English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 05/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch
that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
John 15/01-08/: “I am the true vine, and my Father
is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every
branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already
been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in
you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the
vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the
branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart
from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a
branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and
burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you
wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear
much fruit and become my disciples.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 04-05/2023
Link to the video of the
Divine Liturgy was presided today, June 04/2023, by Patriarch Al-Rahi in Bkerke
Church with the text of his sermon, and the text of Bishop Odeh’s sermon that he
delivered at St. George’s Cathedral – Beirut
Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi,: If political officials had invoked
God according to their ranks, they would have elected a president
Maronite Patriarch urges politicians to invoke God and serve the common good
Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi,says 'winner and loser' approach
would lead to national rift
Bkirki: Al-Rahi commissioned Abdel-Sater to meet with Nasrallah within framework
of efforts to facilitate completion of presidential elections
Bishop Aoudi: Obstruction no longer works, and arrogance and hegemony do not
lead to a safe place
Christian opposition backs Jihad Azour’s nomination for Lebanon presidency
Opposition officially endorses Azour for presidency
Moawad steps aside; opposition unites behind Azour for Lebanon's Presidency
Opposition Forces, FPM signal potential alliance, nominating Azour for
Presidency
Moawad steps aside; opposition unites behind Azour for Lebanon's Presidency
Opposition Forces, FPM signal potential alliance, nominating Azour for
Presidency
Yassine to LBCI: My choice will be what is best for everyone to get out of the
"hell" we are in
President of coexistence: Jaafari Mufti stresses importance of national
interests
Bassil: Safieddine spoke of need for consensus and we support it
"Azour does not have a reform vision & does not enjoy this advantage," deems MP
Mohammad Khawaja
Bassil from Byblos: We crossed paths with other parliamentary blocs over the
name of Azour, among other candidates
Fadlallah from Oslo: Mosques in the West have a great role in building
civilized, human life
Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan: Whoever loses the path to Parliament will
find no benefit in the entire world
Paul Kanaan: Bkirki takes no action with anyone against another, neither locally
nor internationally
Lebanon to send team to Paris after ambassador accused of rape, violence
Lebanon Launches Probe after Ambassador in France Accused of Rape, Violence
Gadhafi's son goes on hunger strike in Lebanon to protest detention without
trial
Australia's Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs to visit Lebanon, explore
counterterrorism cooperation and opportunities
Syrian and Lebanese Culture Ministers discuss ways of bilateral cooperation
Jumblatt meets Arabs of '48 delegation in Cyprus: For enhancing communication on
the basis of Arab-Islamic national heritage
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 04-05/2023
Iran's top leader defends hard-line
approach toward West, blames protests on 'thugs and villains'
Financial Times: Rob Malley Holds Direct Talks with Iran’s UN Ambassador
Israel prepares funerals for soldiers killed near Egyptian border
Israel accuses U.N. nuclear watchdog of 'capitulating' to Iran
The private armies Putin has unleashed on Ukraine may lead to his downfall
Putin’s exploits as KGB spy likely to have been exaggerated, investigation finds
‘Everything Changed’: The War Arrives on Russians’ Doorstep
Ukraine keeps up pressure following Russian declaration of victory in Bakhmut
5 Drones Shot Downed in Crimea's Dzhankoi
Huge bunker to be built under elite hospital as war comes to Moscow
Kremlin: Western long-range missiles to Ukraine will fuel 'spiralling tension'
Navalny supporters hold demonstrations to mark Russian opposition leader's
Chinese warship passed in 'unsafe manner' near US destroyer in Taiwan Strait -US
US, Saudi Arabia urge Sudan’s warring parties to agree to a new cease-fire,
fighting continues
Fighting escalates in Khartoum after ceasefire expires
Iraq and Syria discuss tackling cross-border drug trade
Gunmen kill dozens and kidnap children in northern Nigeria
Belgian Prime Minister Briefly Knocked Out in Bike Fall
China defends buzzing American warship in Taiwan Strait, accuses US of
provocation
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on June 04-05/2023
Biden Is Not Serious about Ukraine Defeating Russia/Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute./June 4, 2023
Is the Middle East on the threshold of restructuring?/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/June
04, 2023
The chances of Biden’s 2024 Democratic challengers/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/June
04, 2023
Cooperation between regional and global organizations important for addressing
climate crisis/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June 04, 2023
Redesign the business model to end plastic pollution/Ranvir S. Nayar/Arab
News/June 04, 2023
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 04-05/2023
Link to the video of the
Divine Liturgy was presided today, June 04/2023, by Patriarch Al-Rahi in Bkerke
Church with the text of his sermon, and the text of Bishop Odeh’s sermon that he
delivered at St. George’s Cathedral – Beirut
*Patriarch, Al-Rahi,: If political officials had invoked God according to their
ranks, they would have elected a president
*Patriarch, Al-Rahi,says 'winner and loser' approach would lead to national rift
*Bishop Aoudi: Obstruction no longer works, and arrogance and hegemony do not
lead to a safe place
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118784/118784/
/June 04/2023
Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi,: If political
officials had invoked God according to their ranks, they would have elected a
president
NNA/June 04/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118784/118784/
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, presided this morning over
Sunday Mass in the Church of Our Lady in Bkirki. In his homily, the Patriarch
criticized the Lebanese officials for failing to elect a president for the
republic until now. He considered that if Lebanese officials had invoked the
presence of God, each in their rank and position, they would have succeeded in
electing a president. "Our politicians are called to this pious practice that
puts them in the presence of God, so they practice their political work as an
art to serve the common good, from which the good of every citizen
comes...Invoking God, before their deeds, words, and stances, removes them from
their selfishness and personal interests, makes them prevail over differences,
and adorns them with morality and sense of duty," the Patriarch said. He added:
"If they invoked God today, eight months after the presidential vacancy, and in
the face of the complete collapse politically, economically, financially, and
socially, they would rush towards understanding and agreeing to elect a
president that Lebanon direly needs under the current circumstances."Al-Rahi
deemed that every step in this direction is very much blessed, away from the
notion of victory and defeat between individuals or between the components of
the same country. "This is a matter that leads to a serious rift in the life of
the country, while what is required is the unity of Lebanon and its people and
their goodness," he said. Finally, the Patriarch called for praying to God
Almighty "to place all those responsible before His presence, so that they act
according to His will."
Maronite Patriarch urges politicians to invoke
God and serve the common good
LBCI/June 04/2023
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, considered during his
Sunday sermon that the politicians are invited for spiritual practice that
brings them into the presence of God to perform their political work as a shroud
in the service of the common good, which benefits all citizens. He urged them to
invoke God before their actions, words, and positions, which removes them from
their selfishness and personal interests and overcomes their differences,
adorning them with morality. The Maronite patriarch stated that invoking God
puts them before the feeling of their responsibility for the destruction of the
state, the disruption of constitutional institutions, the failure of the work of
public administrations, and the impoverishment of the people. He added that if
the politicians invoked God according to their ranks, they would have elected a
president within the two months preceding the end of President Michel Aoun's
term, following Article 73 of the Constitution. "If they invoked God today,
after eight months of a vacant presidency, and in the face of complete
political, economic, financial, and social collapse, they would hasten to agree
and reach a consensus to elect a president that Lebanon needs in the current
circumstances." In his sermon, al-Rahi blessed the steps taken in this
direction, far from "the winner and the loser" between individuals or the
country's components. "This leads to a dangerous division in the nation's life,
while what is required is unity for Lebanon, its people, and their well-being."
He said, "Let us reach God so that he puts all officials before him, and they
act according to his will."
Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi,says 'winner
and loser' approach would lead to national rift
Naharnet/June 04/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118784/118784/
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday said he welcomes “every step
towards understanding and consensus over a president’s election,” as the
opposition prepares to declare the name of its presidential candidate.
Al-Rahi, however, warned against the so-called “winner and loser” approach
between “individuals or the country’s components.”“This would lead to a
dangerous rift in the country, while the unity and welfare of Lebanon and its
people are needed,” the patriarch added
Bkirki: Al-Rahi commissioned Abdel-Sater to
meet with Nasrallah within framework of efforts to facilitate completion of
presidential elections
NNA/04 June/2023
In an issued statement this evening, Bkirki’s media office disclosed that on
Saturday, His Beatitude Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, commissioned
Archbishop Boulos Abdel-Sater of Beirut to meet with the Secretary-General of
Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, within the framework of the consultations
and contacts that the Patriarch has initiated with all Lebanese parties, in
order to facilitate the completion of the presidential election and end the
deadly vacuum in the presidency.
Bishop Aoudi: Obstruction no longer works, and arrogance
and hegemony do not lead to a safe place
NNA/LCCC/04 June/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118784/118784/
In his sermon today, Bishop Aoudi said: "On this blessed feast, we ask the Holy
Spirit to enlighten the minds of the officials of our country so that they know
how to distinguish between good and evil, and work for goodness, truth, justice
and righteousness. Our prayer is that they understand that the ship does not go
without a captain, and becomes subject to sinking at any moment, so how many
Rather, the ship of Lebanon lacks a captain and a specialized crew to assist
him, who works to save the country, who pushes for the necessary reforms, and
who implements them, if there is no president and government? Emptiness, loss
and ambiguity, while its people are suffering and its resources are depleted. We
need wisdom and foresight, goodwill and patience. Obstruction no longer works,
and arrogance and domination do not lead to a safe place, but rather generate a
harmful negative reaction. Hence the necessity of prudence and prioritizing the
public interest over Every interest, had it not been for the grace of the Holy
Spirit, the comforter, the situation of people would have been worse than it is.
We are believers, nay, we are confident that the hand of the Lord is working
powerfully in this country, but the Lord is waiting for us to work diligently
and strive towards salvation, just as He is waiting for our return to Him, after
the veil has fallen from us. Our eyes and our realization that salvation is in
Him alone.
And he concluded: “May God, the Holy Trinity, preserve you with His divine grace
at all times, and bestow upon you His blessings, and enlighten your minds,
hearts, and all your being, so that you may walk according to His commandments,
working for the salvation of your souls with repentance, humility, and love,
with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
Christian opposition backs Jihad Azour’s
nomination for Lebanon presidency
Najia Houssari/Arab News/June 04, 2023
BEIRUT: Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai has praised Christian politicians as they
united around a presidential candidate, in a move that could end a nearly
eight-month power vacuum in Lebanon. His blessings during Sunday sermon came
after opposition parliamentary blocs agreed to support the nomination of Jihad
Azour, a former minister who is the director of the International Monetary
Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department. He is expected to contest the
presidency against Suleiman Frangieh, the preferred candidate of Hezbollah, the
Amal Movement and their allies. Al-Rahi also sent Bishop Paul Abdel Sater on
Sunday to meet Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as part of “dialogue
with non-Christian forces, especially Hezbollah, to elect a president for all of
Lebanon.”The bishop is expected to continue visiting all political forces this
week. Sunday’s move by the opposition parliamentary blocs follows an
announcement by the Free Patriotic Movement on Saturday. There is now agreement
between Christian MPs, Change MPs and some independent MPs to nominate Azour
after Michel Moawad, an MP, withdrew from the election on Sunday. Some had
previously supported Moawad, whom Hezbollah saw as a provocative candidate. The
Progressive Socialist Party bloc is due to announce its position on Azour on
Tuesday. The decision to back Azour by the FPM, the largest Christian party in
parliament, came after its leader Gebran Bassil fell out with Hezbollah after
the group’s nomination of Frangieh. “In the event of a call to a presidential
election session, the FPM will vote for the agreed-upon name instead of
submitting a blank ballot,” he said. Waddah Sadek, an MP, told Arab News that
estimates of the opposition indicate that Azour will receive more than 65 votes,
which means he would win if a vote went to a second round. “The ball will then
be in the court of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has been delaying the
call for an election session since January unless he and his allies secure the
election of Frangieh,” he said. MPs have failed in 11 sessions to elect a new
president due to the lack of quorum in the second round of each, as a result of
the withdrawal of Hezbollah and Amal Movement MPs. Hashem Safi, the head of the
party's political council, dismissed the significance of Azour’s nomination.
“There is no single party capable of electing a president in Lebanon, regardless
of the candidate's name, nature, affiliation, color, or political choices,” he
said. “Therefore, unless the parties agree with each other, we cannot accomplish
the presidential election." During his sermon, Al-Rahi said: “If the political
officials invoked God, they would have elected a president within the two months
before the end of Michel Aoun’s term. “They would have rushed to agree on
electing a president that Lebanon needs in the face of complete political,
economic, financial, and social collapse.” Mohammed Khawaja, an Amal MP, said
that the nomination of Azour was a ruse to block Frangieh, adding that he lacked
the reformist vision that Lebanon needed. Former MP Fares Souaid, head of the
National Council to End the Iranian Occupation of Lebanon, described the
Christian parties’ reconciliation as “brave.”He said that confronting Hezbollah
could not be done through ballot boxes or electoral alliances. “The
confrontation lies in re-forming internal unity around the Lebanese choice based
on the Taif Agreement and coexistence,” he said. “Confronting one sect against
another is dangerous. A ballot box against a gun is dangerous. Spreading
illusions in the face of killing is dangerous.”
Opposition officially endorses Azour for
presidency
Agence France Presse/4 June 2023
Opposition lawmakers on Sunday nominated Jihad Azour, an International Monetary
Fund regional director and former minister, for president. MP Mark Daou of the
Change bloc read a statement on behalf of 32 opposition legislators, endorsing
Azour after weeks of negotiations "as a candidate that is not considered
provocative by any political factor in the country." The lawmakers belong to the
Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party and the Tajaddod bloc in addition to several
independent and Change MPs. The same MPs had previously backed another
presidential candidate, parliamentarian Michel Mouawad, who on Sunday announced
he was withdrawing his nomination and backing Azour. Both declarations were made
at Mouawad's residence. Azour, the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia director,
served as Lebanon's finance minister from 2005 to 2008. He has yet to officially
announce a presidential bid. The international community has urged Lebanese
officials to fill the vacant presidency, which would allow the country, mired in
a crippling economic crisis since 2019, to carry out reforms needed to unlock
much needed IMF loans. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has a huge hold over
political life in Lebanon, has endorsed the pro-Damascus Suleiman Franjieh for
the presidency. But opposition from the country's two main Christian parties,
the LF and the Free Patriotic Movement, means that Franjieh lacks a clear path
to majority backing in the divided parliament. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan
Fadlallah called Azour's nomination "a waste of time," insisting that "the
candidate of confrontation" will not be elected president. Hezbollah's key
Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement, said it would support Azour. With
no clear majority for any candidate, it is unclear when Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri might call a new vote. Former president Michel Aoun's term expired last
October. Since then, there have been 11 parliamentary votes to try to name a new
president, but bitter divisions have prevented anyone from garnering enough
support to succeed Aoun. Crisis-hit Lebanon has been run by a caretaker
government with limited powers since legislative elections in May 2022 resulted
in no side with a clear majority.
