English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 28/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.august28.20.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are
First Letter of John 03/01-10: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God. The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters.”’".

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 27-28/2020

2 Dead, 3 Hurt in Armed Clash over Ashoura Banners in Khalde
Deadly sectarian clashes near Beirut between Hezbollah supporters, local clan
Patriarch Rai: No State Sovereignty in Lebanon, Solution Lies in Removal of Arms
Canadian Foreign Minister: Corruption Must End, Politicians Must Listen
Aoun to Paris Match: I am determined to put an end to corruption and to continue the struggle to dismantle the corruption mafia cartel
President Aoun receives Foreign Minister of Canada, Director General of UNESCO
Berri meets Education Minister, Ambassadors of Egypt and Russia
Government of Canada matches $8 million in donations made by Canadians to respond to Beirut explosion
France Presses Lebanon to Reform and Avoid 'Risk of Disappearing'
Report: Government Reform Paper Underway before Macron Returns
Beirut Port 'Resumes Full Capacity' after Blast, Kaissi Says
French Companies Willing to Help Rebuild Blast-hit Beirut Port
Family of Convicted Hizbullah Member Denounces 'Injustice'
Report: MENA Billionaires Earned Double Cost of Beirut Repairs in Weeks
Lebanon banks that don’t raise capital by 2021 will give up shares to central bank
After explosion, UNESCO in massive fundraising drive for Beirut
Beirut, Which Lives Inside of Me/Dr. Ali Awad Asiri/Former Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon/Asharq Al Awsat/August 27/2020
Lebanon may be broken beyond repair/Clifford D. May/ The Washington Times/August 27/ 2020
Lebanon’s new cabinet awaits international deal while the country is in agony/Rami Rayess/Al Arabiya/August 27/2020
Lebanon's attempt to move back toward neutrality met with resistance from Hezbollah/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Al Arabiya/August 27/2020
After Beirut explosion, can the international community protect Lebanese protesters?/Hanin Ghaddar/Al Arabiya/August 27/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published August 27-28/2020

Germany, Israel Agree Continued Iran Arms Embargo Important
U.S. Troops Injured in Tense Confrontation with Russians in Syria
After talks with Arab officials, US position ‘has not changed’ on Jerusalem: Official
Iran arms embargo: Germany, Israel voice support for extension
Iraqi President Salih calls on Turkey to stop incursions, respect sovereignty
Turkey not the cause of instability in eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan tells Trump
French minister heads to Iraq amid ISIS resurgence
US Secretary of State Pompeo arrives in Oman on tour following UAE-Israel peace
Turkey to host military drills in eastern Mediterranean next week: Turkish media
French Minister Heads to Iraq Amid ISIS Resurgence
Russia Accuses US of Hindering Syria Patrol after Collision
Syria: Commander in Deir Ezzor Says Iran-Backed Sleeper Cells Seek Instability
UN: Talks on Syria Constitution to Resume Despite Virus Cases

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 27-28/2020

How the U.S. Can Finally Cut Off Tehran’s Financial Oxygen/Mark Dubowitz & Richard Goldberg/The Wall Street Journal/August 27/2020
State Department Calls Out Erdogan’s Hosting of Hamas Terrorists/Aykan Erdemir/Policy Brief-FDD/August 27/ 2020
Debunking the Legal Argument Against a U.S. Snapback/Richard Goldberg/ Insight/FDD/August 27/2020
 

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 27-28/2020

2 Dead, 3 Hurt in Armed Clash over Ashoura Banners in Khalde
Naharnet/August 28/2020
An armed clash erupted Thursday evening in Khalde over Ashoura banners, leaving two people dead and three others wounded. Media reports said the confrontation was pitting supporters of Hizbullah and members of the area's Arab tribes who support Sunni cleric Sheikh Omar Ghosn. The National News Agency identified the dead as H. M. Ghosn and Syrian national M. Haddoum and the wounded as E. A. Ghosn, M. Ghosn and J. Ghosn. MTV said "the firing of RPGs has sparked panic among residents," amid reports of heavy gunfire. Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan, who has a strong influence in the area, was meanwhile contacting all political parties in a bid to "reach a ceasefire and secure the army's deployment," the party said. Media reports said the clash was linked to a similar dispute that had erupted around a week ago. The army later announced that the clash had been contained and that it was staging patrols. "Four people have been arrested in Khalde, including two Syrians, and the rest of those involved are being pursued," the army added in a statement. But the National News Agency later reported that gunfire had renewed in the area and that the army was seeking to arrest the shooters.

Deadly sectarian clashes near Beirut between Hezbollah supporters, local clan
Joseph Haboush and Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 27 August 2020
At least three people were killed Thursday in clashes that broke out between Hezbollah supporters and a local clan south of Beirut, over a religious banner. Local eyewitnesses told Al Arabiya English that an argument over the displaying of a religious flag in Khaldeh led to a gunfight between the two sides.
Hezbollah supporters were reportedly raising flags to mark Ashoura before local clan members objected. Closer video shows the gunfire battle between Hezbollah supporters and Sunni Arab tribe members of Beirut's Khaldeh area. The Lebanese army arrived at the scene and blocked the road to calm the situation. The army then released a statement saying four people were arrested and efforts were underway to apprehend the remaining suspects. The tribe members called on the army to intervene and protect local residents. A statement released by the Sunni Arab tribes placed the blame on the country’s political elite and Hezbollah. “Hezbollah turned its arms into sectarian and militia weapons,” the statement said. Ashoura is an annual a religious commemoration held by Shia Muslims on the tenth day of tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram to mark the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed, who was killed in battle. “It is a jungle here,” one eyewitness said shortly after the clashes broke out. Progressive Socialist Party Walid Joumblatt said that the main highway that passed through Khaldeh was for all Lebanese. "“It is forbidden for any political side or sectarian party to tamper with the road and area that is for all,” he tweeted.

Patriarch Rai: No State Sovereignty in Lebanon, Solution Lies in Removal of Arms
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 27 August, 2020
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai denounced accusations of treason issued against him after announcing the concept of “active neutrality” to dissociate Lebanon from regional disputes and save it from the deteriorating economic and political crises.
He said he was “waiting for those, who had any reservations about my proposal, to give convincing and legal proofs, instead of accusing me of treason.”In comments on Wednesday during his tour of churches, parishes, and centers that were damaged as a result of the Beirut port explosion, Rai said: “The Constitution is the basis of everything.”“If we want to overthrow the Constitution and the laws, nothing will remain in the country,” he warned. “We are not used to being agents of anyone. Rather, the Patriarchate says the clear white truth. We are not associated with anyone inside and outside the country, and the only salvation for the Lebanese is Lebanon’s neutrality,” Rai underlined. “Do two people disagree that weapons are uncontrolled in Lebanon?” He asked, stressing that the solution is to “tell the state that weapons must be removed.”
The Patriarch said that he “did not go into the talk about [Hezbollah] and its weapons,” but added: “I spoke of principles, and today there is no sovereignty of the state in Lebanon.”He continued: “We are losing our youth, so the state must extend its sovereignty. They are mini-states in the heart of the State… Let the judiciary carry out its work independently and define the responsibilities.”Talking about the Lebanese politicians, Rai said: “Before Aug. 4 is not the same as after it; they are still the same, especially in their dealings with the new government and its formation. They do not give importance to what happened to Lebanon in order to hide their neglect. The Constitution is their path, so let them follow it.”The Maronite Patriarch reiterated his call for dissociating Lebanon from regional axes. “Neutrality is the only solution for Lebanon; it is not the Patriarch’s project. Rather, it derives from the core of the Lebanese political entity and the Lebanese nature,” he emphasized during an earlier radio interview on Wednesday.

Canadian Foreign Minister: Corruption Must End, Politicians Must Listen
Naharnet/August 28/2020
Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne reiterated on Thursday what the majority of world leaders said that assistance to Lebanon is conditional for reforms, emphasizing that “corruption must end and politicians must listen” to the cries of their people.The Minister first met with President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace before heading to the blast area in Beirut port to check the damage inflicted by the explosion. He was also briefed on the progress of relief operations in Beirut by non-governmental, international and local organizations, including the volunteers at the Canadian relief tent. In remarks to reporters, Champagne stressed that “institutional reforms, water and energy” are all part of the requirements for reforms in Lebanon in order for world economic assistance to be released for the crisis-hit country. “If you are ready, we are ready,” he stated.
He noted that Canada has pledged 9 million dollars in aid for Lebanon in addition to 30 million approved earlier.

Canada offers to join Lebanon blast probe if credible, transparent
Reuters, Beirut/Thursday 27 August 2020
Canada has offered to join Lebanon’s investigation into the Beirut port explosion on condition that it is credible and transparent, the visiting foreign minister said on Thursday. Lebanese President Michel Aoun initially promised a swift investigation into why highly explosive material stored unsafely for years detonated on Aug. 4, killing at least 180 people and injuring some 6,000. But he later said the process would take time. Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said after meeting Aoun that Ottawa was ready to assist under conditions that would be defined. He did not elaborate.“The Lebanese people expect that if Canada participates in this investigation it is because it is going to be credible, transparent and get to the bottom of things to get justice,” he said in televised remarks.
The Lebanese presidency on Thursday quoted Aoun as telling French magazine Paris Match that 25 people “directly or indirectly involved with the port” had so far been detained under the investigation. It would be transparent and hold to account “all those negligent without exception,” he said.
Beirut has said France and the United States’ FBI are helping investigate the explosion that wrecked the port and swathes of the city, compounding an economic meltdown. Champagne, like other Western officials, said Lebanon must form a government that can implement long-demanded reforms to unlock foreign financial assistance. “Everyone understands that the international aid must be accompanied by serious reforms,” Champagne said. The outgoing government that took office in January with the support of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and its allies resigned over the blast. No progress has been made in forming a new administration. France’s foreign minister said on Thursday that Lebanon risked disappearing due to inaction of its political elite, who had been the target of protests even before the blast as the financial crisis pummeled the currency and spread poverty.
Lebanon’s talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout have stalled.

