bahrain forged ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, brokered by former U.S. president Donald Trump, and later Morocco re-established relations with the Jewish state. The Abraham Accords infuriated the Palestinians, who argued that they marked a betrayal of a decades-old Arab consensus to isolate Israel until it agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state, with its capital in east Jerusalem.

10 dead, 250 hurt in toxic gas leak at Jordan port
Associated Press/Monday, 27 June, 2022
A poisonous gas leak in Jordan's southern port city of Aqaba on Monday killed at least 10 people and injured some 250, authorities said.The Public Security Directorate said a gas tank sprung a leak while being transported. It did not identify the contents of the tanker.
The directorate said authorities sealed off the area after evacuating the injured to hospitals and sent specialists in to deal with the leak. The directorate said 10 people were killed and 251 injured. State-run al-Mamlaka TV said 199 were still being treated in hospitals.
Dr. Jamal Obeidat, a local health official, urged people to stay inside and close windows and doors. The nearest residential area is 25 kilometers away.

Israeli FM Under Pressure to Support an Int’l Deal with Iran
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who will head the caretaker government this week, is under pressure from the army and the Mossad leadership regarding the official position on US efforts to reach a new international nuclear agreement with Iran, according to political sources in Tel Aviv. The army wanted a change in position as most military leaders supported a return to the nuclear deal, while the Mossad urged him to maintain his current stance and be more stringent. Right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper reported that most Israeli army leaders support a return to the agreement. It mentioned the names of the most prominent supporters: Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi and senior officers from the Military Intelligence Directorate and Iran desk. They believe returning to the nuclear deal with Iran will maintain a joint position with the US administration and provide Israel with time to prepare a real military option against Tehran's nuclear project. However, Mossad leaders feared that the army would be able to change Lapid's opinion, altering Israel's official stance. They believe the current policy should not be changed, saying that opposing the agreement and carrying out operations against the Iranian nuclear project is more effective.
It is known that the Israeli government, led by Naftali Bennett, had changed the official approach of Benjamin Netanyahu's government in dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. Bennett chose not to openly confront the Biden administration on the issue, unlike Netanyahu, who accused Washington of collaborating with Tehran. Differences between Bennett's government and the White House were kept secret and only announced within the framework of coordination with Washington, intending to pressure Iran. The Israeli army joined the US Central Command (Centcom) last year, significantly changing the Israeli position on the matter. Tel Aviv realized the importance of rapprochement with Washington, which allowed it to join a regional alliance against Iran and its aggressive plans. The Israeli army participated in dozens of military exercises with the US forces at various levels, exchanged expertise, and opened new horizons for direct and indirect support for Israeli military operations against Iran. The army attempted to convince Bennett and Lapid to support the nuclear deal because it wanted to avoid any disagreements with the US, which was rejected by the Mossad leaders, who insisted on maintaining the hardline Israeli stance. According to sources, Mossad is responsible for the military assassinations of several Iranian nuclear scientists and Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials. The Mossad officials met with Lapid before he became interim prime minister, asking him to uphold Israel's position on the nuclear deal, especially with the resumption of negotiations. The sources indicated that Lapid would formulate his government's position before the visit of US President Joe Biden, scheduled for July 13. Lapid will consult the leaders of the two security services, the army, and the Mossad. According to Mossad leaders, changing the current official Israeli policy is unacceptable, and "Israel cannot be a partner in a bad agreement" for the short term. Other sources noted that Mossad leaders do not hesitate to interfere in the cabinet's internal political affairs. They want Bennett to be in charge of the Iranian file in Lapid's government. They stressed that Bennett would be the alternate prime minister, but he would assume practical and executive responsibility in the transitional government. Bennett wants to be "the minister responsible for the Iranian issue," and Mossad would like to see him assume that position because he supports it. The sources believe Bennett may have demanded to retain responsibility for the Iranian issue because he feared the army's pressure on Lapid.

Cyberattack Forces Iran Steel Company to Halt Production
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
One of Iran's biggest steel companies said on Monday it was forced to halt production after being hit by a cyberattack, apparently marking one of the biggest such assaults on the country's strategic industrial sector in recent memory. The state-owned Khuzestan Steel Company said in a statement that experts had determined the firm was unable to continue operations “due to technical problems and will be closed until further notice” following “cyberattacks.” The company's website appeared to be out of service, The Associated Press reported. The company did not blame any specific group for the assault, which constitutes just the latest example of an attack targeting the country's services in recent weeks. Iran has previously accused the United States and Israel for cyberattacks that have targeted and crippled the country's infrastructure.Khuzestan Steel Company, based in Ahvaz in southwestern Iran, has a monopoly on steel production in Iran along with two other major state-owned firms.

NATO to Massively Increase High-readiness Forces to 300,000
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
NATO will increase the number of its forces at high readiness massively to over 300,000, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday. "We will transform the NATO response force and increase the number of our high readiness forces to well over 300,000," he told reporters ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid later this week in Madrid. NATO's quick reaction force, the NATO response force, so far has some 40,000 troops. At the Madrid summit, NATO will also change its language on Russia that in the alliance's last strategy from 2010 was still described as a strategic partner. "That will not be the case in the strategic concept that we will agree in Madrid," Reuters quoted Stoltenberg as saying. "I expect that allies will state clearly that Russia poses a direct threat to our security, to our values, to the rules-based international order."