Moawad steps aside; opposition unites behind
Azour for Lebanon's Presidency
LBCI/4 June 2023
In a calculated move that underscores the shifting dynamics of Lebanese
politics, Michel Moawad withdraws his candidacy for presidency and throws his
weight behind the former Minister, Jihad Azour. This development unites a broad
swath of the opposition, bringing new momentum to a campaign aimed at breaking
the longstanding political impasse in Lebanon. Moawad explained his decision,
saying, "I submitted my candidacy from the start, fully aware of the challenges
I might face. The issue has always been the project, not the person. I have
decided to join the consensus nominating Azour and to continue in this crucial
struggle."In the wake of Moawad's withdrawal, Mark Daou, reading a statement on
behalf of 32 opposition deputies, officially announced their unified support for
Azour. "As opposition forces, we recognize our national responsibility," said
Daou. "We reject the logic of defiance and chose, for the sake of the nation, to
break the cycle of voids that is destroying our country." Daou stressed that
Azour was not merely the opposition's candidate, but a consensus figure
representing a broad spectrum of political views. The opposition has now called
on Speaker Berri to convene a session to elect the President of the Republic,
and urged the Lebanese people to stand with their representatives, pressuring
the deputies to fulfill their duties and participate in this crucial election
session. The rallying of opposition forces behind Azour marks a pivotal moment
in Lebanon's political landscape, where a united front strives to bring change
at the highest levels of governance.
Opposition Forces, FPM signal potential
alliance, nominating Azour for Presidency
LBCI/4 June 2023
In a significant development that could reshape Lebanon's political landscape,
signals of a potential alliance between opposition forces and the Free Patriotic
Movement (FPM) have emerged. The announcement came from the Leader of the Free
Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, on Saturday in Jbeil, in the presence of
former President Michel Aoun. Bassil declared that they had found common ground
with other parliamentary blocs on the nomination of Jihad Azour for the
presidency, among other suitable candidates. This convergence marks an important
milestone in their efforts to demonstrate unity and agreement. This was
completed with the positions launched from Deputy Michel Mouawad's office,
chosen by opposition deputies from the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb, and
renewed with some Change MPs and independents intentionally because Mouawad was
the opposition's primary candidate. He participated in this competition with
competence, and he willingly agreed to withdraw in favor of a candidate with a
higher percentage of votes. Of the twelve reformist deputies, the data show that
two firmly refuse to elect Azour: Cynthia Zarazir and Halima Qaaqour, and three
support his election: Mark Daw, Wadah Al-Sadek, and Michel Douaihy. As for the
remaining seven, they have not taken a final position, but most of them lean
towards supporting Azour. The Democratic Gathering, which will announce its
final stance on Tuesday, is initially inclined towards supporting Jihad Azour.
However, its sources mentioned that the focus lies not only on backing Azour but
also ensuring a smooth transition to the presidency by preparing the necessary
groundwork. This requires additional efforts to achieve a quasi-consensus
without encountering any constitutional hurdles or exacerbating bilateral
concerns. Furthermore, deputies of the Moderation Bloc are all cautious due to
the lack of clarity surrounding the situation amidst the disagreement among the
six deputies regarding the name. Before deciding to call for the twelfth session
to elect the president, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri awaited the
accompanying information for announcing Azour's nomination and how it will be
done. Does it represent a mere nomination or conceal seriousness, as stated by
sources from the Development and Liberation Bloc, who added that Berri is
prepared to schedule the session as soon as possible if it proves to be
fruitful. However, according to sources familiar with their position, Hezbollah
continues to stand by its candidate, Sleiman Frangieh, the Leader of the Marada
Movement, until the end. The party has not formulated an alternative plan. These
sources indicate that Hezbollah will participate if a session is convened, but
they believe it will not produce a president. They anticipate repeating the
scenario witnessed in the Maouad-blank ballot sessions until a viable
settlement, primarily proposed by the French, is achieved.
Yassine to LBCI: My choice will be what is
best for everyone to get out of the "hell" we are in
LBCI/4 June 2023
MP Yassine Yassine stressed his keenness that his choice, regarding the
presidential election, be the best for everyone to get out of the "hell" we are
in, stressing that this is the choice he will take. In the event that an
agreement is reached later on the name of Army Commander Joseph Aoun, Yassin
explained on LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show that Aoun's program is not clear and
unknown until this moment. He called for the next president to be a patriot.
President of coexistence: Jaafari Mufti stresses importance
of national interests
LBCI/4 June 2023
In a speech during a memorial ceremony in Meiss El Jabal on Sunday, Jaafari
Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan stressed the urgent need to save the Lebanese entity
and coexistence. "The focus of our national demand today revolves around saving
the country and the people from the worst disaster affecting them and our
national formula," Qabalan said. He added that the Lebanese want a president of
coexistence, "not a president of challenge," since the challenge in this country
"takes us towards ruin, and our interests are the same, Muslims and Christians,
and we do not accept breaking anyone, for our national interests are above all
considerations." The Jaafari Mufti urged to secure a clear settlement, to avoid
leaving Lebanon "to an international lottery game." He added, "Some must
understand that the international community is a stock exchange of ruin, and the
history of the civil war has revealed to us the world that dealt with Lebanon as
a barricade [...] A game of international graveyards, and endless attrition
projects." He said the current political battle is a battle of sovereignty and
belonging based on coexistence and national interests. "It is the same as what
the resistance has presented and is presenting as a strategic guarantor for
Lebanon, and it is the same as what the national duo is doing […] The solution
lies within the parliament council as a constitutional institution that
guarantees Lebanese sovereignty and national partnership, and whoever loses the
way to parliament will find no benefit in the entire world," he stated.
Bassil: Safieddine spoke of need for consensus
and we support it
Naharnet/4 June 2023
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has announced that the FPM has
“intersected” with the opposition over Jihad Azour’s nomination, while noting
that “this intersection is important but not enough for the election of a
president.”“This intersection is important in order to say that we have agreed,
and when we made the agreement they (Suleiman Franjieh and his backers) went
crazy,” Bassil added, during an overnight speech in Jbeil. He, however, said
that “an agreement with the other camp is needed” as well as an agreement among
Azour’s supporters over “the election mechanism and the president’s program.”“A
reformist, salvation program is what would unite everyone over directions that
are more important then the president. This would lead to the election of a
president who would be immunized by the agreement over a program and his success
would be guaranteed,” Bassil added. “We want a president not imposed by anyone
on us, but we don’t want to impose a president on anyone, and this is the
equation of national partnership,” he said. He added: “Hezbollah executive
council head Sayyed Hashem Safieddine has spoken of the need for consensus and
we support it.”
"Azour does not have a reform vision & does
not enjoy this advantage," deems MP Mohammad Khawaja
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
MP Mohammad Khawaja commented this morning in an interview with “Voice of All
Lebanon” Radio Channel, on the announcement of Free Patriotic Movement Chief
Gebran Bassil, endorsing the nomination of former minister Jihad Azour for the
presidency of the republic, where Khawaja considered that the name of Jihad
Azour was proposed to undermine the candidacy of the head of the Marada
Movement, Suleiman Franjieh. He added, "Azour does not have a reform vision and
does not enjoy this characteristic."Regarding the call for a session to elect a
president, Khawaja revealed that the majority of deputies hoped that House
Speaker Nabih Berri would not call for an election session after 11 sessions
have already been held to no avail. He also stressed that the Liberation and
Development bloc insists on nominating Franjieh for presidency. Regarding the
sanctions to be imposed on those responsible for obstructing the presidential
elections, Khawaja confirmed that Speaker Berri is not subject to blackmail and
threats, meaning that the issue of sanctions does not concern the "Amal
Movement". He added, "Our relations are clear before a friend as well as an
opponent." Regarding the role of the resistance, Khawaja considered that had it
not been for the residence, Israel would not have given gas to Lebanon, deeming
that "the resistance is a need and He added that he advocates equipping the
Lebanese army with weapons, and supports diversified armament and not only
American.
Bassil from Byblos: We crossed paths with other
parliamentary blocs over the name of Azour, among other candidates
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
Free Patriotic Movement Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, announced that the Movement has
intersected with other parliamentary blocs on the name of Jihad Azour as a
presidential candidate, among other names that FPM considered appropriate and
not provocative, and hence gave its approval and no objection to their reaching
presidency. He considered that "the intersection over more than one name gives
more flexibility and constitutes a positive and important development, so no one
accuses FPM of obstruction." Bassil also deemed that having consensus over the
name of a presidential candidate and the agreement of the main blocs to support
him and give him the necessary representation, denotes compensation for those
who lack access to Christian representation. "In the event of a call for a
session to elect a president, the Free Patriotic Movement will vote for the name
that was agreed upon instead of voting by a white ballot paper," he affirmed.
Bassil called for "taking advantage of the historical moment and avoid wasting
the opportunity of regional rapprochement around us," and to work on "unifying
the national project so that we all succeed as Lebanese." "The only remaining
victory is winning the state-building battle; after we won the battle against
terrorism, and we achieved balance with Israel," he underscored. Bassil's words
came during his speech at the Movement's dinner banquet organized in the area of
Jbeil on Saturday evening, in the presence of former President Michel Aoun.
Fadlallah from Oslo: Mosques in the West have a great role
in building civilized, human life
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
Religious Scholar Ali Fadlallah participated in the mass celebration that was
held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of
the inauguration of the Tawheed Mosque there. The celebration was attended by a
large number of scholars and cultural and intellectual figures who came from
various European countries, alongside a large number of Arab and Islamic
community members residing aboard. In his delivered speech, Fadlallah referred
to the importance of mosques in Western countries and the great role they play,
considering that "Al-Tawheed Mosque in Oslo has played an effective role over
the past ten years in building bridges of communication, openness, and dialogue,
and is working to spread awareness and kindness among people."He congratulated
the custodians of the Tawheed Mosque for their successes at all levels,
underlining "the importance of abiding by the laws of the Western countries in
which Muslims live, maintaining their security and stability, and contributing
to building their societies in a way that enriches life and builds people while
preserving their privacy."At the end of the ceremony, Fadlallah honored Mr.
Shamshad Al-Radwi and Sheikh Mahmoud Jalloul and presented them with memorial
shields in appreciation of their cultural and social efforts in Norway.
Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan: Whoever loses the path to Parliament will
find no benefit in the entire world
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan delivered a speech during a memorial ceremony
in the town of Mays al-Jabal today, in which he stressed on the dire need to
save the Lebanese entity and coexistence. "The focus of our national demand
today revolves around saving the country and the people from the worst disaster
affecting them and our national formula," Qabalan asserted. He added:
"Therefore, we want a president of coexistence, not a president of challenge,
because challenge in this country takes us towards ruin, and our interests are
the same, Muslims and Christians, and we do not accept breaking anyone, for our
national interests are above all considerations.""Nationally, it is necessary to
secure a clear settlement, not leaving Lebanon to an international lottery
game," Sheikh Qabalan went on. He added, "Some must understand that the
international community is a stock exchange of ruin, and the history of the
civil war has revealed to us the world that dealt with Lebanon as a barricade,
lines of contact, sectarian funds, a game of international graveyards, and
endless attrition projects.""The political battle today is a battle of
sovereignty, homeland, and belonging on the basis of coexistence and national
interests, and it is the same as what the resistance has presented and is
presenting as a strategic guarantor for Lebanon, and it is the same as what the
national duo is doing today...The solution lies within the parliament council as
a constitutional institution that guarantees Lebanese sovereignty and national
partnership, and whoever loses the way to parliament will find no benefit in the
entie world."
Paul Kanaan: Bkirki takes no action with anyone against
another, neither locally nor internationally
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros al-Rahi, received this morning
following Sunday Mass in Bkirki the head of the "Maronites for Lebanon"
assembly, lawyer Paul Youssef Kanaan, where talks centered on the present
situation. On emerging, Kanaan confirmed that Patriarch al-Rahi's visit to
France was for the sake of Lebanon, and to draw attention to the imminent
dangers in light of the prevailing economic and financial crisis, the
displacement crisis, and the need for the international community to take the
initiative to help Lebanon get out of its crises and not abandon it. He added,
"Our Father, the Patriarch, takes the initiative, through the bishops,
archbishops, and through his contacts, to achieve the common Lebanese concern
based on building bridges of communication to embrace everyone." Kanaan stressed
that "Bkirki does not move with anyone against another, neither locally nor
internationally, and for this reason it has sent out a call for the sake of
Lebanon."In response to a question, Kanaan considered that Christians, with
their leaders and deputies, must be aware that the national interest is above
all personal interests, for if the entity is lost, everyone loses. "Therefore,
Bkirki does not despair, and moves, alerts, warns, and corrects where possible,
and the leaders must hear the patriarchal edifice and act according to its
directives," he concluded.
Lebanon to send team to Paris after ambassador accused of
rape, violence
Agence France Presse/4 June 2023
Lebanon's foreign ministry has said it would send an investigation team to Paris
following reports that Beirut's ambassador to France, Rami Adwan, has been
accused of rape and intentional violence. The French probe into Adwan followed
complaints by two former embassy employees, sources close to the investigation
had told AFP, confirming an earlier media report. The French government has
urged the Lebanese authorities to lift Adwan's diplomatic immunity and allow him
to go on trial. The Lebanese foreign ministry has decided to "urgently send an
investigation committee headed by the ministry's secretary-general... to the
embassy in Paris to question the concerned ambassador and hear statements from
embassy staff," it said in a statement. The committee will meet with French
authorities "to clarify that which was reported in the media and which was not
communicated to the Lebanese foreign ministry via diplomatic channels," the
statement added. The first former employee, aged 31, filed her complaint in June
2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador's private
apartment, according to sources close to the investigation confirming a
Mediapart report. According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the
ambassador, who carried out "psychological and physical violence with daily
humiliations." The second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February after
what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual
relations. She claims Adwan tried to hit her with his car after an argument on
the sidelines of last year's Normandy World Peace Forum. "In view of the
seriousness of the facts mentioned, we consider it necessary for the Lebanese
authorities to lift the immunity of the Lebanese ambassador in Paris in order to
facilitate the work of the French judicial authorities," the French foreign
ministry told AFP late Friday. Adwan's lawyer Karim Beylouni has said that his
client "contests all accusations of aggression in any shape or form: verbal,
moral, sexual." He said Adwan had had "romantic relationships" with the two
women between 2018 and 2022 that were "punctuated by arguments and breakups."