Aoun to Paris Match: I am determined to put an end to corruption and to continue the struggle to dismantle the corruption mafia cartel
NNA/August 27/2020
The President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, assured that he absolutely does not regret being the president of the republic during these difficult circumstance, considering that the obvious thing for him is that he never evaded responsibility. "This is what I was as a soldier, up to the command of the army. I was also in my political commitment ... I will not change today while I am in Baabda Palace."
President Aoun expressed his determination to put an end to corruption through the implementation of laws, indicating that "a first and basic stage on the road to fighting corruption starts with the forensic audit in the Central Bank of Lebanon. This is important in order to discover whether there have been violations . The investigation will include all official institutions in order to determine the responsibility of each in a transparent manner, provided that all those who committed violations are held accountable.
Noting that "the corruption dilemma is endemic in Lebanon, and there is a political system that protects the corrupt and conceals their practices, It is difficult to break this solid and deep-rooted cycle, which transcends political divisions to circumvent financial interests," he renewed his determination to continue the struggle to dismantle this mafia cartel, pointing out that none of his family members is involved in corruption. But in case there was, he will deal with any of them as he deals with others: meaning that I "will refer them to the judicial investigation in order to get the penalty deserved if it is proven. "
The President of the Republic revealed, "What is urgent today is the achievement of the total reforms that we pledged for at the CEDRE conference. He recalled, "France's position, along with all other countries on this issue, is completely clear: There is no help without reforms. The message has arrived, and we are unanimous about accepting it, but that requires the formation of a government," explaining that "some political parties insist on putting sticks in the wheels," against any reform, but for my part I will continue the struggle to put reforms into practice. "
President Aoun expressed his "unspeakable pain for the victims of the Beirut bombing," saying that "he can help heal their wounds through :
- Ensure that the investigation process is conducted with complete transparency to identify the culprits, regardless of their location or the percentage of their responsibilities that were committed during the cabinet session, before the government resigned to be tried.
Exerting all required efforts to request assistance from friendly countries to compensate for the victims. We will rebuild Beirut and its port, and I will ensure that this is done without harming the cultural heritage of the city. "
On the occasion of Lebanon's revival of the first centenary of the declaration of the state of Greater Lebanon, the President of the Republic stressed that "his dream is to clean Lebanon of the corruption that is rotting it to the bone, and to lay the foundations for a secular state." He said, "My dream is to establish a new social contract., living together with all sects. And if it is difficult for us to be united, then let us find a system of living together and stop digging trenches that do not contribute to our protection from each other or from ourselves." He pointed out, "In order to strengthen the foundations of this country, the international community must help us find a solution to the issue of the massive presence of refugees and displaced persons on our land," stressing, "It is neither natural nor ethical for the international community to allow a small country to bear a similar burden with its implication on its stability. "
The President of the Republic stressed that "Beirut has already gone through difficulties due to various reasons. However, every time, the Lebanese have succeeded in removing the traces of wars and rebuilding their capital," stressing that "Beirut will rise again with the help of all the Lebanese, and with the support of brotherly and friendly countries, most notably with the help of France, and President Emmanuel Macron. "
President Aoun's statements were published in an interview with the French magazine Paris Match, in its issue this morning in Paris.
Interview transcript
The following is the full text of the interview:
Q: Do you regret being the president of the Lebanese Republic?
A: Absolutely not. Some of my supporters regret that I have passed this difficult and delicate period, while others believe, on the contrary, that my presence in the presidency is an opportunity, as they trust me and my will to achieve the impossible in order to save my country. There are groups under the influence of anger, as a result of the events that took place in Lebanon, calling for my departure from power. One thing remains self-evident to me, and that is that I have never avoided responsibility. This is what I was like as a soldier, until I became the army command. I was also in my political commitment ... I will not change today while I am in Baabda ( presidential) to put an end to corruption.
Q: How do you intend to put an end to rampant corruption?
A: By implementing the laws. A first and basic stage on the road to fighting corruption has started with the approval of a forensic audit at the Central Bank of Lebanon. This is an important matter in order to reveal whether violations have occurred affecting the financial situation of the state. The investigation will include all official institutions in order to determine the responsibility of each in a transparent manner, provided that all those who have committed violations are held accountable by benefiting from the state before the competent court.
International aid and reforms
Q: Has the international pressure on the provision of urgent assistance become a matter that affects Lebanon's sovereignty?
A: I do not see all this international concern as a means of pressure or as a direct interference in Lebanese internal affairs. The countries of the world want to help us, and they provide us with guidance and advice. It remains that the final decision is for Lebanon and its people. The urgent matter for us today is to achieve the total reforms that we pledged at the CEDRE conference. We hope that the international aid will match the needs of Lebanon, allowing the process of its advancement again.
Q: Can Lebanon bypass the aid of France, the European Union, the United States, and more broadly the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank?
A: Lebanon cannot go beyond that, and is not interested in such a matter, as long as it is the one who initiated the request for the support of all of these partners. On my part, on August 9, during the International Conference on Assistance to Lebanon, which was held at the initiative of President Macron, I insisted that the administration of all aid be placed under the supervision of the United Nations, in order to ensure transparency on the one hand, and to ensure good implementation on the other hand.
Q: Do you think that this aid can be provided without carrying out reforms?
A: France's position, along with all other countries, on this issue is completely clear: There will be no help without reforms. The message has arrived, and we agree to it, but that requires forming a government. We are under a parliamentary system, and it is up to the parliament to grant its confidence to the government, as it is its task of approving reforms. This legal path may hinder the desired path, as some political parties insist on putting sticks in the wheels in front of any goodness, but for my part I will continue the struggle to put reforms into practice.
Corruption system
Q: When President Hassan Diab submitted the resignation of his government, he declared that the state's hands are tied before the system of corruption, is this true?
A: The corruption dilemma is persistent in Lebanon. There is a political system that protects the corrupt and conceals their practices, as it directly benefits from that. It is difficult to break this solid and deep-rooted cycle, which transcends political divisions and wraps around financial interests. Yes, it is difficult to go to the end in eliminating this system, but I am determined to continue the struggle to dismantle this mafia cartel. I have strived hard for that during the past four years in office, but I admit that I have not always succeeded because many of those who hold this system occupy key positions in the country.
Q: If it is proven that members of your family are involved in corruption matters, as some claim, are you prepared to arrest them?
A: None of my family members is involved in corruption, but if we suppose the opposite, I will deal with any of them just as I would deal with others: meaning that I will refer them to the judicial investigation in order to obtain the penalty deserved if the involvement is proven.
To victims of the explosion and investigation
Q: What would you answer the victims of the port explosion who complain about the absence of the state?
A: I fully understand their suffering as a result of this tragedy. I can only share this unspeakable pain. There is no doubt that I can help treat their wounds to some extent through two ways:
- Ensure that the investigation process is conducted with complete transparency to identify the culprits, regardless of their location or the percentage of their responsibilities, and the commitment , during the cabinet session, before the government submitted its resignation, to be tried.
Exerting all required efforts to request assistance from friendly countries to compensate for the victims. We will rebuild Beirut and its port, and I will ensure that this is done without harming the cultural heritage of the city.
Q: Did the investigation record advanced?
A: I want the investigation to reach its conclusion as quickly as possible. The disaster occurred two weeks ago, and to this day there are about 25 officials, at the port, who have been arrested. It remains that the most important thing is to determine how this quantity of ammonium nitrate got to the port, and why it remained in it from the year 2013 until the date of the explosion. Many questions are raised, and none of the hypotheses should be neglected. I personally watch over that, and I follow the details hour by hour, and I will continue to strive to find out the truth.
Any dream for Lebanon
Q: On the first of September, Lebanon will mark the centenary of the proclamation of the state of Greater Lebanon. What future do you dream of for this country?
A: My dream is to clean Lebanon of the corruption that is eating into it to the bone, and to lay the foundations for a secular state. My dream is to establish a new social contract around "living together" with all existing forces. If it is difficult for us to be united, then let us find a living system together and stop digging trenches that do not contribute to our protection from each other or from ourselves. However, in order to strengthen the foundations of this country, the international community must help us find a solution to the issue of the massive presence of refugees and displaced persons on our land. This started in 1947 with the Palestinians, then followed in 2011 with a wave of about a million and a half displaced Syrians. Today, and despite all the calls made from the highest international forums for the return of displaced Syrians to their country, which most of its areas have become safe, they are still in Lebanon. We helped them, and this is self-evident, but that was and is still beyond our capacity. It is neither natural nor ethical for the international community to allow a small country to bear a similar burden, given its implications for its stability.
Hezbollah and the Syrian war
Q: Why does Hezbollah, which participated in the Syrian war on the side of Bashar al-Assad, not negotiate in order to secure the return of these people?
A: Hezbollah is not the only one that participated in this war, as many countries participated in it. Today, everyone has become an integral part of the crisis in Syria, as well as from its solution and the issue of the return of the displaced.
Q: The street often blames Hezbollah, the majority, for not making Lebanon its priority, as a result of its association with Iran, which has become exhausted as a result of the international sanctions imposed on it and its growing military role in the region. What do you think about that?
A: If his priority was Iran instead of Lebanon, it would not have been participating in Lebanese political life, through a parliamentary bloc and through several governments, for years. Hezbollah is committed to the Lebanese laws and regulations, and it only uses its weapons as resistance to defend the country against Israel.
Q: This is wrong. The party has launched its big arms against the opposition demonstrators, and it is using its weapons to support the Syrian regime at the request of Iran ...
A: No, Hezbollah did not attack the peaceful demonstrators in Beirut, and no report by the security forces indicated that. As for his participation in the war in Syria, I answered your question when I made it clear that he is not the only one.
The harshest stages of Lebanon's history
Q: General, you have lived through all the Lebanese wars, but there has never been a time that Beirut was destroyed as it happened as a result of the port explosion. Do you think that Lebanon is today going through the harshest stage in its history?
A: Beirut has already undergone similar difficulties due to various reasons. However, each time, the Lebanese succeeded in removing all traces of wars and rebuilding their capital. And I am sure they will succeed in that again. Yes! Beirut will rise again with the help of all the Lebanese, and with the support of brotherly and friendly countries, especially with the help of France, President Emmanuel Macron. ----Presidency Press Office
 

President Aoun receives Foreign Minister of Canada, Director General of UNESCO
NNA/August 27/2020

