Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 27-28/2023
Report: Le Drian's dialogue to be held within days despite possible boycotts
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
The dialogue that French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian has called for will be held “within a few days” despite the “pessimistic atmosphere” that is still surrounding it, informed sources said. “The dialogue will still take place and it has not been affected by the objections of the Lebanese Forces party and some parties and components of the camp that calls itself sovereign and pro-change opposition,” the sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Monday. “The call for dialogue will not include the 38 parties who received Le Drian’s ‘two-question letter’, seeing as there is a near-final prior agreement on the participation of 15 parties at the most,” the sources added. “Even if the LF boycotts, that will not have negative repercussions on dialogue if the Free Patriotic Movement participates in it in its capacity as the other main Christian party,” the sources said. As for dialogue’s venue, it will be held either at the Pine Residence or in parliament. “Contrary to the expectations that dialogue would be held at the headquarters of the French embassy at the Pine Residence, dialogue’s venue is yet to be decided and this depends on the consultations that Le Drian will make during his next visit,” the sources said. “Le Drian will manage the dialogue should it be held at the Pine Residence, whereas Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab will preside over dialogue and manage it should it be held in parliament,” the sources added.

Hochstein to return to Beirut in early September
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
As part of the developments related to the beginning of drilling for gas in Lebanon’s offshore Block 9, U.S. Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein is expected to return to Beirut in early September, media reports said. “On the surface, his mission will be to oversee the exploration process, but it has been reported that he is carrying a plan for addressing the problem of the Lebanese border with occupied Palestine in a manner that meets some Lebanese demands over the contested points,” al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Monday.
“In both missions, he is seeking to establish some sort of stability on the border and to pacify tensions and concerns over the eruption of a major military clash,” the daily added.
Hochstein had mediated last year’s historic agreement between Lebanon and Israel for the demarcation of their maritime border. The deal allowed Israel to begin production at its Karish gas field and Lebanon to launch exploration in Block 9.

American and French visits: International envoys set to arrive in Beirut in September
LBCI/August 28, 2023
Two international envoys are scheduled to visit Beirut next month. The American envoy, Amos Hochstein, is expected in the first half of September, while the French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will follow in the latter half. Preliminary sources suggest that Hochstein, a key figure in the demarcation of maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel, is arriving to address the issue of land border demarcation. This article was originally published in and translated from the online Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa. He might bring forward an American proposal to lay the groundwork for severe negotiations between Lebanon and the Israeli entity. The purpose is to resolve the border-related dispute centered around the Chebaa Farms and eliminate it as a pretext for Hezbollah to justify its armed presence, often called "resistance." The ultimate goal is to ensure the liberation of Chebaa Farms, though this achievement could have drawbacks. This development raises the question of how Hezbollah will respond if Hochstein succeeds in resolving this issue, just as he grew in addressing the maritime boundary dispute. Moreover, what new justification might Hezbollah adopt to sustain its retention of weapons? This American initiative comes at a time when the United Nations Security Council is engaged in discussions regarding the renewal of the mandate for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as disagreements persist between UNIFIL and the Lebanese government. The government demands that the renewal be a replica of the previous resolution, without amendments or expansions to the force's mandate, and that the shift from Chapter VI to Chapter VII in the UN Charter, granting UNIFIL the authority to use force without prior consultation, be disregarded. However, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib's efforts become difficult in light of the firm stance of the United States, Britain, and France in favor of expanding UNIFIL's responsibilities independently and without coordination with the Lebanese army, the situation in the South appears to be entering a critical phase.
Turning to the French presidential envoy, Le Drian, his mission seeks to breach the impasse in the presidential arena. Nonetheless, his efforts will likely face obstacles due to existing political lines that run in parallel and remain unaligned – the "Resistance" line and the "Opposition." Despite the challenges he has encountered and will continue to face, the French presidency is determined to reclaim its influence in Lebanon. The realism of France's approach lies in its efforts to broaden its engagement beyond the Maronite community alone and establish relations with various political and sectarian factions in the country. On the presidential front, all eyes are on the discussions between Gebran Bassil and Hezbollah. Just as Bassil preserved a path for reconciliation with Hezbollah during their peak disagreement, he now works to maintain a return path with the opposition, especially since he has aligned himself with the nomination of Jihad Azour as a presidential candidate following his recent alignment with Hezbollah. However, Bassil has not yet pledged his allegiance to his ally. Instead, he aims to convey that he possesses alternative presidential political options. A source within the opposition informed "Al-Anbaa" that even if Bassil and his bloc join the "Resistance," they will not secure the two-thirds quorum required for a presidential election session. This implies that Frangieh and his supporters must attract more independent MPs to reach 86 votes.

Lebanon navigates UN peacekeeping mandate renewal
LBCI/August 28, 2023
From Monday until Thursday, Lebanon is engaged in political and diplomatic discussions over the United Nations' decision to renew the international peacekeeping forces' mandate in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese delegation in New York, led by the caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, is holding a series of meetings with representatives of the member states of the Security Council. Furthermore, these meetings are the final ones before drafting the blue text of the resolution, which is the ready-to-vote final edition. This comes after amendments were made to the draft based on observations made by the Lebanese side regarding several provisions and terms. The discussion is ongoing about clauses 16 and 17 concerning the mandate and freedom of movement of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and whether the final version will maintain UNIFIL's freedom of movement without prior approval from the Lebanese Army. However, Lebanon aims to revert the text to what it was before 2021, emphasizing the coordination and movement relationship with the Army in the south.

Finance and Budget Committee convenes over forensic audit
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
The Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee convened Monday to discuss the Alvarez & Marsal preliminary forensic audit report and question the government and the central bank governor about financial reform laws. Minister of Finance Youssef al-Khalil and Interim Central Bank Governor Wassim Mansouri attended the meeting. Minister of Justice Henry Khoury also attended the meeting to give answers about the judicial course of the audits. "The forensic audit of the Central Bank, ministries and state administrations' accounts must resume," Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who chairs the committee, said after the meeting. The Finance and Budget Committee will meet next week with the Central Bank and the relevant ministries in successive sessions on reform laws. The upcoming sessions will discuss restructuring banks, restoring financial stability, and conducting an impartial audit of the banks and the state's accounts, Kanaan said.

Can parliament legislate? Berri warns of constitution 'misinterpretation'
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that Parliament can legislate, even though Lebanon has been without a president for more than eight months. After 12 attempts to elect a president failed amid major political disputes, opposition MPs decided to boycott all parliamentary sessions, as they considered them "unconstitutional" amid a presidential void. The Free Patriotic movement also says that parliament can only convene for urgent matters, and its MPs did not attend a session that was supposed to discuss several laws including the capital control law and the oil and gas sovereign fund draft law earlier this month. The constitution stipulates that parliament can meet only in extraordinary sessions until a president is elected and a new cabinet is formed. "Nothing justifies the disruption of the legislative role of Parliament," Berri told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Monday. "These are pretexts and are based on an unrealistic interpretation of the constitution."Berri denied that parliament has turned into an elective body that cannot legislate. "The constitution does not cancel or suspend The legislative role of Parliament. The text is very clear, Parliament becomes an elective body exclusively during the election sessions," he said. "There is no such thing as necessity legislation."In 2016, before the election of former President Michel Aoun, Parliament passed more than seventy laws amid a two-and-a-half years of presidential void following the end of former president Michel Suleiman’s term in office. In June, lawmakers failed for the 12th time to elect a new president, and quorum was lost before the second round of voting. Berri has not called for a presidential election session since. He says he will only call for a session when parties agree on a president, otherwise it would fail like all the previous ones. French special presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is set to arrive in Lebanon in September to resume a French initiative to push for a solution to the presidential impasse. He had proposed on his last visit to invite all those taking part in the process of electing a president to a meeting in September to achieve a consensus on the challenges and on the priority projects the future president will have to carry out, and consequently the qualities necessary for tackling them. Thirty one opposition MPs said in a joint statement that "any dialogue with Hezbollah would be futile" and that dialogue should only be held after a president is elected, while former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said that there is no alternative to sitting with Hezbollah.

European Observatory: It is time for the accusatory body in Beirut to issue its decision to arrest Riad Salameh
LBCI/August 28, 2023
The European Observatory for Integrity in Lebanon stated that it is now time for the accusatory body in Beirut to issue its decision to arrest the former Banque du Liban (BDL) Governor, Riad Salameh, in the session scheduled to be held on August 29 at the Palace of Justice in Beirut. The Observatory emphasized that Salameh is currently a fugitive from justice and that his political cover must be removed entirely, leading to his arrest. The Observatory underlined that the offenses committed by Salameh against Lebanon should not go unpunished, and it urged the brave judges in the land of the cedars to play their role in ensuring justice for the Lebanese people.

Deputies unite on accountability, urge Judiciary's role
LBCI/August 28, 2023
During a session of the Finance and Budget Committee dedicated to discussing the forensic audit report, deputies attended, but not all of them had reviewed the full report. The reason is that the report is in English, and the Ministry of Justice does not have the funds to translate it into Arabic. They are waiting for the funding promised by an international organization, as stated by the Minister of Justice, Henri Khoury, during the session. While the session was intended for the forensic audit, reform efforts were also discussed. As for the acting governor of Banque du Liban, Wassim Mansouri, the basis lies in passing reform laws, most notably bank restructuring and restoring financial balance, among others. Furthermore, the acting governor expressed his willingness to meet with deputies day and night, even during holidays, to finalize these laws. He also proposed referring them to joint committees to save time. Moreover, the head of the finance committee, Ibrahim Kanaan, emphasized that passing these laws requires obtaining figures to determine the financial gap and proceeding with the audit of banks, a commitment the government made in 2019. Therefore, the Banking Control Commission and the Ministry of Finance will be invited to inquire about the reasons for the delay. During the session, the judicial aspect dominated the central part of the discussion. Deputy Simon Abi Ramia asked why the Public Prosecution sent the file to two judicial authorities. The Minister of Justice explained that it's a matter of jurisdiction for each of them. Despite their differing stances, deputies agreed that the Judiciary is responsible for accountability from now on. Additionally, MP Firas Hamdan stated that the Judiciary cannot fulfill its role unless politics withdraws its influence, while Deputy Jamil Al-Sayed viewed the Judiciary skeptically. The discussions also implicated the Ministry of Finance and government commissioners in the Central Bank for negligence in overseeing the central bank's work. However, as some deputies mentioned failings in the Banking Control Commission's work and Deputy Razi Al-Hajj raised the role of the Special Investigation Authority, BDL’s Mansouri did not take a defensive stance.

MP Hankach to LBCI: There will be communication with some blocs that did not vote for Jihad Azour in the last electoral session
LBCI/August 28, 2023
MP Elias Hankach revealed that there will be communication with some blocs that did not vote for Jihad Azour in the last electoral session. He explained that the opposition will engage with them starting from Tuesday. On LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, Hankach affirmed that the opposition is confident that it can proceed with Azour. On the other hand, he pointed out that they will explore scenarios that could lead to the election of a President for the Republic. He considered that electing a president is the beginning of steering Lebanon in the right direction, emphasizing the necessity of electing a president who makes bold decisions to save Lebanon, as "the fate and future of the country are at stake." Moreover, Hankach revealed that dialogue is ongoing today between the opposition and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). "We are trying to find common ground after the intersection on electing Jihad Azour, but the opposition took a step back from the FPM after it opened channels for normalization with Hezbollah," he stated. He believed that Hezbollah wants a president who takes orders from the suburbs and protects the "resistance," considering that such a president, if elected, would increase disagreements with Lebanon's friendly countries and oversee the bankruptcy and scandals created by Hezbollah's influence in power. However, Hankach emphasized that the obstructing team bears the responsibility for the vacuum and obstruction, and he saw that what is happening is not a constitutional right but cooperation among the pillars of this political team. He continued by saying, "We appreciate the efforts made by France as a friendly country, and we closely discussed the presidential issue with them. Our rejection of their initiative stems from the fact that we have tried everything with Hezbollah, and we cannot continue with the same approaches at a time when we already know the results."

Bassil urges new president through dialogue or successive sessions
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has noted that “the election of a president alone is not the solution.”“The crisis will be repeated every six years as long as our constitution remains the same,” Bassil said in a speech in Bsharri. “Our constitution was devised to protect the components, but they are trying to impose a president on us,” Bassil lamented. “The solution is either to elect a president directly by the people or not to use the issue of quorum for obstruction,” he added. “We hope to go elect a president through dialogue and understanding or through successive (electoral) sessions. This is how the road to salvation begins,” Bassil went on to say. Referring to the FPM’s ongoing dialogue with Hezbollah, Bassil said his Movement is “making use of this constitutional juncture to try and achieve two national demands” -- administrative decentralization and the trust fund. “Broad decentralization does not alter the state’s central authority and has nothing to do with the foreign or defense policies. It rather allows every region to be independent with its revenues,” he explained. He added: “The trust fund allows to manage the state’s income through the private sector … which would secure additional revenues and contribute to returning a part of depositors’ funds.”“There should be consensus on decentralization and the trust fund regardless of our problems over domestic and foreign policies,” Bassil urged.