Lebanon Launches Probe after Ambassador in France Accused
of Rape, Violence
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/4 June 2023
The Lebanese Foreign Minister has said it will investigate reports of rape and
intentional violence by its Ambassador to France Rami Adwan. The Ministry said
on Twitter on Saturday that it will send a committee to Paris to question the
diplomat and embassy staff about the complaints. Adwan has already been
investigated following complaints by two former embassy employees, informed
sources said, confirming an earlier media report. Due to his position, Adwan
enjoys diplomatic immunity from prosecution, but the French government urged the
Lebanese authorities to lift this and allow him to go on trial. "In view of the
seriousness of the facts mentioned, we consider it necessary for the Lebanese
authorities to lift the immunity of the Lebanese ambassador in Paris in order to
facilitate the work of the French judicial authorities", the French foreign
ministry told AFP late Friday. The first woman, aged 31, filed her complaint in
June 2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador's
private apartment, according to sources close to the investigation. According to
her deposition seen by AFP, she made clear her lack of interest in having sex
and that she screamed and burst into tears. The woman, who was working as an
editor, had already reported to police in 2020 that Adwan, in his post since
2017, had struck her during an argument in his office. She said she had not
filed a complaint because she did not want to "break the life" of the
ambassador. According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the
ambassador, who carried out "psychological and physical violence with daily
humiliations". The second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February after
what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual
relations. She claims Adwan tried to hit her with his car after an argument on
the sidelines of last year's Normandy World Peace Forum. She also accused the
ambassador of trying to suffocate her at her home last December by pressing her
face to her bed. "My client contests all accusations of aggression in any shape
or form: verbal, moral, sexual," Adwan's lawyer Karim Beylouni told AFP.
"Between 2018 and 2022 he had with these two women romantic relationships
punctuated by arguments and breakups," Beylouni said. An informed source said
the Paris judicial police had closed the case. Asked by AFP to comment, the
Paris prosecutor's office said it was not immediately in a position to do so.
Gadhafi's son goes on hunger strike in Lebanon
to protest detention without trial
Bassem Mroue, The Associated Press/Sat, June 3, 2023
BEIRUT (AP) — A son of Libya’s late leader Moammar Gadhafi, who has been held in
Lebanon for more than seven years, began a hunger strike Saturday to protest his
detention without trial, his lawyer said.
Hannibal Gadhafi has been held in Lebanon since 2015 after he was kidnapped from
neighboring Syria where he had been living as a political refugee. He was
abducted by Lebanese militants demanding information about the fate of a Shiite
cleric who went missing in Libya 45 years ago.
Gadhafi was later taken by Lebanese authorities and has been held in a Beirut
jail without trial. Attorney Paul Romanos told The Associated Press that his
client started the hunger strike Saturday morning and “he is serious and will
continue with it until the end.” Romanos did not go into details of the case as
he was not authorized to speak about it to the media. Gadhafi issued a statement
describing his conditions. “How can a political prisoner be held without a fair
trial all these years?” Gadhafi, who is married to a Lebanese woman, wrote in
his statement. The Libyan citizen added that now that he is on hunger strike,
“those who are treating me unjustly” will be responsible for the results. He
added that “the time has come to liberate the law from the hands of
politicians.” Romanos said his client suffers from back pain due to being held
in a small cell for years without being able to move or exercise. The
disappearance of prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr in 1978 has
been a long-standing sore point in Lebanon. The cleric’s family believes he may
still be alive in a Libyan prison, though most Lebanese presume al-Sadr is dead.
He would be 94 years old. Al-Sadr was the founder of a Shiite political and
military group that took part in the lengthy Lebanese civil war that began in
1975, largely pitting Muslims against Christians. Born in the Iranian holy city
of Qom, al-Sadr came to Lebanon in 1959 to work for the rights of Shiites in the
southern port town of Tyre. In 1974, a year before Lebanon’s 15-year civil war
broke out, al-Sadr founded the Movement of the Deprived, attracting thousands of
followers. The following year, he established the military wing Amal — Arabic
for “hope” and an acronym for the militia’s Arabic name, the Lebanese Resistance
Brigades — which later fought in Lebanon’s civil war. The group is headed by
Lebanon’s powerful Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Since al-Sadr’s
disappearance, Libya has maintained that the cleric and his two traveling
companions left Tripoli in 1978 on a flight to Rome and suggested he was a
victim of a power struggle among Shiites. Most of al-Sadr’s followers are
convinced that Moammar Gadhafi ordered al-Sadr killed in a dispute over Libyan
payments to Lebanese militias. The Libyan leader was killed by opposition
fighters in 2011, ending his four-decade rule of the north African country. Even
after his death, al-Sadr’s fate is still unknown. Hannibal Gadhafi was born two
years before al-Sadr disappeared. He fled to Algeria after Tripoli fell, along
with his mother and several other relatives. He later ended up in Syria where he
was given political asylum before being kidnapped and brought to Lebanon.
Australia's Assistant Minister for Foreign
Affairs to visit Lebanon, explore counterterrorism cooperation and opportunities
LBCI/4 June 2023
Australia's Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Mr. Tim Watts, MP,
is set to visit Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to tackle
critical national and regional security issues. Aiming to advance Australia's
economic interests in the Middle East and strengthen people and business ties,
the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs will affirm the cooperation on
counterterrorism and transnational crime, financial challenges, and
opportunities during his visit to Lebanon. During his visit set between June 4
and June 6, Watts will also seek the update regarding the investigation into the
Beirut Port explosion and will meet with the Lebanese-Australian community. In
turn, Tim Watts will also visit Saudi Arabia to exchange views on regional
security with coalition partners, and discuss the regional impact of crucial
issues, including climate change, and humanitarian challenges from regional
conflicts, and the United Arab Emirates, to enhance close trade ties.
Syrian and Lebanese Culture Ministers discuss ways of bilateral cooperation
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
Damascus, SANA- -The Minister of Culture, Dr. Labana Mashouh, discussed on
Sunday with her Lebanese counterpart Muhammad Wissam Al-Mortada, ways to
activate cultural cooperation between the two countries and the need to develop
an executive program for this purpose. Mashouh underlined the importance to
spread culture that would support common identity and values and advance the
future of children of the two countries, especially there are many historical
and geographical commonalities between the two countries. Mashouh voiced hope
that the joint efforts to promote cultural relations would success to serve the
interest of both countries. For his part, the Lebanese Minister of Culture
referred to values, and literary and archaeological heritage which the two
countries have them, highlighting the importance of cooperation in fighting the
cultural and media war facing the two countries. The Lebanese Minister invited
Mashouh to visit Lebanon to discuss the implementation of cultural cooperation
steps. ---- SANA
Jumblatt meets Arabs of '48 delegation in Cyprus: For
enhancing communication on the basis of Arab-Islamic national heritage
NNA/Sun, June 4, 2023
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, and the head of the
“Democratic Gathering”, MP Taymour Jumblatt, held a coordination meeting with a
delegation of “1948 Arabs” from the occupied Palestinian territories, led by
activist Saeed Nafaa, in the city of Larnaca in Cyprus, with the participation
of MP Wael Abu Faour, former Minister Ghazi Al-Aridi and Mrs. Nora Jumblatt.
Discussions centered on ways to enhance communication and cooperation in various
fields and to emphasize the Arab identity of all segments of the Palestinian
people. In his address during the meeting, Jumblatt said: "After a long period
of interruption for subjective and objective reasons, and the outbreak of the
revolution of the Arab peoples - I do not like the term 'Arab Spring' being an
orientalist expression by the West, for the Arab people want their freedom and
dignity as they are occupied by the regimes, just as Palestine is occupied by
the Zionists - today we returned to communication, and what is important is
having more of this communication, because today we have learned a lot about the
well-known Arab community from inside occupied Palestine, and we want to
continue with you on the basis of the Arab-Islamic national heritage, knowing
that we are facing huge problems just like you...”Jumblatt touched in his word
on the number of detainees inside the occupation prisons, and what the Zionist
institutions are doing, stressing at the same time "the importance of ongoing
commitment to the Palestinian cause and the full rights of the Palestinian
people," expressing his belief in this context that the so-called two-state
solution has failed. He considered that "things are heading towards more
extremism in Israel...so we have to expect the worst...The danger is looming
over all the people of the interior, not just the Druze Arabs, and the few
moderate elites in Israeli society no longer exist."Jumblatt also shed light in
his word on the conditions of the Druze Unitarians in Lebanon, referring to the
establishment of the Institute of Monotheistic Sciences in Abey, in an attempt
to reach the Higher Institute of Monotheistic Sciences which was in the past the
project of his late father, Mentor Kamal Jumblatt, when he established the
“Irfan Al-Tawhid Foundation” with Sheikh Ali Zeineddine.
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And
News published on June 04-05/2023
Iran's top leader defends hard-line approach toward West, blames
protests on 'thugs and villains'
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Iran's supreme leader on Sunday defended his tough approach to the West, saying
compromise would only invite further hostility from Iran's enemies and blaming
recent anti-government protests on “thugs and villains.”Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's
remarks come amid an intensifying standoff with Western countries over Iran's
nuclear program, which has made major advances in the five years since
then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from an international accord that
restricted it. Trump restored crippling sanctions on Iran that have contributed
to a severe economic crisis without forcing any concessions from its leaders.
Iran has also lent support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supplying armed
drones that have wreaked havoc on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. “Some people are
mistaken to think if we back down from our stances in certain cases that will
cause the enmity of the U.S, the global arrogance, or Israel toward us to
diminish," said Khamenei, who has the final say on all major Iranian policies.
"This is a mistake." He spoke at an annual speech marking the death of Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini, his predecessor and the founder of the Islamic Republic.
Khamenei alluded to nationwide protests last fall sparked by the death of a
22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by the morality police for
allegedly violating the country's strict dress code. The protests escalated into
calls for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic before a deadly crackdown
largely extinguished them. Iranian authorities have blamed the protests on a
foreign conspiracy, without providing evidence, while the demonstrators said
they were protesting over decades of repression and economic mismanagement.
“Thugs and villains did what they did and malicious individuals chanted such
slogans," Khamenei said. "According to their plot they thought the Islamic
Republic was finished and they could take the Iranian nation as servants. These
fools, once again, were wrong. Once again, they failed to know our people.”
Financial Times: Rob Malley Holds Direct Talks
with Iran’s UN Ambassador
Asharq Al Awsat/4 June 2023
US’s Iran envoy Rob Malley has met several times with Iran’s UN ambassador Amir
Saeid Iravani, amid reports that the 2015 nuclear accord “is not on the US
government's agenda”, The Financial Times reported. The discussions focused
primarily on the possibility of a prisoner exchange with Iran, a person close to
the administration said. Tehran holds at least three US-Iranian nationals.
Tehran last week agreed to a prisoner exchange with Belgium and separately
released two Austrians held in Iran. A successful US prisoner exchange could
improve the environment for any nuclear talks. Diplomats and analysts say
potential options include some form of interim deal, or a de-escalatory move by
both sides under which Iran reduces its enrichment levels in return for some
sanctions relief. According to The Financial Times, US and EU powers have
resumed discussions on how to engage with Iran over its nuclear activity "as
fears mount that the Tehran's aggressive expansion of its program risks
triggering a regional war." “There is recognition that we need an active
diplomatic plan to tackle Iran’s nuclear program, rather than allowing it to
drift,” said a western diplomat to the newspaper. “The thing that worries me is
that Iran’s decision-making is quite chaotic and it could stumble its way into
war with Israel,” he added. Iran has been enriching uranium to 60 per cent
purity, and in January the International Atomic Energy Agency discovered
particles enriched to about 84 per cent, which is almost weapons grade, at the
Fordow plant. IAEA also said that Iran’s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium
had reached more than 23 times the limit set out in nuclear deal. As of 13 May,
Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 4,744.5 kilograms
(10,459 pounds). The limit in the 2015 deal was 202.8 kilograms.
The report also said that Iran is continuing its enrichment of uranium to levels
higher than the 3.67 percent limit in the deal, AFP reported. The stockpile of
uranium enriched up to 20 percent is now believed to be 470.9 kilograms — up
36.2 kg since the last report in February — while the amount enriched up to 60
percent stands at 114.1 kilograms, an increase of 26.6 kg.
Israel prepares funerals for soldiers killed
near Egyptian border
AFP/June 04, 2023
JERUSALEM: Israel said Sunday it would investigate the shooting deaths of three
soldiers at its border with Egypt, as it prepared to hold funerals for the slain
trio. On Saturday, three Israeli soldiers were killed by an “Egyptian policeman”
who had entered the country and was shot dead in a rare cross-border incident,
the army said. Israel had sent Egypt a “clear message,” Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said Sunday at the opening of a cabinet meeting. “We expect that the
joint investigation will be exhaustive and thorough. This is part of the
important security cooperation between us, which has benefitted both countries
over the years,” he said. Egypt’s army said a member of its security forces had
crossed the border “chasing drug traffickers” before he was killed in an
“exchange of fire which left three dead on the Israeli side.” Two of the Israeli
soldiers’ bodies were found at the border Saturday morning at a guard post close
to the Harif military base, near the town of Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev desert,
the army said. They were identified as Lia Ben Nun, 19, and Ori Izhak Iluz, 20.