The President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, praised Canada's intentions to contribute to support Lebanon and its people after the explosion that occurred in the port of Beirut, considering that this support is a new evidence of the strong relations between the two friendly countries and peoples. President Aoun welcomed the technical assistance that Canada intends to provide in the ongoing investigations into the explosion, which he affirmed that it is continuing to clarify the circumstances of the disaster that struck Lebanon, and that measures will be taken against those found responsible for this incident.
President Aoun's statement came during his meeting this morning at Baabda Palace, with Canadian Foreign Minister Francois Philippe Champagne and the accompanying delegation, on a visit in which he conveyed the condolences of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian people for the victims of the explosion that occurred in the Beirut port on August 4. Minister Champagne expressed the Canadians' solidarity with the friendly Lebanese people in their ordeal, placing the country's capabilities at the disposal of Lebanon to help remove the effects of the explosion and contribute to the restoration of the affected areas and the investigation conducted by the Lebanese authorities. The Canadian minister explained that his country, which sent immediate aid to Lebanon, has raised the value of this aid to 30 million dollars and is ready to provide more if needed. He praised the role played by the Lebanese community in Canada, who stood by their brothers in Lebanon and contributed to providing aid.
President Aoun responded by welcoming Minister Champagne, stressing the strong Lebanese-Canadian relations, and the minister conveyed his greetings to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, thanking Canada for the solidarity shown with Lebanon in these difficult circumstances. He also thanked the Canadian participation in the conference in support of Beirut and the Lebanese people, which was held at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. President Aoun pointed out that the damage is great to property, homes and in the port, and that more than 300,000 families have been displaced from their homes, noting that work is underway to prepare a directive plan for rebuilding the damaged homes, especially archaeological ones, and schools, and this requires joint efforts to repair them.
The Canadian delegation accompanying the Foreign Minister included Canada's Ambassador to Lebanon Chantal Chastenay, Assistant Minister Sandra McCardell and Canadian Chargé d'Affairs to Lebanon Gregory Galligan, the Lebanese Foreign Minister and Expatriates Charbel Wahba, former Minister Salim Jreissati, and advisers Rafik Shalala and Osama Khashab attended. .
Canadian Minister's statement
After the meeting, Minister Champagne told reporters:
"I thank the President of the Republic for giving me the opportunity to convey my deepest condolences, in the name of the Canadian people and on behalf of Prime Minister Trudeau, to the victims of the tragedy of the Lebanese people, in addition to the condolences of the Canadians who lost their lives at that painful moment. We talked about the future and what Canada is doing to help the people of Lebanon in the context of aid. The amount of 30 million that I provided.
I have reiterated our offer to be part of the international investigation alongside the FBI and the French police, and I believe Canada can add value to this investigation, so that it would be a credible investigation that achieves justice and is transparent. In conclusion, we discussed the issue of food security, as Canada and the Canadian people want to be part of achieving this security for the Lebanese people. "
He added, "What I told President Aoun was simple, because we want to be part of the reconstruction process and I think Canada has always stood by Lebanon, and we are not only here today, but we want to be in the long term and continue. It must be accompanied by international support and serious reform steps, and governance must be the key to the solution. Finally, I want to say that young people have said their word, and so have women as well as the street, and now we have the way ahead where we can work together. It is a privilege to be here and I want to thank you, and to the president of the republic to hear me as well. "
In response to a question, Minister Champagne said: We discussed why we want an investigation and I think the Lebanese people told us that. I discussed with the Foreign Minister the question of what and now we want to discuss how that is, and how it can allow us to go deep into things, and for us to have a credible investigation that is complete and brings the perpetrators of the crime to justice. We will continue to work on this basis, and I spoke this morning to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense to ensure that there is an understanding of the involvement of the Royal Canadian Police in the investigation and we will continue our discussion of the matter. As I said, we are very happy to contribute to this, and we did so as you work in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, but it must be according to their conditions. We will have our help and we believe in the Lebanese people and that this investigation will reach depth.
In answering a question, he explained, "During the discussion with the ministers and the president of the republic, I presented the way Canada wishes to participate in the investigation, and the details on how to do so will be determined later, but it is clear now that there are conditions about the offer I made to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Republic, which was accepted." Now we have to define how we can do this because we want to be loyal to the Lebanese people who expect Canada to participate in the investigation because it will be credible, transparent and go deep to achieve justice.
In response to a question about the most urgent reforms required of Lebanon, he replied: The most prominent reform required is based on the adoption of the principle of accountability, and it is natural that this passes through reforming institutions. It is also up to the young women and men of Lebanon to determine what kind of society they want to live in. What I presented to His Excellency the President is to place the Canadian institutional expertise in the judicial and other fields at the disposal of Lebanon. And this morning, for example, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we raised the issue of raising a new generation of diplomats. This is a clear example of where Canada can make a difference. And when the IMF program is approved and the reform process launched, Canada can provide all technical assistance to achieve this. "
He added, "We are putting ourselves in the context of bringing about this change, and everyone believes that international assistance must be accompanied by serious reforms. I feel a solid will to enter into these reforms. Here Canada can make all the desired difference alongside the Lebanese people. You know that in "Cedar" conference, there was a discussion about reforming the telecommunications, water, energy and education sectors ... These are all sectors in which Canada can play a positive role, especially in the field of energy, and this is what I mentioned to His Excellency the President. His Excellency welcomed this Canadian offer, and he is looking at Canada as a reliable and impartial partner, with the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese in mind.
Director General of UNESCO
President Aoun received UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azuli, who conveyed to him the condolences of the UNESCO family for the victims of the port explosion and the organization's preparations to support Lebanon in reforming educational institutions, schools, and archaeological and heritage buildings that were damaged by the explosion.
Azoly stressed the importance of preserving the historical heritage of the damaged homes and contributing to their reconstruction and protection , expressing a desire to cooperate with the official Lebanese institutions that will handle the issue of rebuilding the affected neighborhoods.
President Aoun responded, welcoming Mrs. Azoly, thanking her for visiting Lebanon and her solidarity with the Lebanese people, appreciating the UNESCO pledge to lead efforts to rebuild culture and heritage, coordinate the international response in this regard, and pay attention to rehabilitating damaged schools, support the education sector, coordinate efforts, and provide technical and material support to the Ministry of Education to develop distance education (Online) and ensuring the availability of technological means for all students to achieve this end in light of the Coronavirus.
President Aoun explained that the explosion was huge and resembles an earthquake and the damage was done to all sectors (health, education, food, tourism, and reconstruction) in addition to the port of Beirut and many buildings were destroyed, and 200,000 housing units were damaged, and that there are 300,000 Lebanese displaced in addition to the displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees. He pointed out that 40% of the infrastructure in Beirut has been severely damaged and that the number of damaged archaeological buildings reached 640 (480 archaeological buildings - 160 archaeological in nature), and the number of damaged historical and cultural areas reached 8 and the cost of rebuilding the damaged 640 archaeological buildings is estimated at $286 million.
He pointed out that the number of affected educational institutions reached 120 schools, 8 universities, and 20 institutions concerned with technical and vocational education, and the number of students affected by the damage to educational institutions was about 63,000 students. As for the number of affected jobs in the educational sector (teachers - administrators), it exceeds 6 thousand. Also, a number of schools have been transferred to shelters, which may impede the start of the school year.
President Aoun stressed that there is a great need for the international community to support Lebanon, not only in the humanitarian aspect, but also in the developmental aspect, pointing out that Lebanon will not be able to rise without the support of the international community.
President Aoun thanked Mrs. Azoly for her support in establishing the "Human Academy for Encounter and Dialogue.
He said: "We count on cooperation and coordination with you and UNESCO in order to make this important initiative a success to spread the culture of dialogue and peace in Lebanon and the region, and we have allocated 100,000 square meters of land to receive this academy in Damour area.
The delegation accompanying Ms. Azuli included the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Mr. Jan Kubic, the Director of the Office of the Director General, Mr. Nicolas Cassianides, the Assistant Ms. Azuli in the Education Sector, Stephanie Giannini, the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in the Arab Countries, and the UNESCO Representative in Lebanon Dr. Hamad bin Saif Hammami.
From the Lebanese side, former Minister Salim Jreissati, the Director General of the Presidency of the Republic Dr. Antoine Choucair, the permanent representative for Lebanon to UNESCO, Ambassador Sahar Baasiri, and the advisors Brigadier General Boulos Matar, Rafik Shalala and Osama Khashab.
Russian ambassador
Also at Baabda Palace, the Russian ambassador to Beirut Alexander Zasypkin, held a meeting with President Aoun that covered the current political developments and the position of the Russian leadership towards, in addition to issues of concern to Lebanese-Russian relations. Russian Ambassador said that his country is closely following developments in Lebanon and supports everything that enhances national unity.
Condolences and solidarity cables
On the other hand, President Aoun received more cables of solidarity and condolences for the victims of the port explosion from a number of state leaders, most notably: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Evaristo de Espirito Santo Carvalho. ----Presidency Press Office
 

Berri meets Education Minister, Ambassadors of Egypt and Russia
NNA/August 27/2020
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, met Thursday at his Ain-el-Tineh residence with Caretaker Minister of Education and Higher Learning, Tarek Majzoub, with whom he discussed the ministry's strategy for the new academic year.
Berri later met with Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon, Yasser Alawi, over Egypt's aids to Lebanon following Beirut port blast.
He also received Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who came on a farewell visit upon the end of his diplomatic mission in the country.
Separately, Berri received a cable from his Kuwaiti counterpart Marzouq al-Ghanim, who voiced his support for the Lebanese people.

Government of Canada matches $8 million in donations made by Canadians to respond to Beirut explosion
August 27, 2020 - Beirut, Lebanon - Global Affairs Canada
Canadians have shown time and again how generous they can be in times of need. This willingness to help when a crisis strikes is why the Government of Canada announced that it would match donations made by individuals to help the Lebanese people following the devastating explosion in Beirut on August 4.
Meeting with Lebanese, Canadian and international humanitarian partners today in Beirut, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada will match, dollar for dollar, the full $8 million in donations made through the Lebanese Matching Fund as a result of the generosity of Canadians. These funds help meet essential food, water, health and other critical humanitarian needs.
Global Affairs Canada will transfer the funds to the Humanitarian Coalition, which will in turn allocate the funds among its members based on criteria such as their capacity and presence on the ground.
Officially hosted in Lebanon by his counterpart, Charbel Wehbe, Minister Champagne met with Michel Aoun, President of Lebanon, and with representatives from the United Nations, the Lebanese Red Cross, and other civil society organizations. He also spoke with family members of the two Canadians killed in the explosion.
Quotes
“Through the Lebanon Matching Fund, Canada is making a meaningful contribution to the humanitarian effort on the ground in Beirut, which will help ensure critical aid goes to those who need it most. I commend the individual Canadians who donated so generously to support the Lebanese people in a time of great crisis.”
- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“As Canadians, we consistently act with compassion and kindness when disaster strikes around the world. The incredible response and support for the people of Beirut is yet another prime example of this. Thanks to the generosity of Canadians, the Humanitarian Coalition will be able to ensure that people on the ground get the help they need. We are all interconnected; what happens over there affects us here too and helping others is the right thing to do.”
- Karina Gould, Minister of International Development
Quick facts
On August 8, 2020, the Government of Canada launched the Lebanon Matching Fund, announcing that it would match up to $2 million in donations. This amount was quickly surpassed, and a new matching amount of $8 million was established.
Canada’s Humanitarian Coalition brings together leading humanitarian organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during international humanitarian disasters.
The Humanitarian Coalition members are Action Against Hunger, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, CARE Canada, Doctors of the World, Humanity & Inclusion, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Québec, Plan International Canada, Save the Children Canada and World Vision Canada. All are recognized and trusted international partners.
Members of the Humanitarian Coalition actively participate in established UN-led humanitarian coordination processes to ensure that aid is disbursed effectively.

France Presses Lebanon to Reform and Avoid 'Risk of Disappearing'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 28/2020
France on Thursday urged Lebanon to undertake serious reform after the devastating Beirut port blast, warning the country risked "disappearing" as a state if it failed. President Emmanuel Macron is due next week to visit Lebanon to hammer home the message of the need for change which he made on his last trip on August 6, two days after the explosion that left 181 dead. The Elysee also confirmed a "working document" had been submitted by France to Lebanon ahead of the visit, outlining the issues to be discussed. France wants to see the rapid formation of a new government capable of dealing with Lebanon's crisis and undertaking key financial reforms including an audit of the central bank. "The risk today is of Lebanon disappearing so these measures have to be taken," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told RTL radio. "They are caught up between themselves in a consensus of inactivity," Le Drian said. "That can't go on and we are saying that very clearly." "The President of the Republic said it when he went to Lebanon on August 6. He will say it again when he'll be in Beirut on Tuesday." On August 9, Macron chaired a video conference that saw world leaders pledge more than 250 million euros ($295 million) for Lebanon. But he has made it clear that the country needs political reform as well as financial help, a message that has struck a chord with many Lebanese tired of decades of rule by the same political dynasties.
- 'No blank cheque' -
Premier Hassan Diab's cabinet has resigned over the blast, which was blamed on a store of ammonium nitrate left for years in a port warehouse despite warnings. But in a pattern all-too-familiar to the Lebanese, the country today appears no closer to forming a new government. A French diplomatic source told AFP in Paris that the working document for the visit did not constitute a "roadmap" and France had no intention of meddling in Lebanese affairs. "But as the president has said 'a friend needs to be demanding with its friend'. It is this idea of being demanding that requires these elements to be discussed," said the source, who asked not to be named. "There is no question of offering a blank cheque," added the source. Lebanon was under French mandate from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of World War I until its independence in November 1943.

Report: Government Reform Paper Underway before Macron Returns
Naharnet/August 28/2020
The efforts of senior officials and political parties to name a new prime minister for Lebanon before the French President Emmanuel Macron returns to Lebanon are reportedly underway, al-Akhbar daily reported Thursday. Unnamed sources told the daily that a new PM could be named in the next four days before Macron arrives in Lebanon. They noted that work is underway on a reform paper that has become "almost ready", and includes most of the items mentioned in the "French paper" in order to “extract an international commitment” coherent with local commitment to a program of reforms applicable by the government. Aoun is reportedly working with all parties to meet Macron's visit with a comprehensive plan that has the approval of various political parties, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Beirut Port 'Resumes Full Capacity' after Blast, Kaissi Says
Naharnet/August 28/2020
The new director of Beirut’s port Bassem el-Kaissi said on Thursday that the port has resumed 100 percent of its operational procedures for shipping and discharging cargo after the August 4 massive blast.He said operations are carried out in a normal manner and include all areas, containers and various goods.
“We have summoned the owners of sunken ships and insurance companies within a maximum period of 24 hours, so that we could withdraw all the rubble at the required speed,” said Kaissi. His remarks came after a meeting attended by representatives of the French army present in the port, devoted to presenting the practical results reached through field operations. On Wednesday, French and Lebanese soldiers cleared 8,000 tons of steel and concrete equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower from Beirut port which was devastated by a monster blast. Efforts have focused recently on clearing the parts of the port worst affected by the explosion that ripped across swathes of Beirut and killed more than 180 people. The Tonnerre, a huge French amphibious helicopter carrier, arrived in Beirut earlier in August with dozens of trucks and heavy machinery to clear the debris. The blast, one of the largest in recent history, leveled entire sectors of the port, created a 43-metre-deep crater that was covered by the sea, and sent a shockwave that damaged property and wounded people several mile.

French Companies Willing to Help Rebuild Blast-hit Beirut Port
Naharnet/August 28/2020
The Mouvement des entreprises de France (Movement of the Enterprises of France, MEDEF) announced that French companies are ready to work alongside the Lebanese people in a project to rebuild Beirut’s port after the devastating monster explosion on August 4, LBCI TV station reported on Thursday.
“Of course, from a purely economic point of view, Lebanon is a small market, but the challenge does not lie here,” said MEDEF president Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux in a speech at the opening of MEDEF summer university. Bézieux said the challenge is that “Lebanon is one of the last democratic and multi-religious countries in the Middle East. It embodies a certain idea of the world and civilization that must be preserved." His remarks come a few days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s second visit to Lebanon in less than a month. Macron, the first world leader to visit the country after the blast, will return to Beirut next week to press for reform and reconstruction. Macron will depart Monday for a full day of meetings Tuesday in a bid to boost the reconstruction effort but also looking at political issues as Lebanon searches for a new government, the French presidency said.
MEDEF is the largest employer federation in France. Every year, MEDEF International organises a number of delegations of French business leaders with tangible projects to targeted countries, especially developing countries.