Opposition 'dismayed' by Jumblat remarks on dialogue with Hezbollah
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
Christian Opposition MPs are reportedly dismayed by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat's remarks about sitting with Hezbollah for electing a president. French special presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is set to arrive in Lebanon in September to resume a French initiative to push for a solution to the presidential impasse. He had proposed on his last visit to invite all those taking part in the process of electing a president to a meeting in September to achieve a consensus on the challenges and on the priority projects the future president will have to carry out, and consequently the qualities necessary for tackling them. Thirty one opposition MPs said in a joint statement that "any dialogue with Hezbollah would be futile" and that dialogue should only be held after a president is elected. Jumblat said that there is no alternative to sitting with Hezbollah and that he doesn’t understand "the justifications of some Christian parties who are rejecting dialogue." Pro-Hezbollah daily, al-Akhbar, claimed Monday that Jumblat's remarks have upset and confused the Kataeb party and the Lebanese Forces. It said that the opposition has contacted several MPs from the Democratic Gathering bloc to inquire about Jumblat's remarks, as they considered that his stance would "weaken the opposition."In an interview published Friday, Jumblat said that "no one wants a settlement but it is the thing we need the most for the sake of the country and not for the sake of any party in this or that camp.""We must sit with (Hezbollah chief) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, not only for electing a president but also for the sake of Lebanon’s future," the former PSP leader said. Al-Akhbar said that the recent dialogue between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah has become a real concern for the opposition and that they have started to prepare for a new political workshop before the arrival of Le Drian. "Jumblat's stance has increased the opposition's confusion," the daily claimed. Hezbollah and the FPM had started a dialogue after almost one year of tensions regarding Hezbollah's nomination of Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh for presidency and the participation of its ministers in cabinet sessions boycotted by the FPM. FPM leader Jebran Bassil said that he is "willing to sacrifice" regarding the next president's identity in return for "two gains for Lebanon: broad administrative and financial decentralization and the trust fund." He said the talks with Hezbollah are currently about the decentralization and the trust fund but could lead to "electing a president who is compatible with the project of building a state."

Lebanon issues arrest warrants for 2 Russians suspected of spying for Israel
Associated Press and Agence France Presse/August 28, 2023
Two Russian citizens who were recently detained in Beirut on suspicion of spying for Israel have been referred to an investigative military judge who issued arrest warrants for them, two judicial officials said Monday. The two Russians were detained "several weeks ago" in Beirut as they were leaving the country through the capital's Rafik Hariri International Airport, the officials said. The two judicial officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The head of Lebanon's General Security Directorate Maj. Gen. Elias Bayssari announced Friday that two foreigners were detained while leaving Lebanon through the airport, describing them as "part of a network spying for Israel." He did not give their identities or say when they were detained. Russia's Sputnik News on Saturday quoted "a Russian embassy source" as saying that the Russian consulate is trying to contact the detainees to know why they are being held. The Russian Embassy in Beirut refused to comment when contacted by The Associated Press adding that the Sputnik News report is accurate. The officials said an investigative judge at the military tribunal, Fadi Sawwan, questioned the two and charged them with "crimes of dealing with the Israeli enemy by supplying security information that endangers Lebanon's security." He referred them to another judge to continue the investigation. Lebanese or Arab citizens charged with spying for Israel can get up to a death sentence in Lebanon. Other nationals get harsh sentences. The Lebanese daily al-Akhbar said the two Russian citizens are a man and wife who were recruited by Israel's intelligence service to go to Lebanon and collect information and take photos of facilities belonging to Hezbollah. A security official meanwhile told AFP that Hezbollah had told security forces that a Russian citizen "was recruited by the Israelis for a reconnaissance mission of their headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut and south Lebanon."Security forces arrested him around two weeks ago at Beirut airport while he was trying to flee with his wife and child, the official said. It came after Hezbollah told security forces that the suspect had tried to break into an apartment in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold for the group. Following his arrest he was interrogated at the General Security department and then referred to military prosecutors who are now in charge of the investigation. The number of people arrested for allegedly collaborating with Israel has significantly jumped since Lebanon's economy collapsed in late 2019, security officials had previously told AFP. Lebanon and Israel have formally been at war since Israel's creation in 1948. Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating month-long war in Lebanon in 2006. Hezbollah has in the past claimed downing Israeli drones, and Israel's military also has said in the past that they have shot down Hezbollah drones. Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

Lebanon eliminated from Basketball World Cup after 128-73 loss to Canada
Agence France Presse/August 28, 2023
Lebanon has been eliminated as Canada, Latvia, Montenegro, Lithuania and Germany all headed to the round of 16 of the Basketball World Cup. Debutants Latvia beat Lebanon in their opening game and sent heavyweights France crashing to a shock Basketball World Cup first-round exit on Sunday, while Canada underlined their title credentials in a blowout win over Lebanon. Canada set a new record for the most assists in a World Cup game with 44 in their 128-73 win over Lebanon. as proud of his players' unselfish attitude. "It just shows that sharing is caring and these guys were ready to play the right way, play with a pass," he said. "In games like this, teams have the tendency for players to do it on their own and try to dribble too much."All 11 Canada players who saw game time registered at least one assist, led by Trae Bell-Haynes on eight. Canada laid down a marker with their opening 95-65 win over France and Bell-Haynes said he was "super-excited that we kept our momentum" against Lebanon. "We talked about making sure that there wasn't any fall-off, and I think we did a good job," he said. Canada plays Latvia on Tuesday in its final group game, while Lebanon faces France in a meaningless game.

Nasrallah says ready for dialogue, accuses rivals anew of seeking civil war
Naharnet/August 28, 2023
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday said that his party is ready for dialogue with others over the presidential file, as he slammed political rivals for rejecting French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian’s latest call for dialogue. “Had the envoy been American, would you have rejected his letter?” Nasrallah said in a speech marking the sixth anniversary of the ouster of jihadist groups from the eastern border region. He was referring to a letter recently sent by Le Drian to parliamentary blocs regarding the presidential file. “Because we have logic and reason and because we are not weak or followers of anyone, we do not fear dialogue and we are ready for dialogue, although we are not begging for it,” Nasrallah added. “They want to block quorum and they want a president who would confront Hezbollah instead of rescuing state institutions,” Nasrallah charged, while again accusing rivals of pushing for civil war. “You are serving Israel's declared objective regarding Hezbollah's disarmament,” he added. As for Hezbollah’s ongoing dialogue with the Free Patriotic Movement, Nasrallah described it as “the only open dialogue in the country which can be relied on.” “Our answers have become ready regarding the presidential priorities that the FPM has proposed and we are in a serious and profound dialogue that needs some time,” he revealed. “The issue of administrative and financial decentralization has been proposed to us and if we agree on a certain draft, we will be concerned with discussing it with the parties,” Nasrallah said. Separately, Hezbollah’s leader warned that “any Israeli assassination on Lebanese soil will have a powerful response.”“We won’t allow that Lebanon be once again an arena for assassinations,” he pledged. As for the issue of the annual extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, Nasrallah said the U.N. Security Council is “not seeing the Israeli violations in Lebanon and the new occupation in Ghajar.”“The Americans want the South to be devoid of any defense capabilities. They want UNIFIL to be spies for Israel,” he charged. “Why is UNIFIL only present in Lebanon? Why is there no UNIFIL in northern Israel?” Nasrallah wondered, while noting that the Lebanese government is “trying to correct last year’s mistake” regarding the UNIFIL mandate resolution. That resolution had granted UNIFIL forces the right to move in south Lebanon without coordination with the Lebanese Army.

Sayyed Nasrallah: Any Israeli Assassination on Lebanese Territory Won’t Go Unanswered
Marwa Haidar/Al-Manar English Website/August 28/2023
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah hit back at Israeli threats on Monday, stressing that any assassination attempt on the Lebanese territory won’t go unanswered. Addressing Israeli threats to target Palestinian resistance figures, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that Hezbollah won’t allow the Zionist enemy to change the rules of engagement. The Lebanese resistance leader made the remarks in a televised speech via Al-Manar on the sixth anniversary of Lebanon’s Second Liberation.
His eminence pointed to the leading role played by the United States in the universal war waged against Syria since 2011. Sayyed Nasrallah warned that Syria, along with its allies, is ready to confront Washington if it puts boots on the ground in the area east of the Euphrates River. The Hezbollah S.G., meanwhile, voiced firm rejection to the United Nations Security Council’s draft resolution on renewing UNIFIL force mandate in Lebanon, noting that the draft is aimed at turning the international peacekeepers into Israeli spies.
Second Liberation
Sayyed Nasrallah started his speech by congratulating the Lebanese on the sixth anniversary of Lebanon’s Second Liberation, when the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah liberated the country’s Eastern Mountain Range from Takfiri terrorists. “Before the Second Liberation Takfiri terrorists occupied wide areas of Lebanon’s Eastern Mountain Range and used this region as a hotbed to launch terrorist attacks on Lebanon,” his eminence said. “Lebanon was part of the map which ISIL planned to occupy, Sayyed Nasrallah said, as he pointed to the stance of some Lebanese parties who opposed fighting terrorists. Sayyed Nasrallah recalled some events during the battles which took place against the Takfiri terrorists between 2012 and 2017.
“The US, along with some local powers, hindered the Lebanese Army’s battle against Takfiris. At time, Washington threatened the Lebanese Government of suspending the aid to the Lebanese Army in case of a battle against the Takfiris.” Thanks to the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah, as well as to help from Syrian Army in the Syrian territories, the Lebanese territories were liberated from the terrorists in August 27 2017, the Hezbollah S.G. said. “The Second Liberation is yet another successful manifestation of the Golden Trilogy: Army-People-Resistance.”
Changing Rules of Engagement
Meanwhile, Sayyed Nasrallah dismissed Israeli claims that Iran is behind the latest escalation taking place in the West Bank. “The Israeli enemy fled to accuse Iran of being behind what is happening in the West Bank. Such claims are baseless and foolish.”“It’s right that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the Palestinian people, but the resistance project in the West Bank is pure Palestinian one.”Responding to Israeli threats of targeted assassinations against Palestinian resistance figures, Sayyed Nasrallah noted that such threats are not new. “These threats won’t weaken the resistance, but will rather increase its determination, presence, and strength,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. He emphasized that the Zionist entity has to admit that it is going through existential dilemma. “The only solution for the enemy entity is to leave Palestine to its people and real owners, otherwise the fighting will continue generation after generation,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, doubting if a new Israeli generation will have the chance to live in the Zionist entity.
The Lebanese resistance leader then reminded the Israeli officials of the firm equation: “Any Israeli assassination against any target on the Lebanese territory will have a harsh response and won’t go unanswered.”In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that “changing the rules of engagement by the Israeli enemy is not allowed.”
US and Reviving ISIL in Syria
Sayyed Nasrallah then pointed to the leading role of the US in the Syrian war.
“The US has been leading the war against Syria since day 1, Takfiris were just puppets in Washington’s hands.”He noted that once the US realized that its scheme in Syria had failed it resorted to blockade Syria and to impose the Caeser Act. Sayyed Nasrallah then referred to the battle which the warring sides have been preparing for in the area east of the Euphrates River, stressing that Syria and its allies are capable to triumph the battle against the US. “Washington is taking ISIL Takfiri group as a pretext to take control of the region east of the Euphrates River,” his eminence said, warning that such war could take the form of regional or international strife. “Axis of Resistance won’t allow the closure of Tanf crossing, especially if they (the US) fight with their tools. However, if they put boots on the ground, then we are fully ready for the wat which will change major equations in the region.”The Hezbollah S.G. affirmed in this context that reviving ISIL will be met with the same firmness and the same determination.
UNIFIL Mandate
Sayyed Nasrallah then tackled the UNSC draft resolution on renewing the mandate of the UNIFIL force in south Lebanon. The Lebanese resistance leader noted that the draft does not stipulate that it is necessary for the UNIFIL to coordinate its operations in south Lebanon with the Lebanese Army. Sayyed Nasrallah slammed the UNSC’s draft resolution, saying “it is aimed at turning the international peacekeepers into Israeli spies.”
He voiced support to the Lebanese Government stance in refusing to legitimize the transfer of UNIFIL’s mandate from Chapter VI, to Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006 (Chapter VI calls for resolving the conflict by peaceful means, while Chapter VII calls for imposing the resolution by force). Sayyed Nasrallah, in this context, warned that the locals in south Lebanon will stand by the Government and the Lebanese Army and won’t allow the implementation of such resolution.

Hizbullah Official Nawaf Moussawi: During The Maritime Border Dispute With Israel, We Were Prepared To Bombard And Destroy Each And Every Corner Of Israel; There Would Have Been Millions Of Israeli Refugees
MEMRI/August 28/2023
Source: Al-Manar TV (Lebanon)
Nawaf Moussawi, the chief of Hizbullah's Borders and Natural Resources Department, said in an August 17, 2023 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) that during the maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel, Hizbullah had been "on the brink of war," and this is why Israel ultimately "relinquished" control of waters it had considered to be part of its exclusive economic zone. He said that one of the mediators in the negotiations had warned him that Israel will completely destroy Lebanon if Hizbullah attacks it for drilling, and he responded that Hizbullah is prepared to bombard and destroy every corner of Israel and create millions of Israeli refugees. Moussawi also claimed that an Israeli official had in fact instructed his daughter to pack her suitcase and keep it under her bed for the event that war breaks out.
Nawaf Moussawi: "We were on the brink of war. Had we not reached the brink of war, the enemy would not have relinquished what it considers to be part of its sovereign exclusive economic zone.
"One of the international mediators said to us: 'The Israelis are going to drill [for natural gas], and if you fire a single bullet, they will completely demolish Lebanon.' Usually, I would reply: 'Okay, I will consult and give you an answer.'
"In this case, however, because the threat was so provocative, I said to him: 'Look, I have no doubt that the Israelis have the ability to destroy Lebanon, but I am telling you right now that you should prepare your airports to receive millions of Israeli refugees.
"We will bombard and destroy each and every corner of the Zionist entity. Get this into your head.'
"This is how far we got. We got to the point of... I remember the daughter of one of the main [Israeli] officials asked her father: 'Daddy, should I prepare my suitcase and be ready for the war?' He said to her: 'Yes, prepare it and put it under your bed.' We were all ready for a war to start at any moment."