The discovery of their bodies triggered a manhunt during which the third
soldier, 20-year-old Ohad Dahan, and the Egyptian identified by the army as a
policeman, were killed. A fourth Israeli soldier, a non-commissioned officer,
was lightly wounded and evacuated to hospital, the military added. The three
soldiers will be buried Sunday afternoon in their hometowns, the army said. On
Sunday, Israeli media raised questions over the shootings, particularly how the
assailant managed to cross the several-meters-high barrier running along the
border. Netanyahu on Saturday promised a “full investigation” into the deaths
and senior government figures stressed the importance of cooperation with Egypt.
The army is conducting “a thorough investigation... in collaboration with the
Egyptian armed forces,” Netanyahu’s chief of staff Herzl Halevi said. Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant highlighted “the importance of the ties between the two
countries” following a telephone call with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Zaki.
Zaki meanwhile underlined “the joint coordination to take the necessary measures
to avoid the repetition of incidents of this kind in the future,” according to a
spokesman for the Egyptian army. Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace
with Israel following the Camp David accords of 1978, though there remains
widespread popular opposition toward normalization in Egypt. The border between
the two countries is generally calm but is the scene of regular smuggling
attempts. In recent years, there have been exchanges of fire between smugglers
and Israeli soldiers stationed along the border. In 2014, two Israeli soldiers
on patrol were wounded by unidentified men who fired an anti-tank weapon from
the Sinai during an attempt to smuggle drugs.
Israel accuses U.N. nuclear watchdog of 'capitulating' to
Iran
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the International Atomic
Energy Agency on Sunday of ineffectually policing Iran's nuclear activities and
suggested the U.N. watchdog risked becoming politicised and irrelevant. The
unusual criticism followed an IAEA report last week that Iran had provided a
satisfactory answer on one case of suspect uranium particles and re-installed
some monitoring equipment originally put in place under a now-defunct 2015
nuclear deal. With Iran having enriched enough uranium to 60% fissile purity for
two nuclear bombs, if refined further - something it denies wanting or planning
- Israel has redoubled threats to launch preemptive military strikes if
international diplomacy fails. "Iran is continuing to lie to the International
Atomic Energy Agency. The agency's capitulation to Iranian pressure is a black
stain on its record," Netanyahu told his cabinet in televised remarks. "If the
IAEA becomes a political organization, then its oversight activity in Iran is
without significance, as will be its reports on Iran's nuclear activity." The
IAEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, it
reported that after years of investigation and lack of progress, Iran had given
a satisfactory answer to explain one of three sites at which uranium particles
had been detected. Those particles could be explained by the presence of a
Soviet-operated mine and lab there and the IAEA had no further questions, a
senior diplomat in Vienna said. In an apparent reference to this, Netanyahu
said: "Iran's excuses ... regarding the finding of nuclear material in
prohibited locations are not only unreliable, they are technically
impossible."However, the Vienna diplomat also told Reuters the IAEA's assessment
remained that Iran carried out explosives testing there decades ago that was
relevant to nuclear weapons. After then U.S. President Donald Trump quit the
Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran ramped up uranium enrichment. Israeli and
Western officials say it could switch from enrichment at 60% fissile purity to
90% - weapons-grade - within a few weeks. In a 2012 U.N. speech, Netanyahu
deemed 90% enrichment by Iran a "red line" that could trigger preemptive
strikes. Experts are divided, however, on whether Israel - despite having an
advanced military believed to be nuclear-armed - can deal lasting damage to
Iran's distant, dispersed and well-defended facilities. "In the event that we
reach decision-point, where the two options are the Iranians breaking out to a
bomb or us taking action, we will take action," Israeli Energy Minister Israel
Katz, a member of Netanyahu's national security cabinet, said. "We are making
all of the preparations at this very moment," Katz told Galey Israel radio.
The private armies Putin has unleashed on Ukraine may lead
to his downfall
Colonel Richard Kemp/The Telegraph/Sun, June 4, 2023
Putin’s misadventures in Ukraine could lead to violent turmoil across Russia and
the regime’s end. In recent weeks we have seen humiliating drone strikes against
Moscow, in the Bryansk and Klimovsky regions, Krasnodar district and Belgorod
city. There has been shelling of the Belgorod region, intensified this week and
forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. In a major blow to Putin’s
authority earlier in May, the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia
Legion launched a two-day raid across the Ukrainian border into Belgorod. This
was followed in the past few days by an even more powerful ground operation. The
Russian MoD reported that on Thursday, two motorised infantry companies with
tanks were attacking again in Belgorod, four miles from the border with Ukraine.
It had to use fighter jets and artillery on its own soil to counter them. These
attacks are hugely significant: they represent the first external military
ground offensive on to mainland Russian territory since the Second World War.
They might well have consequences to match. Despite Kyiv’s denials that it was
involved in either of the Belgorod raids, the intention now may be to sow panic
inside Russia, forcing Moscow to pull forces away from the front line as the
Ukrainian counter-offensive builds. If such raids continue they could have a
more fundamental effect, perhaps creating even greater discontent among the
people in the border regions who have already suffered more than most Russian
civilians from Putin’s war. Taken together with the failures so far of the
Russian army and the growing harm to the country’s economy, this could set off a
chain reaction that spreads to Moscow itself. Putin, once thought of as a
strategic genius, has unwittingly prepared the ground for what might follow. As
he sought to privatise recruitment to fuel his war rather than impose another
wave of forced mobilisation, private armies have snowballed. The biggest is
Wagner, active in Ukraine since 2014 and now grown into a monster. Hot on its
heels is Kadyrovtsy, the private army of infamous Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
It is a large force notorious for brutal war crimes in Ukraine and about to
return to front-line combat there. Many other private armies have been set up by
former military officers, often made up of ex-servicemen, funded, equipped and
trained by state resources. Remarkably to the non-Russian mind, even defence
minister Sergei Shoigu has one of his own, Patriot. There are corporate militias
as well, such as that belonging to the energy giant Gazprom, which has
battalions fighting at the front.
Oligarchs including Gennady Timchenko and Oleg Deripaska have created their own
combat units or attached themselves to existing private military companies.
Tellingly, as Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin himself remarked: “Everyone is
saying that there will be a power struggle at some point, and everyone needs
their own army.”The Kremlin has also instructed authorities in each region to
create their own volunteer battalions to fight in Ukraine, with allegiance to
the local leadership rather than Moscow. Some of these men will return home
disillusioned and embittered. Putin sees these armies as instruments to
consolidate his own power and that of the Russian state, not as political
players in their own right. But when the chips are down he may not be able to
call the shots. Prigozhin, for example, is a politically ambitious and volatile
man. Although he has declared war on the general staff and Moscow’s “elites”, he
has remained loyal to Putin. It might not take much for that to change. He is
unlikely to balk at using the forces at his disposal to manoeuvre for power and
influence when he feels the time is right. Following Bakhmut, Prigozhin’s
militia is now pulling back from the front line to its bases across Russia. That
leaves a large group of armed, battle-hardened men, including many convicted
criminals, at their leader’s command and poised for the fray. Alongside – or
opposed to them – are many others, not just the private military companies and
regional battalions, but also the plethora of armed organs of the government,
including the FSB, GRU and Defence Ministry. Then there is the army itself,
whose ranks include large numbers of abused, humiliated and disaffected
soldiers, commanders and even generals. If Putin cannot repel the growing
threats to his own homeland and at the same time secure some kind of victory in
Ukraine, it is possible to envisage the Russian establishment falling apart into
a violent mêlée of opposing armed camps. Perhaps we should not wish this bleak
fate on the people of the Russian Federation, but we should certainly wish to
see the back of their current leadership with the industrialised murder, mayhem
and misery they have inflicted and, given the chance, will continue to inflict.
If that is hastened by cross-border raids, artillery barrages and drone strikes
we, like Ukraine, should welcome them, rather than, like the hand-wringing Joe
Biden, deplore them. At least our Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, has the
resolve to make clear his support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself by
hitting out against the Russian aggressors beyond its borders. Broaden your
horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1
month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
Putin’s exploits as KGB spy likely to have been exaggerated, investigation finds
The Telegraph/James Kilner/June 3, 2023
Vladimir Putin was not a Soviet super spy in East Germany in the 1980s but a
plodding pen-pusher eager to please his superiors, an investigation has found.
Germany’s Spiegel magazine investigated Mr Putin’s murky past on the suspicion
that stories of his exploits as a KGB agent were exaggerated.
Instead of conducting vital missions to hold back the forces of democracy,
Spiegel said that Mr Putin was focused on “banal” administrative work during his
KGB posting to Dresden, “endlessly sorting through travel applications for West
German relatives or searching for potential informants among foreign
students”.Mr Putin was a 32-year-old officer when he was sent to Dresden in
1985, a tense time with the Kremlin’s grip over its vassal states fracturing.
KGB officers were tasked with supporting East Germany’s Stasi secret police.
Although the mission ultimately failed with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
and the collapse of the Soviet Union two years later, stories of Mr Putin’s
alleged valour have become legend. Perhaps the most famous is how in December
1989 he single-handedly faced down protesters planning to storm the KGB
headquarters. ‘Facts and fiction sometimes blur’However, this probably didn’t
happen, the magazine reported. “According to one version [of the story], a
single small man stood at the entrance to the nearby Stasi headquarters and
watched the spectacle from a safe distance,” Spiegel said. “It cannot be proved
that the current Russian president was even there.”Spiegel also said that
witnesses quoted widely on Mr Putin’s other alleged KGB heroics could not be
trusted. A story about Mr Putin helping anarchists in West Germany plot
assassinations was based on testimonies from a serial liar with a criminal
record, Spiegel said. Another story of how he had groomed a German neo-Nazi
leader into an informant was based on interviews with a former Stasi agent who
has admitted that he embellished his statements. In fact, there was nothing in
the Stasi archives to suggest Mr Putin was anything other than risk-averse, the
magazine said. “Facts and fiction sometimes seem to blur,” Spiegel said.
“Today’s Russian president was probably not a top agent.” Broaden your horizons
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‘Everything Changed’: The War Arrives on Russians’ Doorstep
Valerie Hopkins and Anatoly Kurmanaev/ The New York Times /Sun, June 4, 2023
Over the last five days of May, Ruslan, an English teacher in a Russian town
near the Ukrainian border, heard the distinct sound of a multiple rocket
launcher strike for the first time. Shelling would begin around 3 a.m.,
sometimes shaking his house, and continue through the morning. He had heard the
thud of explosions in distant villages in the past, he said, and in October,
shelling damaged a nearby shopping mall. But nothing like this. “Everything
changed,” he said. Fifteen months after Russian missiles first roared toward
Kyiv, Ukraine, residents of the Russian border region of Belgorod are starting
to understand the horror of having war on their doorstep. Shebekino, a town of
40,000 just 6 miles from the border, has effectively become a new part of the
front line as Ukraine has intensified attacks inside Russia, including on
residential areas near its own borders. The spate of assaults, most recently by
militia groups aligned against Moscow, has sparked the largest military
evacuation effort in Russia in decades. “The town became a ghost in 24 hours,”
said Ruslan, 27, who evacuated Thursday after a sustained campaign of shelling.
In the last several days, The New York Times interviewed more than a half-dozen
residents of the border region to get a sense of the deepening anxiety among
Russian civilians. Like Ruslan, most insisted on being identified by only their
first names, citing a fear of retribution for speaking about the war.
“Shebekino was a wonderful, flowery town on the border with Ukraine filled with
happy, neighborly people,” said Darya, 37, a local public-sector employee. “Now
only pain, death and misery live in our town. There is no power, no public
transport, no open businesses, no residents. Just an empty, shattered town in
smoke.” The hardship is familiar to Ukrainians, who have seen cities like
Bakhmut obliterated and others ravaged by civilian casualties. So are the
sleepless nights; Russian missiles targeted Kyiv at least 17 times in May. But
many Russians had not expected something similar to happen on their home turf.
Explosions are audible, too, in the city of Belgorod, the regional capital 20
miles to the north of Shebekino, and residents there have increasingly begun
seeking access to basements that can be used as bomb shelters. People who had
previously tried to go about their daily business suddenly discovered they could
not. “We are at a turning point right now,” said Oleg, a businessperson in the
city. “When this all started,” he said, referring to the war, “the people who
opposed it here were a minority. Now, after four days of being shelled, people
are changing their minds.” Belgorod’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov,
said 2,500 residents had been evacuated and taken to temporary shelters in
sports arenas farther from the border.
Thousands more left on their own accord, residents said in interviews. Gladkov
said nine residents had died from shelling over the past three days. It is
unclear how many Russians in the border region have been killed overall, but
this was almost surely the deadliest week for the Belgorod region since the
start of the war. Flare-ups and cross-border shelling between Ukrainian and
Russian forces have occurred regularly throughout the war. The recent attacks on
Belgorod were undertaken by two paramilitary groups made up of Russians fighting
for Ukraine’s cause; they have claimed that they target only security
infrastructure and portrayed their fight as one for liberation from President
Vladimir Putin’s rule. But their claims have clashed with accounts of widespread
residential destruction described by witnesses and seen in videos posted on
social media and verified by the Times. One of the two groups, the Russian
Volunteer Corps, has also acknowledged shelling Shebekino’s urban area with
“bouquets of Grads,” a Soviet-designed multiple rocket launcher that covers a
large area with explosives. As footage of that shelling filled Belgorod’s public
chat rooms, citizens volunteered to drive affected families to safety, donated
money and opened homes to refugees. In doing so, they underlined what they said
was the inadequacy of the local government’s response, and the growing
realization that they had only themselves to rely on.
It was a sign of spontaneous social organization that Putin has systematically
undermined in recent years as he tightened control. The arrival of the war on
Russian soil is rekindling a grassroots civic spirit borne of necessity, with as
yet unpredictable consequences for the country’s politics.
To some in the region, the assaults on Shebekino, the most sustained attack on a
Russian town since the start of the war, made clear Moscow’s lack of concern for
their fate. In social media posts, they used the hashtag #ShebekinoIsRussia, a
cry for attention from the wider public across the country, which has largely
carried on with daily life. In interviews, some in Shebekino expressed anger at
how state television anchors struggled to pronounce the town’s name, even as
they lauded the evacuation efforts. “It seems that in Moscow, they don’t
understand what we have going on here,” said Ruslan, the English teacher. Citing
explosions over the Kremlin last month, he said, “When drones flew to Moscow,
there were immediately big stories; it was all over the news. And here, people
have been under fire for months, and nothing.”Despite an uptick of attacks on
Russian soil, only 1 in 4 Russians is following the war closely and most likely
going beyond state media to seek information about it, according to a May poll
conducted by the independent Moscow-based public opinion firm Levada Center.