Family of Convicted Hizbullah Member Denounces 'Injustice'
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 28/2020
The family of a Hizbullah member convicted in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri described Thursday the guilty verdict handed down by a U.N.-backed tribunal as a "grave injustice."
The comment was the first by relatives of Salim Ayyash, who was found guilty as a co-conspirator in five charges linked to his involvement in the suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others in a huge blast 15 years ago. It was released in a statement distributed by Hezbollah.
The Shiite Muslim group has consistently denied involvement in Hariri's killing, calling it a conspiracy against it and has vowed not to hand over any suspects. Ayyash, 56, has been at large and is not likely to serve time. A hearing will be held at a later date to determine his sentence. In its verdict Aug. 18, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon convicted Ayyash and acquitted three others of involvement in the assassination, which sent shock waves through the Middle East. The tribunal's judges also said there was no evidence the leadership of Hizbullah and Syria were involved in the attack. Ayyash's family, in the statement issued Thursday, said Ayyash, who hails from the southern Lebanese village of Harouf, was a patriot who served in the Civil Defense and was in Saudi Arabia performing a hajj pilgrimage when the crime occurred. "All of this refutes this accusation and emphasizes its injustice, weakness and invalidity of the conviction," it said.

Report: MENA Billionaires Earned Double Cost of Beirut Repairs in Weeks
Naharnet/August 28/2020
The Middle East's 21 billionaires have amassed $63 million every day since March, a combined bounty double the amount needed to repair the damage caused by the Beirut port blast, Oxfam said Thursday. The region's 21 richest men "saw their wealth increase by nearly $10 billion since the start of the Covid-19 crisis," the charity said. Oxfam said its figures were the result of a comparison between their net wealth as listed by Forbes on March 18 and on August 16. It said the resulting amount represented twice the emergency funds provided to the region by the International Monetary Fund to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It also amounts to double what is needed to repair the material damage done to property in Beirut by a huge, deadly August 4 blast at the port, according to accountancy firm PwC. "For too long profit has been prioritised at the expense of the public good and safety," said Nabil Abdo, Oxfam's senior policy advisor in the Middle East and North Africa. "The result of this could not be starker in the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion in Beirut, which has further exposed the fragility of the economy and will only exacerbate existing inequalities," he said.
The Beirut port explosion, one of the largest such blasts in recent history, killed more than 180 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed property within a radius of several miles. The blast, the exact causes of which remained to be determined, has been widely blamed on the greed and incompetence of Lebanon's ruling class.

Lebanon banks that don’t raise capital by 2021 will give up shares to central bank
Reuters/Thursday 27 August 2020
Lebanese banks that cannot increase their capital by 20 percent by the end of February 2021 will have to get out of the market, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh told Reuters on Thursday. Those leaving would do so by giving their shares to the central bank, Salameh added. He said he could not speculate how many of Lebanon’s nearly 40 banks would exit the market. “We hope all the banks will meet the criteria,” he said in a phone interview. “But after February, those who do not will have to get out of the market...The deposits will be preserved because the bank will not be put into a bankruptcy situation.”
The central bank’s foreign currency reserves stand at $19.5 billion and obligatory reserve at $17.5 billion, he said. Lebanon’s cash-strapped banks have frozen savers out of their dollar deposits and largely blocked transfers abroad since late last year as the country sank into a financial meltdown on a scale it has never seen. The central bank wants domestic banks to boost liquidity at their correspondent banks abroad, with which they do not have sufficient funds, Salameh said. The state, one of the world’s most indebted, defaulted on its foreign currency debt in March, citing critically low reserves. Inflation and poverty have soared as the crisis wiped out the value of the local currency on the informal market. With the country running out of dollars, the central bank has kept providing foreign currency for fuel, wheat and medicine imports at an official peg. Salameh told Reuters he could not say how long the central bank could keep subsidizing essential imports which is “depleting reserves.” He has been cited as saying the bank cannot use its obligatory reserve to finance trade once it reaches the threshold. “We are not about to float the currency and therefore for the time being we are living with these two exchange rates,” he said, adding that this decision also lies with the government. A devastating explosion at Beirut port this month, which killed at least 180 people and wrecked swathes of the city, on top of a COVID-19 outbreak, has compounded woes. Talks with the IMF, which Lebanon entered in May, had stalled in the absence of reforms and as a row emerged between the government, the banking sector and politicians over the scale of the country’s vast financial losses. Salameh said it was in Lebanon’s interest to press ahead with negotiations to try to secure an IMF program. When asked whether he would answer calls by critics for his resignation over financial policies, he said: “We will see...It’s easy to put the cause on me or on the central bank but I think it’s a different story.”

After explosion, UNESCO in massive fundraising drive for Beirut
AFP, Beirut/Thursday 27 August 2020
The UN’s culture and education organization will organize two conferences to seek “considerable” funding for blast-hit Beirut, its director said Thursday in the Lebanese capital. Audrey Azoulay told AFP during the visit of a school damaged by the colossal August 4 explosion at Beirut port that two events were in the works. “The first one will be a meeting of the Global Education Coalition dedicated to Lebanon,” she said, referring to a body set up since the COVID-19 pandemic to support remote learning. “The country absolutely needs to be better prepared on this issue of remote learning,” she said. According to UNESCO, around 160 schools were destroyed or damaged by the blast, which left more than 180 people dead and devastated entire neighborhoods of Beirut. Azoulay said at least 85,000 children were directly affected by the destruction the explosion wreaked in Beirut. With the start of the new school year theoretically only days away, the explosion compounded a serious crisis the educational system already faced due to Covid-19 and an unprecedented economic crisis. Azoulay said a preliminary assessment showed $22 million would be needed just to rebuild damaged schools. She said a second conference would be organized, probably in late September, to raise funds for Beirut’s heritage and the cultural sector. Azoulay said the aim was to “secure international funding for culture, of the kind that usually comes after reconstruction efforts.” “It needs to come now,” she said, adding that while estimates were under way, the funding needed would be “considerable.”

Beirut, Which Lives Inside of Me
Dr. Ali Awad Asiri/Former Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon/Asharq Al Awsat/August 27/2020
I know that the first plane to fly on the air bridge for sending medical aid and supplies departed to Lebanon on the instructions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz minutes after the devastating explosion that destroyed the port and half of our beloved, Beirut.
I know well that it carried the deep pain and broken hearts of every one of us in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over Beirut and Lebanon, which is of momentous significance to us and with which we have a deep historical bond. We have deep fraternal adoration for this city that occupies ample space in our hearts and minds, our concerns and great pain over this extraordinary betrayed capital, which has always been and will remain the bride of the Arabs.
O Beirut, city of history, beloved of poetry and the poets, O verses of poems, O mother of ordinance, O magical restoration of Arab world; our hearts bleed for your inundation with martyrs, the pain of their families and the despaired and the flood of tears shed by your squares and tiles. O Beirut, which we cherished and cherished us, how can we heal your wounds and wipe your tears as you moan in devastation, pain and dejection? O the horror and brutality, the depth of bitterness in our hearts invoked this vicious crime committed against you.
I have come to know you well, O Beirut, O Lebanon and O beloved Lebanese. I knew you as a jubilant ambassador and dear brother in your country, where friendships broaden and the relationships of brotherhood were never. Overwhelmed with emotion and sadness, I can almost hear, from here in Aseer, the wailing of that sea that has always washed the feet of the beloved, tormented city, the sea which always I watched giving its morning greetings to our embassy and sending peace of loyalty, friendship and love to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is no wonder that Beirut and Riyadh have a Siamese relationship, inseparable from love, friendliness and the weight of history.
The brutal explosion that devastated the authentic Arab capital left us overwhelmed with pain, tears and wounded feelings for a city that we loved and adored.
I know very well that people normally inhabit cities, but Beirut is the magnificent city that resides in me wherever I am. It remains inside you, and your love’s depth is not lessened, no matter how far you are from it. It definitely not be an exaggeration to say that the horrendous explosion shook my being, struck my family and me and caused us great pain, not only because we have loved ones, friends and people we consider kin in Beirut, but also because between my country and Lebanon is a history of brotherhood, love and camaraderie dating back 68 years, specifically when the late president, Camille Chamoun, became the first Lebanese president to visit the Kingdom in 1952. He initiated a history of firm fraternity that existed in the past, remains in present and will continue in the future.
I know very well that the founding king’s advice continues to reverberate. He said to his guest: “The fabric of Lebanon and the plurality of its sects and creeds give it an advantage and singularity, and it should distance itself from the axis and alliances and focus on the importance of dialogue, understanding and solidarity between all Lebanese sects and factions, so that it may be blessed security and stability and protected from ambitions, in a framework of firm national unity that protects it and safeguards its independence.”
It is its history that allocates for Beirut a place in the heart of every Saudi and every sincere Arab, and so the criminal explosion came to crush all of our hearts. I know very well that the vanguards of the Saudi air bridge to Beirut not only carried medical relief, aid and donations, but also carried our hearts, our pain and our distress over Beirut, the beloved city, the capital Lebanon, which Saudi Arabia has long described as the center of Arab cooperation...
With all of the hardship and pain, we hope that our love for Beirut will serve as a bandage for the wounds and alleviate those who have lost their loved ones. I will never forget the day I said to the Lebanese family when I had been ambassador to Beirut: “The record of the fraternal relationship brings our two countries together with incalculable love bearing the signature of seven dear letters, Lebanon.”
O beloved Beirut, your sorrows overwhelm us and your wounds shed blood from our bodies. We have always been two Siamese brothers, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is not only building a bridge merely for relief and aid, but rather a bridge of hearts that beats in a wounded Beirut, Beirut that lives inside of me.

Lebanon may be broken beyond repair

Clifford D. May/ The Washington Times/August 27/ 2020 

كلففورد دي. ماي/واشنطن تيمز: ربما قد يكون لبنان عصي على الإصلاح

Its debt is massive, its political class corrupt, and terrorists call the shots

Earlier this month, two days after a catastrophic explosion in Beirut’s port, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived on the scene, wearing a black mourning tie and a face mask, his shirt sleeves rolled up, as if he were ready to clear the rubble himself. “I’m here to help you,” he told shell-shocked survivors in the formerly elegant Gemmayze neighborhood. It’s doubtful he’ll succeed.

Long before this blast, Lebanon had begun shattering, politically and economically. Its elites bear the blame, and street protests against them have raged for almost two years.

Often not made clear in the media: It is Hezbollah, an internationally designated terrorist organization loyal to Iran’s rulers, that has been calling the shots – literally as well as figuratively. And Hezbollah is accustomed to getting away with murder – literally as well as figuratively.

An example? Rafik Hariri was one of Lebanon’s most prominent politicians. A Sunni, he was seen by Hezbollah’s Shia leaders as a rival and an irritant.

On Feb. 14, 2005, he was killed by a suicide bomber in downtown Beirut. Twenty-one bystanders perished along with him. To bring those responsible to justice, the U.N. created a Special Tribunal. It was touted as “the first tribunal of international character to prosecute terrorist crimes.” It soon had a staff of 400 including 11 full-time judges and a $60-million annual budget. Last week, this elephant gave birth to a mouse.

The Tribunal convicted Salim Ayyash, a mid-level Hezbollah member, of participating in a conspiracy to carry out the bombing. He was tried in absentia, and his whereabouts are unknown. Three other defendants, also Hezbollah members, were acquitted for “lack of evidence.”

Another prime suspect had been Mustafa Amine Badreddinne, believed also to have helped plan the 1983 bombings of American and French military personnel in Beirut, and American and French diplomats in Kuwait. He was killed four years ago in Syria, where, on orders from Tehran, he was leading Hezbollah’s military operations in support of the Assad dictatorship. After that, the Tribunal ended investigations into his role.

In its ruling, the Tribunal did note that Hezbollah had motive to “eliminate” Mr. Hariri. But prosecutors claimed they just couldn’t find the evidence needed to make a conclusive determination.

The year following Mr. Hariri’s assassination, Hezbollah precipitated a war with Israel. To halt the fighting, the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1701 which called for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to withdraw from Lebanon, and Hezbollah to be disarmed by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

The IDF did as instructed. Hezbollah did not. The LAF and Unifil made no attempt to force the issue.