G-7 Set to Back Pursuing Russian Oil Price Cap, Tariff Hikes
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
The Group of Seven economic powers are set to commit themselves to supporting Ukraine for the long haul, with the US preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv. Leaders are also set to announce an agreement to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose new sanctions on hundreds of officials and entities supporting the four month long war. Leaders were finalizing the deal to seek a price cap during their three-day summit in the German Alps, where they conferred by video link with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The details of how a price cap would work, as well as its impact on the Russian economy, were to be resolved by the G-7 finance ministers in the coming weeks and months, according to a senior administration official spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcements from the G-7 leaders’ summit. The largest democratic economies will also commit to raising tariffs on Russian imports to their countries, with the US announcing new tariffs on 570 categories of goods, as well as use of sanctions to target Russia’s defense supply chains that support its effort to rearm during the war, The Associated Press said. Biden is set to announce that the US is providing an advanced surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine, as well as additional artillery support, according to a person familiar with the matter, in the latest assistance meant to help the country defend against Russia’s bloody invasion. The US is purchasing NASAMS, a Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system, to provide medium- to long-range defense, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. NASAMS is the same system used by the US to protect the sensitive airspace around the White House and US Capitol in Washington. Additional aid includes more ammunition for Ukrainian artillery, as well as counter-battery radars, to support its efforts against the Russian assault in the Donbas, the person said. Biden is also announcing a $7.5 billion commitment to help Ukraine's government meet its expenses, as part of a drawdown of the $40 billion military and economic aid package he signed into law last month.
The G-7 leaders began Monday's session of their three-day summit with a focus on Ukraine. Later, they will be joined by the leaders of five democratic emerging economies — India, Indonesia, South Africa, Senegal and Argentina — for a discussion on climate change, energy and other issues. The war in Ukraine was already at the forefront of the G-7 leaders' minds as they opened their summit at the secluded Schloss Elmau luxury hotel on Sunday — just as Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv for the first time in weeks. Biden said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has been counting on, from the beginning, that somehow NATO and the G-7 would splinter, but we haven’t and we’re not going to.” Britain’s Boris Johnson warned the leaders not to give in to “fatigue.”Biden hopes to use his trip to Europe to proclaim the unity of the coalition pressing to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine as much as he is urging allies to do even more — seeking to counter doubts about its endurance as the war grinds into its fifth month. The summit's host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said last week that he wants to discuss the outlines of a “Marshall plan for Ukraine” with his G-7 counterparts, referring to the US-sponsored plan that helped revive European economies after World War II. With the war still in progress and destruction mounting by the day, it's unlikely to be a detailed plan at this stage. Scholz has said that “rebuilding Ukraine will be a task for generations.”The G-7 already is committed to help finance Ukraine's immediate needs. Finance ministers from the group last month agreed to provide $19.8 billion in economic aid to help Kyiv keep basic services functioning and prevent tight finances from hindering its defense against Russian forces. A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations between the G-7 leaders, said the US and Europe are aligned in their aims for a negotiated end to the conflict, even if their roles sometimes appear different. Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have tried to facilitate that through active conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, while also supplying weapons to Ukraine. The US has largely cut off significant talks with Russia and aims to bolster Ukraine’s battlefield capacity as much as possible so that its eventual position at the negotiating table is stronger. The endurance of the tough sanctions on Russia may ultimately come down to whether the G-7 and other leaders can identify ways to ease energy supply issues and skyrocketing prices once winter hits, as they seek to disengage from Russian sources of fuel. The G-7 meeting is sandwiched between a European Union summit last week that agreed to give Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership — kicking off a process that is likely to take years with no guarantee of success — and a summit of NATO leaders starting Tuesday in Madrid. The leaders of the G-7 — the US, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Canada and Japan — may hope to make some progress in bringing their counterparts from their five guest countries closer to Western views on sanctions against Russia. Scholz also is eager to win over such countries for his idea of a “climate club” for nations that want to speed ahead when it comes to tackling the issue.

UN: Ukraine War Could Boost Illegal Drug Production
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
The war in Ukraine could allow illegal drug production to flourish, while the opium market's future hinges on the fate of crisis-wracked Afghanistan, the United Nations warned Monday. Previous experience from the Middle East and Southeast Asia suggests conflict zones can act as a "magnet" for making synthetic drugs, which can be manufactured anywhere, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its annual report. "This effect may be greater when the conflict area is near large consumer markets." The UNODC said the number of dismantled amphetamine laboratories in Ukraine rose from 17 in 2019 to 79 in 2020, the highest number of seized laboratories reported in any country in 2020, reported AFP. Ukraine's capacity to produce synthetic drugs could grow as the war continues, it added. "You don't have police going around and stopping laboratories" in conflict zones, UNODC expert Angela Me told AFP. The report also noted that conflict could shift and disrupt drug trafficking routes, with suggestions that trafficking in Ukraine has fallen since early 2022. The situation in Afghanistan -- which produced 86 percent of the world's opium in 2021 -- will shape the development of the opiate market, the UN report added. It said the country's humanitarian crisis could incentivize illegal opium poppy cultivation, even after the Taliban authorities banned the practice in April. "Changes in opium production in Afghanistan will have implications for opiate markets in virtually all regions of the world," the UN said. An estimated 284 million people used a drug in 2021, or one in every 18 people worldwide aged between 15 and 64, the report found. The figure was 26 percent higher than in 2010, with population growth only partially accounting for the change. Cocaine production climbed to a new record in 2020 at 1,982 tons. Although most drug consumers were men, Me said women heavily used amphetamine type stimulants and were under-represented in treatment. "For them, it's a double stigma. Going there is also to expose themselves," she told AFP. "We have put a recommendation on safety and how to ensure that the centers have the possibility to welcome children." The UNODC report was based on information gathered from member states, its own sources, and analyzing institutional reports, the media and open-source material.

Zelenskyy Tells G7 Summit Ukraine Forces Face Urgent Moment
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday underscored the urgency of helping his country’s military improve its position against Russia in a video meeting with leading economic powers, who in turn pledged to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes." Zelenskyy addressed the delicacy of the moment for Ukraine in its war with Russia to the Group of Seven summit as the leaders of the major economies prepared to unveil plans to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose other new sanctions. In addition, the US was preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv to help Ukraine fight back against Vladimir Putin’s aggression, a day after Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv for the first time in weeks and as its military continued a full-on assault on the last remaining Ukrainian redoubt in the Luhansk region in the east. Ukrainian officials stressed the need for air-defense systems after Russia launched a missile attack on a crowded shopping center in the central city of Kremenchuk on Monday. Officials said 1,000 civilians were in the mall with at least twenty injured and two dead. The new aid and efforts by the G7 leaders to punish Moscow come as Zelenskyy has openly worried that the West has become fatigued by the cost of a war that is contributing to soaring energy costs and price hikes on essential goods around the globe. The Ukrainian leader discussed his strategy for the course of the war, which has transformed into a bloody artillery battle in the country's west and east. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Zelenskyy’s top request was for further air defense systems, followed by economic support to help his government meet its financial obligations. Zelenskyy also briefed the G7 leaders on how his administration is using the assistance he’s received to date "to maximize Ukraine’s capacity both to resist Russian advances, and to pursue counter attacks where possible," Sullivan said.
Sullivan added that the Ukrainian leader was "very much focused on trying to ensure that Ukraine is in as advantageous a position on the battlefield as possible" in coming months because "he believes that a grinding conflict is not in the interest of the Ukrainian people."Zelenskyy also told the leaders that he needs to be in stronger position before engaging in peace talks with Russia, according to a senior French diplomat, who spoke under condition of anonymity in line with the French presidency’s customary practices. After hearing from Zelenskyy, the leaders pledged in a statement to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes." They said it is up to Ukraine to decide on a future peace settlement. Leaders were also finalizing the deal to seek a price cap. G7 finance ministers will resolve details of how it would work, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview announcements from the summit. Some market analysts doubt how effective a price cap on Russian oil would be, as enforcement by the G7 would likely depend on cooperation from India and China. "It is questionable whether countries like India and China will agree to cease purchasing Russian oil, especially as it is trading at a significant discount on the global market price," said Carsten Fritsch, a commodities analyst at Commerzbank. The largest democratic economies will also commit to raising tariffs on Russian imports to their countries, with the US announcing new tariffs on 570 categories of goods. President Joe Biden on Tuesday increased the tax to 35% on certain Russian-made goods. Biden is expected to soon announce the US is purchasing NASAMS, a Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system, to provide medium- to long-range defense for Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. NASAMS is the same system used by the US to protect the sensitive airspace around the White House and US Capitol in Washington. Additional aid includes more ammunition for Ukrainian artillery, as well as counter-battery radars, to help counter the Russian assault in the Donbas, the person said. Biden is also announcing a $7.5 billion commitment to help Ukraine's government meet its expenses, as part of a drawdown of the $40 billion military and economic aid package he signed into law last month.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is hosting the summit in the German Alps, said after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that "we are taking tough decisions, that we are also cautious, that we will help ... Ukraine as much as possible but that we also avoid that there will be a big conflict between Russia and NATO." Britain's Boris Johnson said that, under the circumstances, the G7 has to "continue to help the Ukrainians to rebuild their economy, to get their grain out, to export their grain, and, of course, we have to help them to protect themselves. And that’s what we’re going to continue to do." In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance will increase the size of its rapid reaction forces nearly eightfold to 300,000 troops as part of its response to an "era of strategic competition." The NATO response force currently has about 40,000 soldiers, which can deploy quickly when needed. Stoltenberg commented before he opens a NATO summit Tuesday in Madrid. The organization's 30 member countries are expected to also agree on further support for Ukraine.
The G7 already is committed to help finance Ukraine's immediate needs and plans support to rebuild its economy long term. Finance ministers from the group last month agreed to provide $19.8 billion in economic aid to help Kyiv keep basic services functioning and continue its defense against Russian forces. A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations among G7 leaders, said the US and Europe are aligned in their aims for a negotiated end to the conflict, even if the nature of their outreach differs.
Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have held active conversations with Putin and Zelenskyy. The US has largely cut off significant talks with Russia.