Almost half of respondents said they don’t follow the conflict at all, or only
cursorily. Levada’s director, Denis Volkov, said it was too early to say whether
the escalation of border attacks would rally Russians around the flag. “We have
a very disjointed society,” he said.
“No one has much interest beyond their own nose.”But the violence is causing
residents of Shebekino to reevaluate their apathy or support for the war, and
the disruption of the last week is breeding resentment against authorities who
they believe have failed to protect them. “People are disappointed that it has
gotten to this stage, that this was permitted to happen,” said Elena, a Belgorod
resident who volunteered to evacuate people from Shebekino. Darya, the
public-sector employee, described a chaotic evacuation. As the sounds of
explosions grew near, she said, her family gathered necessities and waited for
the official transport promised by regional authorities. When it didn’t arrive,
they called an evacuation help line set up by the governor and were told to
wait, in vain.
They eventually left the town in their private car, leaving behind an older
relative who could not be easily moved. “We saw many Shebekino residents sitting
on the side of the highway in their cars, because they had nowhere to go,” she
said. Evacuation did not always bring safety. Two women died near Shebekino
after their car was hit by a shell on the side of the road Thursday, according
to Gladkov, the governor. His claim could not be independently verified. There
is also the realization among border residents that there is no end in sight to
the war. Russia has annexed parts of four Ukrainian regions that it has occupied
and is planning to hold elections there in September, despite the expected
Ukrainian counteroffensive aimed at wrestling back territory from Moscow’s
forces. “I don’t understand the point of these annexations; I don’t even know
where they are,” said Alina, 31, a social media manager in Belgorod. “This is
just some kind of farce.”In the city of Belgorod, with a population of 340,000,
the pain and confusion of the war is made more acute by historical ties to
Ukraine. It is only 25 miles from the border and only 50 miles from Kharkiv,
Ukraine’s second-largest city. Before the war, people from Belgorod traveled to
Kharkiv to shop or even just for a night out. Many have relatives living across
the border. Ruslan, the English teacher, said that he was always opposed to the
war and that his position hasn’t changed with the destruction of his city. But
his feelings toward Ukraine have. “I thought I was able to empathize, but when
it comes to your home, it’s a completely different feeling,” he said. “I
understand that it’s all because of Putin, but at the same time, I have a
slightly different attitude toward the Ukrainian armed forces,” he continued.
“Now I think, maybe they are no different from ours.”
Ukraine keeps up pressure following Russian declaration of victory in Bakhmut
OUTSIDE BAKHMUT, Ukraine (AP)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Watching imagery from a drone camera overhead, Ukrainian battalion commander
Oleg Shiryaev warned his men in nearby trenches that Russian forces were
advancing across a field toward a patch of trees outside the city of Bakhmut.
The leader of the 228th Battalion of the 127th Kharkiv Territorial Defense
Brigade then ordered a mortar team to get ready. A target was locked. A mortar
tube popped out a loud orange blast, and an explosion cut a new crater in an
already pockmarked hillside. “We are moving forward,” Shiryaev said after at
least one drone image showed a Russian fighter struck down. “We fight for every
tree, every trench, every dugout." Russian forces declared victory in the
eastern city last month after the longest, deadliest battle since their
full-scale invasion of Ukraine began 15 months ago. But Ukrainian defenders like
Shiryaev aren't retreating. Instead, they are keeping up the pressure and
continuing the fight from positions on the western fringes of Bakhmut. The
pushback gives commanders in Moscow another thing to think about ahead of a
much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive that appears to be taking shape.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Russia sought to create the
impression of calm around Bakhmut, but in fact, artillery shelling still goes on
at levels similar to those at the height of the battle to take the city. The
fight, she said, is evolving into a new phase. “The battle for the Bakhmut area
hasn't stopped; it is ongoing, just taking different forms,” said Maliar,
dressed in her characteristic fatigues in an interview from a military media
center in Kyiv. Russian forces are now trying — but failing — to oust Ukrainian
fighters from the “dominant heights” overlooking Bakhmut. “We are holding them
very firmly,” she said.
From the Kremlin's perspective, the area around Bakhmut is just part of the more
than 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line that the Russian military must hold.
That task could be made more difficult by the withdrawal of the mercenaries from
private military contractor Wagner Group who helped take control of the city.
They will be replaced with Russian soldiers.
For Ukrainian forces, recent work has been opportunistic — trying to wrest small
gains from the enemy and taking strategic positions, notably from two flanks on
the northwest and southwest, where the Ukrainian 3rd Separate Assault Brigade
has been active, officials said. Russia had envisioned the capture of Bakhmut as
partial fulfillment of its ambition to seize control of the eastern Donbas
region, Ukraine’s industrial heartland. Now, its forces have been compelled to
regroup, rotate fighters and rearm just to hold the city. Wagner’s owner
announced a pullout after acknowledging the loss of more than 20,000 of his men.
Maliar described the nine-month struggle against Wagner forces in nearly
existential terms: “If they had not been destroyed during the defense of Bakhmut,
one can imagine that all these tens of thousands would have advanced deeper into
Ukrainian territory.”The fate of Bakhmut, which lays largely in ruins, has been
overshadowed in recent days by near-nightly attacks on Kyiv, a series of
unclaimed drone strikes near Moscow and the growing anticipation that Ukraine's
government will try to regain ground. But the battle for the city could still
have a lingering impact. Moscow has made the most of its capture, epitomized by
triumphalism in Russian media. Any slippage of Russia’s grip would be a
political embarrassment for President Vladimir Putin. Michael Kofman of the
Center for Naval Analyses, a U.S. research group, noted in a podcast this week
that the victory brings new challenges in holding Bakhmut. With Wagner fighters
withdrawing, Russian forces are “going to be increasingly fixed to Bakhmut ...
and will find it difficult to defend,” Kofman told “War on the Rocks" in an
interview posted Tuesday.
“And so they may not hold on to Bakhmut, and the whole thing may have ended up
being for nothing for them down the line,” he added.
A Western official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Russian airborne
forces are heavily involved in replacing the departing Wagner troops — a step
that is "likely to antagonize” the airborne leadership, who see the duty as a
further erosion of their “previously elite status" in the military.
Ukrainian forces have clawed back slivers of territory on the flanks — a few
hundred meters (yards) per day — to solidify defensive lines and seek
opportunities to retake some urban parts of the city, said one Ukrainian
analyst. “The goal in Bakhmut is not Bakhmut itself, which has been turned into
ruins,” military analyst Roman Svitan said by phone. The goal for the Ukrainians
is to hold on to the western heights and maintain a defensive arc outside the
city. More broadly, Ukraine wants to weigh down Russian forces and capture the
initiative ahead of the counteroffensive — part of what military analysts call
“shaping operations” to set the terms of the battle environment and put an enemy
in a defensive, reactive posture. Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesman for Ukrainian
forces in the east, said the strategic goal in the Bakhmut area was “to restrain
the enemy and destroy as much personnel and equipment as possible” while
preventing a Russian breakthrough or outflanking maneuver. Analyst Mathieu
Boulègue questioned whether Bakhmut would hold lessons or importance for the war
ahead. Military superiority matters, he said, but so does “information
superiority” — the ability “to create subterfuge, to create obfuscation of your
force, to be able to move in the shadows." Boulègue, a consulting fellow with
the Russia and Eurasia program at the Chatham House think tank in London, said
those tactics “could determine which side gains an advantage that catches the
other side by surprise, and turns the tide of the war.”
5 Drones Shot Downed in Crimea's Dzhankoi
Asharq Al Awsat/June 04/2023
Five drones were shot down and four were jammed and did not hit their targets in
Dzhankoi in Crimea, a Russian-installed official in the peninsula that Moscow
annexed from Ukraine in 2014 said on Sunday. There were no casualties but
windows were broken in several houses, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-backed head
of Crimea's administration, said on the Telegram messaging app. He added that
one unexploded drone was found on the territory of a residential house, forcing
the temporary evacuation of about 50 people in the area.
Reuters could not independently verify the report. Russia has a military air
base near Dzhankoi. Ukrainian officials have long said the city and surrounding
areas have been turned into Moscow's largest military base in Crimea.
Huge bunker to be built under elite hospital as war comes to Moscow
The Telegraph/James Kilner/Sun, June 4, 2023
The Kremlin plans to build a bunker underneath a VIP hospital in Moscow to
protect the Russian elite from Ukrainian drone and missile attacks. Plans for
the 800-person bunker with filtered air-cooling systems were revealed after a
Ukrainian drone attack on an upmarket Moscow suburb. The 35 million-rouble
(£350,000) bunker will be capable of cleaning the air of “gaseous weapons of
mass destruction” and be able to “perform medical procedures in wartime”, media
reports quoted the tender document as saying. While the Kremlin has been quick
to announce plans for a bunker underneath the exclusive Central Clinical
Hospital, some Muscovites have criticised officials for not protecting ordinary
people. At least three drones appear to have evaded air defence systems around
Moscow on Tuesday and then crashed into Rubylovka, an upmarket residential
suburb where many of Russia’s rich live. One of Vladimir Putin’s residences is
based near Rubylovka, and analysts said that it may have been the intended
target. Nobody was injured, but images of Russian FSB officers pouring over the
charred remains of Ukrainian drones on a Moscow street and of damage to “elite”
apartment blocks unnerved some locals. “Where do we run to?” one woman wrote on
the Telegram social media app after the first explosion sounded out across
Moscow. “Where is the bunker? By contrast, people living in Kyiv have had to
develop a finely tuned plan to deal with drone and missile attacks, which have
become a part of their nightly routine. They mocked Muscovites for finally
getting a small experience of what they have had to endure for the past 15
months. Moscow has a deep metro system designed by Soviet engineers to withstand
a nuclear attack. The deepest metro station is Park Pobeda, which is 275ft
underground, three times the depth of the average London Underground station.
The headache for many Muscovites, though, is that the metro stations are
sparsely spread out. Russian media has already reported that rental prices for
apartments near metro stations have already risen. Not that this is a worry for
some of Russia’s millionaires, who have started building private air raid
shelters. In November, Nikita Malezhik, the founder of BunkerHouse, was quoted
by Russian media as saying that demand for bespoke air raid shelters had jumped
by 430 per cent since Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s first mobilisation since
World War II. On its website, BunkerHouse says that it can build a private bomb
shelter in Moscow within 21 days of receiving an order. “Equip your safe haven,
only 10m from you,” it said next to photographs of air raid shelters kitted out
with wine cellars, luxury kitchens and home cinemas. “You will no longer be
afraid of being late and you will have time to take everything you need, calmly
and without haste.”Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism.
Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our
US-exclusive offer.
Kremlin: Western long-range missiles to Ukraine will fuel 'spiralling
tension'
(Reuters)/Sun, June 4, 2023
The Kremlin said on Sunday that any supply of long-range missiles to Kyiv by
France and Germany would lead to a further round of "spiralling tension" in the
Ukraine conflict. Britain last month became the first country to supply Ukraine
with long-range cruise missiles. Ukraine has asked Germany for Taurus cruise
missiles, which have a range of 500 km (311 miles), while President Emmanuel
Macron has said France will give Ukraine missiles with a range allowing it to
carry out its long-anticipated counteroffensive. "We are already starting to see
discussions about deliveries from France and Germany of missiles with a range of
500 km or more," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a reporter from the
Rossiya-1 TV channel. "This is a completely different weapon which will lead to,
let's say, another round of spiralling tension," he said. Russia has repeatedly
criticised Western countries for supplying Ukraine with weapons and has warned
that NATO members have effectively become direct parties to the conflict. Moscow
has made clear it sees such weapons supplied by the West as legitimate targets
in what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine, now in its 16th
month. Ukraine says it needs more weapons, including long-range missiles, to
defend itself against Russian attacks and re-capture its occupied territory.
Peskov also reiterated that Russia would continue its operations in Ukraine
until the "job is done... There is no alternative".Moscow says it had to act in
Ukraine to protect its own security and push back against what it says is a
hostile and aggressive West bent on the destruction of Russia.Kyiv and its
Western allies say Russia is waging an unprovoked war of aggression and a land
grab in Ukraine.
Navalny supporters hold demonstrations to mark Russian opposition leader's
MOSCOW (AP) /Sun, June 4, 2023
Alexei Navalny voiced hope for a better future in Russia as his supporters held
pickets and demonstrations to mark the imprisoned opposition leader's 47th
birthday on Sunday. Navalny is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and
contempt of court, charges he says were trumped up to punish him for his work to
expose official corruption and organizing anti-Kremlin protests. He is facing a
new trial on extremism charges that could keep him in prison for decades.
Kremlin critics view the case as another Russian government attempt to isolate
President Vladimir Putin's most prominent foe. Navalny’s associates called for
demonstrations to show support for him in Russia and abroad on Sunday. Risking
their own prison terms, some Navalny supporters in Russia marked his birthday by
holding individual pickets, while others painted graffiti. Police quickly
detained many for questioning.
Police beefed up their presence in downtown Moscow and moved quickly to round up
those who tried to stage individual pickets on Pushkin Square and elsewhere in
the capital. One man managed to throw around leaflets before being whisked away.
A woman holding a small black balloon with the words “Happy Birthday!” who was
clad in a hoody with “You aren't alone” written on it was among those detained.
She asked officers why they were detaining her, but they didn't answer.
Navalny's supporters also showed up in St. Petersburg and other Russian cities,
holding one-person pickets and leaving signs and graffiti in Navalny's support.
Many were detained. Pro-Navalny demonstrations were held in several European
cities. Navalny said in a social media post released by his allies that he would
obviously prefer to spend his birthday with a family breakfast, kisses from his
children and gifts, but “life is such that social progress and a better future
can only be achieved if a certain number of people are willing to pay for the
right to have beliefs."“The more there are such people, the smaller the price
each has to pay,” he said. “And a day will certainly come when it will be
routine and not dangerous at all to tell the truth and stand for justice in
Russia.”Navalny was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after he
recuperated in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.