Since then, Hezbollah has gone on to become Lebanon’s most powerful actor. No other Lebanese political party has its own militia. Hezbollah’s militia is so strong that the LAF dares not challenge or even offend it.

Hezbollah has installed as many as 150,000 missiles, all aimed at Israel, recently adding an estimated 300 precision-guided munitions (PGMs) that may be capable of evading Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

These missiles have been placed in homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques which means Hezbollah is using civilians as human shields in flagrant violation of international law. Hezbollah also has been attempting to dig terrorist tunnels into Israel.

With a force of more than 10,000 and a budget of half a billion dollars a year, 28 percent of which comes from America, Unifil has turned a blind eye.

The explosion on Aug. 4 killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands, and left hundreds of thousands homeless. The dominant theory is that welders accidently ignited materials that detonated nearly 3,000 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for six years in the port, where Hezbollah has free reign. Ammonium nitrate is useful for agriculture, and terrorist bomb-making.

I’ve saved the worst for last. James Rickards, an eminent economist, this month completed a 57-page report commissioned by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. His conclusion: “Lebanon today is broke. The entire country has been picked clean by terrorists, criminals, elites and the political class.”

More specifically, he calculates that Lebanon is $93 billion in debt, which doesn’t count the several billion needed to rebuild from the blast. Recall that in the largest bailout in world history, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) came up with $57 billion for Argentina. That was two years ago, before the global economy was crippled by a virus from China. And Argentina’s population exceeds 45 million. Lebanon’s is under seven.

Even if donors were to provide sufficient funds, it’s not clear how the money could be utilized. Mr. Rickards’ research reveals that Lebanon’s entire banking sector is insolvent and compromised. He calls the Banque du Liban (BdL), the central bank, “the most corrupt and incompetent central bank in the world. It is at the heart of one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history.”

Lebanon was a protectorate of France following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the French feel a special responsibility and affection for the long-suffering land. Last week, Mr. Macron hosted a video call from his summer retreat on the French Riviera, asking world leaders to write big checks. He reportedly raised $300 million, nowhere near enough to fill the hole Lebanon is in.

While favoring some reforms, Mr. Macron has said not a word about disarming or otherwise defanging Hezbollah. He doesn’t seem to grasp that so long as armed terrorists subservient to Iran’s revolutionary rulers are calling the shots in Lebanon, investing billions of dollars in an against-the-odds effort to save the country would be a fool’s errand.

*Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a columnist for the Washington Times. Follow him on Twitter @CliffordDMay.

Lebanon’s new cabinet awaits international deal while the country is in agony
Rami Rayess/Al Arabiya/August 27/2020
The resignation of Lebanon’s Cabinet shortly after the Beirut port blasts was not a surprising step. Rather, it was the bare minimum expected from the government following the explosions that obliterated 40 percent of the capital on August 4.
Now the task at hand is to create a new Cabinet – a complicated issue in the country that relies on the so-called consociation democracy, whereby all the powers have a share and a say in the construction of the executive branch, occasionally exercising mutual vetoes on one another.
International efforts led by French President Emmanuel Macron who visited the devastated Lebanese capital a couple of days after the blasts have focused on the necessity of quickly creating a new Cabinet. But visiting international envoys have also emphasized the need to launch long-awaited reforms, regardless of the Cabinet that takes over. US State Department Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale emphasized that Washington is looking forward to see reforms initiated, regardless of whether the upcoming Cabinet includes members of Hezbollah or persons affiliated with it, clarifying that it has lived with such options previously. Hale’s statement comes after it was revealed in Beirut that Hezbollah’s senior official met with French President Macron twice during his visit to Beirut. One of the two meetings was kept behind the scenes with no media coverage until a Hezbollah Member of Parliament revealed it in a TV talk show Thursday night. It is not yet clear in Beirut whether former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, will return to office, or if a new name will emerge to head the new government.
However, Hariri’s return has not yet been cleared by France and other international actors. Where Macron initially said he supported a national unity government that presumably would’ve been headed by Hariri, he later backtracked to emphasize that any upcoming Cabinet would have to focus on reforms. It seems that the search for an alternative continues.
Neither international nor local players have a clear choice for the new prime minister, which has led President Michel Aoun to delay calling on Parliamentarians to nominate a new prime minister, a step that is stipulated in the constitution. While the constitution doesn’t set out a time frame in which nominations must happen, the spirit of the constitution implies that this should happen without delay.
But the president is once again repeating the precedent he previously set with the Diab cabinet, which is agreeing on the prime minister and Cabinet prior to calling for mandatory consultations. The constitution is clear that those consultations are mandatory, and the president has to respect the outcome of such a parliamentary vote and thus designate the candidate who receives the most votes as prime minister. The prime minister designate then sets to creating a new Cabinet in coordination with the president, not vice versa.
Aside from this constitutional issue, Lebanese politicians have not committed to nominating Hariri again. With the exception of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, all other powers are freezing their position awaiting clearance from regional and international powers. Even Hariri himself is still hesitant to take that step before securing acknowledgment from influential players, especially Riyadh, Paris and Washington.
The verdict issued by the Special Tribunal for (STL) convicting Hezbollah member Salim Ayyash of plotting and executing the assassination of Rafik Hariri back in 2005 has only complicated matters further. However, several groups in Beirut found the verdict disappointing as it did not implicate Hezbollah directly in the verdict. The tribunal’s prerogative is not to try states or organizations, but individuals. Yet, for Hariri the problem is doubled. He cannot chair a Cabinet that includes Hezbollah members as it will be politically embarrassing for him to sit at the same table with the party officially responsible for killing his father.
With the exception of the most recently resigned cabinet that took less than two months to be born, previous government making efforts have proven the process to be tedious and difficult. The last cabinet, because it was essentially supported and controlled by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Hezbollah and opposed by almost all other political parties, was formed rather quickly following Hariri’s resignation.
Aoun, before he assumed the presidency, once delayed the creation of a new cabinet for almost eight months because he insisted that his son in law Gebran Bassil was appointed to a ministerial position, despite the fact that he had lost a parliamentary election.
The 1989 Taif Accord that ended 15 years of civil war set in place a system where executive power was vested in the collective power of the council of ministers. The Accord, which was a Saudi-led, internationally supported political agreement created fierce competition between the different stakeholders.
However, Lebanon does not have the ability to sustain its economy that is in free fall any longer. The luxury of prolonged cabinet negotiations has been lost, and a new government must be formed immediately for the country to begin moving forward from the detrimental effects of the blasts and to revive its ailing economy.

Lebanon's attempt to move back toward neutrality met with resistance from Hezbollah
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Al Arabiya/August 27/2020
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai handed Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs State David Hale a copy of his initiative “Lebanon’s positive neutrality,” during the US diplomat’s visit to Lebanon. Days later, in a press conference, al-Rai presented his initiative, which seemed heavy on history and light on policy and governance. A week later, al-Rai doubled down on his position by calling on the state to bust “illegal arms depots in residential neighborhoods” so as to avoid a fate like that of the Beirut port explosion. Hezbollah rebutted through one of its newspapers, which accused the Maronite top cleric of peddling “enemy propaganda and Israeli talking points.”
In his efforts, al-Rai has tried to return Lebanon to its founding principles, moving away from the Lebanon that Hezbollah has hijacked and forced its own vision upon.
Al-Rai had explained his initiative by saying that Lebanon once reaped considerable economic rewards from its “regional neutrality,” serving as the destination of Arab tourism, education and healthcare. In his initiative, however, al-Rai barely mentioned economics, and instead focused on the narrative upon which Lebanon was founded. According to the Lebanese cleric, when the French were about to draft the Lebanese constitution, they looked up the constitution of the Swiss Federation, a globally neutral country, for inspiration
Al-Rai cited the first independence cabinet's platform that, in 1943, stated that “Lebanon adheres to neutrality between the East and the West.” Lebanon’s neutrality was also at play during its participation in drafting the Charter of the Arab League in 1945. Lebanon contributed to making the league’s decisions non-binding, even when taken unanimously, to spare the country from going to war, should league members decide to mobilize collectively.
Al-Rai said that Lebanon’s current policies depart from its traditional foreign policy, and undermines “solidarity among Arab countries, in favor of strategies that serve (non-Arab) regimes instead of common Arab interests.”
The patriarch concluded that the “idea of neutrality was reiterated in various presidential speeches and cabinet platforms, and in every statement issued by the Dialogue Commission.” This led to the June 2012 proclamation of the Baabda Declaration, “which was approved unanimously and highlighted Lebanon’s neutrality.”
The declaration was filed with the UN as an official document of the Security Council and the General Assembly. Since 2005, and most recently with UN Secretary General Antonio Guteress, the UN has been calling on Lebanon to abide by Security Council resolutions, disband all militias, including Hezbollah, and resolve its outstanding border disputes with Israel and Syria.
In a sermon, al-Rai said that Lebanon’s founding literature is fundamental in preserving the country’s harmony between its Christians and Muslims, harmony that is premised on regional neutrality.
Hezbollah, however, has avoided commenting on al-Rai’s initiative. When its chief Hassan Nasrallah did, he said that a “neutral cabinet is a waste of time.” Nasrallah did not mention al-Rai by name, and did not seem aware that al-Rai did not call for a non-partisan cabinet, but for a neutral foreign policy. Instead, Hezbollah has been using its Maronite protégés, President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil, as a fig leaf to cover its violation of one of Lebanon’s founding tenets.
In fact, Nasrallah has forced successive cabinets to mention armed “resistance,” a codename for his militia, alongside “the people and the army,” in an attempt to provide legal cover to Lebanon siding with the Iran-led axis. Ministerial platforms, however, cannot trump the constitution and the country’s founding literature. Nasrallah does not care.
In fact, Hezbollah’s own existence is premised on the idea that the Shia of southern Lebanon partook in the battle of Karbala, in south Iraq in 680, which saw the defeat and killing of the third Shia Imam, Hussein bin Ali.
In his book Nationalism, Transnationalism and Political Islam, Mohanad Hage Ali, born into a Shia Lebanese family, argues that the construction of a specifically Shia Lebanese history, in the early 20th century, suffered from the lack of any popular movements or symbols. And while “the origins of the Shia in the Levant remain a subject of controversy,” Hezbollah has endorsed a popular myth that one of Prophet Muhammad’s companions, Abu Dharr, preached the Shia faith in southern Lebanon.
Such myth “remains dubious, in spite of Hezbollah’s continued efforts at reviving it as an established fact,” Hage Ali argued. He added that “Abu Dharr clearly served the Shia clerics’ need to establish their authenticity, especially because his narrative provides them with a direct link to the Prophet.” Also among the main themes of Hezbollah’s “reconstructed history is the myth” that the Lebanon Shia fought in Karbala.
In Lebanon, it is common knowledge that the country – in its current form – was created by the French in line with the vision of the Maronite Church. The country’s name is Biblical, and so is its emblem, the cedar tree, which also serves as the symbol of the church.
But while the Maronite founders envisioned a “neutral Lebanon,” Hezbollah employed dubious legends to connect the history of Lebanese Shia to a greater regional Shia community that reaches Iran. The organizing principle of this Shia group, as imagined by Hezbollah and Iranian mullahs, is war.
By reviving Lebanon’s founding principle of neutrality, al-Rai is not only trying to restore the country’s traditional foreign policy, but also to wrestle the founding narrative from a militia that has little regard for Lebanon, its foundation or its sovereignty, and much more appreciation to combative cross-border legends and policies.