UK Presses on with Brexit Rules Rewrite; EU Calls it Illegal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
Britain is ramping up a feud with the European Union by pressing on with a plan to rip up parts of the post-Brexit trade deal it signed with the bloc. Legislation that rewrites trade rules for Northern Ireland is scheduled to get its first major House of Commons debate on Monday, the first step on what could be a rocky journey through Parliament, The Associated Press said. The legislation, if approved by lawmakers, would remove checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, thereby scrapping parts of a trade treaty that Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed before Britain left the EU in 2020. The British government says the rules are burdening businesses and undermining peace in Northern Ireland. It argues the unilateral move is justified under international law because of the “genuinely exceptional situation.”Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said Sunday that the aim was to “fix,” rather than throw out, the trade agreement, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. Johnson’s opponents, however, say the move is illegal and will shred Britain’s international reputation. It is also causing concern among some of the prime minister's fellow Conservatives, already worried about Johnson’s judgment — and popularity — following a series of ethics scandals and two special election defeats. The EU has threatened to retaliate, raising the specter of a trade war between the two major economic partners. The bloc’s ambassador to Britain, Joao Vale de Almeida, said Britain’s plan was “illegal because it is a breach of international law, a breach of EU law, UK law and international law.”“It is a treaty that we signed, ratified and even went through a general election in this country,” he told Times Radio. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a border with an EU country, Ireland. When Britain left the European Union and its borderless free-trade zone, the two sides agreed to keep the Irish land border free of customs posts and other checks because an open border is a key pillar of the peace process that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland. Instead, to protect the EU’s single market, there are checks on some goods, such as meat and eggs, entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK Johnson’s Conservative government claims overzealous EU implementation means the rules are not working as expected and are causing a political crisis in Northern Ireland. British unionists there say the checks are fraying the bonds between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, seen by some unionists as a threat to their British identity. Northern Ireland’s main unionist party is blocking the formation of a new power-sharing government in Belfast, saying it won’t take part until the Brexit trade rules are scrapped. “I want to see the reestablishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive, and the protocol is getting in the way of that,” Lewis told Sky News. “We have got to resolve that. That’s what this legislation will do. “Ultimately, we want to do this by agreement with the EU,” he added. “But to do that, they need to show some flexibility and actually come and negotiate in a flexible way.”

North Korea Says US is Setting Up Asian NATO; Vows Stronger Defense
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
North Korea has accused the United States of setting up a military alliance like NATO in Asia, saying the unwavering US aim to oust North Korea's government compelled it to develop stronger defenses. The North Korean criticism comes amid concern it could be preparing its first nuclear test in five years and after a recent agreement between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden to deploy more US weapons if deemed necessary to deter the North. "While blatantly holding joint military exercises with Japan and South Korea, the United States is making a full-fledged move to establish an Asia-style NATO," North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on its website on Sunday. It was referring to recent military exercises conducted by US, South Korean and Japanese forces, Reuters reported. The United States also held exercises with South Korean forces that involved a US aircraft carrier, for the first time in more than four years. North Korea, which has been conducting regular missile tests this year, repeated its assertion that such drills were preparation for war aimed at overthrowing it. "This proves the hypocrisy of the US rhetoric of 'diplomatic engagement' and 'dialogue without preconditions', while at the same time revealing again that there is no change in the US ambition to overthrow our system by force," the North Korean ministry said. It did not refer explicitly to its nuclear or missile programs but said US hostility compelled it to develop its defenses. "The reality ... makes us feel the need to make all-out efforts to develop even stronger power to be able to subdue all kinds of hostile acts by the United States," it said. The United States is insisting that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons and has repeatedly offered to meet North Korean officials "at any time without preconditions" to discuss the issue. North Korea has rebuffed the offers. The North Korean criticism came a day before South Korea's president left to attend a NATO summit in Spain, the first South Korean leader to do so. South Korea, aiming to strengthen its partnership with NATO and play a bigger global security role, plans to set up a delegation to NATO at its Brussels headquarters, South Korea's national security adviser said last week.