He initially received a 2½-year prison sentence for a parole violation. Last
year, he was sentenced to nine years for fraud and contempt of court. He is
currently serving time at a maximum-security prison 250 kilometers (150 miles)
east of Moscow. The extremism charges against Navalny, which could keep him in
prison for 30 years, relate to the activities of his anti-corruption foundation
and statements by his top associates. His allies said the charges retroactively
criminalize all the activities of Navalny’s foundation since its creation in
2011. The new accusations come as Russian authorities are conducting an
intensified crackdown on dissent amid the fighting in Ukraine, which Navalny has
harshly criticized. A Moscow court scheduled a preliminary hearing Tuesday to
discuss technical issues related to a new trial of Navalny, rejecting a request
by his lawyers for more time to examine voluminous new charges that he rejected
as “absurd.”Navalny also has cited an investigator telling him that he also
would face a separate military court trial on terrorism charges that potentially
carry a life sentence. He said in a social media post Sunday that he sees his
prison term “just as an unpleasant part of my favorite job” and thanked his
supporters.
“My plan for the previous year was not to grow brutal and embittered and not to
lose the nonchalance of behavior — this is where defeat begins,” he wrote. “And
if I succeeded, it was only thanks to your support.”
Chinese warship passed in 'unsafe manner' near US destroyer in Taiwan Strait -US
WASHINGTON (Reuters)/Sun, June 4, 2023
A Chinese warship came within 150 yards (137 meters) of a U.S. destroyer in the
Taiwan Strait in "an unsafe manner," U.S. military officials said, as China
blamed the United States for "deliberately provoking risk" in the region. U.S.
and Canadian navies on Saturday were conducting a joint exercise in the strait,
which separates the island of Taiwan and China, when the Chinese ship cut in
front of the U.S. guided-missile destroyer Chung-Hoon forcing it to slow down to
avoid a collision, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. The
People's Republic of China (PRC) has claimed self-ruled Taiwan as its territory
since the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island in 1949 after
losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists. Taiwan's government says the PRC
has never ruled the island and U.S. President Joe Biden has said the U.S. would
defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. China's military rebuked the
United States and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after the countries'
navies staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait. The U.S.
Indo-Pacific Command said the Chung-Hoon and Canada's Montreal were conducting a
"routine" transit of the strait when the Chinese ship cut in front of the
American vessel. The Chinese ship's "closest point of approach was 150 yards and
its actions violated the maritime 'Rules of the Road' of safe passage in
international waters," the U.S. command said. Video footage broadcast by
Canadian website Global News showed the close encounter between the ships. The
Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for
comment. The maritime encounter was the latest close call between the Chinese
and U.S. military. On May 26, a Chinese fighter jet carried out an
"unnecessarily aggressive" maneuver near a U.S. military plane over the South
China Sea in international airspace, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said on
Tuesday. The spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, did not
comment on the specifics of the jet incident, but said the U.S. had "frequently
deployed aircraft and vessels for close-in reconnaissance on China, which poses
a serious danger to China’s national security."White House national security
adviser Jake Sullivan said in a pre-recorded interview that aired on CNN on
Sunday that the U.S. is seeking to maintain the "stable, cross-strait dynamic"
between China and Taiwan and avoid a conflict "that would end up cratering the
global economy." The interview for "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on CNN took place on
Friday. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu told Asia's top security summit on
Sunday that conflict with the United States would be an "unbearable disaster"
but that his country sought dialogue over confrontation.
US, Saudi Arabia urge Sudan’s warring parties to agree to a
new cease-fire, fighting continues
CAIRO (AP)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Saudi Arabia and the United States urged Sudan’s warring parties Sunday to agree
to and “effectively implement” a new cease-fire as fighting showed no signs of
abating in the northeastern African nation. Sudan descended into chaos after
fighting broke out in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah
Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed
Hamdan Dagalo. For weeks, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been mediating
between the warring parties. On May 21, both countries successfully brokered a
temporary cease-fire agreement to help with the delivery of much-needed
humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Their efforts, however, were dealt a
blow when the military announced on Wednesday it would no longer participate in
the cease-fire talks held in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. Following the
military’s decision, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia said they were suspending the
talks “as a result of repeated serious violations of the short-term cease-fire."
President Joe Biden’s administration imposed sanctions against key Sudanese
defense companies run by the military and the RSF and people who “perpetuate
violence” in Sudan.
In their statement on Sunday, Washington and Riyad said they continued to engage
representatives of the military and the RSF who remained in Jeddah. They urged
the Sudanese warring sides to agree to and implement a new cease-fire following
the latest one which expired late Saturday. The aim is to eventually establish a
permanent cessation of hostilities in the war-wrecked country, they said. The
statement said the discussions focused on “facilitating humanitarian assistance"
and reaching an agreement on "near-term steps the parties must take” before
resuming the talks.
The fighting has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into
battlefields, resulting in widespread looting and destruction of residential
areas across the country. The conflict has also displaced more than 1.65 million
people who fled to safer areas in Sudan and neighboring countries.
Aid groups’ offices and warehouses, health care facilities and other civilian
infrastructure have been attacked and looted, including most recently the
warehouses of the World Food Program in the city of Obeid in North Kordofan on
Jan. 1.There have been reports of sexual violence, including the rape of women
and girls in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, which have seen some of the
worst fighting in the conflict. Almost all reported cases of sexual attacks were
blamed on the RSF, which didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.
Residents reported intense fighting over the past two days in Khartoum and its
neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri. Shelling and gunfire were heard early
Sunday in parts of Omdurman, as the military’s aircraft bombed RSF positions in
the capital area. Fighting was also reported in the northern part of the Darfur
region, which has witnessed some of the worst battles since the fighting began
on April 15. The clashes intensified between the military and the RSF in the
town of Kutum in North Darfur province. Residents reported that the town’s
market, many houses, and a camp for displaced people were burned down. There
were reports of dozens of casualties among civilians. Darfur Gov. Mini Arko
Minawi said on Twitter on Sunday that Kutum residents have experienced “terrible
violations” including killings and looting. Minawi, a rebel leader who was named
governor of the western region as part of a 2020 peace deal, declared Darfur a
“disaster area." He urged the international community to send humanitarian
assistance “by all available means to save people in the stricken region.”
Fighting escalates in Khartoum after ceasefire expires
DUBAI (Reuters)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Fighting intensified in several areas of Khartoum on Sunday, residents of
Sudan's capital reported, a day after the expiry of a ceasefire deal between
rival military factions brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States. The
ceasefire had started on May 22 and expired on Saturday evening. It calmed the
fighting slightly and allowed limited humanitarian access, but like previous
truces was repeatedly violated. Talks to extend the ceasefire broke down on
Friday. The deadly power struggle which erupted in Sudan on April 15 has
triggered a major humanitarian crisis in which more than 1.2 million people have
been displaced within the country and caused another 400,000 to flee into
neighbouring states. It also threatens to estabilise the region as a whole. Live
footage on Sunday showed black smoke billowing above the capital. "In southern
Khartoum we are living in terror of violent bombardment, the sound of
anti-aircraft guns and power cuts," said 34-year-old resident Sara Hassan by
phone. "We are in real hell." Among the other areas where fighting was reported
were central and southern Khartoum, and Bahri, across the Blue Nile to the
north. Beyond the capital, deadly fighting has also broken out in the remote
western region of Darfur, already grappling with long-running unrest and huge
humanitarian challenges. Witnesses reported that heavy fighting on Friday and
Saturday had brought chaos to Kutum, one of the main towns and a commercial hub
in North Darfur. The army denied claims that the RSF, which developed out of
Darfur militias and has its power base in the region, had taken over the town.
Witnesses said a military plane had crashed in Omdurman, one of three cities
around the confluence of the Nile that make up the greater capital region. There
was no immediate comment from the army, which has been using warplanes to target
the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spread out across the capital.
FIRST RAINS
Separately Sudanese antiquities authorities said RSF fighters had withdrawn from
the national museum in central Khartoum. On Saturday, the RSF released a video
filmed inside the grounds of the museum, which houses ancient mummies and other
precious artefacts, denying they had harmed the collection.
Fighting in the capital has led to widespread damage and looting, a collapse in
health services, power and water cuts, and dwindling food supplies. In recent
days the first rains of the year have fallen, heralding the start of a rainy
season that runs till around October and brings flooding and a heightened risk
of water-borne diseases. The rains could complicate a relief effort already
hampered by bureaucratic delays and logistical challenges. Aid workers have
warned that dead bodies have been left in the streets and uncollected rubbish
has been piling up. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. said they were continuing to
engage daily with delegations from the army and the RSF, which had remained in
Jeddah even though talks to extend the ceasefire were suspended last week.
"Those discussions are focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance and
reaching agreement on near-term steps the parties must take before the Jeddah
talks resume," the two countries said in a statement.
Iraq and Syria discuss tackling cross-border drug trade
BAGHDAD (Reuters)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Iraq and Syria's foreign ministers discussed ways to help end drug trafficking
across their joint border at a meeting in Baghdad on Sunday, Iraq's Foreign
Minister Fuad Hussein said. "Today we have discussed cooperation between Iraq
and Syria to fight drug trade. It’s known that Iraq is a corridor for
trafficking and regrettably drug consumption has begun in Iraqi society,"
Hussein told a joint press conference with Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal
Mekdad, who arrived in Baghdad on Saturday evening for a two-day visit. Hussein
said the humanitarian crisis of the Syrian refugees in Iraq, whom he estimated
at around 250,000 people, was also part of the bilateral talks. Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad received a warm welcome at last month's Arab League summit after
Arab states agreed to reinstate Syria's full membership of the league, after it
was suspended for 12 years over Assad's crackdown on protests against his
regime. Having welcomed back Assad, Arab states want him to curb a flourishing
Syrian trade in narcotics, which are produced in Syria and smuggled across the
region. The Syrian government denies any role in the trade, for which Syrian
officials and Assad relatives have faced Western sanctions.
Arab governments and the West accuse Damascus of producing the highly-addictive
and lucrative amphetamine captagon and organizing its smuggling into the Gulf.
The Iraqi and Syrian foreign ministers also discussed “steps Syria has achieved
on the ground” to curb the illegal trade, an Iraqi government official who
attended Sunday's meeting, but did not wish to be identified, told Reuters.
During his visit to Baghdad, Mekdad will also meet Iraq's president, prime
minister, parliament speaker and chief of the Supreme Judicial Council, Hussein
said.
Gunmen kill dozens and kidnap children in northern Nigeria
BAUCHI, Nigeria (Reuters)/Sun, June 4, 2023
Gunmen in Nigeria have killed dozens of people and kidnapped a number of
children in separate attacks in two northern states, police and residents said
on Sunday, the latest incidents in a region dogged by armed violence. Armed
gangs on motorbikes frequently take advantage of thinly stretched security
forces in the region to kidnap villagers, motorists and students for ransom.
Residents said armed men had attacked Janbako and Sakkida villages in
northwestern Zamfara state on Saturday, killing 24 people. The gunmen also
abducted several children who were collecting firewood in a forest in
neighbouring Gora village. Hussaini Ahmadu and Abubakar Maradun, local residents
in Janbako and Sakkida, told Reuters by phone that the gangs had earlier in the
week demanded villagers pay a fee to enable them to farm their fields, but
villagers did not do so. Zamfara police spokesman Yazid Abubakar confirmed the
attacks but said only 13 people had been reported killed and nine young boys and
girls kidnapped. In north central Benue state, gunmen killed 25 people and set
their houses on fire during an attack on Saturday on the Imande Mbakange
community, two residents said. The motive of the attack was not known. Police
did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Belgian Prime Minister Briefly Knocked Out in Bike Fall
Reuters/June 04/2023
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo fell from a bicycle and briefly lost
consciousness but hospital tests revealed no lasting effects, national news
agency Belga reported. The incident happened when De Croo, 47, was on a bike
ride with his son late on Saturday afternoon near his home in the Flanders
region, according to Belga, citing the prime minister's office. De Croo lost
consciousness for a few moments and was taken to hospital for checks, Belga
reported.The accident was not expected to affect the premier's schedule for the
coming week, Belga said.
China defends buzzing American warship in
Taiwan Strait, accuses US of provocation
Associated Press/June 04/2023
China's defense minister defended sailing a warship across the path of an
American destroyer and Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait, telling a
gathering of some of the world's top defense officials in Singapore on Sunday
that such so-called "freedom of navigation" patrols are a provocation to China.
In his first international public address since becoming defense minister in
March, Gen. Li Shangfu told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China doesn't have any
problems with "innocent passage" but that "we must prevent attempts that try to
use those freedom of navigation (patrols), that innocent passage, to exercise
hegemony of navigation." U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the same forum
Saturday that Washington would not "flinch in the face of bullying or coercion"
from China and would continue regularly sailing through and flying over the
Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea to emphasize they are international
waters, countering Beijing's sweeping territorial claims. That same day, as a
U.S. guided-missile destroyer and a Canadian frigate were intercepted by a
Chinese warship as they transited the strait between the self-governed island of
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, and mainland China. The Chinese
vessel overtook the American ship and then veered across its bow at a distance
of 150 yards (about 140 meters) in an "unsafe manner," according to the U.S.
Indo-Pacific Command. Additionally, the U.S. has said a Chinese J-16 fighter jet
late last month "performed an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver" while
intercepting a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea,
flying directly in front of the plane's nose. Those and previous incidents have
raised concerns of a possible accident occurring that could lead to an
escalation between the two nations at a time when tensions are already high.
Li suggested the U.S. and its allies had created the danger, and should instead
should focus on taking "good care of your own territorial airspace and waters."
"The best way is for the countries, especially the naval vessels and fighter
jets of countries, not to do closing actions around other countries'
territories," he said through an interpreter. "What's the point of going there?
In China we always say, 'Mind your own business.'"In a wide-ranging speech, Li
reiterated many of Beijing's well-known positions, including its claim on
Taiwan, calling it "the core of our core interests." He accused the U.S. and
others of "meddling in China's internal affairs" by providing Taiwan with
defense support and training, and conducting high-level diplomatic visits.