Lebanese daily Nida' Al-Watan: Hizbullah Is Main Element Deriving Profit From Lebanon's Economic Crisis
Lebanese daily Nida' Al-Watan/August 28, 2023
MEMRI/Special Dispatch No. 10771
A July 15, 2023 article in the Lebanese daily Nida' Al-Watan, known for its opposition to Hizbullah, states that this organization is largely responsible for the severe economic crisis in Lebanon and is also benefiting from this crisis more than anyone else. Hizbullah, it says, participated in causing the economic situation in several ways: by instigating security incidents and violent clashes using its weapons, thus driving away foreign tourists and investments; by escalating its rhetoric against the Gulf states and smuggling drugs into them, thus ruining Lebanon's relations with these countries, which were a major source of investments and foreign capital; and also by using its control of several government ministries to spread corruption. Although Hizbullah did not create Lebanon's long-standing problem of widespread corruption, but only jumped on this bandwagon, says the article, it is the element that has profited the most from the economic chaos in the country.
The following are translated excerpts from the article:[1]
"The economic, financial and monetary crises in Lebanon have not stood in the way of [Lebanon's] powerful elements in general and of Hizbullah in particular. On the contrary, for these people, these consecutive crises in Lebanon were an opportunity, and they seized this opportunity and used it to benefit from the dire situation and increase their profits, their revenue and the privileges granted to their supporters… This crisis was particularly profitable for Hizbullah, which enjoyed the largest piece of the cake that was on the table.
"Hizbullah has profited from the crisis in several ways. After the assassination of the martyred prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri in 2005, Hizbullah decided, for the first time, to become part of the executive branch and be represented by several [government] ministers. All the [previous] Lebanese governments, from the pre-civil-war period until after the assassination of prime minister Al-Hariri, had covered up corruption and agreed on dividing [the profits between their members]… Immediately upon becoming part of the government, Hizbullah received control of several ministries and joined this game of Lebanese corruption and division [of profits]. The ministries it received included those of health and of energy, which were not clean of wastefulness and corruption [to begin with]
"As for security, the May 7, 2008 events in Beirut, Black Tuesday [2] and other incidents all heralded the [detrimental] effect on Lebanon's economy, in terms of investments, incoming tourism, etc. What is certain is that the crisis grew worse in 2011, after the outbreak of the war in Syria and as Hizbullah severely escalated it rhetoric against the Gulf states, which became bitter and harsh. This stopped the influx of tourism revenues from the Gulf, as well as the foreign investments, most of which were made by these countries, which are also the main [market] for Lebanese exports.
"In addition and in the same context, Lebanon suffered the pressure of the U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah and the banning of Hizbullah elements from access to the global banking system. This naturally affected the credibility of the Lebanese banks, which were sorely hit… Despite all the directives issued by the governor of Lebanon's [central] bank, requiring the banks to close all accounts of Hizbullah members and banning the handling [of these accounts], some of these people continued to enjoy [access to] Lebanon's banking system, in various ways – [a situation] that the U.S. administration had long warned about. The banks' main branches and managements are committed to the directives of Lebanon's [central] bank, but many bank branches are not careful to follow them to the letter. Thus, some people who belong to Hizbullah or are associated with it continued to enjoy [the services] of these banks…
"As for the stage after the [October 17, 2019] revolution,[3] it should be noted that all the central pillars of the government profited from the crisis in some way, but the influential Hizbullah benefited much more than others, in certain ways. When the Lebanese pound started to fall against the dollar – what is known as a rise in the exchange rate – the monitory system was hit hard and moneychangers became noticeably influential, especially in the southern Dahia and the Chtaura area, which are Hizbullah strongholds. This led to the placing of several Hizbullah moneychangers on the sanctions list. It should be noted that the salaries of Hizbullah's employees and full-time workers was paid in dollars at the time, which contributed to the rise of the dollar against the pound…
"Another way Hizbullah benefitted from the crisis was by means of the petroleum products subsidy, which caused account holders [in Lebanese banks] to lose billions of dollars. The other elements in power also profited from this, by smuggling [fuel] through the illegal border crossings and even through the legal ones, and through the [sea] ports, like the one in Beirut, and the airport…
"Hizbullah [also] exploited the shortage of subsidized medicines in the Lebanese market, and opened the door to the import of Iranian and Syrian medicines to Lebanon. [It did this by] taking advantage of the fact that it controlled the health ministry in some of the governments formed before and after the crisis. It permitted what it referred to as the 'vital' import of medicines, so as to flood the Lebanese market with medicines and pharmaceuticals as it pleased, without health ministry oversight and without subjecting them to any quality checks before permitting their introduction into the Lebanese pharmaceuticals market.
"[Another] issue that caused a severe crisis for Lebanon was that of the captagon [drug], which was smuggled from the Beirut port to the neighboring countries, causing the Gulf states to ban the import of Lebanese goods and to ban Gulf citizens from visiting Lebanon due to the political situation.[4] The ban on Lebanese export to the Gulf naturally deepened Lebanon's trade deficit by creating a shortage of dollars flowing into the country.
"Given all of the above, it can be said that Hizbullah has profited considerably from the crisis through a policy of subsidies, smuggling and by other means, and that this organization is an inherent part of the system that tightened its grip over the country and benefitted from the corruption all these decades. We have heard a great deal about the intention to file charges of corruption, but in practice no charges were ever filed!..."
[1] Nida' Al-Watan (Lebanon), July 15, 2023.
[2] On May 7, 2008 Hizbullah gunmen took over parts of the capital in violent riots, in response to a government decision to dismantle Hizbullah's private telecommunications network
and to fire the head of security at Beirut international airport, who was affiliated with Hizbullah. The next day, known as "Black Tuesday," the armed conflicts between Hizbullah and its opponents spread to other parts of Beirut and beyond.
[3] The reference is to the wave of mass protests that broke out on that date against government corruption and the economic crisis in Lebanon, and in response to the government's failure to handle this crisis. See MEMRI reports: Special Dispatch No. 8332 - Lebanese Politicians, Journalists, Before The Outbreak Of The Current Protest-Wave: It Is Hizbullah That Caused The Economic Crisis In The Country – October 25, 2019; Inquiry & Analysis No. 1492 - Lebanese Protests Place Hizbullah In A Bind – Part I: Hizbullah's Hostility To The Protests And The Reasons Behind It – December 3, 2019.
[4] See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1573 - Saudi And Lebanese Accusations: Hizbullah Is Operating A Network For Smuggling Drugs To Saudi Arabia And The Region; It Has Turned Lebanon Into A Base For Exporting Drugs And Terrorism – April 28, 2021.

Concerns mount only Lebanon's elite would strike it rich from an oil bonanza
Nada Maucourant Atallah and Jamie Prentis/The National/Aug 28, 2023
Experts say reforms are needed to ensure any discovery benefits the masses
As Lebanon starts exploratory drilling for oil and gas, after a major agreement settled its maritime border with Israel, experts have warned that any bonanza would not benefit ordinary Lebanese unless reforms take place. Drilling in the country's offshore Block 9 began on Thursday, with a consortium led by France's TotalEnergies and including Italian company ENI and QatarEnergy. While result are due in 67 days, experts say Lebanese struggling with among the worst financial economic crises since the mid-19th century should not pin their hopes on hydrocarbons solving their problems. “It is essential to differentiate between the interests of Lebanon as a nation and the objectives of the political class, which, so far, are the ones benefiting from the entire process”, said energy policy expert Laury Haytayan. Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad told The National that while the drilling commencement was a positive step, any discovery of reserves would not in itself drag Lebanon out of its economic crisis – especially if no reforms are implemented. Lebanon's US-mediated maritime border agreement with Israel, signed in October 2022, establishes a clear boundary in the Eastern Mediterranean for the first time. Negotiations at one point had risked spilling over into conflict between Israel and its arch-enemy Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group that has extensive control over southern Lebanon. The deal between the two countries – technically still at war – is the result of more than a decade of US-led efforts to settle a dispute over potentially abundant oil and gas reserves claimed by both parties. Two years after the deadly Beirut blast, the same political class that is widely held responsible for the deaths of more than 200 people in the August 2020 explosion was back on the negotiating table with Washington. “Right from the start, this deal favoured the Lebanese political class,” said Ms Haytayan. “Negotiating with Israel was a strategic manoeuvre, aimed at boosting their international image, especially when their credibility was at its lowest amid the economic collapse.”
Lebanese politicians have cast the potential discoveries as a rare glint of light in a country experiencing dark economic times – now in their fourth year. Before visiting the drilling rig earlier this week, influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said that “in this darkness comes a day of joy”. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said it was a “bright page in history”. “All political parties are trying to claim the legacy of the project to turn Lebanon into an 'oil country',” Ms Haytayan said. The Free Patriotic Movement party sought to secure a deal before its founder Michel Aoun's term as president ended in October 2022. It could then cite this as a legacy of his presidency. Meanwhile, Mr Berri, head of the Shiite party Amal Movement, has positioned himself as the guardian of Lebanon's sovereignty in the deal. As for Hezbollah, the deal is viewed as a way to lift Lebanon out of its financial woes without an International Monetary Fund deal – and the critical reforms it involves, Ms Haytayan said. “Unfortunately, this situation will likely perpetuate the status quo, injecting dollars to prop up the system, while fuelling corruption networks and maintaining a facade of stability that undermine the general interest”, she added. A long way ahead It is not certain if any natural gas reserves will be discovered. And if they are found, that would lead to further investigations about the quality and whether the quantity is viable.
“In the oil and gas industry, predicting the content of a well is inherently uncertain,” said Marwan Abdallah, executive director of the Organisation for Petroleum and Energy Sustainability, a group that seeks to promote good governance and transparency in Lebanon's oil and gas sector. “Currently, discoveries have been made in Israel and Cyprus, suggesting potential in Lebanon's vicinity.”“If gas is found, there are multiple scenarios, one where the quantities only meet local needs and another one where there are enough available for export.”Mr Abdallah said that export, given the status of war with Israel and the sanctions on neighbouring Syria, would be complicated for Lebanon, although not impossible, if exemptions were negotiated. In any case, this would need investment to build the infrastructure necessary for domestic gas use and, if Lebanon were to export, to build new pipelines. Mr Abdallah asked: “Who will invest and how would Lebanon attract foreign investment?” He estimates that it would take about five years for Lebanon to start producing oil and gas, if commercially viable reservoirs are discovered. “We need to plan ahead,” he said.
Private and political gains
However, Mr Abdallah is doubtful of the political class's ability to effectively manage these resources, citing the state's lack of capacity and the pervasive issues of corruption and political patronage. The economic crisis has been blamed on decades of corruption and mismanagement by the Lebanese elite. There are fears that similar problems could pop up again with the political establishment also appropriating oil and gas revenue for private or political gains. “We find ourselves seeking solutions from the very individuals who previously failed to establish a good governance,” Mr Abdallah said.
One example is the electricity sector. It is beset by a chronic deficit contributing billions of dollars to the country's debt, political bickering over murky contracts and a decade without a single new power plant – while the nation endures crippling blackouts. Mr Abdallah asked: “What assurance do we have that these individuals will demonstrate greater efficiency in the future?”
Legal framework
Lebanon's legal framework includes measures against mismanagement and corruption.
In 2017, the country ratified a law to regulate public private partnerships. A year later, the government also enacted the Transparency in the Petroleum Sector law, intended to increase openness in oil and gas processes. In 2021, a Public Procurement Law, which was applauded by the international community for laying the grounds for more transparency in the public sector procurement, was passed. “These are on paper, but in reality, they are incomplete in their implementation”, Mr Abdallah said. Mr Fayad, who was part of the delegation that visited the rig earlier this week, offered cautious optimism alongside frank realism. “It's definitely positive,” he told The National. “Now, on its own, does it put Lebanon back on track? “No, it requires all the needed legislation and executive decisions. This does not solve the financial [crisis], the finance sector problems.” He spoke after it was announced that a 3D survey of an offshore area known as Block 8, which neighbours Block 9 to the west, would commence soon. Mr Fayad is hopeful hydrocarbon deposits worth billions of dollars could be found in Block 9. Asked if reforms are needed to ensure that no revenue is “lost”, Mr Fayad said, “100 per cent, of course” – while adding that, “it's all complicated”. The Block 8 survey will be carried out by British firm Geoex MCG and Egyptian company Brightskies Geoscience. They will carry out the operation under the authority of the Energy Ministry, in an area of about 1,400 square kilometres.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 28-29/2023
Pope Francis draws criticism for extolling Russian imperialist tsars
Philip Pullella/VATICAN CITY (Reuters)/August 28, 2023
Pope Francis came under criticism on Monday for telling Russian youths to remember that they are the heirs of past tsars such as Peter the Great, who President Vladimir Putin has held up as an example to justify the invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine said the comments, which Francis made on Friday in a live video address to Catholic youths gathered in St. Petersburg, were "deeply regrettable". Francis read his prepared speech in Spanish but at the end, shifted into impromptu Italian and said: "Don't forget (your) heredity. You are heirs of the great Russia - the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity. You are the heirs of the great mother Russia. Go forward."The Vatican released the text of the address on Saturday but did not include the last, improvised paragraph. A video of the pope making the comments was posted by religious websites. "It is precisely with such imperialist propaganda, the 'spiritual ties' and the 'need' to save 'great Mother Russia' that the Kremlin justifies the killing of thousands of Ukrainians and the destruction of Ukrainian cities and villages," Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said on Facebook. "It is deeply regrettable that such notions of being a great power, which contribute, in essence, to Russia's chronic aggressiveness, are voiced by the pope, either knowingly or unknowingly," Nikolenko said. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of Ukraine's Eastern Rite Catholic Church, said in a statement that the pope's words had caused "great pain and worry" and feared they could "inspire the neo-colonial ambitions of the aggressor country". He asked the Vatican for an explanation. An editorial on Italy's Il Sismografo website, which specialises in Catholic affairs, called the pope's words "odd" at a delicate moment in history. It noted that Catherine, commonly known as Catherine the Great and who ruled from 1729 to 1796, annexed Crimea in 1783. It also noted that Catherine protected Jesuits in Russian-controlled lands after Pope Clement XIV suppressed the order worldwide in 1773. Pope Francis is a Jesuit.
TRIBUTE TO TSAR
Last year Putin paid tribute to Tsar Peter the Great, the other Russian leader mentioned by the pope, drawing a parallel between what he portrayed as their twin historic quests to win back Russian lands. Putin has repeatedly sought to justify Russia's actions in Ukraine, where his forces have devastated cities, killed thousands and put millions of people to flight, by propounding a view of history that asserts Ukraine has no real national identity or tradition of statehood. "This is truly revolting," former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the pope's remarks.
Nexta, a site that reports on Belarus from Poland, said on X: "By the way, the Catholics of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus raised uprisings three times against this 'enlightened empire'". Francis has called Russia's actions in Ukraine brutal, cruel and ferocious and has said that the invasion violated a country's right to self-determination. He has spoken of a "martyred Ukraine" at nearly every public appearance since the invasion in February 2022. But he also has made a series of apparent gaffes when speaking extemporaneously. Last year, he upset Kyiv by referring to Russian ultra-nationalist Darya Dugina, who was killed by a car bomb near Moscow, as an innocent victim of war. The comment prompted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to summon the Vatican's ambassador in Kyiv to protest, saying the pope's words were "unfair" and had "broken Ukraine's heart".