After Beirut explosion, can the international community protect Lebanese protesters?
Hanin Ghaddar/Al Arabiya/August 27/2020
It is not a good sign when the Lebanese security forces – which are supposed to protect the Lebanese people – decide to side with the criminals against the victims. It is also not a good sign when the international community ignores the violations committed by these security institutions against unarmed protestors.
Following the Beirut port explosion, it was expected that the Lebanese people would take to streets to express anger and to call for real change.
What was not expected was that the security forces would treat protesters – in other words, the victims of the blasts – with brutality.
In its most recent Lebanon report, Human Rights Watch stated that Lebanese security forces used “excessive and at times lethal force against mostly peaceful protestors in downtown Beirut on August 8, 2020, causing hundreds of injuries.” These forces included the Parliament Police, the Internal Security Forces (ISF), the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and “unidentified forces in civilian clothing.” The Lebanese Red Cross and the Islamic Emergency Relief Corps announced that 728 people were injured during the August 8 protest and at least 153 of them were taken to hospitals for treatment.
This is not the first time that the security forces have used brutal force against protesters. In fact, a number of similar incidents had been reported since the Lebanese took to the streets on October 17, 2019. However, the excessive use of violence is new, so is the use of live ammunition against protesters.
As the call for real political change becomes urgent, and as the international community ups its involvement in Lebanon, the use of violence has also increased.
For Lebanon’s political elite, hiding behind a government resignation – which has happened twice in the last year – is no longer a viable tactic. The governments of Saad Hariri and Hassan Diab resigned as protests broke out demanding change.
Both the Lebanese people and the international community fully understand today that change – real change – has to take place, and another government resignation won’t do it.
It has also become clear that protests are proving to be effective, especially in shaping public opinion and international media perspectives on Lebanon. That’s why we now see more brutality and violence by the authorities against protesters.
The Lebanese people have lost everything, their savings, their jobs, their homes, and their loved ones, but they are not allowed to speak up or complain. That’s what the violence on August 8 indicated.
Gunmen open fire on army in northeast Lebanon, killing soldier
However, the security forces do not have this strength and confidence without the assistance and funding from many European countries and the US government. Today, it is vital today that assistance programs are either revised or used as leverage to protect protesters. Human Rights Watch recommends that international donors such as the US, the UK, and France – who have sold or given billions of dollars in arms, equipment, and training to Lebanon’s security forces, including the Lebanese army and the ISF, should review these programs and ensure that forces involved in serious abuses against protesters should not benefit from any assistance.
When French president Emmanuel Macron visited Lebanon, followed by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, the Lebanese realized that the international community would help as long as the Lebanese help themselves. Both visits concluded with statements encouraging the Lebanese to lead their own process to achieve desirable change.
Volunteers hold up placards against Lebanese politicians, as they protest during the visit of U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale to the main gathering point for NGO volunteers, near the site of last week's explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. Hale says the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be joining Lebanese and other international investigators in the probe into the Beirut port blast that killed and wounded thousands.
However, the French and the American officials cannot expect the Lebanese people to do much, when the only tool they have – the streets – are becoming too risky and increasingly volatile. Therefore, if the French President and the US State Department believe in the Lebanese people’s ability to change, then there are tools that are available to help them shape their future. One of these tools is the leverage Europe and the US has through assistance programs to security institutions.
It is expected that Macron will visit Lebanon at the beginning of September, and David Schenker, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, will follow. One of the main messages they need to convey to political and security authorities is that violence against protesters should stop immediately, and that protesters should be able to express themselves peacefully. It is the duty of security forces to protect protesters and victims – not attack them. If this trend continues, all assistance programs need to be revisited.
If protesters are allowed to go back to the streets peacefully, they might have their chance to push for change. Otherwise, Lebanon will soon become a failed state.
 

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 27-28/2020

Germany, Israel Agree Continued Iran Arms Embargo Important
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 28/2020
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas agreed with his Israeli counterpart Thursday that an effort must be made to extend a weapon embargo on Iran, while stressing Germany still sees the landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers as the best way to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
With a current U.N. arms embargo on Iran due to expire on Oct. 18, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told reporters in Berlin an extension was needed to prevent Iran from getting "more advanced weapons systems and spreading them around the Middle East.""We would like to see the European countries, not just Germany, preventing it," he said. "It's not helpful for the stability of the region."Ashkenazi was in Berlin to attend a two-day meeting of European foreign ministers at the invitation of Germany, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency.
The United States wants a full extension of the embargo on Iran, which would almost certainly be vetoed by Russia and China in the U.N. Security Council, Maas said. Germany and others are currently trying to find some middle ground that would meet with Russian and Chinese approval — and not be vetoed by the U.S. in the Security Council. "We are trying to reach a diplomatic solution so that there will be an arms embargo on Iran in the future," Maas said. At the same time, he said Germany still sees the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed with Iran in 2015, promising the country economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, the best deal to prevent the country from developing an atomic weapon. Israel is against the deal, and the U.S. pulled out unilaterally in 2018, leaving the others involved — Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China — struggling to keep it alive. Maas said concerns outside the JCPOA, like Iran's ballistic missile program and influence in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, need to be addressed, but that "we want to preserve the JCPOA to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.""Iran must change its approach in the region, we are not naive about Iran," he said. "We know that Iran plays a dangerous role."The two ministers met at the House of the Wannsee Conference memorial, a villa in southwestern Berlin where senior Nazis and bureaucrats coordinated plans for the Holocaust in 1942. Ashkenazi said that as the son of a Holocaust survivor, it was particularly emotional for him to visit the place where the "evil and cruelness" of the genocide of 6 million Jews was plotted. Maas said anti-Semitism still exists in Germany today, and the memorial serves as a reminder that "we should fight it with available means."

U.S. Troops Injured in Tense Confrontation with Russians in Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 28/2020
Russian military vehicles and attack helicopters surrounded two US armored cars in a tense confrontation in northeastern Syria Wednesday, leaving US troops injured, according to the White House. Videos of the confrontation that were shared on Twitter, apparently taken by bystanders and the Russians themselves, appear to show the Russian troop carriers and helicopters trying to box the US vehicles in and then force them from the area, near Dayrick. Vehicles appear to bump each other, and at one point -- possibly at the beginning of the confrontation -- one of the helicopters hovers very low over the halted Americans, blasting them with prop wash. The White House National Security Council said in a statement that a Russian vehicle struck a US mine-resistant ATV, "causing injuries to the vehicle's crew."There were no details available from the NSC or Pentagon on how many crew were injured and what the extent of the injuries were. National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said the US vehicles were a security patrol of the anti-Islamic State coalition. He said the patrol departed the area to de-escalate the situation. "Unsafe and unprofessional actions like this represent a breach of de-confliction protocols, committed to by the United States and Russia in December 2019," said Ullyot. "The coalition and the United States do not seek escalation with any national military forces, but US forces always retain the inherent right and obligation to defend themselves from hostile acts."US and Russian troops frequently interact in Syria, but confrontations have been rare.

After talks with Arab officials, US position ‘has not changed’ on Jerusalem: Official
Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 27 August 2020
The United States continues to back an undivided Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the State Department told Al Arabiya English on Thursday, as Arab allies maintain their stance of East Jerusalem being the capital of a future Palestinian state. “The United States’ position has not changed,” said a State Department spokesperson when asked if the Trump administration would amend their Mideast peace plan to propose East Jerusalem as the future Palestinian capital. The Trump plan, which supports a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calls for an “united” Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and assigns a future Palestinian capital to be in a suburb area to the east of the city of Jerusalem. The Palestinians, according to the plan, would not control any part of the Old City of Jerusalem that includes the Islamic holy site Al Aqsa and the holiest place in Christianity the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – both demanded by the Palestinians.
Previous US administrations have held the position that the city of Jerusalem should never be divided, according to former US Ambassador Dennis Ross. “Prior to the Trump Administration, the US position was that the city of Jerusalem should never be divided again, but that the political status of the city must be resolved through the negotiations between the parties,” said Ross, a former special assistant to US President Barack Obama, in an interview with Al Arabiya English. Trump’s predecessor President Barack Obama said during a 2008 AIPAC speech that “Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided.”Palestinian, Arab, and other world leaders have long contended that any peace agreement must return territory Israel annexed in the 1967 war, as stated by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242. This annexed territory includes the part of the city known as East Jerusalem - where 360,000 Palestinians currently live under Israeli occupation, confronted by a wall separating them from Palestinians in the West Bank, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concludes is against international law.
Arab leaders emphasize East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital
After the United Arab Emirates’ historic agreement to normalize ties with Israel, Pompeo embarked on a Middle East tour on Monday beginning in Israel, with stops in Sudan, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman. Pompeo said Monday that he was hopeful other Arab nations will follow the UAE. However Gulf countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have reiterated their support for the Arab Peace Initiative, which states that relations with Israel can only be reached upon actualization of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as the capital. In a meeting with Pompeo on Wednesday, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa emphasized an Israeli-Palestinian peace process that “leads to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” according to the country’s state news agency.Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has said the Kingdom is committed to the Arab Peace Initiative and former Saudi Arabian intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal said his country has “set a price for concluding peace between Israel and the Arabs.”“It is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital, as provided for by the initiative of the late King Abdullah,” Prince Turki wrote in the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, and translated on Al Arabiya English’s dedicated In Translation page, on Friday.The Arab Peace Initiative was first presented by then-Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud in 2002 and is support by the Arab League, whose members include Sudan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman.

Iran arms embargo: Germany, Israel voice support for extension
The Associated Press/ Berlin/Thursday 27 August 2020
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas agreed with his Israeli counterpart Thursday that an effort must be made to extend a weapon embargo on Iran, while stressing Germany still sees the landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers as the best way to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. With a current UN arms embargo on Iran due to expire on October 18, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told reporters in Berlin an extension was needed to prevent Iran from getting “more advanced weapons systems and spreading them around the Middle East.”“We would like to see the European countries, not just Germany, preventing it,” he said. “It's not helpful for the stability of the region.”Ashkenazi was in Berlin to attend a two-day meeting of European foreign ministers at the invitation of Germany, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency. The United States wants a full extension of the embargo on Iran, which would almost certainly be vetoed by Russia and China in the U.N. Security Council, Maas said. Germany and others are currently trying to find some middle ground that would meet with Russian and Chinese approval - and not be vetoed by the US in the Security Council. “We are trying to reach a diplomatic solution so that there will be an arms embargo on Iran in the future,” Maas said.
Different views on Iran nuclear deal

At the same time, he said Germany still sees the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed with Iran in 2015, promising the country economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, the best deal to prevent the country from developing an atomic weapon. Israel is against the deal, and the US pulled out unilaterally in 2018, leaving the others involved - Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China - struggling to keep it alive. Maas said concerns outside the JCPOA, like Iran's ballistic missile program and influence in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, need to be addressed, but that “we want to preserve the JCPOA to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”“Iran must change its approach in the region, we are not naive about Iran,” he said. “We know that Iran plays a dangerous role.”The two ministers met at the House of the Wannsee Conference memorial, a villa in southwestern Berlin where senior Nazis and bureaucrats coordinated plans for the Holocaust in 1942. Ashkenazi said that as the son of a Holocaust survivor, it was particularly emotional for him to visit the place where the “evil and cruelness” of the genocide of 6 million Jews was plotted. Maas said anti-Semitism still exists in Germany today, and the memorial serves as a reminder that “we should fight it with available means.”

Iraqi President Salih calls on Turkey to stop incursions, respect sovereignty
Lauren Holtmeier, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 27 August 2020
Iraqi President Barham Salih called on Turkey to stop violating Iraq's sovereignty in a meeting with the French Minister of Defense Florence Parly, the Media Office of the Presidency of the Iraqi Republic said in a statement on Thursday. Salih said the Turkey's violations of Iraqi sovereignty through military incursions must stop, saying that Ankara's actions violated international law and undermined good neighborly relations. Parly arrived in Iraq on Thursday for a trip that the ministry said formed part of the country’s ongoing commitment to the fight against terrorism and its support for Iraq’s sovereignty. Two high-ranking Iraqi officers were killed recently in a Turkish drone strike, which has set off renewed tensions with Baghdad. It was the first time that members of the regular Iraqi forces had been killed since Turkey launched its operations in autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Turkish strikes into Iraq have increased recently, with Turkey targeting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist organization. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan have called on Turkey to stop its violations of Iraq's sovereignty. In June, Ankara said it would set up more temporary military bases in northern Iraq as part of its stepped up efforts against Kurdish militants. The US and the European Union also consider the PKK a terrorist organization. Earlier this month, the PKK said it shot down a Turkish helicopter in Iraqi Kurdistan in retaliation for killing one of its commanders. Turkey regularly attacks PKK militants, both in its mainly Kurdish southeast and in northern Iraq, where the group is based. It has also warned in recent years of a potential ground offensive against PKK bases in Iraq’s Qandil mountains. Since the PKK took up arms against Turkey in 1984, more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict primarily concentrated in southeast Turkey, Reuters reported.