"China stays committed to the path of peaceful development, but we will never
hesitate to defend our legitimate rights and interests, let alone sacrifice the
nation's core interests," he said. "As the lyrics of a well-known Chinese song
go: 'When friends visit us, we welcome them with fine wine. When jackals or
wolves come, we will face them with shotguns.'"In his speech the previous day,
Austin broadly outlined the U.S. vision for a "free, open, and secure
Indo-Pacific within a world of rules and rights."In the pursuit of such, Austin
said the U.S. was stepping up planning, coordination and training with "friends
from the East China Sea to the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean" with shared
goals "to deter aggression and to deepen the rules and norms that promote
prosperity and prevent conflict."
Li scoffed at the notion, saying "some country takes a selective approach to
rules and international laws." "It likes forcing its own rules on others," he
said. "Its so-called 'rules-based international order' never tells you what the
rules are and who made these rules."By contrast, he said, "we practice
multilateralism and pursue win-win cooperation."Li is under American sanctions
that are part of a broad package of measures against Russia — but predate its
invasion of Ukraine — that were imposed in 2018 over Li's involvement in China's
purchase of combat aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow. The
sanctions, which broadly prevent Li from doing business in the United States, do
not prevent him from holding official talks, American defense officials have
said. Still, he refused Austin's invitation to talk on the sidelines of the
conference, though the two did shake hands before sitting down at opposite sides
of the same table together as the forum opened Friday. Austin said that was not
enough. "A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive
engagement," Austin said. The U.S. has noted that since 2021 — well before Li
became defense minister — China has declined or failed to respond to more than a
dozen requests from the U.S. Defense Department to talk with senior leaders, as
well as multiple requests for standing dialogues and working-level engagements.
Li said that "China is open to communications between our two countries and also
between our two militaries," but without mentioning the sanctions, said
exchanges had to be "based on mutual respect."
"That is a very fundamental principle," he said. "If we do not even have mutual
respect, than our communications will not be productive." He said that he
recognized that any "severe conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S.
will be an unbearable disaster for the world," and that the two countries need
to find ways to improve relations, saying they were "at a record low.""History
has proven time and again that both China and the United States will benefit
from cooperation and lose from confrontation," he said. "China seeks to develop
a new type of major-country relationship with the United States. As for the U.S.
side, it needs to act with sincerity, match its words with deeds, and take
concrete actions together with China to stabilize the relations and prevent
further deterioration," Li said.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on June 04-05/2023
Biden Is Not Serious about Ukraine Defeating Russia
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./June 4, 2023
[G]iven the unconscionable delays that have affected other commitments by the
Biden administration to provide Kyiv with advanced weapons, concerns remain
about whether the aircraft will actually arrive in time to make a material
difference to Ukraine's war effort.
Procrastination and equivocation have been the key watchwords of Biden's
response to the Ukraine crisis, with the supposed leader of the free world
seemingly incapable of making a decision about how best to provide the
Ukrainians with the weaponry they require to defeat their Russian adversaries.
Making the announcement at the recent G7 summit in Japan, US National security
adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden "informed his G7 counterparts" of the decision
during the summit, and that the US would also supervise training of Ukrainian
pilots.
At the same time, the administration moved swiftly to dampen expectations that
the aircraft would be delivered anytime soon and that, when they did materialise,
it was unlikely to make a significant difference to Ukraine's war efforts -- not
exactly the ringing endorsement of support the Ukrainians were expecting.
The US, while willing to provide training and support, had indicated it does not
want to send American warplanes to Ukraine, mainly because of the Biden
administration's aversion to upsetting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
All of which suggests that, rather than providing a tangible uplift to Ukraine's
war-fighting capabilities, Biden's announcement about sending F-16s to Kyiv
could prove to be little more than an empty gesture, one that raises serious
doubts about whether the Biden administration really has any genuine interest in
Ukraine winning this bloody war.
Given the unconscionable delays that have affected other commitments by the
Biden administration to provide Kyiv with advanced weapons, concerns remain
about whether the aircraft will actually arrive in time to make a material
difference to Ukraine's war effort. Pictured: Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky and US President Joe Biden meet during the G7 Leaders' Summit in
Hiroshima, Japan on May 21, 2023.
It has required a major U-turn on the part of President Joe Biden to finally
give his approval for F-16 warplanes to be supplied to Ukraine. Even so, given
the unconscionable delays that have affected other commitments by the Biden
administration to provide Kyiv with advanced weapons, concerns remain about
whether the aircraft will actually arrive in time to make a material difference
to Ukraine's war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his senior military advisors have
been appealing to their Western allies for months to be given access to Western
warplanes as they seek to inflict a decisive victory against their Russian foes.
While the Ukrainian air force has exceeded expectations in withstanding Russia's
aerial bombardment, questions have been raised about the ability of the
country's ageing fleet of Soviet-era MiG fighters, which have suffered
significant losses during the year-long conflict, to continue providing the air
cover required to maintain military operations.
A shortage of available warplanes is said to be one of the key reasons Kyiv has
postponed its long-anticipated spring offensive to liberate eastern Ukraine and
the Crimea from Russian occupation.
As Zelensky himself recently conceded, without first establishing air
superiority, Ukrainian forces could suffer heavy casualties if they advanced
without proper protection. "We will lose a lot of people," the Ukrainian leader
admitted in a recent interview.
Biden's decision, therefore, to back Western efforts to provide Ukraine with
F-16 fighters, a vastly superior warplane compared with the country's current
fleet of MiG fighters, therefore has the potential to be a game-changer for the
Ukrainians, even if the Biden administration's characteristic dithering over the
issue means it could be months before any Ukrainian F-16s actually see combat.
Procrastination and equivocation have been the key watchwords of Biden's
response to the Ukraine crisis, with the supposed leader of the free world
seemingly incapable of making a decision about how best to provide the
Ukrainians with the weaponry they require to defeat their Russian adversaries.
At the start of the conflict, Biden hesitated about providing Kyiv with the
long-range HIMARS rocket systems that, when finally introduced, enabled the
Ukrainians to make a number of spectacular gains on the battlefield. Then he
delayed making a decision about providing the Ukrainians with western battle
tanks.
A similar pattern of unpardonable prevarication has defined Biden's response to
Kyiv's request - made at the start of the year - to be provided with
sophisticated Western warplanes.
Following Zelensky's public appeal to be supplied with sophisticated Western
fighters such as F-16s, Biden initially responded by ruling out sending the
warplanes to Ukraine which, as they were developed by the US, require
Washington's approval before being handed over to third parties.
In an interview with ABC's David Muir in February, Biden declared that Ukraine
"doesn't need F-16s now" and that "I am ruling it out for now," while the
following month Colin Kahl, a top Pentagon policy official, told U.S. lawmakers
that even if the president approved F-16s for Ukraine, it could take as long as
two years to get Ukrainian pilots trained and equipped.
It was only after a number of key European allies, including the UK, France,
Germany and Poland, backed the creation of a Western "coalition of jets" to
boost Ukraine's war effort, that Biden eventually agreed that the transfer of
the warplanes could go ahead – assuming, that is, that sufficient numbers of the
warplanes were available to donate to the Ukrainian cause.
Making the announcement at the recent G7 summit in Japan, US National security
adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden "informed his G7 counterparts" of the decision
during the summit, and that the US would also supervise training of Ukrainian
pilots.
At the same time, the administration moved swiftly to dampen expectations that
the aircraft would be delivered anytime soon and that, when they did materialise,
it was unlikely to make a significant difference to Ukraine's war efforts -- not
exactly the ringing endorsement of support the Ukrainians were expecting.
US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall was among a number of senior officials
urging caution about the announcement, suggesting it could take several months
to iron out the details of providing the aircraft.
"It will take several months at best for them to have that capability and there
are a lot of details that are going to have to be sorted out," Kendall said. "It
will give the Ukrainians an incremental capability that they don't have right
now. But it's not going to be a dramatic game changer."
One of the big hurdles that needs to be overcome is finding F-16s that can be
donated to Ukraine in the first place. The US, while willing to provide training
and support, had indicated it does not want to send American warplanes to
Ukraine, mainly because of the Biden administration's aversion to upsetting
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, European countries, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and
Poland, which operate F-16s and have led the campaign for them to be sent to
Ukraine, say they have insufficient numbers of the aircraft to give to the
Ukrainians.
All of which suggests that, rather than providing a tangible uplift to Ukraine's
war-fighting capabilities, Biden's announcement about sending F-16s to Kyiv
could prove to be little more than an empty gesture, one that raises serious
doubts about whether the Biden administration really has any genuine interest in
Ukraine winning this bloody war.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Is the Middle East on the threshold of
restructuring?
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/June 04, 2023
The political order that prevailed in the Middle East for centuries came to an
end after the First World War. The victors of the war designed the region
according to their own priorities.
Two British authors, David Fromkin and James Barr, have published two different
books that provide details on how the Middle East was shaped after the First
World War. The title of David Fromkin’s book is “A Peace to End All Peace,” and
argues that the Versailles peace treaty put an end to peace in the Middle East
and that the region could not recover from the calamity. The title of James
Barr’s book is “A Line in the Sand.”
Both books describe the little care with which the present borders were drawn in
the Middle East after the First World War, irrespective of tribal, sectarian and
geographic considerations. We are now suffering from the consequences of this
hasty and careless work. After more than a century, we may expect that the
borders will be stabilized and neighboring countries will solve their problems
in peaceful ways.
The US arrival in the Middle East dates back to the aftermath of the Second
World War, especially with the emergence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
More than 70 years after its arrival, the US influence in the Middle East is now
diminishing despite Washington’s claims that it is not going to withdraw from
the region any time soon. It hesitated at one stage about whether it should
increase its presence in the Pacific Rim at the expense of its presence in the
Middle East. However, international relations have gained importance in the
region that it has become almost impossible for Washington to reduce its
military presence. On the other hand, China is steadily increasing its economic
and diplomatic weight in the region.
Is the Middle East on the threshold of a restructuring? China, which was almost
absent in the region, has started to creep in only recently. It is now playing
concrete roles in the Middle East. Beijing has so far avoided stationing a
military presence in the region. However, as China further establishes itself as
an economic actor it will also increase its diplomatic weight, and ultimately it
may need to station soldiers to protect its interests.
China’s initiative may also counterbalance America’s role in the Middle East. US
interference in Iraq has changed several paradigms in the region. On the other
hand, the Iraq war caused enormous destruction of the infrastructure of the
country. Estimates of the financial cost to the US vary between $1.1 trillion
and $3 trillion.
The human cost is estimated to be 5 million orphans and 100,000 Iraqi lives.
More than 7,000 US service members and more than 8,000 contractors have died.
Iraq is practically divided into three, with Kurds in the north, Shiites in the
south, and Sunnis in the middle. Daesh became the worst headache for the region
and for distant countries such as Mali and Nigeria, and the group is still far
from being eliminated.
The more the diplomatic and economic presence of China increases, the more US
influence will be balanced by China.
During the last Iraq war, the author of this article was Turkiye’s foreign
minister when the Turkish parliament refused the movement of US troops through
Turkish territory for the purpose of opening a new American front in the north
of Iraq. This decision did not change the course of events in Iraq, but at least
the Turkish parliament proved its maturity by challenging a country such as the
US in the Middle East. At a later stage, Turkiye had again to yield to US
pressure, but this pressure died away slowly.
China is making efforts to mediate between two important Middle Eastern
countries — Saudi Arabia and Iran. Both will gain from an increase in stability.
All sources of conflict will not of course be eliminated overnight, but they may
fade away one after the other as time goes by. For years, Riyadh and Tehran had
fluctuating relations. China’s present mediation has the potential to open a new
era, because after the turmoil that the Middle East has been through, a
restructuring of relations has become almost a must.
Saudi-Iran relations suffered a breakdown in 2016 when rioters in Iran ransacked
the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in Mashhad.
China’s efforts to reconcile the countries of the Gulf region date back to 2020.
It submitted to the UN Security Council a proposal for security and stability in
the Gulf region because it has important stakes in the countries of the region,
both in trade volume and in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative.
A more recent Chinese initiative took place on Dec. 7, 2022, when the Chinese
leader, Xi Jinping, visited Saudi Arabia and signed more than 20 agreements —
worth $29.3 billion in the energy, transport and housing sectors.
China has given both Saudi Arabia and Iran the status of “comprehensive
strategic partners.” There are no other Middle Eastern countries that enjoy such
a status. In view of the biting economic embargo imposed by the US on Iran, this
gesture by China will bring relative relief to Iran by increasing trade volume.
In light of the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s diminishing strength, the
circumstances have also become ripe for Saudi Arabia to bring back to the agenda
the late King Abdullah’s Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 as a solution to the
Palestinian issue.
China is also a country that remains equidistant between East and West, and
gives a helping hand when it becomes necessary, thus avoiding staining its
hands. The more the diplomatic and economic presence of China increases, the
more US influence will be balanced by China. We may be on the threshold of a
more stabilized Middle East but we are not yet there.
• Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkiye and founding member of the
ruling AK Party.
Twitter: @yakis_yasar
The chances of Biden’s 2024 Democratic challengers
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/June 04, 2023
In his third year in office, US President Joe Biden is diligently preparing for
a critically significant round of elections aimed at securing a second term,
despite facing challenges stemming from his relatively low approval ratings and
perceived subpar performance.
Prior to contending against his Republican opponent in the general election,
Biden must successfully navigate the Democratic primaries and secure his party’s
official nomination. This process necessitates garnering support from within the
Democratic Party, rallying party members, and triumphing over fellow contenders
in a competitive and rigorous selection process, all in an effort to solidify
his candidacy and pave the way for a robust campaign in pursuit of a second
presidential term.
Alongside the emergence of seven Republican contenders vying for their party’s
coveted nomination, Biden confronts a distinct challenge from within his own
party. A cadre of fellow Democrats, each possessing their own unique strengths
and policy platforms, has stepped forward to compete against Biden in the race
for the party’s nomination.
As the primary season unfolds, the landscape of Democratic candidates comes into
focus. Each contender brings attributes, be it a proven track record in public
service, a charismatic and compelling persona, or a bold policy agenda to
address the nation’s pressing challenges. The upcoming battle for the Democratic
nomination promises to be a riveting display of political competition, with
Biden navigating the complex landscape of party politics, facing not only
external opposition from Republicans but also an internal struggle against his
fellow Democratic contenders.
Ultimately, the fate of the Democratic Party’s nomination rests in the hands of
voters as they weigh the merits, qualifications and promises of each candidate,
deciding who possesses the vision and leadership qualities required to secure
their party’s nomination and potentially unseat Biden from the pinnacle of
Democratic politics.