Israel strikes force closure of Aleppo airport
Agence France Presse/August 28, 2023
Israeli air strikes on Aleppo airport in northern Syria caused the grounding of flights on Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a military source. During more than 12 years of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions. "At about 4:30 am (0130 GMT) this morning, the Israeli enemy undertook an aerial aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport," the source said, adding that this resulted in damage to the runway. Israel rarely comments on strikes it carries out in Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to expand its presence in the country. An Israeli army spokesperson on Monday told AFP: "We do not comment on reports in the foreign media." Syrian transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the damage centred on the only functioning runway, adding that "maintenance teams will start repair work today to return the airport to service as quickly as possible". Flights were diverted to Damascus and Latakia airports, he told AFP. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes also targeted weapons depots at the adjacent Nayrab military airport. Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at the airports in Aleppo and the capital Damascus, both of which are controlled by the government. In early May, Israeli strikes on the Aleppo area killed four Syrian officers and three Iran-backed fighters and forced a halt to flights, according to the war monitor. Israel strikes put the airport out of service twice in March. Three people were killed during a March 7 strike, while another strike two weeks later destroyed a suspected arms depot used by Iran-backed militias at Aleppo airport, the Britain-based Observatory reported. Monday's strikes come a week after two fighters backing the Syrian government were killed in Israeli air strikes on sites near Damascus, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground in Syria. Syria's war has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure and industry since it began in 2011. The war pulled in foreign powers and jihadists, and while the frontlines have mostly quietened in recent years, large parts of the country's north remain outside government control. With Iranian as well as Russian support, Assad's government has clawed back much of the territory it had lost to rebels early in the conflict.

Syria says Israeli attack puts Aleppo airport out of service
DUBAI/AMMAN (Reuters)/August 28, 2023
An Israeli air attack put Syria's Aleppo airport out of service on Monday, the Syrian defence ministry said, while regional intelligence sources said an Iranian arms depot was hit. "The Israeli enemy carried out an air attack ... targeting Aleppo International Airport. The aggression caused material damage to the airport's runway and put it out of service," a military source said. The Israeli military declined to comment. Two regional intelligence sources said the attack targeted an underground munitions depot run by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps within the compound of Nairab military airport next to Aleppo airport.
Nairab military airport, which has been used regularly for Iranian arms deliveries and the movement of troops, was repeatedly hit by Israel in previous strikes, they said. Israel has intensified strikes on Syrian airports and air bases in particular to disrupt Iran's use of aerial supply lines to deliver arms to its allies, including Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has also deployed fighters to back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Iran's militias led by Hezbollah have a strong foothold in Aleppo province, where they maintain several major bases and extensively support paramilitary groups that operate there. Damascus denies allegations that Iran, whose top military officials frequently visit Syria and have signed deals to supply advanced weapons, has an extensive presence in the country, saying they only have military advisers who help its armed forces. Fighters allied to Iran, including Hezbollah, now hold sway in vast areas in eastern, southern, and northwestern Syria and in several suburbs around the capital.

Members of US Congress make rare visit to opposition-held northwest Syria
Associated Press/August 28, 2023
Three Republican members of the U.S. Congress have made a quick trip into opposition-held northwest Syria in the first known visit to the war-torn country by American lawmakers in six years. They urged the Biden administration and regional partners to keep up the pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad. The roughly one-hour stop was a signal of the significant support on Capitol Hill for the opposition in Syria's long civil war. U.S. Rep. French Hill of Arkansas, one of the three lawmakers, told The Associated Press by telephone after leaving Syria that the trip was the latest of his several to the region this summer to press the U.S. government and Arab allies to continue pushing for a political resolution to the war. Hill said his message was in behalf of "those in Syria who want to have their own representative government." The conflict began in 2011 after Assad launched a campaign to crush what began as a peaceful uprising against his family's autocratic rule. Assad has held on to power despite the uprising thanks in large part to the armed intervention by allies Russia and Iran. But the conflict has splintered the country, killed at least 300,000 civilians, and displaced half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million. The trip comes at a time that Middle East leaders have begun restoring relations with Assad's government. By doing so, the Arab leaders are breaking sharply from the U.S., which is pushing to keep Assad isolated over government abuses that the United Nations says include repeated use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians.The U.N says 300,000 Syrian civilians died in the first 10 years of the conflict.
Hill and his fellow lawmakers, Ben Cline of Virginia and Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, entered Syria early Sunday from Turkey via the Bab al-Salama crossing in northern Aleppo province. They were greeted by orphans who attend Wisdom House, a school for orphans that is a project of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition organization that facilitated the lawmakers' trip. Hill's constituents in Arkansas have been leading donors to the school. "It was an emotional day for me to see those children, holding up pictures of their parents who'd been murdered by Assad's regime, getting a hug and a kiss from them," he said. The children were students at Wisdom House, a school for orphans that is a project of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition organization that facilitated the lawmakers' trip. Hill's constituents in Arkansas have been leading donors to the school. The lawmakers met with opposition and humanitarian leaders, including Raed Saleh, head of the White Helmets, a volunteer group of first responders known for extracting civilians from buildings flattened by bombing. Saleh spoke with the lawmakers about the political status of the conflict in Syria and on continuing humanitarian efforts for victims of a earthquake earlier this year in Turkey and Syria, the White Helmets said on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. Security concerns meant there was no public announcement of the trip beforehand. Hill spoke from neighboring Turkey, where the congressmen also held a series of meetings. The last-known trip by a U.S. lawmaker to Syria was in 2017, when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., visited U.S. forces stationed in northeast Syria's Kurdish region. McCain had previously visited Syria and met with armed opposition fighters. Also in 2017, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, visited Damascus, the capital, and met with Assad, a decision that was widely criticized at the time.
Since the beginning of the uprising-turned-civil-war in Syria, the U.S. government has backed the opposition and has imposed sanctions on Assad's government and associates over human rights concerns. Washington has conditioned restoring relations with Damascus on progress toward a political solution to the 12-year conflict. A growing number of Arab leaders are moving to end their own isolation of Assad, in line with arguments that engagement is the best way to address the flow of refugees, illegal drugs and other problems for the region from Syria. The 22-member Arab League recently reinstated Syria as a member after cutting ties earlier in the Syrian war. Hill said he had engaged Middle East governments repeatedly over the past three months about "what are the ramifications of the Arab League's admission of Syria back to the League and yet asking nothing" of Assad in return in terms of greater political freedoms and an end to rights abuses. Hill also is pushing for the U.S. and Arab countries to press Assad harder on Syria's status as the world's leading global trafficker of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine. Congress late last year passed a mandate for the U.S. to target Captagon smuggling in the Middle East, and President Joe Biden signed it into law. Hill accused Biden of not doing enough to pressure Assad to adopt political reforms and stop the flow of that illegal drug, an important source of revenue for the Assad government. "What I believe Syria needs, and the same thing the U.S. needs, is American leadership, Hill said. Neither the State Department nor the White House had immediate comment on the Republican lawmakers' trip. Control of northwest Syria is largely split between the Turkish-backed opposition groups and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that was originally founded as an offshoot of al-Qaida and is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. In recent years, the group's leadership have attempted to publicly distance themselves from their al-Qaida origins. The Turkish-backed opposition groups have regularly clashed with Kurdish forces based in northeast Syria, who are allies of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State.

Iran and Iraq agree to disarm Kurdish rebels
Associated Press/August 28, 2023
Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement to disarm members of Iranian Kurdish dissident groups based in northern Iraq and relocate their members from their current bases, officials from the two countries said Monday. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said in a news briefing Monday that the Iraqi government had agreed "to disarm the armed terrorist groups stationed in Iraq's territory by September 19, and then, evacuate and transfer them from their military bases to camps designated by the Iraqi government." He added that the deadline would not be extended and that while relations between the two countries are "entirely friendly and warm ... the presence of terrorists in the northern region of Iraq is an unpleasant stain on mutual ties."Iran has periodically launched strikes targeting members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran, or KDPI, and other Iranian Kurdish dissident groups based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region near the border with Iran. An Iraqi government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the agreement was signed between the two countries and said the central government in Baghdad is "working as quickly as possible" to relocate the groups with the approval of authorities from the Kurdish regional government in Irbil and Sulaimaniyah. He declined to give the exact location to which the disarmed militants would be moved, but said it will be within the Iraqi Kurdish region. He said they "will have a camp to live in and will be without arms."Different Iranian dissident groups in Iraq are aligned with each of the two main Iraqi Kurdish parties - the Kurdistan Democractic Party, with its seat of power in Irbil, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, whose stronghold is in Suleimaniyah - and are at odds with each other as well as with Iran. "Previously Sulaimaniyah would accuse Irbil of working with these groups, and Erbil would accuse Sulaimaniyah of working with them, but as a central government we agreed to relocate them," the Iraqi official said. "We are trying as hard as possible for this to take place on Sept. 19."Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani came to power last year via a coalition of Iranian-backed parties and is seen as close to Iran, although he has also attempted to build ties with the United States and Turkey.

Clashes between US-allied Arab and Kurdish fighters in east Syria kill 3
Associated Press/August 28, 2023
Clashes broke out Monday between two U.S.-backed groups in eastern Syria, leaving three gunmen dead and raising tensions in the region where hundreds of American troops are deployed, opposition activists said. The clashes raise concerns of more divisions between U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters in eastern Syria that borders Iraq and where the Islamic State group once enjoyed wide presence. U.S.-backed fighters play a major role in targeting sleeper cells of the Islamic State group that still carry out deadly attacks. Monday's clashes came a day after the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces detained the commander a formerly allied group and several other members of his faction after they were invited to a meeting in the northeastern city of Hassakeh on Sunday. The SDF did not confirm the detention of Ahmad Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla. He heads the Deir el-Zour Military Council, which was allied with the SDF in its yearslong battle against the Islamic State group in Syria. SDF officials did not immediately respond to questions by The Associated Press about the arrest. Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said that the SDF was concerned that Khbeil was opening links with the Syrian government as well as Turkey, whose troops have carried out several incursions targeting Kurdish fighters in north Syria since 2016. Khbeil's arrest could increase tension between Kurds and Arabs because most of his supporters who were also detained belong to a powerful tribe in eastern Syria. In July, a clash between the two sides left at least one Arab fighter dead. On Monday, several opposition activists reported clashes between the sides in villages in Deir el-Zour. The Observatory and Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who follows events in the region, said three members of the Deir el-Zour Military Council were killed. Other activists said that angry Arab tribesmen cut roads in the province in protest against the SDF. The Observatory also reported that members of the Kurdish police force known as Asayesh stormed the offices of Baz news network, an activist collective, and detained five citizen journalists including the head of the network. The Observatory said the network is funded by Khbeil. Baz news network said in a statement that Kurdish fighters detained its journalists, confiscated equipment and took control of its offices. On any given day, there are at least 900 U.S. forces in eastern Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contractors. They partner with the SDF to work on preventing a comeback by the Islamic State group.