Afghan Quake Survivors Without Food and Shelter as Aid Trickles in
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 June, 2022
Aid trickled to devastated villages in remote parts of Afghanistan Friday but thousands of people remain with little food, shelter and water three days after the country's deadliest earthquake in decades. Wednesday's 5.9-magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged east along the border with Pakistan, as people slept, killing more than 1,000 and leaving thousands more homeless. Entire villages have been levelled in some of the worst affected districts, where survivors said they were even struggling to find equipment to bury their dead, said AFP. "The tents, food and flour we have received for a few days are not enough," said Raqim Jan, 23, near the ruins of his home in Gayan district. "Currently, it's summer, it's too hot. In two months it will be winter, and we will face severe cold. If they could repair the roofs and houses, that would be the most helpful." The area was still being roiled by aftershocks that were sending frightened locals scurrying from whatever shelter they had sought in badly damaged dwellings. One aftershock early Friday killed five people, according to Maqbool Luqmanzai, director of health in Gayan district. Aid was starting to trickle through in some areas. AFP saw seven trucks from the United Nations World Food Program trundle into the village of Wuchkai Friday morning, 24 hours after leaving Kabul, to distribute tents and emergency rations. Two Doctors Without Borders trucks also arrived with medical supplies. Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of information for Paktika province, said heavy rain and floods were hampering efforts to reach those affected. Communications have also been hit as the quake toppled mobile phone towers and power lines. The earthquake struck areas already suffering the effects of heavy rain, causing rockfalls and mudslides that wiped out hamlets perched precariously on mountain slopes. Officials say nearly 10,000 houses were destroyed, an alarming number in an area where the average household size is more than 20 people. "Seven in one room, five in the other room, four in another, and three in another have been killed in my family," Bibi Hawa told AFP from a hospital bed in the Paktika capital Sharan. At Wuchkai, a cemetery on a rise overlooking the village had 11 fresh graves -- all members of the same family. Save the Children said more than 118,000 children were impacted by the disaster. "Many children are now most likely without clean drinking water, food and a safe place to sleep," the international charity said.
UN mobilizes -
The disaster poses a huge logistical challenge for the Taliban government, which has isolated itself from much of the world by introducing hardline rule. The aid-dependent country saw the bulk of its foreign assistance cut off following the Taliban takeover last August, and even before Wednesday's disaster the United Nations warned of a humanitarian crisis that threatened the entire population. But the quake has prompted an outpouring of sympathy from abroad -- although many are wary of how any aid will be used. "The aid distribution will be transparent," government spokesman Bilal Karimi told AFP, adding "many countries have supported us and stood with us". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the global agency has "fully mobilized" to help. According to his office, refugee agency UNHCR has dispatched tents, blankets and plastic sheeting; the World Food Program has delivered food stocks for about 14,000; and the World Health Organization has provided 10 tons of medical supplies sufficient for 5,400 surgeries. Afghan government officials said Thursday that aid flights had landed from Qatar and Iran, while Pakistan had sent trucks carrying tents, medical supplies and food.
Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's emergency response teams were stretched to deal with the natural disasters that frequently strike the country. But with only a handful of airworthy planes and helicopters left since they returned to power, any immediate response to the latest catastrophe is further limited. "We hope that the International Community & aid agencies will also help our people in this dire situation," tweeted Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban official. Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Afghanistan's deadliest recent earthquake killed 5,000 in 1998 in the northeastern provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 26-27/2022
U.S.-Backed Gas Deal Will Benefit Assad Regime
David Adesnik/ Policy Brief/June 27/2022 |
At a ceremony in Beirut, the governments of Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt signed a deal on Tuesday that would bring 650 million cubic meters of Egyptian gas per year to Lebanon via Syria. The Biden administration has spent months reassuring Cairo and Beirut that the agreement would not run afoul of U.S. sanctions on the Bashar al-Assad regime, yet the sanctions expressly prohibit doing business with Damascus, regardless of whether the compensation is in cash or in kind. In December 2019, bipartisan majorities in Congress approved the human rights law known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which requires the executive branch to impose sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly support the Assad regime. During its first months in office, the Biden administration pledged to enforce the Caesar Act, yet has added only a handful of targets to the sanctions blacklist, none of them economically significant. Senior lawmakers from both parties have made clear that Congress expects the White House to isolate the Assad regime, whose atrocities continue unabated. Republicans specifically warned that Assad’s inclusion in regional energy agreements is incompatible with the Caesar Act.
Earlier this month, U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein testified that the administration had given “pre-clearance” for gas and electric power agreements involving Syria but would not make a formal determination about the applicability of sanctions until the gas deal was finalized. (The participating governments finalized the electricity deal in January.)
Hochstein attributed the slow progress of negotiations in part to the difficulty of crafting the agreement “to stay out of benefitting Assad.” He appeared to be telling lawmakers that the gas deal would be consistent with the Caesar Act if no benefits accrued to the regime. Yet Hochstein said previously that Damascus would receive compensation in kind for conveying gas and electricity to Lebanon. All told, the Assad regime will receive an estimated $40 million to $50 million worth of natural gas and electric power for serving as a conduit.
Both Hochstein and Barbara Leaf, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, have emphasized that Damascus will not receive payment in cash for its services. Yet the text of the Caesar Act makes plain that the form of payment is irrelevant to the applicability of sanctions. Section 7412 mandates sanctions on any person who “knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support” to the regime. This formulation is common in statutes that authorize sanctions. Its purpose is to clarify that categories of support other than cash or financial instruments constitute prohibited forms of assistance.
Hochstein and Leaf also underscored the importance of alleviating severe power shortages in Lebanon, where the national grid provides as little as two hours per day of electricity. Yet even by regional standards, the Lebanese power sector is exceptionally corrupt and inefficient, so it is uncertain how much everyday citizens will benefit from the agreements. In addition to requiring U.S. approval, the two deals depend on World Bank financing, which the bank has conditioned on comprehensive reform of the energy sector. The Biden administration should not pressure the bank to certify partial or cosmetic reforms as sufficient.But first, the administration itself should conduct an objective and transparent evaluation of whether the gas and power agreements are subject to the Caesar Act or other sanctions laws. So far, it has offered shifting and incomplete explanations for its belief that Caesar sanctions do not apply. Congress will likely need to exercise its oversight authorities to ensure the administration presents a coherent and legal justification for its ruling on the gas and power agreements.
*David Adesnik is research director and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he also contributes to FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP). For more analysis from David and CEFP, please subscribe HERE. Follow David on Twitter @adesnik. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CEFP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.