Candidate No. 1 is President Biden, with Kamala Harris on the ticket. In a
poignant video unveiling his candidacy, Biden drew on the resonating themes that
defined his initial presidential bid, highlighting the continuing struggle for
the very essence and character of the US. With an official declaration that
ended widespread speculation, he has unequivocally announced his intention to
embark on a quest for a second term in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections.
Recalling his steadfast declaration from four years ago, Biden invoked the
prevailing notion of America being locked in a consequential battle for its
soul, thereby underscoring the enduring urgency that continues to permeate the
national consciousness. He emphasized that the crucial question confronting the
nation in the years to come revolves around the fundamental principles it is
built on: Preserving and expanding individual freedoms, safeguarding fundamental
rights, and the overarching vision for a more inclusive and equitable society.
Ironically, Republicans are running to achieve the same goal, away from the far
left.
Biden’s resolute declaration heralds the commencement of an arduous yet
essential journey, wherein he seeks to persuade the electorate that his
steadfast leadership will steer the nation toward a future marked by enhanced
freedoms, expanded rights and a thriving society that embodies the values and
ideals symbolic of a united and prosperous US. Nevertheless, he had his turn and
failed; what would make his second term successful?
This raises an intriguing question: Who are the other two candidates, and what
do they bring to the table in their bid to wrest the nomination from Biden’s
grasp?
With their diverse backgrounds, they seek to capture the attention and support
of Democratic voters, hoping to convince them that they offer a superior
alternative to Biden’s leadership.
In a notable development, Marianne Williamson has become the first Democrat to
formally announce her presidential bid, demonstrating an unwavering
determination to enter the electoral fray.
The upcoming battle for the Democratic nomination promises to be a riveting
display of political competition.
Williamson’s decision to enter the race positions her as the foremost primary
challenger to Biden within the Democratic Party. However, it is crucial to
acknowledge that her chances of securing the Democratic nomination are widely
perceived to be highly improbable. At the age of 70, Williamson brings to the
table her credentials as an esteemed author and spiritual adviser. Having
previously pursued the Democratic nomination during the 2020 presidential
election cycle, she encountered limited success in gaining significant traction
amid a fiercely competitive field of contenders. After withdrawing from the
race, Williamson extended her endorsement to Andrew Yang during the pivotal Iowa
caucuses.
While Marianne Williamson’s candidacy adds a new dimension to the political
landscape, it is essential to recognize the prevailing skepticism regarding her
potential to emerge as the Democratic Party’s nominee. Nonetheless, her entry
into the race signifies a continuing commitment to engaging in the democratic
process and shaping the national discourse, contributing to the vibrant tapestry
of ideas and perspectives that define American politics.
The second candidate is renowned as a scion of one of America’s most illustrious
political families. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an activist espousing anti-vaccine
sentiments, officially declared his candidacy for the presidency on April 5,
signaling his intent to challenge incumbent Biden for the party’s nomination.
However, Kennedy’s endeavor to secure the nomination in opposition to the
president is widely regarded as a formidable undertaking, with limited prospects
of success.
At the age of 69, Kennedy, the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son
of Robert F. Kennedy, initially established himself as a bestselling author and
an accomplished environmental lawyer, focusing his efforts on critical issues
such as preserving clean water resources.
Kennedy veered down a controversial path more than 15 years ago, becoming deeply
entrenched in the belief that vaccines pose inherent risks. Since then, he has
emerged as a prominent figure within the anti-vaccine movement, a stance that
has drawn criticism from public health experts and even members of his own
family, who have characterized his work as misleading and hazardous to public
health.
Notably, his anti-vaccine advocacy has intensified in response to the COVID-19
pandemic and the subsequent development of vaccines, culminating in a notable
surge in revenues for his anti-vaccine charity, which reportedly doubled to
reach $6.8 million.
In 2021, Kennedy released a book, “The Real Anthony Fauci,” in which he leveled
accusations against the country’s foremost infectious disease expert, alleging
that he played a role in an unprecedented subversion of Western democracy.
Furthermore, Kennedy used his platform to endorse unproven treatments for
COVID-19, including the administration of ivermectin, primarily prescribed for
parasitic infections, and the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine.
While Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s entry into the presidential race adds a distinct
facet to the political landscape, it is essential to acknowledge the
controversial nature of his anti-vaccine activism and the ensuing skepticism
surrounding his candidacy. Nevertheless, his decision to pursue the presidency
contributes to the broader tapestry of ideas and perspectives that define
American democracy, prompting continuing discussions about public health,
scientific consensus and the boundaries of political discourse.
In adherence to electoral tradition, it is highly uncommon for prominent
Democrats to challenge a sitting president. However, if circumstances transpire
wherein President Biden chooses not to pursue re-election, whether due to
concerns surrounding his age, which has sparked detailed discussions within his
party or for other unforeseen factors, the political landscape could potentially
witness the emergence of alternative Democratic contenders.
Ultimately, the unfolding political trajectory remains uncertain. However, the
prospect of alternative Democratic candidates entering the race injects a sense
of anticipation, compelling us to recognize the potential for a strong and
diverse field of contenders who can ignite a spirited exchange of ideas and take
the position away.
• Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy.
Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi
Cooperation between regional and global organizations
important for addressing climate crisis
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June 04, 2023
The climate crisis has posed several critical threats and inflicted crippling
losses across the world, particularly in the Middle East.
One of the important issues with the climate crisis is that when a sector in
society is negatively impacted by climate change, it affects other parts as well
since the various sectors are interconnected. For example, long periods of
drought in some regions have a negative impact on food production, which will
subsequently affect people’s health. This will likely put more pressure and
strain on the healthcare system as well.
Climate change is not just linked to longer periods of droughts — it also causes
more frequent and disastrous floods, as warmer air temperatures lead to more
melting of glacier ice and warming of the oceans, along with rising sea levels.
Additionally, it causes harm to animals, more wildfires, declining biodiversity,
heatwaves, storms and tropical cyclones, and soil degradation, to name only a
few problems.
In the long term, if some of the damage, such as water scarcity and lack of
agricultural resources, continues to increase to the extent that freshwater
resources are depleted in some countries, this will have an impact on national
security and political stability.
Devastating impacts can lead to an increase in human morbidity as well, due to
“increased heat and infectious diseases, inequality and poverty rates, risk to
water and energy security due to drought and heat, and reduced economic output
and growth.” As the UN has pointed out, other harmful impacts of climate change
are “unquantifiable losses and damages, particularly for many communities and
countries in the developing world — loss of lives and livelihoods, as well as
degradation of territory, farmland, cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge,
societal and cultural identity, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.”
As a result, damages and losses caused by climate change are not solely limited
to non-economic factors. Economic losses include the cost of rebuilding
communities and infrastructure, as well as the decreasing revenues in the
agriculture industry. For instance, when it comes to the US, the total cost of
weather/climate disaster events exceeds $2.5 trillion, according to the National
Centers for Environmental Information.
Unfortunately, developing countries as well as communities with lower
socio-economic classes, older people, women and children disproportionately
experience the impacts of losses and damages caused by climate change. According
to a recent study at Dartmouth College, global warming caused by only five
countries, including the US, has caused $6 trillion in global economic losses,
and those losses reportedly have not been “suffered equally — the burden has
fallen disproportionately on low-income countries that have contributed the
least to the problem.”
In other words, climate change does not recognize borders and one country’s
policies and actions can affect not only its own sectors, but also other
countries’ as well.
The Middle East and North Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions when it
comes to climate change.
It is also worth noting that the Middle East and North Africa is one of the most
vulnerable regions when it comes to climate change. This is due to the dry or
semi-dry environment of the region. The Middle East and North Africa have been
particularly impacted by climate change since temperatures are rising almost
twice as quickly as in other parts of the world, according to a report by the
Cyprus Institute’s Climate and Atmosphere Research Center and the Max Planck
Institute for Chemistry. Countries such as Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Iran have
witnessed significant desertification. Water scarcity is another critical factor
for the Middle East because of its rising population growth. The MENA region is
already characterized as the most water-scarce region of the world.
It is critical to point out that tackling the climate crisis requires that all
countries, especially the developed ones, take action. This means that poorer
countries need support in order to adapt and address the climate crisis.
Regional and global cooperation is extremely important. In the MENA, the Arab
League can play a critical role through its work and collaboration with the UN,
the EU and other regional or international organizations.
There are already effective programs such as the Middle East Green initiative,
which was launched in 2021 by Saudi Arabia. The initiative can amplify “impact
in the global fight against climate change, while creating far-reaching economic
opportunities for the region.”
When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, some of the most critical steps to
take are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, through investments in efficient
infrastructure, which reduces emissions, and by conserving water. The world is
increasingly facing water stress or scarcity, with demand frequently being
higher than supply in some areas.
The UN estimated in 2016 that approximately two-thirds of the world’s population
could be facing water shortages by 2025. This will also negatively impact the
ecosystem. And a 2022 report by the Council on Foreign Relations highlighted
that water stress can “differ dramatically from one place to another, in some
cases causing wide-reaching damage, including to public health, economic
development, and global trade. It can also drive mass migrations and spark
conflict. Now, pressure is mounting on countries to implement more sustainable
and innovative practices and to improve international cooperation on water
management.”
In conclusion, to address climate change more effectively, regional and global
organizations must collaborate more closely. Tackling the climate crisis is not
only about protecting and preserving biodiversity and the planet, but it is also
related to protecting our future and the coming generations.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Redesign the business model to end plastic pollution
Ranvir S. Nayar/Arab News/June 04, 2023
This World Environment Day 2023, which falls on June 5, is a special occasion.
It is the 50th World Environment Day. The theme for this year is ending plastic
pollution, one of the biggest and most pervasive hazards that the environment
faces.
After the proliferation of plastic in every aspect of life during the past five
decades, when mountains of plastics emerged in every corner of the world and
traces of plastic were found in fish and other marine life, the dialogue over
the past 10 years or so, at least in Europe, began to shift to recycling. This
was seen as a solution to the toxic menace that global corporates, always on the
lookout for easy solutions, had created by the excessive use of plastic.
This focus around recycling provided a thin veil of dignity, but even more than
that a kind of secrecy for companies as business continued exactly as before.
Under the magic mantra of “recycle,” companies and consumers began playing with
plastics as never before. As a result, global plastic production has continued
to increase every year since the 1950s, from 100 million tons a year in the
1990s to almost 400 million tons last year.
The rate of recycling is at the very best 9 percent a year, meaning that almost
360 million tons of plastic produced last year will end up in landfills, water
streams and oceans, spreading highly toxic microplastics and entering the food
chain of every animal.
After years of proactively promoting and advocating recycling, even the UN
Environment Programme has admitted that recycling is no solution to the plastics
menace. In a speech delivered in Paris earlier this week, Inger Andersen,
executive director of UNEP, said that recycling was not the answer. She added
that current commitments for cutting plastics would lead to a reduction of only
8 percent in total plastic production and consumption by the year 2040, a
classic case of too little, too late.
Andersen admitted to something that environmentalists had long been saying, that
recycling was no solution as the global recycling infrastructure was entirely
unable to cope with today’s volumes of plastic.
Admitting the failure of recycling was remarkably frank, at least for a senior
UN official. Andersen then hit the nail on the head, saying that everything
about plastics and the use of plastics in businesses needed to be rethought and
redesigned.
That requires businesses to get over their tendency to go for low-hanging fruit
and immediate returns rather than looking for credible and reliable solutions to
the problems of the world today. This involves commitment toward good and
sustainable business practices as well as a significant increase in investments.
And to ensure that businesses are doing what is required, governments must put
in place policies and rules and also ensure that these norms are strictly
followed to achieve a real and meaningful cut in the production and consumption
of plastics.
The world needs to unlearn a significant number of its habits and ways of doing
business which have developed over the past 50 years. A complete transformation
of current practices and a significant cut in the consumption of plastics at
every stage is needed.
Everything about plastics and the use of plastics in businesses needs to be
rethought and redesigned.
To get there, the first thing that is needed is to redesign products so that
they use far less plastic. Indeed, as Andersen put it, the world does not need
shampoos, soaps and detergents to be liquified, put in a plastic container and
then delivered to consumers.
One of the significant factors in rising plastic pollution lies in the packaging
of products such as shampoos, which can come in sizes varying from sachets of a
few milliliters to plastic bottles of several liters. One of the easier
solutions is to develop packaging out of natural materials such as bamboo or
paper, or simply transport dried chemicals that can become shampoos or creams
once you add water.
The other, once again very evident and very simple exercise, would be to rethink
and redesign the packaging and shipping of products — two more aspects of modern
business that are responsible for a huge amount of plastic consumption and
wastage.
The amount of waste generated by plastic packaging has also been rising in the
past two decades, more so with the boom, initially just in e-commerce and during
the COVID-19 pandemic, in food delivery services in the past three years. The
amount of plastic waste generated by packaging accounts for more than 40 percent
of total plastic waste, hence the more than 250 million metric tons of plastic
packaging that ends up as garbage every year.
Here again, there have been calls to reduce plastic packaging and replace
plastic with biodegradable material, but too little has been done and clearly it
would need strict and well-enforced laws to remove plastics from the packaging
side of business.
The third aspect concerns the creation of an ecosystem where products are
designed for long-life use and also for reuse and recycling — for instance,
replacing small cosmetic bottles with big containers that are refilled when
needed. This is especially true of cosmetics, as well as hotel toiletries, and
can be expanded to domestic toiletries and food and beverages, which can be sold
only in refillable and/or reusable glass bottles. For hotels, large dispensers,
preferably non-plastic, can be provided for guests and refilled by housekeeping
staff as needed.
None of these measures are revolutionary or innovative. They have been around
for decades but have been forgotten or cast aside by businesses that were
looking for ease of operations and increasing sales. This has led to the
proliferation of plastics and other packaging materials. Note the sachets of
shampoos and all kinds of cosmetics that did not exist two decades ago and serve
no real purpose other than to boost a company’s turnover at a massive cost to
the environment.
The plastic menace can be swiftly and effectively curtailed and even terminated
if governments and consumers take tough decisions, which may hurt briefly but
will eventually save the planet. It is time to bite the plastic bullet.
• Ranvir S. Nayar is managing editor of Media India Group.