Iran’s Nuclear ‘Concession’ May Not Be One at All
Andrea Stricker/FDD/August 28/2023
The Wall Street Journal reported on August 11 that Iran has slowed its accumulation of 60 percent enriched uranium — whose production entails 95 to 99 percent of the effort to make weapons-grade uranium (WGU) — as part of a quid-pro-quo arrangement with the United States aimed at reducing tensions. Yet this concession is unlikely to have an impact on Tehran’s breakout time, that is, the amount of time it requires to produce fuel for atomic weapons. The United States and Iran reportedly reached their agreement via indirect talks in Oman last spring. According to The Wall Street Journal, in recent weeks, Iran has diluted a small but unknown amount of 60 percent material to a lower enrichment level and “slowed the rate at which it is accumulating new material.” Overall, however, Tehran’s stockpile of 114.1 kilograms (kg) of 60 percent enriched uranium, which the International Atomic Energy Agency reported Iran possessed as of May, likely increased. The administration will try to spin the reported dilution as an Iranian concession, but Tehran remains on the nuclear threshold and able to produce fuel for an atomic weapon in as little as 12 days.
Iran has thousands of kilograms of uranium enriched at or near purity levels of 2, 5, 20, and 60 percent. The latter three purity levels factor into any potential breakout effort Tehran might undertake, and therefore it is critical to eliminate each in a rollback effort.
According to the Institute for Science and International Security, once Iran decides to pursue nuclear weapons, it could use some of its 60 percent stocks to produce enough WGU — uranium enriched to 90 percent — for one nuclear weapon in 12 days. During the first month of a breakout, Tehran could use some of its 60 percent and 20 percent stocks to produce WGU for four additional nuclear weapons. During a second month, using the remainder of the 60 and 20 percent stocks along with some 5 percent enriched uranium, Iran could produce WGU for two additional weapons. During a third month, it could use its stock of 5 percent material to produce WGU for one more weapon, for a total of eight weapons overall. Western intelligence agencies estimate that Iran would require several additional months to fabricate the WGU into nuclear explosives.
The process of making 5, 20, and 60 percent enriched uranium represents most of the effort required to make WGU. For example, depending on a variety of factors and inputs, 20 percent enrichment entails roughly 90 percent of the effort to make WGU, while 60 percent enrichment entails 95 to 99 percent of the effort. Therefore, the administration must determine whether Tehran will continue adding to its 5 and 20 percent stockpiles, negating any impact of a reduction in its 60 percent stockpiles. Unfortunately, the Biden administration authorized Iraq and South Korea to unfreeze some $16 billion in Iranian assets in return for what amounts to a false concession on Tehran’s 60 percent enriched uranium stock. This greatly reduces the administration’s leverage to obtain additional nuclear rollback. The administration should stop unfreezing Iran’s assets and return to a policy of pressure against Tehran. A first step is to enact the “snapback” of United Nations sanctions resolutions on Iran and restore the multilateral demand that the regime halt enrichment of uranium altogether. Next, Washington should insist that Iran dispose of or ship out all enriched uranium and associated infrastructure. The permanent dismantlement of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure under international monitoring is the only way to ensure the regime will be unable to use nuclear blackmail in the future.
*Andrea Stricker is a research fellow and deputy director of the nonproliferation and biodefense program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Andrea and FDD please subscribe HERE. Follow Andrea on X, formerly known as Twitter, @StrickerNonpro. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy

Iran says Iraq has agreed to disarm and relocate Kurdistan militants
DUBAI (Reuters)/August 28, 2023
Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement that "armed terrorist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region will be disarmed and relocated next month, Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday. "An agreement has been struck between Iran and Iraq, in which Iraq has committed to disarm armed separatists and terrorist groups present in its territory, close their bases, and relocate them to other locations before the 19th of September," ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said at a weekly briefing. The spokesperson did not specify where the militants would be relocated to. An Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman did not respond to a request for comment, but a security adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Iran was demanding the disarmament of opposition groups in Iraqi Kurdistan and their relocation to refugee camps. This demand was outlined in the border security agreement signed by Iraq and Iran in Baghdad in March, he added. Iran has long accused Iraq's autonomous northern Kurdish region of harbouring terrorist groups involved in attacks against the Islamic Republic, with the Revolutionary Guards repeatedly targeting their bases. Last September, Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired missiles and drones at militant targets at Iraq's Kurdish region, killing 13 people, according to local authorities. Iraq's foreign ministry had condemned the attacks. Iran's elite military and security force had said it would continue targeting what it called terrorists in the region.

Israeli finance minister to renew funds to Arab communities after backlash
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/Mon, August 28, 2023
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday his ministry would unblock funds for Arab communities that he suspended saying the money was fuelling crime, triggering outrage from Arab mayors and some Arab and Jewish lawmakers. Smotrich, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist-religious government, said this month that some of the budget funds meant for Arab local councils were a political pay-off by the previous cabinet that could end up in the hands of "criminals and terrorists". Arab councils held a strike last week in protest and community leaders demonstrated outside government offices. The National Committee of Arab Local Councils in Israel accused Smotrich of racism. In a statement on Monday, Smotrich appeared to reverse course and said an oversight mechanism had been created to transfer funds to the Arab communities. "We are stopping the criminal organisations from taking over the budgets that go to the Arab authorities," Smotrich said. Arab citizens of Israel, most descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel after the 1948 war surrounding its creation, make up about a fifth of the country's population. Crime in the Arab sector communities is disproportionately high to their makeup of the overall demographic. At least 157 Arab citizens in Israel have been murdered since January, more than double the fatalities over the same period last year and the highest toll since 2014.

Second Ukraine port ship safely reaches Istanbul
Agence France Presse/August 28, 2023
A second civilian cargo ship to sail from Ukraine since Russia withdrew from a U.N.-backed Black Sea grain export agreement safely reached Istanbul on Monday, marine traffic monitors said. The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Primus hugged the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria after departing Odesa on Sunday in defiance of a Russian blockade. Moscow warned that it may considered any ships in the Black Sea as military target and began bombing Ukrainian port infrastructure after withdrawing from the UN and Turkey-mediated deal last month. The Russian navy fired on and briefly boarded a Turkish-owned vessel that entered the Black Sea earlier this month. A major grain and seed oil exporter, Ukraine is trying to establish a new route that its ships can use without Russia's involvement in time for the autumn harvest. Ukraine now depends on land routes and a shallow river port that severely limits its grain export volumes. Turkey has been trying to revive the original agreement, hoping to use it as springboard for broader peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on a visit to Kyiv on Friday that he saw "no alternative" to reviving the original deal. Fidan is expected to travel to Moscow in the coming days to discuss the Kremlin's demands and set up a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia's Vladimir Putin. No timing or venue for the presidential talks has been set.

Russia charges US embassy 'informant' on Ukraine conflict
Agence France Presse/August 28, 2023
Russia on Monday accused a former U.S. consulate employee in the Far East of illegally passing data about the Ukraine conflict to American diplomats, activities Washington earlier said were routine. The Russian Security Service (FSB) also announced it was seeking to question two U.S. diplomats at the embassy in Moscow over the case, in a break from diplomatic tradition. The announcement is the latest in a series of diplomatic spats building pressure on strained ties between Moscow and Washington, particularly over the conflict in Ukraine. The FSB said it had charged the Russian citizen, identified as Robert Shonov, over "cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state." The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of eight years. Russian news agencies meanwhile released undated footage distributed by the FSB showing Shonov's detention on a snow-covered street. It also published images of Shonov testifying on camera. The FSB said Shonov had begun handing information to the American diplomats last September about the conflict and mobilization, an unpopular move in Russia that sparked an exodus of military-aged men. It added that Shonov had been tasked with gauging protest sentiment in Russia's regions ahead of presidential elections scheduled for next year. The FSB said the two diplomats, identified as Jeffrey Silin and David Bernstein, worked in the political department in the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The footage circulated by Russian media identified the diplomats along with summons dated August 11 for questioning on August 23. Shonov worked for more than 25 years for the U.S. consulate in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok until 2021, when Moscow imposed restrictions on local staff working for foreign missions. The U.S. State Department said in May that Shonov since worked as a private contractor compiling press accounts from publicly accessible Russian media, "in strict compliance with Russia's laws and regulations."

Ukraine says captured village of Robotyne on southern front
Agence France Presse/August 28, 2023
Ukraine announced Monday that its forces had recaptured the village of Robotyne on the southern frontline, where its troops have focused a counteroffensive against entrenched Russian positions. Kyiv launched its pushback in June after stockpiling Western-supplied weapons, building up assault battalions and working to degrade Russian positions. "Robotyne has been liberated. Our forces are advancing southeast of Robotyne and south of Mala Tokmachka," Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said on television.
Both settlements are in the Zaporizhzhia region, which the Kremlin claimed to have annexed last year despite not having military control over it. Ukraine's advance on the southern front has been limited, spurring a political debate about whether the offensive is succeeding. Ukrainian forces are crashing into Russian defensive lines of trenches and minefields that are kilometres deep, and its forces have clawed back just several villages in the south and pressured the flanks of Bakhmut, a war-scarred town in the east. Malyar said Monday that Ukrainian troops were advancing south of Bakhmut and that they had recaptured one square kilometre (around one-third a square mile) there over the last week of fighting. She also acknowledged a Russian push to take back territory in the northeast of Ukraine, describing fighting in the Kharkiv region as "very intense" over the past week.

Ukraine war: Kyiv 'liberates' village, night time drone attacks on Moscow, Ukrainian elections
Ellie Spina/Yahoo Canada/August 28, 2023
Paulina Gretzky dubbed the 'queen of IG' after behind-the-scenes clips from shoot
The daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky showed off a new trendy haircut.
Over the weekend, the daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky took to Instagram with an Instagram reel containing behind-the-scenes footage of a recent photo shoot she modelled for in collaboration with Kind Magazine. In the video, the mom-of-two shared a clip of herself posing on the beach, sporting nothing but a wicker hat. Gretzky then showed off her new bob haircut on a tennis court in a chic white bodysuit, and in a pool wearing a beige bikini. The 34-year-old also struck a pose at the beach in a strapless black bathing suit, and next to a palm tree in a sheer black maxi cover-up.
"BTS," she aptly captioned the compilation of stunning looks.
In the comments, fans swooned over Gretzky's video, dubbing her a "natural beauty."
"It's giving!," an Instagram user wrote, while another added, "The queen of IG!"
"Absolutely stunning," someone else chimed in.
One person commented: "You look beyond gorgeous."
"Omg, I can't wait for these pics!" a fan shared.
In May, Gretzky wowed her fans with another stunning look. The model shared a video of herself posing in a formfitting black, strapless cutout jumpsuit from the women's apparel brand Ronny Kobo, paired with a pair of black strappy stilettos.
She filmed herself walking away from the camera down a hallway before segueing to herself using a landline phone and adjusting her hair in front of a gold-framed mirror.
"NYC," she captioned the post, set to the song "One Step At a Time" by Jordin Sparks, alongside three emojis. Fans quickly met her post with praise on her show-stopping ensemble. "Oh my god, you are everything," one Instagram user wrote. "Absolutely stunning!" another person sounded off. "I legitimately think you are the most beautiful human on earth," a fan commented. Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Ukrainian soldier says Russia has an edge in the air and its powerful bombs are among the 'biggest fears' for front-line forces
Jake Epstein/Business Insider/August 28, 2023
Ukraine is making slow and steady territorial gains in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
But a communications specialist in Kyiv's military says there are significant challenges, such as Russia's edge in the air. Moscow's guided bombs are among the 'biggest fears' for front-line forces, the soldier said. As Ukraine advances through offensive operations in the south, its front-line soldiers continue to face dangers from the air, with guided bombs being among their "biggest fears."A communications specialist in Kyiv's military named Oleksandr Solonko detailed the ongoing fight in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region in a recent X thread. He highlighted the threat posed by Moscow's powerful guided bombs, the challenges of battling through Russia's layered defenses and fortifications — including minefields, trenches, tunnels, and anti-tank obstacles — and the role that aerial reconnaissance, coupled with ranged fires, plays in hindering movement. Any soldier can be spotted by the enemy from far away, no matter what unit they serve in or the topographical features of the battlefield, Solonko wrote, adding that personnel and equipment can be targeted and fired upon from a distance. Attempting to execute a mission under complete concealment is "mostly impossible," he said, according to a translation of his remarks by another service member. Solonko also noted "the enemy's advantage in the air," which he said has been a critical factor in Ukraine's armored vehicle losses. Much of the airspace above the battlefield remains contested after 18 months of full-scale war, but early in the counteroffensive, Russian attack helicopter crews found they could strike from beyond the reach of Ukraine's short-range air defenses. Ukrainian forces have since gotten better about eliminating these threats, but others remain, such as Russian aircraft that can release guided bombs at a distance. "KAB's are one of the biggest fears," Solonko said, referring to Russia's arsenal of guided bombs. "The russians use them extensively. I can't speak to their accuracy, but the weaponry is powerful." The Ukrainian military has been raising concerns about these kinds of weapons for months, identifying them as serious threats to Ukrainian operations. Some of these bombs can be over 3,000 pounds. "They attempt to target logistics and command centers, just as we do," he continued, adding that they also fire on roads and forward defenses in settlements.
"The aerial reconnaissance linked system Orlan-Zala-Supercam is effective and causing issues," Solonko said, referring to several different types of Russian drones. "They identify targets and launch [Lancets], releasing them in swarms along with KAB's. They attempt to break through and hunt down vehicles." Servicemen of the 128th Separate Brigade of Territorial Defence Forces polish first aid skills as they practise storming enemy positions during a tactical drill in the Zaporizhzhia direction, southeastern Ukraine.
"The recaptured positions are even more calibrated," he added before highlighting the destruction on the front lines. "Bombs are not spared. No lack of mines either. The tree line where one of the crews was operating was simply leveled. Only a palisade remained, and a well-made trench ceased to be usable." Solonko's commentary came just after Ukrainian forces raised the country's flag in Robotyne, a small village in the Zaporizhzhia region. Kyiv's defense ministry officially confirmed Robotyne's liberation on Monday and published a video of soldiers from the 47th Mechanized Brigade detailing the operation to capture the village. In the video, a soldier described the covert nighttime mission to raise the Ukrainian flag in Robotyne. He said Kyiv's troops approached and cleared a building. They had limited visibility, though, and weren't sure if they would encounter any traps, so they placed the flag on the first floor. When the sun came up, they realized they could reach the roof so they changed plans and placed the flag up there. "Thank you to all your brothers-in-arms," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday address to the nation. "And to all our other warriors of different ranks, from different units, who are doing everything possible to ensure that our flag is in all its rightful places, throughout the territory of our state!" Although Robotyne is quite small, its capture marks a bright moment for Ukraine as it continues to make slow and steady progress amid what has been a grueling and bloody counteroffensive. Clearing Russia's complex and well-established defensive lines has proven to be a painstaking task for Kyiv's troops, preventing them from recapturing territory at a quicker pace. "For those who are 'overly smart' and believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces took an incredibly long time to drive the Russians out of the village of Robotyne, they must have missed the defense system that needed to be overcome in order to push the russians away from the Mariupol highway and gradually approach the village, encircle it, and finally seize control," Solonko said. "Truly, a monumental task has been accomplished."