Taiwan's Message for China: We Have a Nuke-Like Weapon
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./June 27/2022
At least one of Taiwan's "eggs" can kill tens of millions of Chinese, perhaps more.
China's Three Gorges Dam creates a reservoir of 39.3 billion cubic meters of water on the Yangtze River and is upstream from about 400 million people. Almost 30% of China's population, therefore, is at risk of a catastrophic failure of the structure, such as one caused by a missile strike. That means Taiwan possesses a conventional weapon that packs the wallop of a nuclear one.
Now, China's regime looks as if it wants to go to war. The harsh remarks of China's Defense Minister, General Wei Fenghe, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this month, are a clear warning of hostile intent.
China has targets, and Taiwan has missiles. That translates into deterrence if Taiwan makes it clear that, in the defense of its sovereignty, it is prepared to take Chinese lives in the hundreds of millions.
Yes, we are that close to war.
China has targets, and Taiwan has missiles. Almost 30% of China's population is at risk of a catastrophic failure of the Three Gorges Dam (pictured), such as one caused by a missile strike. That translates into deterrence if Taiwan makes it clear that, in the defense of its sovereignty, it is prepared to take Chinese lives in the hundreds of millions.
On June 21, China's People's Daily reported that the United States and Taiwan were about to participate in the annual Monterey Talks. The U.S. side, China's most authoritative publication stated, was expected to offer 20 types of weapons for sale to Taiwan, "with emphasis on building 'asymmetric capability.'"
Taiwan, which the People's Republic of China claims as its 34th province, already has asymmetric capabilities, and one of them could be as powerful as a nuclear weapon.
Beijing maintains that Taiwan cannot defend itself. "Military expert Song Zhongping said it is impossible for Taiwan to form 'asymmetric capabilities,' no matter what kind of weapons it purchases from the U.S. as the gap between the military capacities of the two sides is 'too huge,'" People's Daily, a Communist Party newspaper, reported.
Taiwan is "daydreaming" if it thinks it can contain the People's Liberation Army, according to the newspaper. Why? "Asymmetric weapons are 'useless' when facing the PLA's absolute advantages."
The People's Daily report followed an unusual exchange of words between a Taiwan legislator and a Chinese official. "Taiwan of course would never invade China," said You Si-kun, the president of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, on June 12 at a virtual event. "Nor would Taiwan actively strike Beijing or the Three Gorges Dam."
"Before China attacks Taiwan," You warned, "it must consider Taiwan's existing capacity to strike Beijing." "China," he said, "should think twice."
China's Taiwan Affairs Office, through spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang, replied with a poetic image. "If they dare strike a stone with an egg, it will only accelerate their demise."
At least one of Taiwan's "eggs" can kill tens of millions of Chinese, perhaps more.
The range of Taiwan's Yun Feng cruise missile has never been publicly confirmed, but analysts believe it to be about 1,240 miles, sufficient to reach both the Chinese capital and the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest flood-control structure.
China's dam creates a reservoir of 39.3 billion cubic meters of water on the Yangtze River and is upstream from about 400 million people. Almost 30% of China's population, therefore, is at risk of a catastrophic failure of the structure, such as one caused by a missile strike. That means Taiwan possesses a conventional weapon that packs the wallop of a nuclear one.
When it comes to deterrence, however, quantity counts. "China now has significant superiority over Taiwan in terms of total combat aircraft and warships," Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center told Gatestone. "The People's Liberation Army can call on thousands of civilian barges and about 4,000 Boeing and Airbus airliners to transport the bulk of its invasion and occupation force to Taiwan."
Therefore, Taiwan, to deter China, needs thousands of missiles, perhaps tens of thousands of them. Taiwan's Yun Feng production rate has never been publicly confirmed, but it is clear that the island republic does not now possess a sufficient number of them.
The United States should have been actively encouraging Taiwan to develop missiles two decades ago, but it did not. The Obama administration even "tried to actively discourage Taiwan from acquiring such missiles," Fisher told John Batchelor's "CBS Eye on the World" radio program on the 21st of this month.
Now, the United States needs to help Taiwan improve the speed and range of its missiles and, of course, increase the number of them.
Moreover, Taiwan needs to ensure that China cannot destroy its Yun Feng missiles in an initial attack. Some of Taiwan's missiles are on vulnerable fixed launchers but most of them are on mobile ones, Fisher told Gatestone.
On June 21, China flew 29 planes, including six nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, through Taiwan's air-defense identification zone, the ninth incursion this month. "The latest large-scale exercise by the #PLA shows authoritarian #China's military threat is more serious than ever," tweeted Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu from his ministry's official account.
The Chinese planes followed a track through international airspace, but the June 21 flight is nonetheless considered hostile. These air-zone provocations have become continuous in recent months and follow a far more serious act. On February 5, China flew one of its aircraft directly over one of Taiwan's outlying islands, a blatant violation of sovereign airspace.
"The campaign of intimidation is only going to become larger and bolder," Fisher told Gatestone, before the June 21 incursion.
Up to now, the United States has tried to manage the situation across the Taiwan Strait by not angering China. The American policy has in fact prevented an invasion, but it worked in a generally benign period and that benign period has clearly passed.
Now, China's regime looks as if it wants to go to war. The harsh remarks of China's Defense Minister, General Wei Fenghe, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this month, are a clear warning of hostile intent.
China has targets, and Taiwan has missiles. That translates into deterrence if Taiwan makes it clear that, in the defense of its sovereignty, it is prepared to take Chinese lives in the hundreds of millions.
Warnings of this kind kept the peace in Europe during the Cold War, despite the Soviet Union's overwhelming conventional military advantage over Western European nations.
For decades, Taiwan politicians were reluctant to talk about their island's ability to kill Chinese people in great numbers. Now, they obviously think they must speak out, and forcefully. Making threats of inflicting mass casualties is perhaps the last lever Taiwan has to keep the peace in East Asia.
Yes, we are that close to war.
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of The Coming Collapse of China, a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board.
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What Middle East Does Biden Want?
Sam Menassa/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
Our colleague Nadim Koteich wrote about ‘two Middle Easts’ in this newspaper’s column; one of the two encompasses the countries of moderation and peace, and the second is the axis controlled by Iran. This assessment began crystalizing through meetings between the region’s heads of state and the signing of economic agreements and others in development, technology, and tourism. All of them suggest that a wind of positive change is blowing in the region, and it is hoped that these developments will become a strategic turning point to the benefit of these countries’ peoples. In this context, hopes have been pinned on President Biden’s upcoming visit to the region. Perhaps it could crown these developments and redirect his country’s compass toward the Middle East once he sees its aspirations and apprehensions firsthand, especially on his trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and his participation in the GCC summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdallah II.
Biden’s visit is not only important because it will reheat Washington’s relationship with several Arab countries after it had gone cold, especially the Gulf countries and, most of all Saudi Arabia. It is also significant because making it public declares that the Democratic administration is walking back on its misguided assessments and actions that have shown to be erroneous. Furthermore, this visit is expected to mark a sharp turn towards the Middle East after the US had failed to stand in the way of China’s expansion or prevent Russia from making headway in the region because of the short-sighted decision to abandon trusted US allies, which began with Barack Obama’s administration that was enchanted by Tehran, its diplomats, and their fake smiles. The Ukrainian war, the global energy and food crisis, the nuclear negotiations with Iran faltering, and apprehensions about the Chinese and Russian advances in the region… All of these factors undoubtedly played a role in compelling Washington to change its policy for the region and try to rebuild its ties with traditional strategic allies- a reversal of course that is hoped to be sustainable, not exploitative.
Riyadh finds itself in a position of strength. Its gestures to partners in the region ahead of President Biden’s visit are particularly significant in this regard, especially Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s trips to Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, and Saudi Arabia’s invitation to Egypt, Jordan and Iraq to attend the GCC Summit. The latter step is crucial for reinforcing solidarity among Arab countries, without which the issues facing the Arabs cannot be straightened out. Especially crucial here is Riyadh and Cairo’s relationship- not to understate the significance of an axis that includes the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco, and perhaps other Arab countries in the future, they are paving a fast and safe path to confronting Iran’s excesses.
These moves send the US administration three messages. First, the Arab-US relationship is a strategic one that both sides should maintain and develop, and the Democratic administration needs to adopt clearer policies for the region. Second, the Arab states have the capacity to adopt a common stance on important issues despite all the challenges currently facing them. Third, Arab national security is a red line that Arab countries will do everything they can to protect.
The region is also witnessing a broader regional shift. Besides its crucial security and defense dimensions at this stage, it is founded on two pillars of the region’s future, peace and the economy. The free trade agreement between the Emirates and Israel signed in Egypt in the presence of President Sisi reflects the deep changes underway, as does the energy-for-water agreement between Jordan, the UAE and Israel, which was signed in Dubai. These new configurations and the coalitions currently being established indicate that the geostrategic map of the Middle East is changing, which opens the door to questions about the fate of the countries excluded because they have become dominated by Iran, such as Lebanon, Iraq, and to some extent Gaza and its population of more than two million people. We won’t get into Syria, which has gone up in flames and turned into a battlefield of a conflict between several countries, nor Yemen, which lost its happiness once Iranian winds blew into it. The split in our region between the “two Middle Easts” is one between a Middle East with aspirations for the future that looks to develop technologically, develop renewable energy solutions, curb desertification and water shortages, and pursue economic prosperity, and another, insular ideological Middle East that sees politics as a zero-sum game. It is a split between societies striving to make progress and facilitate civilized engagement with regional issues on the one hand and societies that refuse to open up to anyone who does not share their convictions and strive to fight the entire globe on the other.
No doubt, the situation in Lebanon differs from that in Iraq and Gaza. Each of these countries has its own particular context, but all of them have seen social schisms emerge because of the ideologization of entire segments of society.
Political disagreements are not exceptional; they are a feature of politics of all the world’s countries and societies. Liberals see it as a healthy feature, evidence of healthy politics and the peaceful transfer of power. To be objective, we will not avoid pointing to the fact that even these liberal societies have begun to struggle to manage the acrimony of their domestic political tensions, sometimes resulting in a deep division of society that has ramifications that go beyond politics. However, these schisms are fleeting and resolvable, unlike those of the countries under Iranian hegemony, where ideological forces have built statelets within their states. Complicating matters further and rendering the situation more dangerous is the fact that these segments of society are essential components of their countries’ social fabric. That means that confronting these statelets and their repercussions for public order and society, sometimes even the polity as a whole, will need a long and complex process. Coming to political solutions reached through dialogue and consensus-building is almost impossible and always brings with it the threat of civil strife. Moreover, becoming politically subordinate to the Iranian axis ruins these countries’ relations with their neighbors and traditional allies, undermining their economies and vital sectors like health, education, tourism and others. That is evident from the situation in Lebanon, Iraq, and Gaza, which has seen its population become socially and culturally distinct from the Palestinians in the West Bank and within Israel after fifteen years of Hamas control. The existence of “two Middle Easts” is a reality that should not be overlooked amid global shifts, the steps required for the region, and the need to overcome divergences. Indeed, the gravity of the situation should be a major incentive for the regional shift currently underway. The hope is that this shift will be met with humility from the US, which should walk back on its mistakes and address their negative repercussions, especially for the other Middle East under Iran’s control.
Accordingly, three avenues for addressing the issues plaguing the Iranian Middle East: the first is helping the Arab alliance of moderation succeed, as it constitutes a security guarantee for the entire region. The second is safeguarding the political and economic stability of these countries, their peoples and their interests. The third is the US showing seriousness about addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during Biden’s visit, seeing it as an entry point for resolving the region’s other conflicts. Without such an effort, attempts at ensuring stability would become an exercise in futility doomed to fail.