Turkey not the cause of instability in eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan tells Trump
Lauren Holtmeier, Tommy Hilton, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 27 August 2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it is not Turkey that has created instability in the eastern Mediterranean in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, the Turkish Presidency said via its Twitter account. Turkey has been widely accused of stoking tensions through a series of steps to assert its claims over disputed maritime rights over vast swathes of the eastern Mediterranean, accusations it denies. "President Erdogan underscored that Turkey has proven with concrete steps it has taken that it favors dialogue and de-escalation of tensions," the statement said after the phone call where the heads of state discussed biliateral matters as well as regional developments. Erdogan's comments come as Turkish media outlet TRT Arabic reported that the country will host military drills involving the use of live ammunition in the eastern Mediterranean next week. The drills will take place on Tuesday, September 1, and Wednesday, September 2, said TRT, despite concerns being voiced by Greece, Cyprus and other countries over Turkey's ongoing seismic exploration mission in the disputed waters. “We are determined to protect our rights in the eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish media outlet quoted the country's Defense Minister Hulusi Agar as saying.

French minister heads to Iraq amid ISIS resurgence
Reuters, Paris/Thursday 27 August 2020
French armed forces minister Florence Parly began a trip to Iraq on Thursday that the ministry said formed part of the country’s ongoing commitment to the fight against terrorism and its support for Iraq’s sovereignty. “The minister for the armed forces is insistent upon the fact that Islamic State remains a serious challenge which we must continue to face up to. French airstrikes against isolated pockets of Islamic State have picked up in recent months,” the French armed forces ministry said in a statement. Ministry officials said Paris was concerned by a resurgence in Iraq of ISIS, which is profiting from political uncertainty in the country and rivalries between Iran and the United States in the region.

US Secretary of State Pompeo arrives in Oman on tour following UAE-Israel peace
Reuters, Dubai/Thursday 27 August 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Oman on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour following a US-brokered deal on normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced on August 13. He is expected to meet Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, who took power in January after Sultan Qaboos bin Said died after a half century at the helm of the Gulf country. Before arriving in Oman, Pompeo visited Jerusalem, Sudan, Bahrain, and the UAE

Turkey to host military drills in eastern Mediterranean next week: Turkish media
Tommy Hilton, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 27 August 2020
Turkey will host military drills involving the use of live ammunition in the eastern Mediterranean next week, according to a tweet by Turkey's TRT Arabic news outlet, amid ongoing tensions over disputed waters between Ankara and its neighbors. The drills will take place on Tuesday, September 1, and Wednesday, September 2, said TRT, despite concerns being voiced by Greece, Cyprus and other countries over Turkey's increasingly assertive claims over mineral rights in vast swathes of disputed waters. “We are determined to protect our rights in the eastern Mediterranean,” the Turkish media outlet quoted the country's Defense Minister Hulusi Agar as saying. Agar echoed the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said on Wednesday that Ankara was “determined to do whatever is necessary” to secure its claims in the eastern Mediterranean. Tensions between Turkey and Greece escalated after Ankara sent its Oruc Reis survey vessel to disputed eastern Mediterranean waters this month, a move Athens called illegal. Turkey and Greece, NATO allies, vehemently disagree over claims to hydrocarbon resources in the area based on conflicting views on the extent of their continental shelves in waters dotted with mostly Greek islands.

French Minister Heads to Iraq Amid ISIS Resurgence
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 27 August, 2020
French armed forces minister Florence Parly began a trip to Iraq on Thursday that the ministry said formed part of the country's ongoing commitment to the fight against terrorism and its support for Iraq's sovereignty. "The minister for the armed forces is insistent upon the fact that ISIS remains a serious challenge which we must continue to face up to. French airstrikes against isolated pockets of ISIS have picked up in recent months," theFrench armed forces ministry said in a statement. Ministry officials said Paris was concerned by a resurgence in Iraq of the group, which is profiting from political uncertainty in the country and rivalries between Iran and the United States in the region.

Russia Accuses US of Hindering Syria Patrol after Collision
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 27 August, 2020
Moscow on Thursday accused the US military of trying to hinder a Russian patrol in Syria after Washington said US troops had been injured in a collision with a Russian vehicle. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian military's General Staff, told his US counterpart in a phone call that Russia had warned the US-led international coalition in Syria about the movements of the Russian patrol, Russia's defense ministry said in a statement. Washington has said the incident violated safety protocols agreed with Moscow. Videos of the confrontation that were shared on Twitter, apparently taken by bystanders and the Russians themselves, appear to show the Russian troop carriers and helicopters trying to box the US vehicles in and then force them from the area, near Dayrick. Vehicles appear to bump each other, and at one point -- possibly at the beginning of the confrontation -- one of the helicopters hovers very low over the halted Americans, blasting them with prop wash. The White House National Security Council said in a statement that a Russian vehicle struck a US mine-resistant ATV, "causing injuries to the vehicle's crew."
National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said the US vehicles were a security patrol of the anti-ISIS coalition. He said the patrol departed the area to de-escalate the situation. "Unsafe and unprofessional actions like this represent a breach of de-confliction protocols, committed to by the United States and Russia in December 2019," said Ullyot. "The coalition and the United States do not seek escalation with any national military forces, but US forces always retain the inherent right and obligation to defend themselves from hostile acts." US and Russian troops frequently interact in Syria, but confrontations have been rare.

Syria: Commander in Deir Ezzor Says Iran-Backed Sleeper Cells Seek Instability
Qamishli - Kamal Sheikho/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 27 August, 2020
Terrorist sleeper cells, which are backed by Iranian militias and receive instructions from Syrian regime forces in Deir Ezzor province, seek to destabilize the area, a security official said. Bashar al-Saab, a commander in the Internal Security Forces of Deir Ezzor Civil Council, said “the cells affiliated with Iranian militias receive orders from the regime and carry out terrorist acts, including assassinations, bombings, and threats against prominent figures, tribal sheikhs and employees in the civil council.”He stated that his forces have foiled attempts to carry out similar crimes, and arrested several suspects. His forces are searching for further suspects amid ongoing investigations into the plots, he noted, adding that most of the employees and security personnel working in the Civil Council are from Deir Ezzor. Press leaks have recently revealed that Iranian commanders met with a number of tribal sheikhs in Aleppo last week in an attempt to form a tribal army to fight the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and expel them from Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside. Saab’s statements come in light of the deteriorating security situation in eastern Syria. On Wednesday, the headquarters of the Civil Council in Baghouz town, in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, was attacked by unidentified gunmen, who threw a grenade, wounding the building’s guard and causing severe material damage. The attack was the second of its kind after unidentified gunmen on motorcycles launched an armed attack on the Civil Council in Busayrah earlier this week, forcing employees to close it. A booby-trapped motorcycle also exploded on Sunday near Dar al-Shifa hospital in Hajin city in Deir Ezzor countryside, injuring the president of the People’s Assembly. Unidentified gunmen have also killed three prominent Arab tribal leaders in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, the most recent of which was the assassination of Sheikh Mutashar Jadaan al-Hafil and his driver. In early August, unknown gunmen launched an attack on an SDF-affiliated self-defense military post in Jadid Akidat. Following these incidents, dozens of Deir Ezzor residents took to the streets to protest the deteriorating security situation and demand the release of dozens of detainees held by the SDF.

UN: Talks on Syria Constitution to Resume Despite Virus Cases
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 27 August, 2020
UN-backed talks on a new constitution for Syria were to resume in Geneva on Thursday after Swiss health authorities gave the green light despite four delegates testing positive for Covid-19. The discussions, aimed at rewriting the war-torn country's constitution, were put on hold almost as soon as they started on Monday when the test results came through. UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who is moderating the tentative talks between representatives of President Bashar al-Assad's government, the opposition and civil society, has voiced hope they could help pave the way towards a broader political process. His office said in a statement that "following additional testing and further medical and expert advice regarding four earlier positive tests for Covid-19", Swiss authorities had determined the meeting could go ahead. The talks would resume at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) "with full social distancing and related precautions in place", AFP quoted it as saying. Before they began on Monday, the discussions were set to last all week. The committee members -- 15 each from the government, the opposition and from civil society -- were tested for the new coronavirus before they travelled to Geneva, and were tested again on arrival in the Swiss city. The positive second tests were found among delegates who arrived from Damascus, opposition negotiations leader Hadi al-Bahra told a virtual press briefing on Tuesday. One opposition delegate, one from civil society and two representing the government tested positive, he said.
Bahra said the meeting began in an upbeat mood late Monday morning, before being called off at lunch. "This new constitution has to live up to the aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy, for equal citizenship, to guarantee their rights, and to make them equal in the eyes of the law in their duties and in their rights," AFP quoted him as saying. The Constitutional Committee was created in September last year and first convened a month later. A second round of talks, planned for late November, never got going after disagreement on the agenda. Since then they have been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic
 

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 27-28/2020 

How the U.S. Can Finally Cut Off Tehran’s Financial Oxygen

Mark Dubowitz & Richard Goldberg/The Wall Street Journal/August 27/2020 

Blacklist the 14 Iranian banks that are still allowed to do business with foreign customers.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is entering the late rounds of an increasingly desperate fight to stave off economic collapse amid President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign. To land a 12th-round economic knockout, it’s time for Mr. Trump to throw one more punch: Blacklist the entire Iranian financial industry.

While the U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and many other Iranian financial institutions—and forced their disconnection from the Swift financial messaging network—at least 14 Iranian banks remain open for business with foreign customers. These banks are Tehran’s financial lifeline. They are also capitalized by the central bank, which was designated by Treasury in 2019 for its role as a chief financial sponsor of terrorism in the world. The American Financial Crimes Enforcement Network declared Iran’s entire financial industry a primary jurisdiction for money laundering. Even the Financial Action Task Force—an international watchdog—unanimously urged institutions to protect the global financial system from Iran’s financial industry and its terror-financing risk. If these determinations have any meaning, all Iranian banks need to be banned from global finance.

Iran’s leaders are burning through their available cash reserves to cope with the compounded economic stress of U.S. sanctions, the novel coronavirus and the crash of global oil prices. For the first time since 1998, Tehran is running a current-account deficit, which is forecast for 2020 to be minus-4.1% of gross domestic product. Its foreign exchange reserves have dropped by almost 40% to roughly $70 billion, much of which is inaccessible due to American sanctions locking funds in foreign-held escrow accounts. The market has responded to this liquidity crisis by driving the rial-dollar exchange rate from 38,400 when Mr. Trump took office to 234,500 as of Aug. 25.

But despite its overwhelming loss of oil revenue and a 40% drop in petrochemical and other non-oil exports, Iran has managed to stay afloat—barely. Tehran has the financial oxygen it needs to survive because of the Trump administration’s decision to leave the last 14 or so Iranian banks connected to Swift available for sanctions-free transactions with China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India and Germany. These banks act as fronts for the central bank, which is otherwise cut off from the global financial system.

Fortunately, the White House can close this loophole in U.S. sanctions law. In January, Mr. Trump issued an executive order authorizing the Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury to impose sanctions on any part of Iran’s economy—at any time and for any reason.

If the president instructs Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to add Iran’s financial sector to the list, his administration will automatically extend the power of American sanctions to all Iranian banks and compel Swift to disconnect them immediately. Mr. Trump can then instruct Treasury to update its sanctions list so that international firms know that all Iranian-affiliated banks are blacklisted. These moves will freeze most of the regime’s hard currency held in foreign banks and shut down most of Iran’s exports and imports, save for humanitarian trade.

Why hasn’t this already happened? Administration officials likely feared that designating Iran’s entire financial industry at the outset of the pandemic would bolster the regime’s propaganda blaming U.S. sanctions for hampering its coronavirus response. But this argument, always weak, certainly no longer holds given the Trump administration’s proven willingness to facilitate humanitarian trade through a special Swiss financial channel. That channel doesn’t need 14 Iranian banks to work; it only needs one. Designating Iran’s financial industry and blacklisting the other 13 banks, with a waiver for the one bank devoted solely to humanitarian trade, would squeeze the regime while allowing food and medicine sales to continue.

This would be a major blow to a regime struggling to stay on its feet, and the president has nothing to lose. If anything, it would play to Mr. Trump’s advantage in 2020, showcasing another high-profile decision to cut off terror-financing banks—a move former Vice President Joe Biden would find difficult to criticize.Best case: Iran agrees to negotiate on America’s terms either before or shortly after a Trump re-election. Worst case: Mr. Trump further constrains the regime’s ability to fund malign activities and leaves behind a legacy of the most powerful pressure campaign in history against the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

The Islamic Republic’s theocracy is in an economic spiral. Its only hope is to exploit sanctions loopholes while praying that Mr. Biden wins the presidential election and lifts U.S. sanctions. Now is the time for President Trump to do everything he can to put the mullahs flat on their backs.