Poland is investigating disruptions to train traffic from unauthorized radio signals
WARSAW, Poland (AP)/Mon, August 28, 2023
Polish security authorities are investigating multiple cases of disruption to railway traffic, after unauthorized radio signals stopped several trains over the weekend. On some of the signals, the Russian national anthem could reportedly be heard in the background. Poland's railway is the main transport route for international military support going to neighboring Ukraine, which is fighting Russia's aggression. The network also transports Ukraine's agricultural exports to markets further west.Two men in their 20s were arrested Sunday after they generated intercom signals that halted five passenger trains and one cargo train near Bialystok, in the northeast. Prosecutors have opened an investigation. One of the two suspects arrested was a police officer, and police in Bialystok said Monday their agency had opened a dismissal procedure against him. Similar “radio-stop” signals briefly stopped some passenger and cargo trains in other regions across Poland over the weekend. In some cases, the Russian anthem could be heard over the intercom, Polish media reported. Authorities said there was no threat to public security and no one was hurt. Stanislaw Zaryn, the deputy coordinator of the intelligence services, said over the weekend that the Internal Security Agency, or ABW, was checking whether these could be sabotage cases. “At this moment, we are not ruling out any scenarios,” he said. “We know that attempts to destabilize the Polish state have been going on for months,” he said. “Such efforts have been carried out by the Russian Federation in cooperation with Belarus, and for this reason we are not underestimating any signals that reach the ABW.”Previous cases of minor derailments contributed to the concern over the railway system's vulnerability at a crucial time. Experts say that the outdated radio communication system renders Poland’s underinvested railways vulnerable to pranks and sabotage at a time when it plays a key role in maintaining transport links with Ukraine. A planned upgrade to a digital communication system has been delayed. The ABW told The Associated Press on Monday that so far 16 suspects, mostly foreigners, have been arrested on allegations of spying for Russia, including gathering information on the railway system.

Sudan military ruler promises decisive victory, rules out deal with 'traitors'
(Reuters)/August 28, 2023
Sudan's military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday dashed hopes of talks to end a months-long war, denouncing the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as "traitors" and promising a decisive victory in a speech to soldiers. Millions have been driven from their homes and a humanitarian crisis has escalated since the conflict between the army and the RSF began in April. Successive talks have failed to bring the fighting to a complete halt. "We do not make deals with traitors, we do not make deals with anyone who has betrayed the Sudanese people," Burhan, who is also the head of the army, told cheering soldiers at the Flamingo Base in Port Sudan on the Red Sea. His speech came one day after the head of the RSF expressed openness to talks and a long-term ceasefire, and days after Burhan emerged from the capital Khartoum for the first time since the war broke out. The two forces had shared power since toppling Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and blame each other for starting the war, which broke out amid plans to integrate their troops into a single force as part of a transition to democracy. Burhan has embarked on a tour of bases in army-controlled regions and is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, prompting some to speculate that a deal was imminent. "We are dedicating all our time to this war ... to ending this rebellion," Burhan said, promising a quick and decisive victory, echoing previous statements from the military leadership. The RSF "are completely exhausted - just a little effort and they will be finished," he said. Burhan denied that his troops had received any foreign assistance and said his exit from the capital was thanks to a military operation involving the air force and navy, and that two soldiers had died in the action. In recent weeks, the army has fought back a fierce RSF attack on the Armoured Corps base in southern Khartoum, one of its only remaining strongholds in the capital, the other being the army headquarters where Burhan was based. The siege has led to civilian casualties and has cut off locals from electricity and water, while making it difficult for them to flee, say activists.
The two sides have also fought fiercely for control of Nyala in South Darfur state, with activists reporting scores of civilian casualties and aid agencies saying the city has been cut off from assistance or utilities.

The BRICS summit ended with no new currency and all 5 members issuing differing and contradictory commentary on de-dollarization
Huileng Tan/Business Insider/August 28, 2023
The BRICS summit wrapped up last Thursday with six new members but not a new currency.Gianluigi Guercia/Reuters
De-dollarization was a closely watched topic amid the BRICS summit last week.
But BRICS nations appear divided on the issue, as statements from the bloc's leaders indicated. The latest SWIFT data showed the USD was used for a record 46% of foreign exchange payments in July. A group of major emerging economies wrapped up a summit in South Africa last Thursday by welcoming six new members — but without a new dollar-challenging currency. The summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa or BRICS nations added Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates to its fold. It is the bloc's first expansion in 13 years as it seeks to be an alternative to Western-led groupings. While there was talk about the bloc's possible creation of a common currency to rival the US dollar, that didn't happen – in fact, chatter from the BRICS nations on the issue was divided, pointing to different opinions that may delay any such development. As this dollar alternative was being discussed, data from SWIFT showed the greenback was used for a record 46% of foreign exchange payments via the communications system in July. Here's what the leaders of five BRICS members said about de-dollarization:
Brazil's President called for a common BRICS currency
"The creation of a currency for trade and investment transactions between BRICS members increases our payment options and reduces our vulnerabilities," Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said at the summit's opening plenary session on Wednesday. The Brazilian leader has been one of the most vocal proponents of alternative trade settlement currencies. "Why can't we do trade based on our own currencies?" he said in an April state visit to China, per The Financial Times. "Who was it that decided that the dollar was the currency after the disappearance of the gold standard?"
Putin renewed his call to increase the use of local currencies for trade
"We are working to fine-tune effective mechanisms for mutual settlements and monetary and financial control," said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
He added that de-dedollarization within the BRICS bloc is "irreversible" and gaining pace. Putin has been pushing for more trade in local currencies following sweeping sanctions against Russia that have expelled the country from the US dollar-dominated global financial system. He said at a previous international meeting in July that it was important to establish an "independent financial system" based on local currency trade.
India's oil minister said it's difficult to overturn longstanding payment arrangements
"I wish the Indian rupee should be the lead currency in the world. But I'm also a realist," Hardeep Singh Puri, India's oil and gas minister, told CNBC on the sidelines of the Business 20 meeting in New Delhi on Friday. Long-standing payment arrangements are difficult to overturn even if there are arrangements for trade in non-dollar currencies, he added. But "does that mean that an alternate global currency has come?" Puri asked CNBC. "We heard about decoupling. But these international arrangements, trading arrangements, payment arrangements, these have been in place for a long time."
India has also been pushing the de-dollarization narrative by touting the use of the rupee for trade. China's President Xi promoted reform of the world's financial systems. China did not comment on the idea of a BRICS common currency, but President Xi Jinping promoted "the reform of the international financial and monetary system" in a speech at the summit. China has indicated it wants the Chinese yuan to play an outsized global role but hasn't called for it to replace the dollar. South Africa's finance minister dismissed the notion of a BRICS currency
"No one has tabled the issue of a BRICS currency, not even in informal meetings," Enoch Godongwana told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the bloc's annual summit in Johannesburg on Thursday. "Setting up a common currency presupposes setting up a central bank, and that presupposes losing independence on monetary policies, and I don't think any country is ready for that," he added to the media outlet. Instead, South Africa appears to veer toward increasing the bloc's trade in local currencies. Back in April, South Africa's deputy president Paul Mashatile had said the BRICS bloc was looking to reduce its reliance on the US dollar.
The economist who coined the term BRICS slammed the idea altogether
Jim O'Neill, a former Goldman Sachs economist who first gave the BRICS bloc its name, has slapped down the idea of a common BRICS currency. "It's just ridiculous," he told the Financial Times in an August interview. "They're going to create a BRICS central bank? How would you do that? It's embarrassing almost."O'Neill pointed to the political gulf between rivals China and India as a key stumbling block to de-dollarization. "It's a good job for the west that China and India never agree on anything, because if they did, the dominance of the dollar would be a lot more vulnerable," O'Neill told the FT.

Libya's FM suspended after meeting with Israel's chief diplomat
Associated Press/August 28, 2023
One of Libya's rival prime ministers said Monday he has suspended his foreign minister a day after Israel revealed that its chief diplomat met with her last week — news that prompted scattered street protests in the chaos-stricken North African nation.
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who heads the government of national unity in the capital, Tripoli, also referred Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush, for investigation over the meeting, which was the first ever between top diplomats of Libya and Israel. Mangoush fled to Turkey following the Israeli announcement of the meeting, according to a Libyan foreign ministry official. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Mangoush met in Rome last week. It was a small breakthrough for Israel's government, whose hard-line policies toward the Palestinians have led to a cooling of its burgeoning ties with the Arab world.
Cohen said they discussed the importance of preserving the heritage of Libya's former Jewish community, including renovating synagogues and cemeteries. The talks also touched on possible Israeli assistance for humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry.
The Libyan foreign ministry, meanwhile, sought to downplay the importance of the meeting as "unprepared and an unofficial meeting during a meeting with Italy's foreign minister. It said in a statement that Mangoush's encounter with Cohen didn't include "any talks, agreements or consultations." Dbeibah's decision to suspend Mangoush suggested that he was not aware of the meeting. However, two senior Libyan government officials told The Associated Press the prime minister did know about the talks between his foreign minister and the Israeli chief diplomat. One of the officials said Dbeibah gave the green light for the meeting last month when he was on a visit to Rome. The prime minister's office arranged the encounter in coordination with Mangoush, he said. The second official said the meeting lasted for about two hours and Mangoush briefed the prime minister directly after her return to Tripoli. The official said the meeting crowned U.S.-brokered efforts to have Libya join a series of Arab countries establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. The official said normalization of relations between Libya and Israel was first discussed in a meeting between Dbeibah, and CIA Director William Burns, who visited the Libyan capital in January. The Libyan premier gave initial approval for joining the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, but he was concerned about public backlash in a country known for its past support for the Palestinian cause, the official said.
The official, meanwhile, said Mangoush who was surprised by the Israeli announcement, quickly fled the Libyan capital on a private flight to Istanbul.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.
Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow specializing in Libya at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, said Dbeibah has sought to please foreign governments as he has come under growing pressure from the U.N. and other countries over the political stalemate in his nation. Harchaoui said the Libyan prime minister's decision to suspend his foreign minister "undoubtedly" aimed at calming public anger. Israel's foreign ministry did not respond to reporters' questions early Monday, including whether Cohen's announcement had been coordinated with Libya.
An Israeli official, however, said the foreign ministry was forced to go public after an Israeli media outlet planned to publish a report on the meeting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes diplomacy, said that Israel informed the Libyans about the leak and said that both countries had previously agreed to announce the meeting at an unspecified time.
Libya was plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich country has been split between the Western-backed government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the country's east. Each side has been backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Gadhafi was hostile to Israel and a staunch supporter of the Palestinians, including radical militant groups opposed to peace with Israel. Sunday's announcement of the meeting prompted scattered protests in Tripoli and other towns in western Libya. Protesters stormed the foreign ministry headquarters to condemn the meeting, while others attacked and burned a residence for the prime minister in Tripoli, according to local reports. In the town of Zawiya protesters burned the Israeli flag, while others held the Palestinian flag. There were also protests in the city of Misrata, a stronghold for Dbeibah, according to footage circulated on social media and verified by The Associated Press. Khalid al-Mishri, an Islamist politician who was the chair of the State Council, a Tripoli-based legislative body, condemned the meeting and called for the dismissal of Dbeibah's government, which is close to the U.S. and the West. "This government has crossed all prohibited lines and must be brought down," he wrote on the X platform, previously known as Twitter. The east-based House of Representatives also slammed the meeting as a "legal and moral crime." It called for an emergency session Monday in the eastern city of Benghazi. Libya criminalizes normalization of ties with Israel, according to a 1957 law. In Israel, Yair Lapid, a former foreign minister and prime minister, criticized Cohen for going public with the sensitive meeting. "Countries of the world this morning are looking at the irresponsible leak of the meeting of the Israeli and Libyan foreign minister and asking themselves: is it possible to manage foreign relations with this country? Is it possible to trust this country?" Lapid said in a statement.