A Middle East NATO
Tariq Al-Homayed/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
Jordan’s King Abdullah II announced his support for the establishment of a NATO-like alliance in the Middle East. He stressed that he supports the formation of a military alliance in the Middle East, similar to NATO, comprised of “like-minded countries”.“I’d like to see more countries in the area come into that mix,” he told CNBC. “I would be one of the first people that would endorse a Middle East NATO,” he added. The vision of such a military alliance must be very clear, and its role should be well defined, he stressed, according to CNBC.
“The mission statement has to be very, very clear. Otherwise, it confuses everybody,” he said. This is the first statement by a major Arab official over the possible formation of a Middle East NATO. The question here is: Are his statements the first interpretation of the announcement of the “Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defense Act” (DEFEND Act) that was made in Washington some two weeks ago?
The Act, which was proposed by both Democrats and Republicans, calls for merging regional defenses to counter Iranian attacks. It asks that the Defense Department draft a strategy to work and coordinate with several countries.
Among these countries are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and others. The bill stated that the Pentagon must “identify an architecture and develop an acquisition approach for certain countries in the Middle East to implement an integrated air and missile defense capability to protect the people, infrastructure, and territory of such countries from cruise and ballistic missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems, and rocket attacks from Iran.”
The bill also speaks of attacks carried out by extremist Iran-backed groups in the region. Another question arises: Is the bill a preemptive American step, ahead of the upcoming Jeddah summit between Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, to pave the way for the idea of a Middle East version of NATO?Are the Jordanian monarch’s statements a sort of open discussion over what could possibly be a strategic Saudi-Gulf alliance, even an Arab one, with the US? If so, then we are faced with a new real change to the rules of the game in the region.
King Abdullah also spoke of Iran’s role in the region. “Nobody wants war, nobody wants conflict,” he said. But it remains to be seen whether countries in the Middle East can work toward a vision where “prosperity is the name of the game.”We all know that there can be no prosperity as Iran seeks to acquire a nuclear weapon, continues to destroy four of our Arab countries, does not hesitate in targeting the security of the region and targets the Jordanian-Syrian border through the Hezbollah militias and others. Therefore, a deterrence force is necessary to confront Iran’s recklessness that may lead the region to war.
If the Jordanian ruler’s statements are about the new regional defense system, then our region is headed on the right path and towards real strategic change.

Biden’s Upcoming Trip to the Region
Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/June, 27/2022
After weeks of uncertainty, US President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East has become clear: A visit to Israel and also a visit to Bethlehem to meet with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But more significantly, a trip to Saudi Arabia which includes a summit with the GCC together with Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. The time now is therefore appropriate to consider how best to make use of the visit to further the interests of the Arab countries. But before doing so, let us consider the benefits both the US and Israel hope to derive from it. This is important as it will allow Arab countries to best position themselves to secure their long-term interests. First, the visit to Israel would serve two main purposes. A gesture of support for the present Israeli government and the political parties rivaling former PM Benjamin Netanyahu. But also a possible opportunity to lock in the Israeli approach to regional security which was put forward at the Negev meeting last March. This would mean integrating Israel, through a mechanism of regional military cooperation involving a joint missile-defense system. If this were to happen, it would mean that Israel would have found a way to integrate itself in the region at the ultimate level before meeting the conditions set forth in the Saudi-proposed Arab Peace Initiative API.
The API envisaged normal peaceful relations and the integration of Israel in the Middle East in the context of : Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territories, acceptance of a Sovereign Independent state on the Palestinian territories occupied since the 4th of June 1967 in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital and, the achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian Refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194.
It is one thing for Arab countries to exercise their sovereign right to enter into normal peaceful relations with any country, including Israel and , it is an entirely different matter to integrate Israel in the region before it meets the conditions set forth by the API and moving towards the creation of a balanced regional security architecture involving an arms control and nuclear disarmament system.
As to the Palestinian dimension, the visit is designed to reverse the enormous damage caused by the Trump administration. It will be an opportunity for the United States to confirm its support of the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Unfortunately, the US will fall short of its commitment to reopen its consulate in East Jerusalem and will only open an office and appoint a special representative for Palestinian affairs. It is here where it is necessary for Washington to hold to its commitments to the Palestinians.
For the US, the visit to Israel although bilateral, has bearings on domestic politics coming ahead of the mid-term congressional elections next November. But it also has implications, as President Biden recently announced, on Middle Eastern regional security. It is for this reason Washington needs to factor in the possible outcome of Biden’s tour. Specifically endorsing the Israeli version of a regional security architecture should be avoided until adequate consultations take place with the concerned Arab countries.
By the visit, the US hopes to achieve a number of objectives. First, to convince the Arab oil producers to continue to increase their production in order to arrest the exponential increase in prices. Second, to shore up the relations with the GCC, particularly with Saudi Arabia . Third, to assuage the concerns of both the Arab countries and Israel in the event of the revival of the Iran nuclear deal. And fourth, to ensure that it can depend on a regional alliance in what appears to be an impending new Cold War involving both Russia and China.
While a summit involving the US president, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will no doubt contribute to improving US-Saudi relations, it should be utilized to achieve more general Arab strategic interests to serve peace and stability in the region in the long run.
The summit will be an opportunity for the Arab countries to frankly exchange views on their political, security and economic concerns with the United States. No doubt that Arab contacts, which took place in the past weeks, created an important opportunity to coordinate stances on what could result in a common view on fears of Israel’s and Iran’s policies.
They also need to understand from Washington how it sees the evolution of the Ukraine crisis and how it can end. They also need to hear from Washington how it views its future relations with both Beijing and Moscow. Ultimately it is important to understand from Washington how it envisages its role in assisting the Arab countries in establishing peace and stability in the region. But given vagaries of the US election cycle, it is highly unlikely that the US will be able to take concrete steps to address common Arab security concerns before the mid-term elections.
What is possible is that Washington undertakes bilateral security commitments. In the circumstances the objective of Arabs can therefore be reaching understandings with Washington - that can be reflected in a document -that would form the basis for future Arab-American joint efforts to ensure regional security and stability. The Arab side can seek the following assurances from the US :
First, to coordinate with Arab countries concerning the establishment of a comprehensive and balanced security architecture in the region. This is particularly relevant if the Iran nuclear deal is revived, but also given the concerns concerning Israeli and Turkish policies in the region.
Second, to work towards a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In this regard, a reaffirmation of its commitment to opening the US consulate in Jerusalem. Also a commitment to work, including in international fora, to uphold Palestinian human rights. This should not be a major problem for the US given the position announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Palestinians and Israelis “should enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity and democracy”. Third, the need to expedite political settlements not only in Yemen, but also in Syria and Libya and to coordinate with Arab countries in this regard. Fourth, confirm the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Arab territories in Syria, Lebanon, Libya and Iraq. Fifth, as long-term energy security is a common strategic objective, agreeing on cooperating in the field of renewable energy, including on bridging technologies such as those related to the production of blue hydrogen.
Arriving on such understandings would no doubt be a credit to the host country Saudi Arabia and together with the Arab Peace Initiative would be registered as an additional important contribution in the pursuit of achieving peace and stability in the Middle East. At this juncture, the US needs the Arab countries more than any other time. It therefore offers an opportunity for Arab countries to align US interests with their own. If this opportunity is missed, a new one may not occur in the foreseeable future. It will then fall on the Arab countries, both individually and collectively, to ensure that the US sticks to these understandings.