*Mr. Dubowitz is chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Mr. Goldberg, a former National Security Council official, is a senior adviser. Follow them on Twitter @mdubowitz and @rich_goldberg.

State Department Calls Out Erdogan’s Hosting of Hamas Terrorists

Aykan Erdemir/Policy Brief-FDD/August 27/ 2020

The State Department registered its strong objection yesterday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hosting of two Hamas leaders in Istanbul on August 22. This is the first time the State Department has called out Turkey’s close relations with and ongoing support for Hamas, a sign the U.S. government’s patience is wearing thin with Erdogan’s harboring of radical Islamists.

Although Erdogan is the leader of a NATO member state, both his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Hamas have roots in the Muslim Brotherhood and share a similar ideology built on an anti-Western and anti-Semitic worldview. During his nearly 18 years as Turkey’s leader, Erdogan has not felt the need to hide his close association with Hamas. In 2018, Erdogan tweeted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization” but “a resistance movement,” views later echoed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in 2019. Last Saturday, Erdogan publicized his hosting of a senior Hamas delegation through the Turkish Presidency’s official Twitter account.

As the State Department reminded Erdogan yesterday, two of the individuals in the most recent Hamas delegation – senior military leader Saleh al-Arouri and senior political leader Ismail Haniyeh – are Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The United States has also issued a “Rewards for Justice” bounty for information leading to the arrest or capture of Arouri, who was responsible for the June 2014 kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teens in the West Bank, sparking a war between Israel and Hamas. Less than two months later, Arouri claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack at a public event in Istanbul that senior Turkish officials attended. But Arouri is just one of many Hamas operatives who have operated in Turkey. In 2011, 10 Hamas operatives Israel released as part of a prisoner exchange arrived in Turkey, and many remain active there. Imad al-Alami, Hamas’ long-serving envoy to Iran and a U.S.-designated terrorist since 2003, received medical treatment in Turkey in 2014 and continued his work there while he recuperated. In 2016, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon accused Turkey of “hosting in Istanbul the terror command post of Hamas abroad.”

Erdogan’s advocacy for Hamas went as far as asking President Donald Trump in 2018 to pressure Netanyahu “to release a Turkish citizen held in Israel” charged with “smuggling money and a cellphone to Hamas operatives.” In return, Erdogan promised “he would release Andrew Brunson,” a North Carolinian pastor Turkey held hostage for two years on trumped-up charges of terrorism, espionage, and coup plotting.

Earlier this month, the British daily The Telegraph revealed that Ankara granted citizenship and passports to “senior operatives of a Hamas terrorist cell,” including Zacharia Najib, “the senior Hamas operative who oversaw a plot to assassinate the [then] mayor of Jerusalem, as well as other Israeli public figures.” In December 2019, the assassination plot prompted that former mayor, Nir Barkat, now a member of Israel’s parliament, to ask the United States to “lead a process of severe international sanctions on Turkey which is a terror-supporting regime just like Iran.”

Until now, the U.S. government had remained publicly silent on the Erdogan government’s support for Hamas terrorists. Besides the U.S. Treasury Department’s September 2019 designation of Zaher Jabarin, the Turkey-based head of Hamas’ Finance Office, Washington has chosen to look the other way. Although the State Department’s condemnation is an important step, it fell on deaf ears, as Ankara demonstrated by insisting it “fully rejects” the U.S. position. Unless Washington takes more concrete steps, including sanctions on Turkish financiers and enablers of Hamas terrorists, Erdogan’s support is likely to become more brazen.

*Aykan Erdemir is a former member of the Turkish parliament and senior director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he also contributes to FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP). For more analysis from Aykan, the Turkey Program, and CEFP, please subscribe HERE. Follow Aykan on Twitter @aykan_erdemir. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CEFP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Debunking the Legal Argument Against a U.S. Snapback

Richard Goldberg/ Insight/FDD/August 27/2020 

The United States sent a letter to the UN Security Council last week alleging that Iran was in “significant non-performance” of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This letter serves as the legal trigger for a mechanism known as “snapback,” which extends indefinitely the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran and resurrects all other UN sanctions on Iran that were either weakened or scheduled for early termination alongside the JCPOA.

In response to the letter, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany declared that the United States lacks standing to trigger the snapback mechanism, because it ceased its participation in the JCPOA in May 2018. The political motivations for opposing a U.S. snapback are apparent: Russia and China want to sell arms to Iran, while Europe fears abandoning the JCPOA despite its manifest and fatal flaws.

There are two pivotal questions to consider in this debate. First, does the United States actually have standing to trigger the snapback mechanism? Second, if there is a dispute, what is the proper way for the Security Council to adjudicate the issue?

“Snapback” means different things to different people. The JCPOA, a political agreement, established a lengthy process to adjudicate grievances, culminating with a potential snapback at the Security Council. United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231 entailed a non-binding endorsement of the JCPOA but established an independent snapback mechanism. The two are related in as much as the JCPOA process eventually leads to the Security Council and the UNSCR encourages (but does not mandate) the use of the JCPOA dispute mechanism – but they remain legally separate tracks. Importantly, the Trump administration last week triggered the UNSCR’s snapback, not the JCPOA’s.

With that in mind, the heart of the legal question about American standing with regard to snapback surrounds Paragraph 10 of UNSCR 2231, which “[e]ncourages China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union (EU), and Iran (the ‘JCPOA participants’) to resolve any issues arising with respect to implementation of JCPOA commitments through the procedures specified in the JCPOA, and expresses its intention to address possible complaints by JCPOA participants about significant non-performance by another JCPOA participant.”

The subsequent paragraph decides that any “JCPOA participant State” can trigger the snapback of UN sanctions on Iran and establishes the process for doing that. UNSCR 2231 repeatedly uses the term “JCPOA participant” after its establishment in Paragraph 10 – twice in Paragraph 11, once in Paragraph 13, and once again in Paragraph 21.

The Trump administration’s interpretation of UNSCR 2231 is the most straightforward from a legal perspective, albeit more difficult to explain through a communications lens when reported out of context. Anyone who has ever read a legal document is familiar with a defined term: a long phrase followed by a shorter term in quotation marks and parentheses, used for ease of reference later in the document.

UNSCR 2231 includes the United States in the definition of “JCPOA participants” and provides no contingency for how that definition can ever change. In effect, it provides snapback rights to the original participants in the JCPOA, regardless of their subsequent actions. The United States may have ceased its participation in the JCPOA as a political agreement, but Washington has not wavered in its support for full enforcement of UNSCR 2231 even after May 2018. It does not matter whether the original negotiators of UNSCR 2231 intended to create ironclad snapback rights or simply did not consider the possibility of a U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. It is likely the former, since President Barack Obama and senior members of his administration repeatedly stressed the inviolability of snapback rights. “If at any time the United States believes Iran has failed to meet its commitments, no other state can block our ability to snap back those multilateral sanctions,” Obama insisted.

Larry Johnson, a former UN assistant secretary general for legal affairs, has challenged the Trump administration’s reading of UNSCR 2231. He argues that because the United States announced in May 2018 that it would no longer participate in the JCPOA, the case is closed – the United States has forfeited its status as a “JCPOA participant.” In his view, that is the “common sense” way to interpret UNSCR 2231.

Johnson’s argument may appeal to those unfamiliar with legal writing and the legal distinction between UNSCR 2231 and the JCPOA. But his legal reasoning does not stand up to scrutiny.

Johnson contends Paragraph 10 is merely “descriptive and exhortatory.” He further opines that because the paragraph is non-binding (that is, it opens with the word “encourages” rather than “decides”), no defined term within the paragraph can be binding either. Not so.

The use of parenthetical and quotation marks, such as in (“JCPOA participants”), immediately following a list of parties plainly establishes a defined term. The question any reasonable person must ask is this: Why bother establishing a defined term if the plain-language meaning of “JCPOA participant” would be obvious at any given moment?

Had the drafters simply used the term “JCPOA participant” without defining it, Johnson’s argument might make sense. The fact that the drafters went out of their way to avoid an evolving definition that could change as parties come and go from the JCPOA makes it hard to dispute the Trump administration’s legal argument.

As for the non-binding nature of the paragraph, the word “encourages” does not correspond to the defined term. Instead, it encourages the parties included in the defined term to use the JCPOA’s dispute resolution process before coming directly to the Security Council for snapback. As Johnson himself writes, “[T]he Council ‘encouraged’ those States to do something; it did not require them to do anything.” The non-binding nature of the paragraph contradicts Johnson’s claim that even if the United States had standing to trigger a snapback, it “should use the [JCPOA] Joint Commission approach before resorting to the snapback.”

Johnson also asserts the United States forfeited its snapback rights when it allegedly violated binding requirements of UNSCR 2231 by re-imposing U.S. sanctions on Iran in 2018. The Russian government has made a similar claim. Johnson might have a case if UNSCR 2231 mandated U.S. sanctions relief for Iran or otherwise mandated U.S. implementation of the JCPOA – but it does not. Paragraphs 1 and 2 of UNSCR 2231 “endorse” and “urge” full implementation of the JCPOA, but like “encourages” in Paragraph 10, these are non-binding paragraphs. Johnson’s allegation of “unclean hands” is quite obviously unfounded.

No less important than the legal question of American standing is the appropriate procedure for settling a dispute if that standing is contested by other members of the Security Council.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of Johnson’s argument is his misrepresentation of Security Council precedent regarding the resolution of this debate. Johnson writes that the president of the Security Council – a rotating position currently held by Indonesia – ought to poll the other Council members, assert a lack of consensus, and ignore the formal U.S. complaint that would ordinarily trigger a snapback. Indeed, following Johnson’s publication, Indonesia did exactly as he suggested.

In fact, such conduct breaks from longstanding precedent governing the adjudication of disputes among the Security Council’s permanent members (of which Indonesia is not one). The onus should not be on the United States to prove its standing; it ought to be on a state that seeks to contest that standing.

Precedent would dictate that Russia or China must make a motion to block the Council from meeting on the issue of the U.S. complaint – or to offer a motion to rule the United States lacks standing to file it. Absent such a motion, the president of the Council should assume the U.S. complaint is valid – and the subsequent process mandated by UNSCR 2231 must proceed.

Russia and China do not favor the traditional manner of settling this dispute. Why? Because they know that if they offer a procedural motion to block the agenda, the United States can and will use its “double veto” power by contending such a motion is substantive rather than procedural.

What Johnson proposed – and what Indonesia has subsequently announced – is a blatant attempt to misrepresent an end-run around the permanent member veto as a sober application of precedent. The consequences of this development should not be understated. If the Council adopts this new approach, a non-permanent member state will be substantially weakening the veto power of the permanent five: a dangerous slippery slope about which I warned in a recent Foreign Policy article.

The United Kingdom and France still have a few more days to help avoid what could become the beginning of the end of the Security Council as we know it. London and Paris are heavily invested in the JCPOA, but even more so in the legitimacy of the Security Council as the foundation of multilateral diplomacy. Their complicity in undermining the Council’s precedents would both diminish their own powers as permanent members and demonstrate to many Americans that Washington should rethink the Security Council’s utility.

All this aside, one fact remains true: UNSCR 2231 Paragraph 12 states that a snapback occurs at midnight on the 30th day following a complaint unless the Council passes a resolution to stop it. The clock is ticking whether the Council schedules a vote on the U.S. complaint or not. The Trump administration will have a legal basis to assert snapback has occurred. Russia, China, and even Europe may dispute that outcome – but they may not be able to overcome U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s promise to enforce the snapback using all available unilateral means.

Here in the United States, when the dust settles, 387 members of Congress – Democrats and Republicans – should recall the letter they sent Secretary Pompeo earlier this year urging him to extend the arms embargo on Iran. They should take satisfaction that their voice was heard – that the Trump administration acted on their behalf – and that with their support, the power of American sanctions can and will enforce this lawful snapback.

*Richard Goldberg is a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he also contributes to FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) and Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP). He previously served as National Security Council director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction. For more analysis from Richard, CMPP, and CEFP, please subscribe HERE. Follow Richard on Twitter @rich_goldberg. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CMPP and @FDD_CEFP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.