US, China agree to discuss export controls as commerce secretary visits to warm up chilly ties
BEIJING (AP)/August 28, 2023
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said she and her Chinese counterpart agreed Monday to exchange information on U.S. export controls that frustrate Beijing and set up a group to discuss other commercial issues, but neither side appeared ready to make concessions on disputes that have plunged relations to their lowest level in decades.Raimondo joined American officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in July who have visited China in hopes of reviving chilly relations. They expressed optimism about improving communication but no progress on conflicts over technology, security, human rights and a lingering tariff war. For its part, Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government wants to revive foreign investor interest in China as it tries to reverse a deepening economic slump. Raimondo said she and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao agreed during a four-hour meeting to launch an “information exchange” on export controls. She said they also will set up a “working group” of officials and private sector representatives to “seek solutions on trade and investment issues." A key Chinese complaint is limits on access to processor chips and other U.S. technology on security grounds that threaten to hamper the ruling Communist Party’s ambition to develop artificial intelligence and other industries. The curbs crippled the smartphone business of Huawei Technologies Ltd., China’s first global tech brand. Raimondo said the information exchange will hold its first meeting Tuesday. “The United States is committed to being transparent about our export control enforcement strategy," Raimondo told reporters at Ambassador Nicholas Burns's official residence. “We are not compromising or negotiating in matters of national security," she said. "But this is meant to be a dialogue where we increase transparency.”Earlier, Wang told Raimondo that Beijing is ready to work together to “foster a more favorable policy environment for stronger cooperation” and “bolster bilateral trade and investment.” Wang gave no details of possible initiatives. Beijing broke off dialogues with Washington on military, climate and other issues in August 2022 in retaliation for a visit to Taiwan by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives. The Communist Party claims the self-ruled island democracy as part of its territory and objects to foreign governments having contact with it.
The visits take place under an agreement made by Xi and President Joe Biden during a meeting last November in Indonesia. The Chinese state press has given them positive coverage, but Beijing has given no indication it might change trade, strategic, market access and other policies that irk Washington and its Asian neighbors. In June, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Xi for 30 minutes during a visit that was postponed from February after a Chinese surveillance balloon entered U.S. airspace. The Chinese leader called on Washington to change policies on Taiwan and other issues and rebuffed a request to resume military-to-military cooperation. Last week, on the day Raimondo’s visit to Beijing was announced, Washington removed 27 Chinese companies from a blacklist that limits access to U.S. technology. The decision ”may have helped grease the wheels for Raimondo’s trip,” said Anna Ashton and Kylie Milliken of Eurasia Group in a report. It suggests Washington "is making modest but measurable progress with Beijing in re-establishing limited government-to-government communication,” Ashton and Milliken wrote. ”Raimondo’s visit could produce additional progress.”
Meting with Wang, Raimondo defended the Biden administration’s “de-risking” strategy of trying to increase domestic U.S. production of semiconductors and other high-tech goods and to create additional sources of supply to reduce chances of disruption. Beijing has criticized that as an attempt to isolate China and hamper its development. “It is not intended to hinder China’s economic progress. We believe a strong Chinese economy is a good thing,” Raimondo told the Chinese minister. “We seek healthy competition with China. A growing Chinese economy that plays by the rules is in both of our interests.” Wang visited Washington in May. The U.S. government invited Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington, but plans for that have not been announced. Raimondo also was due to meet China’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, and other officials. The Biden administration also has taken steps that are likely to rankle Beijing.
In June, Biden added 59 Chinese companies including military contractors and semiconductor manufacturers to a list of entities Americans are prohibited from investing in. Last week, Washington approved a $500 million arms sale to Taiwan including infrared tracking systems for advanced F-16 fighter jets.

EU affirms "full support" for French ambassador to Niger
LBCI/August 28, 2023
The European Union expressed its "full support" for the French Ambassador to Niger on Monday, who remains in Niamey despite the expiration of the deadline given to him by the military coup leaders to leave the country.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 28-29/2023
The Woes of Vladimir Putin: From the BRICS to PMC Wagner
Raghida Dergham/The National/August 28, 2023
Despite his physical absence, Russian President Vladimir Putin was in many ways present at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Unable to travel there because of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in March, over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Mr Putin was dealt a political, psychological, and personal blow, proving that the plan to isolate the Russian President as part of phasing out Russia from global decision-making is working. The BRICS summit was not the sole source of embarrassment for Vladimir Putin last week either: the explosion of a plane carrying the leaders of the Wagner mercenary group, led by the Kremlin's old friend, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and commander Dmitry Utkin (nicknamed Wagner, from which the group gets its name), also shone a disparaging light on Russian affairs. While the White House hinted at the Russian President's involvement in the incident as retaliation for Prigozhin's rebellion and disobedience, others within Russia pointed the finger abroad, particularly to Ukraine and its allies. Others till in Russian circles highlighted differences between the presidency and the ruling elite, attributing responsibility for Prigozhin’s demise to the latter rather than the former.
Before delving into the ramifications of the deaths of Prigozhin and Utkin on Wagner's operations in Ukraine and Africa, where the group exerts considerable military, financial, and political influence, let's start with the BRICS summit beyond Russia's scope. The main beneficiary of the BRICS' expansion is China. While still an ally of Russia, China's ambitions and strategic programs are broader and more geared toward unilateral dominance, especially following Russia's involvement in the Ukrainian war - a conflict that exposed the fault lines among the founding members of BRICS, including China, India, Brazil, Russia, and South Africa.
The five BRICS nations agreed in the summit to invite six countries that meet certain criteria to join the group, including the Arab nations of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, along with Iran, Argentina, and Ethiopia. India and Brazil opposed the expansion, not towards economically developed countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but the inclusion of economically weaker nations like Iran, Argentina, and Ethiopia that could burden the group. India has different objectives from China within and outside the framework of BRICS. It fears that expanding the membership would diminish the group's weight, which India does not want to be a vessel for China's growing influence, power, and leadership. As for Russia, when it hosts the upcoming summit in Kazan, Tatarstan, it intends to propose inviting Venezuela and others into BRICS, a move that will likely stir controversy over the group’s identity and future.
The BRICS group is unlikely to become a cohesive force that could rival the G7, which comprises major industrialized nations with pluralistic and democratic systems of government, namely the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, as well as the European Union. BRICS was born out of a nebulous aspiration but has not transformed into an organization with mechanisms or even a headquarters. It is a loose coalition that imposes no political commitments on its members. BRICS is closer to being an economic and political club rather than a coherent organization with binding obligations on its members.
The accession of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates into the BRICS holds advantages for the group. Indeed, these two nations maintain strong relations with all BRICS members and command substantial investments and presence in global markets. Saudi Arabia is also a major partner to both China and India. However, these two countries are not positioning themselves against the United States or the G7 in the domain of geopolitical competition. Their objective is to contribue to sustainable development, and foster diversified partnerships, rather than exacerbating cleavages within the global economy or entangling themselves in confrontational alignments.
China, whose President Xi Jinping attended the summit, achieved great diplomatic and political success through the expansion of BRICS membership. Yet, China acknowledges that some of the countries joining the BRICS club might not necessarily align with its interests against the United States, especially in the case of the three Arab countries. China further recognizes that BRICS represents a long-term endeavor that, at the present moment, it cannot rival the G7 as a significant bloc. Moreover, it lacks the capacity to evolve into an alternative currency powerhouse to challenge the dominance of the US dollar, irrespective of China's efforts to that end.
Nevertheless, the BRICS countries wield substantial economic and political power. India is a technological powerhouse, Brazil is an agricultural superpower, Russia is a top producer of energy, and China is a manufacturing giant. While Xi Jinping shone brightly in his participation at the South Africa summit, the conspicuous absence of Vladimir Putin drew considerable attention given both the circumstances behind it and Russia's waning influence on the international stage. Nonetheless, despite the attention on Putin, the Johannesburg Summit's was overshadowed by the incident of the Wagner Group plane crash and its implications.
A few weeks prior, US CIA Director William Burns predicted Prigozhin’s demise. “Putin was someone who generally thinks that revenge is a dish best served cold,” Burns said at the Aspen Security Forum. “In my experience, Putin is the ultimate apostle of payback so I would be surprised if Prigozhin escapes further retribution for this,” he added, in reference to Prigozhin’s mutiny in June when he marched his forces towards Moscow.
President Putin extended his condolences to Prigozhin’s family, commending his talent, and noting their longstanding acquaintanceship. A source acquainted with both men since the 1990s, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed Prigozhin’s actions were never directed against Putin but rather aimed at the Russian military leadership due to their handling of the Ukrainian war. Prigozhin’s intent was to prompt a strategic shift, according to the source who also revealed that Prigozhin had in numerous missions as the enforcer and shadow of Putin, who chose not to be visibly involved, both within and outside Russia, across various domains. The source stressed his belief that President Putin was not responsible for the plane explosion, denying it was an act of retribution against Prigozhin, as implied by Washington.
According to a Russian former official, the "ruling elite," which extends beyond the military echelon, to include security forces and powerful ministries, are behind the assassination. This group perceived Prigozhin as a threat to the regime following his astonishing mutiny. They viewed him as representing a project that undermines their authority and interests, particularly after he fell outside their control and deviated from the agreed rules of the game.
Prigozhin did not adopt an adversarial stance towards the military leadership. Instead, his demand was for a change in the strategy that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov had embraced. He perceived their strategy as old fashioned and incompatible with the demands of modern warfare or the necessary tactics for a successful "dirty war." It was his method of expressing opposition that sparked blowback, and his independent leadership that raised the alarm about the transformation of Wagner into an autonomous force and Prigozhin into a decisive national figure with influence on the public opinion that has grown weary of the Ukrainian war and now fears its prolongation.
With Prigozhin's absence now, the return of Wagner forces to the Ukrainian battlefield has become more feasible. Firstly, Russia needs these irregular forces, particularly if the military opts for extensive destructive operations in Ukrainian cities, actions that could mar the reputation of conventional armies.
Second, in Prigozhin’s absence, President Putin becomes more dependent on the military leadership, as he lacks alternatives without Prigozhin and Utkin. Additionally, the ousting of these key figures from Wagner removes the threat of mounting criticism against the Russian army and certain generals who provided misleading advice to President Putin, thereby contributing to his predicament in the Ukrainian war.
The Wagner phenomenon will not end with the demise of its leaders; rather, it will evolve, despite some anticipation that Prigozhin and senior Wagner officials had formulated a contingency plan in the event of their deaths. The Wagner group will remain active in Africa, Syria, Ukraine, and Belarus, as its operational mechanisms there continue to grind.
We will not definitively know who was responsible for downing the plane that carried the Wagner leadership. Nor will we know if Vladimir Putin was angered or relieved as a result. What we should understand is that it is incorrect to assume that Vladimir Putin has complete control over everything transpiring in Russia, as the West otherwise believes. Matters in Russia are more complex and will only become more so within and beyond its borders, including in both the direct and proxy wars waged by Wagner mercenaries.

US should snap back UN sanctions to counter Iran’s drone and missile exports
Anthony Ruggiero and Andrea Stricker/The Hill/August 28/2023
Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate via AP, File
FILE – This undated photograph released by the Ukrainian military’s Strategic Communications Directorate shows the wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed near Kupiansk, Ukraine. As protests rage at home, Iran’s theocratic government is increasingly flexing its military muscle abroad. That includes supplying drones to Russia that now kill Ukrainian…
The ransom-for-hostages deal between Washington and Tehran will not change a grim fact: Russia is pummeling Ukraine with kamikaze drones made and supplied by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S. has condemned these actions as a “direct violation” of a United Nations embargo. Yet this critical restriction ends in less than two months, and Washington still has no plan to extend it.
The Biden administration must not idly stand by as Tehran and Russia strengthen their dangerous alliance. It must work with its European partners to maintain the drone embargo and a related missile embargo. Moreover, the UN Security Council must snap back previous international sanctions on Iran before the clock runs out.
This month, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield used America’s first press conference of its UN Security Council presidency, which it holds throughout August, to call for a UN investigation of Moscow’s and Tehran’s violations. But an inquiry at this stage would have little utility, since the drone embargo sunsets on Oct. 18, 2023, with the Biden administration’s tacit support.
Drones have become a low-cost yet increasingly lethal weapon for Russia’s war on Ukraine. Since late 2022, U.S. officials estimate that Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of the small, technically advanced devices, with catastrophic results for Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
In recent months, Moscow’s drone strikes have killed and injured dozens, destroying key energy and industrial assets and disrupting Kyiv’s critical exports. The White House says Iran is also outfitting Russia with its own supply line and factories to churn out even greater quantities of drones. To counter Tehran’s denials about its provision of drones to Moscow, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency is even inviting foreign officials to view Iranian drone debris collected in Ukraine.
For now, Tehran has paused plans to sell missiles to Moscow and appears to be waiting for the end of the UN missile embargo. As Russia ramps up its air campaign against Ukraine, Iran’s missiles will increase terror and destruction.
The expiring embargoes were included in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which passed in July 2015 after the finalization of the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal. The U.S. exited that deal in 2018, and Iran abandoned the accord in January 2020, then drastically ramped up its nuclear program after President Joe Biden’s election in November 2020, exploiting his stated desire to restore the deal.
In April 2021, the Biden administration and its European partners — the United Kingdom, France and Germany — embarked on more than two years of fruitless talks with Iran and are still holding out hope that Iran will revive Obama’s Iran nuclear deal or a more limited version of it. They are concerned that Tehran will use the restoration of UN sanctions as a justification to enrich uranium to atomic-weapons grade and possibly make nuclear weapons.
Washington and these European powers would therefore take the least confrontational approach, retaining national and EU sanctions against Iran’s missile and drone programs instead of lifting them in October, on Resolution 2231’s timetable. They would continue to condemn Iran’s participation in the Ukraine war but stand by as the last international prohibition on Iran is lifted.
They do not have to be bystanders. The West could invoke Resolution 2231’s “snapback” mechanism, which allows parties to restore previous UN sanctions resolutions against Iran in the case of significant non-compliance.
As remaining participants in the original nuclear deal with Iran, the UK, France and Germany can put the council on notice, forcing it either to pass a resolution maintaining the lifting of UN sanctions within 30 days or restore all the sanctions. And as a permanent Security Council member, the U.S. can veto any such resolution, meaning that all prior UN sanctions resolutions would immediately be reinstated.
Snapback would also reimpose on Iran a UN arms embargo, which ended in 2020, and revive prior nuclear-related restrictions, including an international prohibition on Iran enriching uranium. As the current Security Council president, the U.S. could easily add the matter to the council’s agenda.
This action is critically important, since some countries use UN resolutions as the basis for national legislation and sanctions efforts. Come October, absent Western action, those nations’ regulations may no longer prohibit nuclear or weapons transfers to Iran.
Unfortunately, Russia is not the only country interested in Iran’s drones. They can already be found in Venezuela and Ethiopia, with other countries lining up to purchase Iranian weaponry. Western governments urgently need more tools to counter their spread. Restoring the resolutions provides the Biden administration and its allies an additional basis to hold violating governments, entities and individuals accountable for such trade with Iran.
As Tehran and Moscow increasingly work together to undermine NATO’s defensive campaign in Ukraine, the Biden administration must lead the Security Council’s snapback of sanctions. Without this, Ukraine will have to prepare for a new onslaught of Russian attacks, courtesy of Iran.
*Anthony Ruggiero, former National Security Council senior director for counterproliferation and biodefense in the Trump administration, is a senior fellow and senior director of the Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Andrea Stricker is a research fellow and deputy director of the program.
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4167422-us-should-snap-back-un-sanctions-to-counter-irans-drone-and-missile-exports/