Iran’s henchmen stage a coup in Baghdad
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/June 27/2022
Iraq is witnessing a brazen coup d’etat. Nine months ago, the Iran-backed Fatah paramilitary coalition suffered a devastating electoral defeat, plunging to just 17 out of 329 seats. That should have meant political extinction.
Yet, after months of cynical obstruction tactics, it has forced a situation in which — flying in the face of every constitutional principle — it has been gifted sufficient parliamentary seats to become the largest party in parliament, able to install a prime minister of its choosing.
How is such an antidemocratic outcome possible?
Despite having had the largest party in parliament following the October elections, cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr found his efforts continually thwarted when taking even elementary steps toward forming a Cabinet.
Eventually, Al-Sadr had the mother of all tantrums in early June and compelled all his 73 MPs to resign, partly due to successful Iranian efforts to shatter the fragile alliance between Al-Sadr and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
In consequence, throughout Shiite-majority constituencies, pro-Iran candidates who were humiliatingly defeated by the Sadrists have suddenly found themselves the default occupants of many of these empty seats — scarcely believing their luck. Last week, they were formally sworn into parliament, leaving the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework —composed of elements that were definitively rejected by the electorate — with a dominant bloc of about 130 MPs.
A Hashd-dominated government consolidates Iraq’s position as an Iranian satellite state. American forces and Western assets would be compelled to depart, with dangerous consequences for the ongoing battle against Daesh. Iraq is set to wholly become a frontline state in Tehran’s war against the world, bristling with missiles and paramilitary armies. Missile strikes in recent days against an Iraq-based UAE oil company are a first taste of the enmity to come.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s efforts to enforce the rule of law and cultivate relations with Arab states will be left in tatters. Al-Kadhimi’s current round of visits to Tehran and Riyadh likely reflect his trepidation at how the situation is unraveling.
Did Iran pressure Al-Sadr into taking such a calamitous decision? Observers are skeptical of Al-Sadr’s denials. Inadvertently or deliberately, Al-Sadr has previously acted as the plaything of Tehran.
Iraq is set to wholly become a frontline state in Tehran’s war against the world, bristling with missiles and paramilitary armies
As son of the monumental cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq Al-Sadr, Muqtada was bequeathed the position of one of Iraq’s principal powerbrokers. Prone to extreme mood swings, Al-Sadr has a track record of petulantly abandoning politics when matters do not swing his way. He was crucially silent over the 2006-07 period, when his Mahdi Army and pro-Iran death squads murdered tens of thousands of citizens in bloody sectarian purges.
In 2019, Al-Sadr was a leading figure in the protest movement. Then, overnight, he suddenly sided with Tehran-backed paramilitaries and his foot soldiers collaborated in bloodily crushing and undermining the protests. About 600 protesters were murdered by militia thugs, accompanied by a surge in assassinations of journalists and activists. If Al-Sadr’s resignation is about a return to street activism, he will struggle to rebuild credibility with mainstream activists after his past betrayals.
Who will be the next prime minister? The abhorrent Nouri Al-Maliki is a likely candidate. As prime minister between 2006 and 2014, Al-Maliki cultivated the poisonous sectarian climate that bequeathed Daesh and the plethora of paramilitary forces that today dominate Iraq. Or the Hashd may nominate one of its own; perhaps Hadi Al-Amiri or another marginally less notorious figure who would be less likely to be vetoed by Kurdish and Sunni factions.
The biggest loser is Iraq’s democracy, national identity and sovereignty. Iraqis are discovering that it does not matter who they vote for; powerful vested interests have bountiful methods for clinging onto power and advancing their corrupt and violent agendas.
This outcome sends a dangerous message to Lebanon, where Hezbollah and its allies were narrowly defeated in recent elections. Hassan Nasrallah is a more sophisticated operator than Iraq’s Hashd mafiosos and he is arguably in a stronger position. Hence, Nasrallah simply needs to tenaciously block any formula that does not grant him and his allies the keys to the Cabinet and the presidential palace, in the expectation that he and his Iranian backers will ultimately prevail.
Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen are mere playing cards in the ayatollahs’ regional brinkmanship; although Iraq — due to its size and proximity — is Iran’s ace in the pack. Following the EU’s Josep Borrell’s weekend visit to Tehran, another desultory round of indirect nuclear talks is due, with scant optimism that the critical issues will be addressed.
Iran now reportedly possesses sufficient nuclear materials for a bomb, while passively being allowed to dominate the regional neighborhood. Has the diplomatic community yet grasped the catastrophic consequences of developments in Baghdad?
The ayatollahs believe they are on the brink of achieving all their demonic ambitions. The achievement of such objectives would render inevitable an apocalyptic confrontation with Israel that would suck in the regional and Western powers.
Moves toward regional alignment could also act as a definitive check on Iranian expansionism, with King Abdullah II of Jordan last week speculating about the potential for a Middle Eastern equivalent of NATO.
The Iraqi 2021 elections offered modest hope that the vicious clutches of these militias upon the Iraqi state could be loosened. I was told at the time that I was being unnecessarily pessimistic when I warned that Iran and the Hashd would use every trick in the book to prevent this outcome. Yet, even in my worst nightmares, I had not envisioned a scenario as dire as the current one, where the Hashd has rebounded from near-political extinction to become the dominant governing power.
In the coming weeks, we will see punishing battles as Hashd mafiosos seek to dominate the upper levels of all key government ministries, while also consolidating their preeminence at the provincial level. The Hashd’s economic corruption, extortion, involvement in organized crime, narcotics and arms proliferation, and pillaging of Iraq’s state budget have been massive and blatant — but expect this criminality to become even more brazen.
Iraq is now truly a militia state. Al-Sadr’s cowardly and deranged retreat from parliament potentially represents a fatal stab in the back for Iraqi democracy.
Like Saddam Hussein before them, if Iran’s paramilitary puppets are allowed to get away with such a flagrant power grab, it would not be unreasonable to expect that the only scenario by which they can subsequently be compelled to relinquish power is ultimately through military force.
*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.