U.S. tells Israel mega-deal with Saudis must include concessions to Palestinians
Barak Ravid/Axios/August 28/2023
The Biden administration told the Israeli government last week that it would have to make significant concessions to the Palestinians as part of any possible mega-deal with Saudi Arabia that includes normalization between the kingdom and Israel, four U.S. officials and a source briefed on the issue told Axios.
Why it matters: Reaching a deal that includes a Saudi-Israel peace agreement will be a historic foreign policy achievement for President Biden. The administration is pushing to get an agreement before the end of the first quarter of next year, when the presidential campaign is expected to consume Biden's agenda.
But the Biden administration faces an uphill battle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strong reservations about taking any significant steps toward the Palestinians. Doing so would likely anger the extreme-right parties that are part of his coalition and risk bringing down his government.
Behind the scenes: Ron Dermer, Israel's minister of strategic affairs, visited Washington last week for talks at the White House and the State Department about the Saudi Arabia mega-deal.
Four current and former U.S. officials told Axios both White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Tony Blinken raised with Dermer the need for Israeli concessions for the Palestinians as part of any Saudi deal.
Blinken told Dermer that the Israeli government is "misreading the situation" if it thinks it won't have to make any such concessions, two U.S. officials said.
Blinken also said that Saudi Arabia will need to show the Arab and Muslim world that it got significant deliverables from Israel regarding the Palestinians in return for a normalization agreement, the officials said.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson said they don't comment on private diplomatic talks. The State Department deferred to the White House.
Dermer's office and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not respond to requests for comment.
The big picture: Sullivan also told Dermer that Biden wants to get broad support from congressional Democrats for a mega-deal with Saudi Arabia, a source briefed on the issue told Axios. To do that, Sullivan said, there will need to be serious Israeli steps toward the Palestinians.
Many Senate Democrats who will have to vote on parts of any mega-deal are highly critical of the Saudi or Israeli government or both.
The other side: Dermer in his conversations with Blinken and Sullivan wasn't very forthcoming about possible Israeli concessions for the Palestinians, according to two U.S. officials and a source briefed on the issue.
Dermer told Sullivan that Israel's concession is that it is ready to accept a civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia, the source briefed on the issue said.
State of play: Sullivan said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday that "there are still ways to travel" to get a mega-deal.
Several outstanding issues remain, including a possible defense treaty between Washington and Riyadh and possible U.S. support for a civilian nuclear program that would include uranium enrichment on Saudi soil.
What to watch: Three current and former U.S. officials said Netanyahu could be invited to the White House for a meeting with Biden the third week of September. The Biden administration hasn't confirmed if or when a White House meeting between Biden and Netanyahu will take place.
A source briefed on the issue said that such a meeting would likely focus on stressing the need for Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians in any future normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.

How US Politicians Empower Anti-American Jihadists and Other Aggressors
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./August 28, 2023
When people such as Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican Party nomination in the 2024 US presidential election, call for decreasing aid to Israel, they are actually sending a message of support to the mullahs in Tehran and their proxies, Hamas and PIJ, as well as the Iran-funded Hezbollah terrorist militia in Lebanon and to nations that would like to see Israel and America "out of the way."
For Israel's enemies, statements such as "cutting aid" are a sign that America is about to throw Israel under the bus, paving the way for them to proceed with their plan to destroy Israel.
The timing of Ramaswamy's call for cutting US aid to Israel could not have been worse. It came at a time when Jews are being murdered by Palestinians on an almost weekly basis. The terrorists are waging their campaign of murder because they want to drive all Jews out of Israel. The terrorists are undoubtedly happy to hear a Republican candidate talk about decreasing aid to Israel. They are hoping Israel will be made weaker. With less US backing, it will be easier to destroy.
The terrorists and others have, even more, long been seeking to end US "hegemony" in the Middle East. They consider the US an enemy of Arabs and Muslims and dictators everyplace. Ending US aid to Israel would not just be the first step toward undermining Israel, it would also be the first step to ending US influence in the Middle East -- the way then US President Barack Obama's abandoned Syria -- the best gift the US could ever give to Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Algeria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and on and on.
The terrorists who want to destroy Israel also want to destroy the United States -- for supporting exactly those freedoms both countries embrace, and which their detractors falsify as "biased."
"Instead of prioritizing social programs and economic development, the PA rewards and encourages this violence, spending more than $300 million a year incentivizing murder. This "pay to slay" policy, funded by the UN, EU, and many governments, rewards those who commit violence (including children) with cash payments. The greater the crime and the more victims injured or killed, the more money received. This campaign targeting children begins from birth and continues throughout childhood and the teenage years. It takes place through state media, schools (including those run by UNRWA), youth groups and centers, and sporting and cultural events in both the West Bank and Gaza." — NGO Monitor, March 1, 2023.
The goal of the Jihad is not just to murder Jews, but to drive them out of their only homeland, Israel. Muslims, by contrast, enjoy more than 20 countries that are officially Islamic, as well as 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
As the Kuwaiti-Palestinian academic Sami Al-Arian openly stated on Al Jazeera on July 30: "[T]he Palestinian cause is not about creating a [Palestinian] state... [our] greatest strategic goal is to dismantle the State of Israel... "
Al-Shanteer's family does not live in a refugee camp or an impoverished neighborhood, but in a modern building constructed from reinforced concrete clad in Jerusalem stone, consisting of at least five apartments.
Al-Shanteer is not poor or uneducated. In fact, he is an interior designer and civil engineer. He did not set out to murder Jews because he was destitute or needed a job. He admits that he decided to murder Jews in the hope of expelling them from their homeland. For this, his father believes that all fathers should be envious of him because his son murdered a Jewish woman.
The video of the father boasting of the murder of the Jewish woman has been largely ignored by mainstream media in the West. Apparently Western journalists do not want to show that many Palestinians are proud of murdering Jews.
Many journalists prefer to maintain the Palestinian fantasy image of peaceful and non-violent people engaged in a so-called popular resistance against Israel. Western journalists who choose to ignore his remarks are hiding the truth from their readers about Palestinian support for, and endorsement of, terrorism.
Similarly, US politicians who ignore the threats facing Israel are empowering the jihadists, their masters in Iran, and dictators worldwide whose nightmare is America.
When people such as Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican Party nomination in the 2024 US presidential election, call for decreasing aid to Israel, they are actually sending a message of support to Iran's mullahs and their proxies, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah. Pictured: Ramaswamy, flanked by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, participates in a televised Republican Party debate on August 23, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
American politicians who are calling for decreasing US aid to Israel are apparently unaware of the dangers and challenges Israel has been facing since its establishment in 1948. In recent years, Israel has been facing a new wave of terrorism, funded and orchestrated by Iran's mullahs and their Palestinian proxies, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
Israel's enemies are especially disturbed by the strong bond between Israel and the US. They do not want to see the US providing any financial and military aid to Israel because that hinders their plan to murder Jews and annihilate Israel.
When people such as Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican Party nomination in the 2024 US presidential election, call for decreasing aid to Israel, they are actually sending a message of support to the mullahs in Tehran and their proxies, Hamas and PIJ, as well as the Iran-funded Hezbollah terrorist militia in Lebanon and to nations that would like to see Israel and America "out of the way."
For Israel's enemies, statements such as "cutting aid" are a sign that America is about to throw Israel under the bus, paving the way for them to proceed with their plan to destroy Israel.
The timing of Ramaswamy's call for cutting US aid to Israel could not have been worse. It came at a time when Jews are being murdered by Palestinians on an almost weekly basis. The terrorists are waging their campaign of murder because they want to drive all Jews out of Israel. The terrorists are undoubtedly happy to hear a Republican candidate talk about decreasing aid to Israel. They are hoping Israel will be made weaker. With less US backing, it will be easier to destroy.
The terrorists and others have, even more, long been seeking to end US "hegemony" in the Middle East. They consider the US an enemy of Arabs and Muslims and dictators everyplace. Ending US aid to Israel would not just be the first step toward undermining Israel, it would also be the first step to ending US influence in the Middle East -- the way then US President Barack Obama's abandoned Syria -- the best gift the US could ever give to Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Algeria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and on and on.
Ramaswamy probably does not know that the terrorists and their families are proud of their attacks against Israel. He and other Americans who are seeking to cut US aid to Israel are, sadly, dupes serving not only the enemies of Israel but the enemies of freedom and the United States. Freedom is what terrifies every despot the most, and it is this freedom that the United States promises and protects.
The terrorists who want to destroy Israel also want to destroy the United States -- for supporting exactly those freedoms both countries embrace, and which their detractors falsify as "biased."
If Ramaswamy wants to learn about the Palestinian campaign to murder Jews and eliminate Israel, he does not even need to look at how Palestinians rejoice and pass out sweets over the murder of innocent civilians. He only has to see how the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, incentivizes the Palestinians' "Pay to Slay" program by rewarding the families of those who murder Jews with more than $300 million a year (see also here, here, here and here). According to NGO Monitor:
"Instead of prioritizing social programs and economic development, the PA rewards and encourages this violence, spending more than $300 million a year incentivizing murder. This "pay to slay" policy, funded by the UN, EU, and many governments, rewards those who commit violence (including children) with cash payments. The greater the crime and the more victims injured or killed, the more money received. This campaign targeting children begins from birth and continues throughout childhood and the teenage years. It takes place through state media, schools (including those run by UNRWA), youth groups and centers, and sporting and cultural events in both the West Bank and Gaza."
Right after the arrest of two Palestinian terrorists, Mohammed and Saqer al-Shanteer, cousins who shot to death Batsheva Nigri, 42, a preschool teacher and mother of three, in front of her daughter last week, Mohammed al-Shanteer's father gave an interview to the Palestinian Quds News Network, saying:
"According to our faith and religion, we consider this [shooting attack] a Jihad operation, and we are proud of it. All fathers wish they had a son like mine, Mohammed, and a nephew like mine, Saqer. We are proud of our sons. We are not ashamed of them."
This father is not the first Palestinian parent to express pride in the involvement of his family in terrorist attacks against Jewish civilians or soldiers. According to the family, the murder of Nigri is an "act of Jihad" (holy war) that brings pride not only to the family, but to all Muslims.
The goal of the Jihad is not just to murder Jews, but to drive them out of their only homeland, Israel. Muslims, by contrast, enjoy more than 20 countries that are officially Islamic, as well as 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Moments before the terrorists were arrested, while Israeli soldiers were surrounding their house, their family quickly documented them in a video. "Allahu Akbar! [Allah is the greatest]... Victory for Islam... Those who came to arrest me [Israelis] will be defeated, God willing! They will be expelled from this blessed land," Mohammed al-Shanteer says in front of his weeping mother, who replies with the Islamic battle cry, "Allahu Akbar!"
The video has been widely shared on social media, where many Palestinians have voiced support for the terrorist and his family. In some posts, al-Shanteer is hailed as a "hero" and likened to a lion.
Al-Shanteer's father is right: the campaign of terrorism is part of a Jihad against Israel that aims not to end the "occupation," but to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. As the Kuwaiti-Palestinian academic Sami Al-Arian openly stated on Al Jazeera on July 30: "[T]he Palestinian cause is not about creating a [Palestinian] state... [our] greatest strategic goal is to dismantle the State of Israel... "
Al-Shanteer's family does not live in a refugee camp or an impoverished neighborhood, but in a modern building constructed from reinforced concrete clad in Jerusalem stone, consisting of at least five apartments.
Al-Shanteer is not poor or uneducated. In fact, he is an interior designer and civil engineer. He did not set out to murder Jews because he was destitute or needed a job. He admits that he decided to murder Jews in the hope of expelling them from their homeland. For this, his father believes that all fathers should be envious of him because his son murdered a Jewish woman.
Not a single Palestinian has condemned the murder.
The video of the father boasting of the murder of the Jewish woman has been largely ignored by mainstream media in the West. Apparently Western journalists do not want to show that many Palestinians are proud of murdering Jews.
Many journalists prefer to maintain the Palestinian fantasy image of peaceful and non-violent people engaged in a so-called popular resistance against Israel. Western journalists who choose to ignore his remarks are hiding the truth from their readers about Palestinian support for, and endorsement of, terrorism.
Similarly, US politicians who ignore the threats facing Israel are empowering the jihadists, their masters in Iran, and dictators worldwide whose nightmare is America.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
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