Iran’s weaknesses exposed by Israeli security infiltrations
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/June 27/2022
Iran is facing a wave of assassination and shocking sabotage attacks on its top scientists, military commanders, strategic installations and critical infrastructure. Predictably, the Iranian regime blames Israel for these attacks, with Tel Avivi openly claiming responsibility for a number of them. In order to achieve a degree of balance and to deter further attacks, Tehran is mounting indirect counterattacks through proxy groups or intelligence agents and its security and intelligence services are carrying out extensive reviews to stymie prospective assassinations, but the results to date have been underwhelming.
The rising number of these highly organized, professional assassinations reflects a radical shift in Israel’s strategy, which is no longer limited to targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and scientists, but has extended to include Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders. It has been observed that the attacks have become more like meticulously planned surgical strikes. These are no longer designed simply to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions, defense capabilities or hostile policies in the region, but rather to cause the greatest possible damage to the regime’s reputation and legitimacy at home by demonstrating its lack of capability and competence.
Iran is unable to counter this security challenge given Israel’s success in infiltrating its security, intelligence and military services, establishing a number of espionage networks and recruiting trained intelligence agents, including members of the IRGC and intelligence services, to carry out assassinations and sabotage attacks. These networks were involved in the 2020 murder of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the stealing and smuggling of Iran’s nuclear archive in 2016, last month’s assassination of IRGC officer Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, and other retaliatory attacks. As a result, there is growing speculation that Iran has become a haven for Mossad spies.
The shooting of Khodaei in the heart of Tehran, just a few kilometers away from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s house, the Foreign Ministry and other sensitive and heavily guarded locations, reflects the gravity of the threat posed by Israel to Iran’s leaders. Iran appears unable to defend its most senior leaders, not just in the peripheries but also in Tehran.
Were it not for the regime’s fragile security infrastructure and lack of expertise — which is particularly embarrassing at a time when it claims to be solid, powerful and capable — Israel could not have achieved this success. Dozens of Iranian security and intelligence units failed to prevent Israeli intelligence agents from infiltrating Tehran’s heart and targeting its most valuable sources of human and material strength. It appears that these security structures are rife with corruption, have reached excessive levels of complexity and overlap with one another, rendering them incapable of carrying out their responsibilities in protecting Iranian national security.
Furthermore, some of their personnel, including IRGC members and their affiliates, have fallen prey to and become tools of foreign intelligence agencies, with the regime fearing that these compromised insiders may have passed on the information that led to the recent spate of assassinations, tarnishing the IRGC’s invincible image and undermining its credibility among the Iranian people.
Iran’s domestic political climate is fertile for infiltration, with the country’s society gripped by paranoia, weakness and vulnerability. This is reflected in the regime’s hyperfocus on internal security — that is to say, on the security and the survival of the regime, rather than the Iranian people, whose well-being is of little interest to Iran’s leaders. The regime’s failure to fortify the state and society, to defend the vulnerable and to provide the public with justice and development, all of which it claims are its primary values and objectives, has created massive resentment and fertile grounds for subversion.
Iran’s leaders place no value on the people’s material or moral welfare and security, with the regime’s sole and driving concern being on ensuring the theocratic elite’s own survival and tightening their already obstructive grip on absolute power. While the regime uses religious language and attempts to disguise its pursuit of totalitarian power as a spiritual and ideological endeavor, in truth the only real objective is to maintain absolute power for its own sake to tighten its merciless grip on power and the wealth of the country, even as poverty spirals out of control and society crumbles.
As a result, the gap between the regime and the Iranian people has widened, a sense of public estrangement and resentment has inevitably grown, and the domestic climate has become vulnerable to infiltration, which explains Israel’s ability to easily gain access to the country.
Meanwhile, Iran’s regime has engaged in an extensive, antagonistic confrontation with the region’s peoples in an attempt to cement its influence, through deploying forces and fighters in several countries. In these arenas, they have become a target for intelligence services. Israel has even targeted several of them, including providing intelligence assistance to the Americans in the 2020 assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Thus, this audacious operation provided Israel with an opportunity to recruit more potential agents for its intelligence services, including the Mossad. This may explain how it was able to form the nucleus of the assassination and terror cells that are now infiltrating Iranian society and state. The irony is that, while the regime’s elements are deployed in several countries and are attempting to protect allied regimes and groups, it appears incapable of protecting itself domestically.
The Iranian regime is attempting to contain assassination and sabotage attacks, whether by concealing information or stepping up security efforts to expose insiders involved in collaboration with external entities. The regime has already had dozens of its own civilian and military staff, as well as personnel at critical facilities, arrested. Despite conducting indirect counterattacks inside and outside of Israel, it has yet to kidnap any Israeli intelligence agent. Furthermore, several of its plans to respond to Israeli assassinations, including last week’s foiled attack on Israelis in Turkey, have failed, demonstrating to everyone that, for all its bluster, the regime is very far from invulnerable — put simply, it is all bark, no bite.
As a result of this failure, the regime decided to sack Hossein Taeb, the IRGC’s intelligence chief. Brig. Gen. Mohammed Kazemi was appointed in his place. Given Iran’s failure to stop the Israeli operations, the reason for this change is definitely known.
Nonetheless, current developments point to the possibility of more mutual assassinations and sabotage attacks in the near future, particularly in open-ended and extensive regional conflicts, where either party sees a possibility of inflicting harm on the other. Iran’s leadership feels insulted and humiliated, with the regime under intense internal pressure to respond.
Iran appears unable to defend its most senior leaders, not just in the peripheries but also in Tehran.
To conclude, under international law, retaliatory assassinations and attacks are unjustifiable illegal acts. However, due wholly to its own actions, Iran has few supporters on its side in this battle. Over the past four decades, the Iranian regime has pursued a hostile policy of interfering in neighboring countries’ affairs, disrespecting their sovereignty, infiltrating their societies and attempting to undermine their security and stability. Assassinations have also been used by the regime against its own citizens, targeting dissidents both abroad and at home. It has wreaked havoc in several Middle Eastern countries, plunging them into severe internal strife and unleashing humanitarian catastrophes unprecedented in the region.
This policy now appears to have backfired spectacularly, placing the regime in an awkward position, exposing its internal weaknesses and eroding its strength from within.
*Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is president of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami