English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese
Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 21/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.june21.20.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you
that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10/21-24: “At that
same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the
intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your
gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one
knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and
anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then turning to the disciples,
Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I
tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not
see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 20-21/2020
MoPH confirms 26 new Coronavirus cases in Lebanon
UN Secretary-General appoints Ms. Najat Rochdi of Morocco as Deputy Special
Coordinator for Lebanon
US dollar exchange rate: Buying price at LBP 3850 selling price at LBP 3900
Aoun Holds Talks with Diab in Baabda
Report: Ruling Authority Receives New International ‘Criticism’
Jumblatt: Sanctions weaken the state, not Hezbollah
Jumblat Opposes Nasrallah on Iran Cooperation, Slams Federalism Calls
Bassil: FPM Endures Political Assassination, Govt. Survives Toppling Bid
US to Release Convicted Hezbollah Financier
Paris Upset with Lebanese Government over Inaction
Up in smoke: Coronavirus pandemic no match for Lebanon’s hookah lovers/Najia
Houssari/Arab News/June 20/2020
Lebanon should steer away from Syrian regime after Caesar Act/Khairallah
Khairallah/The Arab Weekly/June 2020
Amin Gemayel: I Overcame My Reservations against Aoun and Appointed him Head of
Military Govt/London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
June 20-21/2020
Coronavirus Cases Exceed 2.5 Million in Europe
US will not quit region in response to Iranian pressure, says top US General
Senior Iranian official refers to ex-judge Mansouri’s death in Romania as
‘murder’
Ankara Plans to Turn Idlib into ‘Safe Zone’
Turkey Continues its Violations in N. Iraq, Urges Baghdad to ‘Cooperate’
Russian Efforts to Circumvent New US Sanctions
Arab Coalition Urges Yemeni Parties on Socotra to Cease Fighting
Israeli Army Prepares for ‘War Scenario’ in West Bank over Annexation
Egypt Urges UN to Intervene after Nile Dam Talks Deadlocked
Turkey, Italy Work to Achieve Lasting Peace in Libya
Sisi: Army Can Defend Egypt Security within its Borders and Beyond
Federal judge denies Trump administration's attempt to block release of Bolton's
book
Trump Looks to Reset Campaign amid Pandemic with Tulsa Rally
Tripoli Govt to Boycott Arab League Libya Talks
4 Syrian Children Die in Tent Blaze on Jordan Farm
Egypt Calls on UN to Intervene after Impasse in Nile Dam Talks
UAE’s Gargash: Turkey sees strategic space for historical dreams in the Arab
world
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on June 20-21/2020
MENA Markets Will Need a Post-Pandemic 'Great Reset'/Mirek Dusek, Alain
Bejjani, Rania Mashat/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 20/ 2020
Arab World Faces Pandemic, Turkish-Iranian Regional Intimidation/Ahmed Abul
Gheit/Ahmed Abul Gheit is the Secretary General of the Arab League/Asharq Al-Awsat/June
20/ 2020
Turkey: Erdoğan Wishes "Many More Happy Conquests"/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone
Institute/June 20/2020
Caesar Act: US sanctions against Iran's partners are a statement of intent/Raghida
Dergham/The National/June 20/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on June 20-21/2020
MoPH confirms 26 new Coronavirus cases in Lebanon
NNA/June 20/2020
Twenty-six new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Lebanon by
the Ministry of Public Health in a statement on Saturday, raising the tally of
infected people in the country to 1536.
UN Secretary-General appoints Ms. Najat Rochdi of Morocco
as Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon
NNA/June 20/2020
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the
appointment of Najat Rochdi of Morocco as his Deputy Special Coordinator for
Lebanon, in the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL)
and Resident Coordinator. Ms. Rochdi will also serve as Humanitarian
Coordinator. Ms. Rochdi succeeds Philippe Lazzarini of Switzerland, who
completed his assignment on 31 March. The Secretary-General is grateful for his
accomplishments and wishes him continued success in his new appointment as
Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Ms. Rochdi brings over 20 years of experience
in development and humanitarian assistance and international coordination in
conflict and post-conflict areas, including through her latest assignment as
Senior Adviser to the Special Envoy for Syria and Director of Peer to Peer with
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
Geneva. Prior to this, Ms. Rochdi served as Deputy Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator with the United
Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Earlier, she
served as Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon and Deputy Director
of the Representative Office of the United Nations Development Programme in
Geneva. Ms. Rochdi holds a doctorate in information systems from the National
Institute of Statistics and of Applied Economics in Rabat and a Master’s degree
in Mathematics and Fundamental Applications from the University of Paris Sud 11.
She is fluent in Arabic, English and French.— UNIC
US dollar exchange rate: Buying price at LBP 3850 selling
price at LBP 3900
NNA/June 20/2020
The Money Changers Syndicate announced in a statement addressed to money
changing companies and institutions, Saturday’s pricing of the USD exchange rate
against the Lebanese pound as follows:
Buying price at a minimum of LBP 3850
Selling price at a maximum of LBP 3900
Aoun Holds Talks with Diab in Baabda
Naharnet/June 20/2020
President Michel Aoun held talks Saturday with Prime Minister Hassan Diab at the
Presidential Palace in Baabda, the National News Agency reported. NNA said the
one and a half hours meeting tackled the latest developments in the country.
After the meeting, Diab said: “The meeting comes within the framework of
coordination regarding Lebanon’s negotiations with the International Monetary
Fund according to the financial recovery plan approved by the Cabinet.”
Report: Ruling Authority Receives New International ‘Criticism’
Naharnet/June 20/2020
The ruling authority in Lebanon reportedly received new “strongly worded”
international “criticism” which was reflected in unfavorable negative signals
from the international financial institutions towards Lebanon, al-Joumhouria
daily reported on Saturday. International institutions expressed “resentment
about some of the measures taken by the Lebanese government, which added new
negative points about the situation in Lebanon and its ruling authority,” the
daily said. Sources following up closely on Lebanon's negotiations with the IMF,
and on the reactions incoming mainly from European countries to Lebanese
officials, said they “reached a conclusion that political forces in the
authority and outside the authority are both unqualified to undertake
reforms.”“Harsh criticism” from International and European sides “focused on the
Lebanese authority describing its performance as irresponsible, and below the
average in terms of carrying out reforms,” the said. “The latest (financial and
administrative) appointments are the main reason for these criticisms,” they
emphasized. “The Lebanese authority sent a strongly negative signal to the
international community mainly to the IMF.”
Jumblatt: Sanctions weaken the state, not Hezbollah
NNA/June 20/2020
Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader, Walid Joumblatt, confirmed on Saturday
that the sanctions imposed by the United States will not weaken Hezbollah, but
the Lebanese state. "This is not the first time that Hezbollah and the United
States have faced each other. But this time, the sanctions against Iran and
Hezbollah will lead to economic collapse," Jumblatt said. He considered that
"Greater Lebanon" has not ended yet, but Sykes-Picot has ended, stressing that
the Taif Agreement is still valid, but it has not been implemented. Commenting
on the application of federalism in Lebanon, he said: "There are sterile scenes
and intellectual cycles, but there is no fear. Federalism is between whom and
who?" On the other hand, the PSP leader disclosed that he would participate in
the Baabda meeting next week. Commenting on the recent speech of Hezbollah
Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and the word "we will kill you," he said:
"There is no direct impact of this word on me, but if he wants to kill the
Americans, let him do so."In response to a question about Nasrallah's invitation
to the state to go to the eastern countries for help, he said: "If he [Nasrallah]
wants to go to China, let us go to China if the Americans allow to build a power
station, but the Iranian economic model is not useful." Jumblatt concluded:
"There is no restart button for the country. Nothing starts again. We talked
about ways to find solutions to avoid collapse, and there are solutions."
Jumblat Opposes Nasrallah on Iran Cooperation, Slams
Federalism Calls
Naharnet/June 20/2020
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat on Friday said he opposes
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s call for economic cooperation with
Iran. “The Iranian economic model is not convincing,” Jumblat said. He also
reiterated that any U.S. sanctions would weaken Lebanon, not Hizbullah.
“The confrontation between the United States and Hizbullah through sanctions,
and consequently on Hizbullah and the Shiite sect, will destroy the foundations
of the Lebanese entity and the idea of pluralism will end, and here lies the
danger,” Jumblat added.
Bassil: FPM Endures Political Assassination, Govt. Survives
Toppling Bid
Naharnet/June 20/2020
Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Jebran Bassil on Saturday said Lebanon
survived an attempt to topple its government, and pointed to what he said were
“mass political assassination” bids against his party. “Lebanon has been moving
from one calamity to another, the latest was the attempt to topple its
government as part of an economic conspiracy. We did predict this. We named it
economic October 13 (conspiracy),” said Bassil in a televised speech. He urged
the government to stay ready to “prevent the fall of change. We will not
withdraw our confidence from the government as long as the alternative is not
available, and as long as it gets things done. We will not put the country in
vacuum as happened with the previous government.”On the sectarian incidents in
Tripoli and Beirut, he said: “We will strike everyone who causes strife. The
Sunni-Shiite strife must not be incited and will fail as long as officials
reject it. "Christian-Muslim strife is forbidden and it will always be preserved
through the deep understandings similar to Mar Mikhael agreement. Also,
coexistence in the Mountain is sacred for us," he said. “The goal from the
Baabda meeting is to prevent strife,” added Bassil, referring to the June 25
meeting that President Michel Aoun invited for. On monetary stability, the MP
said: “Monetary stability is the responsibility of the Central Bank. But it can
not be achieved through pumping limited amounts of dollars into the Lebanese
market.”
The FPM head said his party is being subjected to “mass political assassination
attempts. No one can prevent the FPM from telling the truth,” adding that he is
“still able to calm our youth to make them endure the insults and aggression
from thugs,” but can not do that for ever, he warned.
“We are being subject to mass political assassinations because of liars. I can
sense the anger of our supporters and I apologize to them and urge them to calm
down and have patience.”Bassil who has always been accused of wanting to become
President said: “I don’t want to become President, I want to fight corruption.
The government and the (presidential) term are in crisis, the street is in
crisis, supporters of the government are in crisis, everybody can help in the
salvation process. Counting on the outside for power is a wrong bet," he
concluded.
US to Release Convicted Hezbollah Financier
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
The United States will release convicted Hezbollah financier Kassim Tajideen
three years into his five-year sentence due to his poor health and risks of
COVID-19 infection inside the prison, according to court documents, reported AFP.
On May 28, Washington Federal District Court Judge Reggie Walton granted
Tajideen's emergency request for compassionate release, which said his age and
"serious health conditions" leave him particularly vulnerable as the coronavirus
spread through the US prison system. The decision could see Tajideen, 64, return
back to Lebanon as early as July. According to a June 11 court filing by US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he was released from the federal prison in
Cumberland, Maryland after a two-week coronavirus quarantine and moved to a
county detention center while awaiting departure. “At this time, a charter
flight to Lebanon has been scheduled for July 2020 and Mr. Tajideen is on the
manifest,” ICE said in a court filing. Tajideen’s release and deportation has
stirred speculation that it is the US response to Lebanon’s release in March of
Amer al-Fakhoury, a naturalized US citizen and former member of a pro-Israel
militia said to have presided over torture of thousands of detainees while he
was a warden at the notorious Khiam prison. Fakhoury’s release was explained by
his suffering from late-stage cancer and the threat posed by the coronavirus
pandemic. But Tajideen’s US lawyer William Taylor rejected the suggestion that
it was a swap. “This was a straight-up compassionate release, you can see that
from the papers,” Taylor said in an email. “Had nothing to do with Fakhoury.” A
wealthy businessman with companies that stretched from Lebanon across central
and west Africa and into Belgium, Tajideen was deemed a “specially designated
global terrorist” by the United States in 2009 for allegedly providing tens of
millions of dollars and other support to Hezbollah. He was arrested in Morocco
in March 2017 and extradited to the United States, where he was charged with
violating US sanctions by providing financial support to a “designated terrorist
organization.”
His arrest was seen as a major coup by US investigators, who have stepped up
their targeting of Hezbollah’s worldwide network of financial resources. He was
charged with multiple counts of violating US terrorism sanctions regulations as
well as money laundering. In December 2018 he pleaded guilty to money laundering
conspiracy and was sentence to 60 months in prison. He also forfeited $50
million that was seized by US officials. His sentence included time already
served in prison, and coupled with a possible “good behavior” recommendation, he
was eligible for release in June 2021.
Paris Upset with Lebanese Government over Inaction
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
European countries believe that the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab
will be short-lived over its failure to deal with Lebanon’s political and
economic crises, a European diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday.
“The Lebanese government has not heeded advice to avoid internal disputes and to
focus on putting the country on the right track” of recovery, the source said.
“Lebanon needs to speak with the International Monetary Fund in one language as
called for by Speaker Nabih Berri,” the source told the newspaper. Commenting on
the recent French position from the Lebanese government, the unidentified
diplomat said Paris has pressured for international assistance for Lebanon.
However, it is now re-examining its position because France cannot stop the
country from collapse when Lebanon’s decision-makers refuse to take any action.
He said France is unsatisfied with Diab’s government for failing to meet the
conditions set at the CEDRE conference held in Paris in 2018. “The Lebanese
government has been lately informed about the French position,” the source said.
French officials contacted the Lebanese government to inquire about the delay in
the formation of the Electricity Regulatory Authority and the appointment of a
board of directors for the state-run power company, EDL, although the cabinet
made several other administrative appointments this month. “Currently, there is
no hope to activate CEDRE,” said the source. Paris would have a position in
light of a plan set through a possible deal between Lebanon and the IMF to
secure aid to steer the country's way out of a major financial crisis, the
source said. Lebanon is seeking around $9 billion from the IMF, on top of
another $11 billion in grants and loans pledged by international donors at the
CEDRE conference but never released due to a lack of reform.
Up in smoke: Coronavirus pandemic no match for Lebanon’s
hookah lovers
Najia Houssari/Arab News/June 20/2020
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s hookah fans are returning to bars and restaurants amid
warnings that the smoky pastime carries even greater health risks because of the
coronavirus.
A few days ago Tourism Minister Ramzi Msharrafieh allowed restaurants and coffee
shops to serve hookah, although some cafes had started offering it weeks earlier
to attract customers.
“Hookah alone is totally damaging to the health, and its damage is much higher
now with the spread of the new coronavirus,” chest and emergency specialist Dr.
Wael Jaroush told Arab News. He was irritated by restaurant owners who claimed
they were protecting their customers’ health by throwing away leftovers but at
the same time also offered them hookah. “As if smoking hookah alone does not
pose a threat to people’s health,” Jaroush added. “The latest statistics in
Lebanon have shown that 33 percent of girls between the ages of 16 and 18, and
42 percent of young boys of the same age range smoke hookah and this is a real
disaster.”
Tony Ramy, who is president of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafés,
Night-Clubs & Pastries, said that a quarter of people went to restaurants and
cafes to smoke hookah. “Nothing can save restaurants and cafes from their
financial crisis, but hookah will restore a certain atmosphere to restaurants
that will procure added value for Lebanese cuisine,” he told Arab News,
referring to the months of economic turmoil and hardships the country has
endured. He said there were 2,500 cafes in Lebanon and that allowing them to
serve hookah again might boost their business.
Msharrafieh, who is himself a doctor, stipulated that hookah must be served
outdoors and warned people about the health risks of smoking and the damage it
had on the respiratory system. There are also conditions for
pandemic-friendly hookah practices: Sterilizing the hookah, not using it twice
during the day, checking the temperature of each employee serving the hookah on
a regular basis, changing the water inside the hookah bottle before and after
each use, using a disposable smoking tube, and maintaining the appropriate
distance between the tables.
But the minister’s decision angered universities, unions, and societies. Dr.
Charaf Abou Charaf, president of the Lebanese Order of Physicians, criticized
Msharrafieh and insisted on implementing a law that forbids smoking in public
places in Lebanon, whether outdoors or indoors, saying it had been neglected
after it being implemented for a short period. “Smoking, of all kinds, increases
the risk of contracting the new coronavirus, especially when smoking hookah as
it entails repeated touching of the face with one’s hands, by partaking one
hookah by many smokers, and by neglecting social distancing, which increases the
chances of transmitting the disease,” he told Arab News.
Hookah extended the lifetime of microorganisms in it no matter how much it was
cleaned and sterilized, he added, and smoking one hookah was equivalent to
smoking 40 cigarettes. “Smoking increases the risk of complications when a
smoker contracts the new coronavirus, (they) are higher than the case of a
non-smoker,” he said. “Smokers infected with the disease are three times higher
than the number of non-smokers. Smokers have higher risks of death or needing
breathing apparatus than non-smokers. And there are 40 percent of recorded
infection cases in Lebanon who are smokers.”
He said that smoking cost the state $53 million a year and called on the
government not to waste what had been accomplished in the fight against the
coronavirus. Smoking would, he said, get Lebanon “back to square one” for the
sake of “weak economic reasons, and for the benefit of a few at the expense of
the Lebanese majority.”
He also urged the government to take advantage of the current situation and to
rid Lebanon “once and for all of the hookah pandemic.” It was no less dangerous
than the coronavirus and the country’s health system was going through a
perilous stage, he warned. “Our hospitals are suffering from severe shortages,
and it is not acceptable to allow a resurgence of the health problem.”Concerns
about the reemergence of hookah come as the country returns to normality, and
there are signs that people are ignoring preventive measures. Curfews have
ended, traffic jams are at pre-lockdown level and people can be seen crowding in
front of shops, banks, cafes, nurseries, and electronic game stores, which have
all opened to receive customers even though the Ministry of Interior has not
sanctioned this. People are also going without face coverings, unless being
instructed to wear them by private security staff at malls and businesses.
Lebanon’s confirmed number of coronavirus cases has exceeded 1,500, and the
first case was recorded on Feb. 21.
Lebanon should steer away from Syrian regime after Caesar
Act
Khairallah Khairallah/The Arab Weekly/June 2020
The team in power in Lebanon, under Hezbollah’s leadership, can only take
Lebanon in the direction of another catastrophe.
With or without Caesar Act, Bashar al-Assad and his regime have no future. This
is simply because al-Assad has no mission other than finishing off the
fragmentation of Syria. Which brings us to the troubling question of whether or
not there is anyone in Lebanon who is aware of this simple truth and is aware at
the same time of how to protect the country. But then again, maybe what is
happening in Lebanon right now is part and parcel of a competition between the
components of the authority, an authority which has been in place for three and
a half years, in other words since the election of Michel Aoun as President of
the Republic, in how to transform Lebanon into an integral part of the Syrian
disaster!
Despite all the signs of the pending disaster, it looks very much like there is
a determination to push Lebanon under the reach of the American Caesar Act.
There is no other interpretation but this one for the recent speech by
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. The man simply and bluntly
reiterated his categorical refusal to disarm his party on the one hand, and
asserted with self-confidence that the so-called “Resistance Alliance” will
never allow the fall of the Syrian regime.
Unfortunately, Nasrallah was totally off the mark regarding the effect of the
Caesar Act, which went into effect on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. I guess he did
not or could not understand that there will be no reconstruction in Syria as
long as Bashar al-Assad remains in power. Simply put, Bashar al-Assad and his
regime must leave power sooner or later. It’s an American requirement, otherwise
why should the Americans bother themselves with slapping tough new sanctions on
Bashar, his wife Asma, his relatives, and other prominent figures of the Syrian
regime? The Americans seem to have done their homework and really searched far
and near for Syrian figures with direct ties to the regime. One still has to
wonder, though, if Syria is at centre of Bashar’s concerns, or perhaps his only
concern and that of his cohort is to cling to power by all means and prove to
everyone that he can repeat and generalise the tragedy of the Hama massacre,
perpetrated by his father Hafez al-Assad and his uncle Rif’at al-Assad in 1982,
to all of Syria.
It is clear that the Hama massacre is still the ideal example of true power and
leadership for Bashar. With this massacre, his father Hafez al-Assad ushered a
new era of a long dictatorship acquired by shedding innocent and non-innocent
blood in the streets of the conquered city. A large segment of the city’s
inhabitants was displaced with such brutality and hatred never seen before.
The dictator’s son went one step further than his dad and turned all Syrian
cities into new Hamas. His motto and slogan was “Assad or We Burn the Country”,
which incidentally was used for the title of Sam Dagher’s 2019 excellent book
about the revolution period in Syria. The author, an American journalist of
Lebanese origin, succeeded in dissecting the Syrian regime to its smallest
details and produced one of the best reference books about the Syrian revolution
and al-Assad’s lust for power.
Let’s face it, no country in the world, including China and Russia, can afford
to expose its businesses and companies to US sanctions. So, if there is a lesson
for Lebanon to learn from the consequences of the Caesar Act, it will be to
steer away from the Syrian regime as far as possible, instead of engaging
Lebanon in a war that is not its war and exposing it to being burnt by a fire
that it has nothing to do with.
If China, with its giant companies and solid economy, sees that it cannot bear
the consequences of the Caesar Act and therefore prefers to avoid flaunting it,
it stands to reason that Lebanon cannot be the exception to the rule. Many will
argue that Syria represents the breathing lungs of Lebanon and, therefore, the
country has no other options but to deal with it. But in fact, this reasoning
amounts to running away from bearing one’s responsibilities on the one hand and
to showing an obvious inability to absorb what is going on in the region and the
world on the other hand.
Yes, it is difficult for Bashar al-Assad to absorb the fact that he must step
aside. The man simply does not possess the capacity for self-criticism. Only
smart people possess such a capacity which is itself a sign of a certain level
of intelligence. So now, we know that about Bashar, but should we also believe
that the political elite controlling Lebanon’s destiny right now suffer from the
same handicap?
In politics, knowing how to accept defeat is much more important than knowing
how to win. Whoever knows how to lose in politics can eventually learn from his
mistakes and someday score a victory. But unfortunately, Bashar al-Assad’s
problem is multi-faceted. Not only he does not know how to lose, he is also
incapable of grasping that the regime he inherited from his father is no longer
valid. And yet other Syrians grasped that, foremost among them is Bashar’s
cousin and partner in crime and fortune Rami Makhlouf. How those in power in
Lebanon could not grasp the various aspects and dimensions of the family feud at
the heart of the family that ruled Syria since 1970 is beyond comprehension.
The regime established by Hafez al-Assad in Syria, about half a century ago, was
founded on blackmailing as an approach and a tool. This regime blackmailed the
Arabs and blackmailed the Iranians, before the latter turned on it and started
blackmailing it instead. It blackmailed the Americans and the Europeans. But the
regime’s blackmailing days are over. Caesar Act came to put an end to this phase
in Syria, the region and the world. It came to confirm the end of the era of
Bashar al-Assad, just as Saddam Hussein’s era ended on August 2, 1990, the day
he invaded Kuwait. So now, it is a mystery why the elite controlling Lebanon’s
destiny still insists on enmeshing itself into a battle they know ahead of time
they will be losing for sure.
When it comes to Hezbollah, it is of course possible to appreciate its
perspective. This party is nothing more than a sectarian militia forming a
brigade in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The party’s Secretary-General does
not make a mystery of that, as he repeated on several occasions that he was and
still is a soldier in the army of the Iranian “Guardian Faqih”.
Less understandable, however, is the inability of the Free Patriotic Movement to
grasp the obvious axioms of the regional reality, including the consequences of
the Caesar Act. Why can’t Lebanon recall an honourable phase of its history,
that is to say, the stage before the Cairo Agreement of 1969? Before that
disastrous agreement, Lebanon was able to safeguard its territory because it
refused to enmesh itself in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. All we can be sure of now
is that the team in power in Lebanon, under Hezbollah’s glorious leadership, can
only take Lebanon in the direction of another catastrophe, called the
consequences of Caesar Act. Only a miracle can prevent that from happening, and
we know this is not a time of miracles, because it is the time of “Hezbollah’s
government” during “Hezbollah’s era”, a time that makes the Cairo Agreement seem
like a blessing in disguise.
Amin Gemayel: I Overcame My Reservations against Aoun and
Appointed him Head of Military Govt.
Asharq Al-Awsat releases excerpts from the former Lebanese president’s memoirs
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
In the second part of his memoirs, excerpts of which are exclusively being
published by Asharq Al-Awsat, former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel recalls the
final day of his term in office on September 22, 1988. With Lebanon in the
throes of its 1975-90 civil war, he spoke of the difficulties he encountered in
forming a transitional government that would be tasked with preparing for the
election of a new president after parliament had failed to do so.
Gemayel recounted how he saw in the military council, headed by then-army
commander Michel Aoun, as the best choice in leading the country. He even
received the approval of all six of its members for the task before later
receiving a shock from Syrian media that reported the resignation of its three
Muslim officers. He was not even informed of their decision beforehand. Below is
part two of three of Gemayel’s memoirs:
After a tumultuous night, dawn finally broke on September 22, 1988, my final day
in office in what has been a difficult term. I had breakfast alone in my office
as I wrestled with my concerns and bitterness. I was left to tackle my final
constitutional duty: the formation of a transitional government. Hussein al-Husseini
was strongly pressing for parliament to elect Mikhael al-Daher. It seemed
unlikely that he would garner the necessary quorum. At noon, the issue resolved
itself: only ten MPs showed up at Nijmeh Square and the session was adjourned to
10:30 am the next day.
Salim al-Hoss had informed me that he was going back from his resignation from a
government he was not even heading. He was serving as acting prime minister
after the assassination of outgoing Premier Rashid Karami. He had assumed an
official role in violation of the constitution. I could not accept this, which
therefore demanded that I form a new government in line with the constitution
and Lebanese traditions.
I thought of naming president Charles Helou as prime minister of a draft
government lineup I had prepared in case such a day would come when we would be
confronted with potential vacuum. I contacted him and explained my reasoning for
naming him. I told him he alone could run the transitional period until my
successor could be elected. He agreed.
He was a wise and moderate man, who knew to the core the sensitivity of the
national equation. He had experienced its importance firsthand during two very
critical times in our nation’s history. He was above conflicts and could hold
dialogue with all sides. He was widely respected and can bring together all
Lebanese. I could find no one else with these qualities.
I did not want to reach such a crossroads of issuing a decree for the formation
of a transitional government that would replace the president. I had followed
the example of President Bechara al-Khoury, who on September 18, 1952 had
resigned from his position and tasked a Maronite to head a transitional
government to succeed a president whose term had ended without the election of a
successor. During such cases of vacuum, the jurisdiction of the president is
transferred, according to the constitution, to an interim government. Since the
vacant position is that of a Maronite official, I had to keep such jurisdiction
in the hands of that sect and appoint a Maronite head of government, which would
play the role of president. The cabinet would then act as a guarantor of our
national norms. That is why I first thought of Charles Helou for the task.
At 9 am on September 22, I summoned him to the Baabda palace for consultations.
He apologized, saying he could not accept the task, citing his and his wife’s
poor health. Taking care of her at all times would prevent him from taking on
the “massive responsibility,” he told me. I believed that he knew that he would
have been forced to strike agreements that would have been uneasy for him. He
suggested to me an alternative, who enjoys the suitable qualities: a Maronite,
open-minded and enjoys good relations with all Muslim and Christian parties.
“He is also a Helou,” he added.
He named Pierre Helou.
I thought about it and did not make up my mind. Pierre Helou had been an MP from
Aley since 1972. He was a former minister and a patriot to the core. He was also
an old friend of both Kamal Jumblatt and Imam Moussa al-Sadr. A moderate, he
would not have provoked any of the parties.
I summoned him to the presidential palace at 11:30 am, just after meeting with
the army commander. He agreed without hesitation to form a government,
expressing his understandable fears over the extreme difficulty of the task.
He kicked off his consultations to form a new government from the Baabda
presidential palace. He wanted it to include main effective parties - Muslim and
Christian alike - and therefore summoned them to discuss their participation.
He was met with one veto after another. Some Sunni figures, including some of
the most moderate, refused to take part in a transitional government that
includes Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea. For one reason or another, they held them
responsible for the assassination of Sunni PM Rashid Karami.
Parties on the other end believed that forming a cabinet without Aoun and Geagea
would render it unbalanced. Such a government would seem biased and
representative of some parties without others. It would not be able to rule or
last long.
I had received from Aoun and Geagea their serious insistence on being part of
the transitional government, rejecting any solution that would keep them out.
They warned that not being part of cabinet would force them to take firm
stances. Even the grand mufti, who has rarely ever been accused of taking a
hardline, had informed Pierre Helou that none of the Sunnis would take part in a
“flawed government that includes those two men.”
By the afternoon, Pierre Helou had failed in forming a government team that
would support his new task. He finally chose to apologize from accepting his
naming as premier, taking in the advice of his friends, Michel Edde and Khalil
Abou Hamad.
With Pierre Helou hitting a dead end, as I challenged fate by going against
traditions, I tasked Dany Chamoun with inquiring with Salim al-Hoss, his friend
since their college days at the American University of Beirut, about forming a
transitional government that would include all political powers, including the
Lebanese Forces. He insisted instead that the current outgoing cabinet lineup be
preserved. He relented to some amendments: appointing Dany Chamoun as minister
to succeed his father Camille, Omar Karami to succeed his brother Rashid, and
expanding it to include four more ministers. He proposed George Saadeh and
Joseph Skaff as potential candidates. He accepted the appointment of two deputy
prime ministers: Abdullah al-Rassi, an Orthodox Christian, and Dany Chamoun, a
Maronite. Hoss adamantly rejected however, Aoun and Geagea’s inclusion in
cabinet even though it did include other political leaders and militia chiefs,
most notably Damascus allies Walid Jumblatt and Nabih Berri. He also insisted
that the government keep holding its meetings at its West Beirut headquarters in
Sanayeh.
Hoss’ proposal would have been in line with that of [Syrian Vice President]
Abdul Halim Khaddam to [US Assistant Secretary of State] Richard Murphy on
September 3, 1988. This meant Hoss would retain his government team and would
keep cabinet meetings being held in strict Syrian areas of influence.
If I had accepted Hoss’ proposal to Chamoun, I would have handed Lebanon to
Syria on a silver platter. I refused. There was no way I would sign a decree
that I viewed as unbalanced. There was no way I would accept the formation of a
government of Damascus allies, who, for whatever reason, have no room to
maneuver except under Syria’s influence. In Christian majority East Beirut,
political and military forces would not have recognized the authority of an
unbalanced government that would have been formed under direct Syrian influence.
This would have inevitably led to the country’s division.
Since September 21 after my return from Damascus to Bkirki and then to the
Baabda presidential palace, I held a series of consultations with my aides and
MPs. The meetings stretched long passed midnight. We received an unencouraging
cable from Archbishop of New York John O'Connor, addressed to Lebanon’s
Christians, urging them to “save the republic”. Our options were narrowing and
we had to make difficult choices: we could either hold elections, but without
any serious signs that a president would be elected, or contend with chaos,
which Murphy had warned us of.
Rene Mouawad told me: “If elections are not held, then we will be held
responsible by the United States, Vatican and Europe. Instead of helping us, the
Americans have reiterated the Syrian demand.”
Last choice
Pierre Helou and Salim al-Hoss were now out of the picture. I had no choice but
to reveal my last card. I had failed in my attempt to form an expanded and
balanced political government that includes all effective players. I had to
resort to another option: forming a non-political government that would at the
same time represent Lebanon’s national fabric and assume its responsibilities.
The only options were handing power to a state institution: either the higher
judicial council or the military council. The judicial council was headed by
Maronite Sheikh Amin Nassar, an open-minded and dutiful official who had
contacts with all sides. The military council was headed by another Maronite,
army commander Michel Aoun. Both officials were dedicated to the unity the
country, but I ultimately leaned more towards the military council. It alone
could protect itself and institutions. It could protect the country’s security
and confront any unrest and defuse tensions. A government of judges would not
have withstood such challenges.
I relied in my reasoning on Bechara al-Khoury, who prior to the end of his term
in 1952 had asked army commander Fuad Chehab, a Maronite, to head a transitional
government. I therefore, turned to the army and military council, which was
formed according to the balance of power that emerged in 1984. It reflected the
diversity of Lebanon’s various sects whereby six of its members represented the
six main sects. They were named by the government and were not opponents of
Syria or any other side.
In order to avoid any criticism and doubts, I kept the council as it was with no
amendments. I also overcame all of my reservations against its chief, Michel
Aoun, because the country’s interest demanded it. Some of my aides suggested
that I include civilian ministers to the council, such as a foreign minister who
would be affiliated to me and maintain international contacts, but I refused to
create any hole in the new government. The cabinet would be bound with one duty
stipulated by the constitution and that is to elect a new president, nothing
more. It had no other responsibilities because it was an interim transitional
government chosen to carry out an urgent task that is not preceded by any other.
Article 62 of the constitution stipulates that the jurisdiction of the president
would be transferred to the transitional council and that its members would all
rule collectively. This way I would have appointed a military council
government, not a Michel Aoun government.
That day, parliament was supposed to convene at the Nejmeh Square to elect a
president at the invitation of Hussein al-Husseini and under mounting Syrian
pressure. Only 13 lawmakers showed up. He issued another invitation for
September 23, a day after my term ends.
Transforming the military council into a government was the least damaging
solution. I was left with the task of personally contacting all six of its
members to ensure that they would not step down soon after their appointment.
Before issuing my final presidential decree, I contacted them all and none of
them refused the mission. They thanked me for entrusting them with the duty.
However, we were all surprised when just after midnight on September 22 with the
announcement that the three Muslim officers had resigned. Syria was the first to
make the announcement through its radio, while none of the officers – Mahmoud
Tay Abou Dargham, Nabil Qoreitem and Lotfi Jaber – had submitted their written
resignation, which ultimately never came.
I had sought to consult spiritual and political leaders ahead of making my
announcement. Just before midnight on September 22, I contacted [Maronite]
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. He was asleep and I asked that he be awakened so that
I could inform him of my final choice.
“We have held today a long marathon meeting with all brothers, lawmakers,
Lebanese Forces and the army. We proposed all possible solutions to avoid
constitutional vacuum. We had three choices: A government headed by Hoss with a
majority that is allied to him, but ultimately in an unbalanced cabinet that
cannot rule. The second was an expanded government that would include all
parties, but in the end would be left with its Christian members because its
Muslims, even the moderates, would walk away from it.”
Sfeir said: “I heard the news. It appears that the mufti and Shamseddine had
warned against it.”
“The third choice is the military council, headed by General Aoun, that boasts
all sects and parties,” I added. “We have opted for the third solution. General
Aoun is next to me and we are discussing the issue. The problem is very
dangerous. At least we wouldn’t be handing over affairs without knowing where
the situation is headed? … I was forced to take this decision.”
“It may be the best. God willing. It’s imperative that the situation does not
deteriorate,” he said.
“At any rate, we must remain vigilant. We are headed towards unpredictable
political developments,” I remarked.
“It seems that the Americans have not changed their position,” he said.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Unfortunately,” he added.
I should inform Geagea of the new decision. He arrived at the presidential
palace and showed great disappointment when he found out that he was not part of
the new proposal. He requested some time to think it over. He held talks alone
with General Aoun, who was at the palace. He then came back to inform me of his
approval before quickly leaving my office. He informed the media that he
supports the new cabinet and its head, describing it as an “independence”
government.
I later learned that during their brief talks at the palace, Aoun had asked for
Geagea’s conditional support in return for allowing the Lebanese Forces free
reign in Christian areas where Syrian troops were not deployed. He also received
a pledge that the army would not intervene in disputes within the LF.
Minutes before midnight on September 22, 1988, the moment my term end, I signed
– with great bitterness and yet an easy conscience – my last presidential decree
(number 5,387), which calls for the formation of a transitional government
headed by General Aoun. The majority of Arab and foreign governments immediately
announced their support. [French President] Francois Mitterrand telephoned
George Bush, who was recently elected US president. Bush declared his support
for the Lebanese government and said he would ask the Russians to do the same.
My desk seemed empty that night. It used to be loaded with files. I felt
burdened by exhaustion and tribulations, but proud that I had completed my
duties to the end.
Part three continues on Sunday.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on June 20-21/2020
Coronavirus Cases Exceed 2.5 Million in
Europe
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 20/2020
Europe has recorded more than 2.5 million coronavirus cases since the outbreak
of the pandemic, with more than half the total accounted for by Russia, Britain,
Spain and Italy, according to a tally from official sources complied by AFP as
of 1030 GMT Saturday. With some 2,500,091 cases including 192,158 deaths, Europe
is the worst affected continent while Latin America now has the fastest growing
outbreak. Globally, there have been 8,680,649 cases, including 459,976 deaths.
Russia has recorded most cases in Europe, with 576,952 and 8,002 deaths,
followed by Britain, 301,815 cases, 42,461 deaths; Spain, 245,575 and 28,315,
and Italy, 238,011 and 34,561 fatalities. The official figures are widely
believed to comprise only a small fraction of the real number of cases and
deaths.
US will not quit region in response to Iranian pressure,
says top US General
N.P. Krishna Kumar, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 20 June 2020
A top American military official said that the US will not quit the region in
response to Iranian pressure despite “irresponsible and outrageous provocations”
from the Iranian regime.
“We, the US, don't seek conflict with Iran, and neither does Saudi Arabia,
neither does the UAE, or any of our other partners and allies in the region. We
never have ... The United States and our GCC partners in particular … have
repeatedly responded to serious Iranian, irresponsible and outrageous
provocations with a measured and defensive posture that has generally tried to
lower tensions.” General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Commander of the United States
Central Command, was speaking on Thursday during an online seminar organized by
the Aspen Security Forum. The US Central Command oversees US operations in
Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. Gen. McKenzie said Iranian
provocations and escalatory action are designed to create instability in the
region, but that Tehran has misjudged American resolve.We're not going to quit
the region in response to Iranian pressure. While Iran may own the early steps
of the escalatory ladder because the US is attempting to avoid conflict, Iran
needs to understand that the US clearly owns the final steps in any escalatory
ladder,” he said.
A timeline of Iranian attacks
Gen. McKenzie gave detailed examples of Iranian actions in the region and how
the US presence has helped counter those threats each time. In May of 2019, Iran
had loaded cruise missiles onto a dhow in what was almost certainly intended to
be a covert platform to conduct a deniable attack. The US prevented that attack
by continuously monitoring the movement of the vessel until Iran abandoned their
plans.
“Because they don't like it when their plans are exposed to sunlight when they
actually have to be responsible for what they contemplate doing,” said Gen.
McKenzie. “And this particular case, our measured actions, prevented an attack
and certainly contributed to a reduction of tensions.”
Later in May and June of 2019, commandos from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC) attacked commercial tankers docked in the UAE and at sea in the
Gulf of Oman. The US assembled an eight nation international coalition – the
International Maritime Security Construct, or IMSC – to provide around the clock
maritime and reconnaissance presence close to the Strait of Hormuz. The general
said that since the IMSC's founding, there have not been any Iranian attacks on
maritime shipping in the area, nor any serious confrontations with Iranian
maritime forces in the area of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We think this is because our presence makes deniable attacks less likely to
succeed. So they've chosen not to try.”
He emphasized that “the exposure of Iranian activities is a powerful tool and
it's a non-kinetic and a de-escalatory tool that we routinely employ. A clear
result of the IMSC has been a result of the drawdown in tensions.”
He pointed to the Iranian downing of a US drone in June 2019, around the Strait
of Hormuz, as another example of the US showing “tremendous restraint.”
“We added additional defensive systems to the region and additional
reconnaissance assets to closely watch Iran. Again, the United States avoided
escalation and met provocation with firm but measured resolve,” he added.
Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia
Gen. McKenzie said that both the US and Saudi Arabia had taken a “measured
defensive approach” in response to Iran’s attacks on oil refineries in the
Kingdom.
“We called for an international response to protect the region from future
ballistic missile and UAV attacks. We added additional defensive systems into
the kingdom, radar other platforms, as did our international partners,” he
explained.
Gen. McKenzie added that the US had advised Saudi Arabia on how to prevent
future attacks. “You can never rule out a potential future Iranian attack,” he
said, pointing out “that there have been no additional attacks since the radar
and defensive systems [were put in].”Gene. McKenzie argued that these actions
“made it more difficult for Iran to conduct similar attacks in the future. And
we also had the opportunity to advance regional security. … it also lowered
tensions.”
US has shown restraint in Iraq: Gen. McKenzie. Gen. McKenzie also said that the
US has shown restraint in its conflict with Iran in Iraq. He explained that the
US only decided to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani after Iranian-backed
militias repeatedly attacked Iraqi bases that hosted US service members. “We
enhanced our defensive posture and we explicitly warned the Iranians to cease
the attacks. Only when a US contractor was killed and we had evidence that Iran
was orchestrating these attacks on Iraqi bases and plotting additional attacks,
then we took action to strike both the Iranian backed militias and the
mastermind of the Iranian backed attacks,” he said.
The general also pointed out that when Iran’s counterstrike killed no US service
members at al-Assad or Erbil in January 2020, the US took steps to break the
cycle of escalation by not responding to Iran's ballistic missile attack.
“…I think it's clear that we've repeatedly sought to avoid conflict. We continue
to take actions that reduce tensions. We've repeatedly taken a measured
defensive approach,” he said. Gen. McKenzie drew a contrast between this
“measured” approach and Iran’s provocations, saying that it was a “myth” that
the US had ratcheted up tensions. He pointed to Iran’s continued supply of
weapons to the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen as further evidence of
Tehran’s destabilizing activities. “While the Iranian medical system was in many
ways overwhelmed by the COVID-19 outbreak and medical supplies have run short,
the Houthis, for example, have continued to be supplied with the best weapons
the Iranians can produce,” said Gen. McKenzie. “The Houthis have a significant
COVID problem of their own, the Iranians have not, to my knowledge, provided any
medical assistance to their proxy for that fight with the virus,” he added.
Senior Iranian official refers to ex-judge Mansouri’s death
in Romania as ‘murder’
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 20 June 2020
A senior Iranian official referred to the death of former Iranian judge
Gholamreza Mansouri in Romania as a “murder” on Saturday, saying Bucharest must
take full responsibility for it. Mansouri, who was accused of corruption in
Tehran and of human rights violations by activists, was found dead at the hotel
he was staying at in Bucharest on Friday after falling from a height. “The
Romanian government must accept responsibility for Mansouri's murder and inform
Iran of the perpetrators,” Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of Iran’s Expediency
Discernment Council and a former chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC), tweeted on Saturday. Rezaei is the first Iranian official to refer to
Mansouri’s death as a “murder.”While police in Bucharest are investigating
whether the incident was an accident, a suicide, or a murder, Iran’s Interpol
chief Hadi Shirzad claimed on Friday that Romanian authorities have informed
Tehran that Mansouri “threw himself out of his hotel window,” ruling his death a
suicide. Ali Bagheri, the secretary of the Iranian judiciary's human rights
council, also told state TV on Friday that Mansouri “probably committed
suicide.”
Mansouri’s lawyer said on Saturday that his former client was not a person who
would take his own life. Soon after reports of Mansouri’s death emerged, the
editor-in-chief of Mashreg News, a news website close to the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), hinted at a possible Iranian involvement. “As
of today, Romania is a point of strategic depth [for Iran],” he said in a
now-deleted tweet.Iran uses the term “strategic depth” to refer to its military
and intelligence services’ influence beyond Iranian borders. Mansouri, who fled
Iran last year, was accused of taking half a million euros in bribes in Tehran.
Iran sought to have him extradited. On June 13, Iran confirmed Interpol arrested
Mansouri in Romania. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Mansouri
could not yet be extradited back to Iran due to coronavirus restrictions.
Mansouri was also accused of having been involved in the arrest and torture of
dozens of journalists in Iran, which prompted a number of Iranian journalists
and human rights activists to demand his arrest in Europe. The Iranian activists
and journalists, as well as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), opposed Mansouri’s
extradition and wanted him to be put on trial in Europe.
Ankara Plans to Turn Idlib into ‘Safe Zone’
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Ankara announced Friday a plan to turn Syria’s Idlib province into a “safe
zone,” stating that it considers new US sanctions on the Syrian regime a mistake
if they aim to divide the country or establish a special zone for Kurdish
factions.
In a televised interview late Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu said that the Turkish troops might be redeployed in line with the new
status quo and arrangements be made with the Russians.
Asked whether Turkey would remove its observation posts from Idlib, he said,
“When Idlib turns into a safe zone, our Army will think strategically and will
be positioned differently.” Cavusoglu said the Turkish Army, the Defense
Ministry and the security apparatuses will decide how and where the Turkish
soldiers and intelligence will operate in the area. Since last March, when
Ankara signed a ceasefire agreement with Russia in Idlib, Turkey has been
sending military reinforcements and equipment to the countryside of Idlib and
Aleppo against a potential Syrian regime attack on the area.
“If the United States is imposing sanctions on the (Syrian government) to carve
out a region for PKK/YPG, who they supported to divide or weaken Syria, that is
not right,” said the Turkish FM. Separately, the Syrian Observatory said Turkish
forces shelled the village of al-Qarajna on the road of the town of Abu Racine (Zarkan),
north of Tal Tamer district in Al-Hasakeh countryside. It added that an exchange
of fire and shelling was witnessed between factions in Um Ushbeh and regime
forces in the village of Bab al-Khair.
Turkey Continues its Violations in N. Iraq, Urges Baghdad
to ‘Cooperate’
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Turkey announced on Friday that it will continue its military operations in
northern Iraq, demanding that Baghdad “cooperate and agree to combating
terrorism.”Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and commanders of the armed
forces paid a visit to the command center on the Iraqi border in order to
monitor military operations, which have sparked more Arab condemnation. The
Defense Ministry announced that forces in Operation Claw-Tiger have
“neutralized” three members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in fighting in
northern Iraq. Turkish media, however, reported that three civilians were killed
when their vehicle was struck in Shiladze in the Kurdistan Region. Sources,
speaking on condition of anonymity, said 20 to 50 Turkish soldiers were killed
in the ongoing fighting in northern Iraq. Despite official protests from
Baghdad, Turkey on Wednesday launched Operation Claw-Tiger by land and air into
the mountainous terrain of northern Iraq where the rebel PKK has rear bases.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy announced that his country is
awaiting “cooperation and agreement from Iraq to combat the terrorist PKK.” In a
statement, responding to a strongly-worded statement by the Iraq Foreign
Ministry Thursday, Aksoy said Ankara’s operations in northern Iraq target the
PKK, which is a threat to Turkey’s national security and Iraq’s territorial
integrity. Iraq's foreign ministry summoned Turkish ambassador Fatih Yildiz
twice this week, demanding Ankara withdraw its special forces and halt the
bombing campaign. It even summoned Iran's envoy in response to cross-border
shelling of Kurdish areas of northern Iraq. Iran, which has its own Kurdish
minority, has also been fighting Kurdish rebels who use Iraq as a base.
Meanwhile, Arab condemnations of Ankara and Tehran’s violations continued to
pour in. Egypt condemned “in the strongest terms” the latest Turkish and Iranian
military intervention in northern Iraq. The Foreign Ministry said these “hostile
acts are a continuation of the series of repeated violations against Iraq.” It
slammed them as violations of all international treaties and norms on respecting
the sovereignty of nations and on good neighborliness. It stressed that it
vehemently rejects any form of meddling in the sovereignty of any brotherly Arab
nation, warning that such acts will increase instability in the region. It
called on all sides to distance Iraq from any regional and international
tensions that would hamper Baghdad’s efforts to meet the aspirations of the
Iraqi people of achieving stability and development. An official source at the
Kuwait Foreign Ministry expressed the country’s rejection of any interference in
the sovereignty of any sisterly Arab country. It condemned the latest Turkish
and Iranian military intervention in northern Iraq, saying they are a flagrant
violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and all international norms and undermine the
country’s security and regional stability.
Russian Efforts to Circumvent New US Sanctions
Moscow - Raed Jaber/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Russian reactions to the Caesar Act, a US law which came into force on Wednesday
imposing new US sanctions on Syria and its allies, continued on Friday as
diplomats downplayed its repercussions. Russian diplomatic sources told Asharq
Al-Awsat that Moscow warned the US during talks held between the two sides in
February that the law “would be ineffective even if Washington insists on
applying it.” Therefore, Russians are ready to face and evade the sanctions,
which target companies that deal with Bashar Assad's government. Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has said his country would not halt its
military and economic cooperation with the Syrian government. Former Russian
ambassador Andrey Baklanov told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that there is no need
to overreact to the new law. The ambassador, who takes part in consultation
talks on the Syrian war and other Middle Eastern issues, said that despite the
Caesar Act, Moscow would find means to continue to offer military, technical,
economic and financial support to Syria. “Our efforts are not restricted to
Syria. We will even continue … to support Iran and other countries in the region
and outside that are affected by US sanctions,” Baklanov said. He said Russia
has a long experience in dealing with economic sanctions. “Moscow does not fear
this development,” the former ambassador said. The Russian diplomat said the
Russia would be able to establish companies as alternatives to the firms that
would exit the Syrian market.
Meanwhile, Andrey Chuprygin, a senior lecturer at the National Research
University–Higher School of Economics in Moscow, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the
Act would have dire repercussion on Syrian citizens. “The Americans say the
sanctions aim to defend civilians but the problem is that this Act would
negatively affect the entry of humanitarian aid and medial and food supplies to
Syria,” he said. “The sanctions would complicate the living conditions of Syrian
citizens, who already suffer under dire economic conditions,” Chuprygin added.
Arab Coalition Urges Yemeni Parties on Socotra to Cease
Fighting
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
The Saudi-led Arab coalition has sent a “clear” message to all parties on the
need to commit to a ceasefire in the Yemeni island of Socotra, informed sources
told Asharq Al-Awsat. The island witnessed on Friday clashes between rival
parties, using of light and medium weapons. The unrest threatens to rattle the
stability of the island and jeopardizes the security and safety of the coalition
forces that are seeking to keep the peace and contribute in development
projects. The sources revealed that a large cache of weapons was found on the
island, including tanks and heavy artillery, that predate the coup by the
Iran-backed Houthi militias against the legitimate government.It said the recent
fighting may be driven by the parties’ pursuit of the “spoils of war”.
Israeli Army Prepares for ‘War Scenario’ in West Bank over
Annexation
Tel Aviv – Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Even though the Israeli military command has complained that details of the West
Bank annexation plan have been kept from it, it has decided to stage “war
scenario” drills aimed at tackling the expected Palestinian fallout from the
controversial move. A wave of Palestinian protests is expected, especially in
the West Bank, whose territories will be targeted in the annexation.The drill
will take place on Monday with the participation of the military and
intelligence as they envisage masse Palestinian protests and rallies. They will
also be aimed at preparing themselves against possible violent attacks, such
stabbings or shootings, against Israeli settlers and soldiers in occupied
regions. Military sources said the Palestinian leaderships are preparing a
strong response to the annexation. A senior Israeli officer said the Palestinian
Authority has been exerting strenuous efforts on the political front and is
seeking to develop relations with Russia and France. It is also aiming to garner
backing from Germany, which has been vocal in rejecting the annexation. He
noted, however, that the PA has not been preparing any form of violent
retaliation. The problem lies in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, which are
not controlled by the PA, he said. Lone individuals may also carry out attacks
that may evolve into civil disobedience, which could pave the way for a third
intifada that would distract the Israeli military from greater concerns on the
northern fronts with Syria and Lebanon, he added. Israel captured the West Bank,
along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in a 1967 war. Palestinians hope
to establish a state in those areas and say the peace blueprint announced by
President Donald Trump in January kills that prospect.Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to extend sovereignty to Jewish settlements and
the Jordan Valley in the West Bank in line with the peace proposal. Netanyahu’s
new government is due to begin discussing the de facto annexation on July 1, but
it is unclear whether Israel’s main ally, the United States, would greenlight
the step. His annexation pledges have raised stiff opposition from the
Palestinians, Arab countries and European nations.
Egypt Urges UN to Intervene after Nile Dam Talks Deadlocked
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Egypt appealed on Friday for the United Nations Security Council to intervene in
a deepening dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam that
Cairo fears would cut its vital water share. The move comes as tensions run high
after multiple rounds of talks over the years between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan
failed to produce a deal over the filling and operation of the dam on the Blue
Nile. Addis Ababa has declared plans to start filling the dam next month,
regardless of whether a deal was reached. Egypt has called on the UN Security
Council "to intervene to emphasize the importance that three countries ...
continue negotiations in good faith," the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a
statement Friday. It said the three-way talks have hit an impasse due to
Ethiopia's "non-positive stances" and its "insistence to proceed with filling
the dam unilaterally." Egypt views the hydro-electric barrage as an existential
threat that could severely reduce its water supply. Ethiopia says the dam is
indispensable for its development and insists Egypt's water share will not be
affected. In an interview with The Associated Press, Ethiopian Foreign Minister
Gedu Andargachew on Friday reiterated that his country will go ahead and start
filling the $4.6 billion dam next month, even without an agreement. “For us it
is not mandatory to reach an agreement before starting filling the dam, hence we
will commence the filling process in the coming rainy season," he said. “We are
working hard to reach a deal, but still we will go ahead with our schedule
whatever the outcome is. If we have to wait for others’ blessing, then the dam
may remain idle for years, which we won’t allow to happen," he said. He added
that "we want to make it clear that Ethiopia will not beg Egypt and Sudan to use
its own water resource for its development,” pointing out that Ethiopia is
paying for the dam’s construction itself. The Nile, which provides nearly 97
percent of Egypt's freshwater needs, is a lifeline supplying both water and
electricity to the 10 countries it traverses.
Ethiopia broke ground on the dam in 2011. When completed, it is set to be
Africa's largest hydroelectric project.
Turkey, Italy Work to Achieve Lasting Peace in Libya
Ankara - Saeed Abdul Razzak/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Turkey and Italy announced plans to cooperate to establish a stable and just
peace in Libya within the United Nations framework. The two countries will work
to achieve stable peace and a political process that will yield results in
Libya, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday. In a joint news
conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, Cavusoglu said that his
country and Italy will also work on meeting Libya’s energy needs such as
electricity. Both countries could also cooperate in the eastern Mediterranean,
where Ankara is at odds with Greece and other regional actors over hydrocarbon
resources, he noted. The FM also praised Italy’s “balanced” role in Libya,
adding that it has made sincere efforts to reach a ceasefire. He pointed out
that Turkey wants Italy to be part of bilateral and tripartite forums on Libya,
affirming that it had informed Russia and other countries as well.
Cavusoglu also criticized Operation Irini, saying that it was not balanced. Di
Maio, for his part, said Italy “calls for finding a political solution in Libya
and supports the UN efforts to bring peace and establish a sustainable ceasefire
in Libya.”“We have always supported dialogue, and we have always tried to
negotiate with the Government of National Accord.” “Our position is firm and
seeks supporting Libyan people with all actors and countries that have influence
in this region,” he added.
Sisi: Army Can Defend Egypt Security within its Borders and
Beyond
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 20 June, 2020
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi declared on Saturday that the country’s
military is capable of defending its security within its borders and beyond. The
Egyptian military is among the strongest in the region, he was quoted as saying
by presidential spokesman Bassam Rady. The military protects and does not
threaten, added Sisi. The president made his remarks during an inspection of
forces deployed in the Western Military Region.
Federal judge denies Trump administration's attempt to
block release of Bolton's book
Katelyn Polantz, CNN/Saturday June 20, 2020
(CNN)A federal judge has denied the Trump administration's attempt to block the
upcoming publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the DC District Court wrote in a 10-page decision
Saturday morning that the Justice Department's arguments weren't enough to stop
the book's release. He cited how the book, which is scheduled to be released
Tuesday, had already been widely distributed, and could easily be distributed
further on the internet, even if the court said it could not be. "For reasons
that hardly need to be stated, the Court will not order a nationwide seizure and
destruction of a political memoir," Lamberth wrote.
The judge's ruling Saturday quickly dispels a long-shot attempt by the Trump
administration to stymy the book's release -- an attempt roundly condemned as
antithetical to the First Amendment. But Lamberth's decision also keeps alive
major risks for Bolton, such as the administration's effort to claw back
proceeds from the book, including from any movie and TV rights, and other
consequences for disclosing classified information. Lamberth also noted Bolton
could still be exposed to criminal liability.
The court fight over Bolton's book has turned the former national security
adviser's skirmish with President Donald Trump into a symbolic fight over
freedom of speech and the press, and allowed Bolton to push for an outside
referee over whether the White House's national security decision-making was
proper, or done to protect Trump politically in an election year.Lamberth had
heard from Trump administration lawyers and Bolton's team at an almost two-hour
hearing Friday, three days after the Justice Department first sued. He reviewed
the executive branch's classification descriptions in private following the
public hearing. In the decision Saturday, Lamberth also slammed Bolton for
moving the publication forward before he formally got the administration's
approval. "He opted out of the review process before its conclusion. Unilateral
fast-tracking carried the benefit of publicity and sales, and the cost of
substantial risk exposure. This was Bolton's bet: If he is right and the book
does not contain classified information, he keeps the upside mentioned above;
but if he is wrong, he stands to lose his profits from the book deal, exposes
himself to criminal liability, and imperils national security," Lamberth wrote.
"Bolton was wrong."
Lamberth said the Trump administration convinced him on Friday that sensitive
national security information was still included in the book. The judge didn't
make a decision at the almost two-hour hearing Friday and said he would wait to
review more details from the Justice Department before deciding.
"Upon reviewing the classified materials, as well as the declarations filed on
the public docket, the Court is persuaded that Defendant Bolton likely
jeopardized national security by disclosing classified information in violation
of his nondisclosure agreement obligations," Lamberth wrote.
Trump Looks to Reset Campaign amid Pandemic with Tulsa
Rally
Associated Press/Naharnet/June 20/2020
Pressing ahead in a pandemic, President Donald Trump looked to reverse a decline
in his political fortunes Saturday by returning to the format that has so often
energized himself and his loyal supporters: a raucous, no-holds-barred rally
before tens of thousands of ardent fans, this time in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The rally was shaping up to be one of the biggest indoor events in the U.S.
since large gatherings were shut down in March because of the coronavirus, and
it was scheduled over the protests of local health officials and as COVID-19
cases spike in many states. The event was expected to draw crowds of protesters
to the area as well. It's been more than three months since the nation last saw
a Trump rally. The unemployment rate stood at about 3.5% that March 2. The
number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. was estimated at 91. "Our country is
stronger than ever before," Trump declared.
Now, the unemployment rate stands at 13.3%, based on the most recent monthly
report. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has soared to about 2.2
million. The number of deaths reported in the U.S. has surpassed 119,000.
Outrage over the criminal justice system's treatment of minorities following the
death of George Floyd and other African Americans has spawned protests around
the nation. Only about a quarter of Americans say the country is headed in the
right direction. Trump understands the stakes and was determined to return to
his signature campaign events. He dismissed complaints that bringing together
throngs for an indoor rally risked spreading the coronavirus as nothing more
than politics."Big crowds and lines already forming in Tulsa. My campaign hasn't
started yet. It starts on Saturday night in Oklahoma!" Trump tweeted Friday.
Trump's visit has also raised fears of clashes between protesters and Trump
supporters. Officials expect a crowd of 100,000 people or more in downtown
Tulsa. Trump will speak inside the BOK Center as well as at an outdoor stage.
But his audience also will be voters in battleground states such as
Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida.
Republican strategist Alex Conant said the rally gives the president a chance to
reset his campaign after a couple of tough months.
"The Tulsa rally is trying to ignite some momentum in a campaign that's been
going nowhere," Conant said. "When you look at the polls and then you look at
the calendar, you realize he has to do something to try to reframe the
election."The events in Tulsa will go a long way to determining how the campaign
plays out in coming months. A success lays the groundwork for Trump to take his
show to states that will determine the presidential election. A spike in
coronavirus cases coming out of Tulsa would make his reception in those states
more contentious. The campaign said it will hand out masks and hand sanitizer,
but there is no requirement that participants use them. Participants will also
undergo a temperature check. The president's campaign views his rallies as
critical to his success. They elevate the enthusiasm level of his supporters and
often lead them to donate, knock on doors and make phone calls on the
president's behalf.
Trump has generally held his campaign rallies in swing states or in
Democratic-leaning states such as Colorado or New Mexico that he hopes to flip
this November. Oklahoma fits none of those categories. The last Democratic
candidate to emerge victorious there in a presidential election was Lyndon
Johnson in 1964. Trump won the state with more than 65% of the vote in the 2016
election. The Republican stronghold gives Trump more assurance that he'll face
little resistance to his efforts from top state officials. "It's going to be
safe," said Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican. "We have to learn how to be safe and
how to move on."Tulsa resident Sue Williams picked her place in line Thursday
afternoon. "I've been praying, and I don't believe I'm going to get the
coronavirus," Williams, 72, said, adding that she signed a waiver on her ticket
application about the risks involved in going inside. Mark Kelleher, of Oklahoma
City, dismissed the threat of the virus as "fear porn.""I think it's all a hoax,
to tell you the truth," Kelleher said. The rally was originally scheduled for
Friday, but it was moved back a day following an uproar that it otherwise would
have happened on Juneteenth, and in a city where a 1921 white-on-black attack
killed as many as 300 people.Campaign officials said that Trump would focus on
what they call the "great American comeback." White House officials continue to
project strong growth numbers for the U.S. economy in the third and fourth
quarters. They want to give Americans a reason for optimism. "We are back and we
will be booming," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday.But Conant said
he anticipates a lot of the speech will focus on presumptive Democratic nominee
Joe Biden. "Right now the election is a referendum on Trump, and he's losing,"
Conant said. "I think he needs to make a very strong case for why Biden would be
a worse president."
Tripoli Govt to Boycott Arab League Libya Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 20/2020
Libya's UN-recognised unity government has said it will boycott talks on the
conflict in the North African country to be held by Arab League foreign
ministers next week. Foreign minister Mohamad Taher Siala told the bloc's
executive council on Friday that the planned meeting would "merely deepen the
rift" between Arab governments on the conflict, his ministry said. The talks, to
be held by videoconference because of concerns about coronavirus, were called
for by Egypt, a key supporter of the Tripoli government's archfoe, eastern-based
strongman Khalifa Haftar. Siala complained there had been no prior consultation
with his government, even though the meeting concerned Libya, and said the
virtual format of the meeting was not appropriate for addressing the thorny
issues involved. The Government of National Accord has been in the ascendancy
since its Turkish-backed forces defeated a year-long offensive by Haftar's
loyalists against the capital earlier this month and drove them out of western
Libya. Egypt responded with a peace initiative that was welcomed by fellow
Haftar supporters the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, but was
widely viewed as a bid to buy time for Haftar's force to regroup.
The GNA and Turkey both dismissed the initiative and called for continued
ceasefire negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations. Washington too
called for UN-led ceasefire talks. Oil-rich Libya has been torn by violence,
drawing in tribal militias, jihadists and mercenaries since the 2011 toppling
and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a Western-backed uprising.
The latest escalation has been marked by an uptick in foreign involvement.
Recent weeks have seen tensions rise between Turkey and France, which despite
public denials has long been suspected of favouring Haftar until his recent
setbacks. The United Nations has urged outside powers to respect a deal reached
at a January conference in Berlin, calling for an end to foreign meddling and
upholding a much-violated arms embargo.
4 Syrian Children Die in Tent Blaze on Jordan Farm
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 20/2020
Four Syrian children, brothers from the same family, died Saturday when a fire
swept through their tent on a farm near Amman, a Jordanian security source said.
The brothers aged from one to 10 died of "severe burns", public security
spokesman Amer Sartawi said. He said the fire broke out in tents on a farm south
of the capital Amman along the road to the airport. Foreign workers,
particularly Syrian refugees, make up a large part of Jordan's agricultural
workforce. Many live in makeshift camps that do not adhere to safety norms.
Mohammad Hawari of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said the blaze
claimed "innocent victims even as refugees had fled (their country) to save
their lives". Jordan hosts about 650,000 registered refugees from neighbouring
Syria who fled their country after war broke out in 2011.The conflict has killed
more than 380,000 people and displaced millions.
Egypt Calls on UN to Intervene after Impasse in Nile Dam
Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 20/2020
Egypt appealed on Friday for the United Nations Security Council to intervene in
a deepening dispute with Ethiopia over its gigantic Nile dam that Cairo fears
would cut its vital water share. The move comes as tensions run high after
multiple rounds of talks over the years between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan failed
to produce a deal over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam. Addis Ababa has declared plans to start filling the dam next
month, regardless of whether a deal was reached. Egypt has called on the UN
Security Council "to intervene to emphasize the importance that three countries
... continue negotiations in good faith," the Egyptian foreign ministry said in
a statement. It said the three-way talks have hit an impasse due to Ethiopia's
"non-positive stances" and its "insistence to proceed with filling the dam
unilaterally."
Egypt views the hydro-electric barrage as an existential threat that could
severely reduce its water supply. Ethiopia says the dam is indispensable for its
development and insists Egypt's water share will not be affected. The Nile,
which provides nearly 97 percent of Egypt's freshwater needs, is a lifeline
supplying both water and electricity to the 10 countries it traverses. Ethiopia
broke ground on the dam in 2011, When completed, it is set to be Africa's
largest hydroelectric project.
UAE’s Gargash: Turkey sees strategic space for historical
dreams in the Arab world
Arab News/June 20/2020
LONDON: Turkey sees in the Arab world a strategic space for its historical
dreams, UAE Minister for State of Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted on
Saturday. “Amr Moussa's statement about the Turkish strategic threat to the Arab
world did not come from a vacuum, but rather diagnoses of Ankara’s policy
towards its Arab surroundings,” Gargash tweeted. “(It is) an important statement
in its timing that highlights the Turkish expansionist strategy and its
exploitation of the state of weakness experienced by the Arab regional system,”
he added. In another tweet, Gargash said: “Over the years, relations of
neighborliness and respect have strengthened economic and political ties between
Turkey and its Arab region.”“(They have been) replaced by a program of expansion
and leadership that sees the Arab world as a strategic space for (Turkish)
historical dreams, a policy far from wisdom that will implicate Ankara and its
interests in the coming stages.”Gargash’s tweets come soon after Egyptian
President Abdel Fatteh El-Sisi ordered his army to be ready to carry out any
mission inside or outside the country to protect its national security amid
tensions over Turkey’s intervention in neighboring Libya.
Turkey supports the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA)
in Tripoli, which, with Turkish support, has reversed a 14-month assault on the
capital by Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on June 20-21/2020
MENA Markets Will Need a Post-Pandemic 'Great Reset'
Mirek Dusek, Alain Bejjani, Rania Mashat/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 20/ 2020
Covid-19 does not recognize borders. Contagion has been evident not only in the
transmission of the virus across countries but in the global economic
propagation of this health shock on production, consumption and the consequent
slowdown in economic activity.
Countries in the MENA region are no exception to this rule. But in addition to
their general exposure, the region also has a set of particularities that make
response and recovery strategies more strenuous.
First, the impact of the Covid-19 crisis is compounded by the region’s
vulnerability vis-a-vis price volatility in energy markets, whose ripple effects
disproportionally affect regional economies.
Second, this twin-crisis context has had an impact on the ambitious reform
agendas many governments have started to implement. While some of the largest
regional economies have significant reserves, certain strategic sectors that are
vital to these economies’ diversification – tourism and entertainment, for
instance – are directly affected. This adds complexity to the delivery of these
reforms.
Third, the crisis has aggravated existing societal and economic fault lines
within conflict-afflicted societies such as Yemen, Syria and Libya.
Overall, lower levels of societal and economic resilience across the region –
due to high youth unemployment, the presence of swelling refugee populations and
weakened regional economic integration mechanisms – make the impact of Covid-19
particularly challenging for the region.
Fresh thinking is needed on how the region can become more resilient. In
particular, the region’s diverse stakeholders – leaders in government, the
private sector, civil society and the academic and scientific community – must
adopt a shared vision and language for collaboration.
A key pillar of this new understanding of cooperation is around the role and
responsibility of companies in society – encapsulated in the principles and
practice of stakeholder capitalism.
Stakeholder capitalism proposes a company consider the interests not only of
customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders, but also of the wider
community, the environment and society at large. Especially relevant to the
societies of MENA, it also puts the emphasis on companies’ responsibility with
respect to the most vulnerable segments of the population.
Since its inception in the 1970, the World Economic Forum has advocated for
stakeholder capitalism, and its principles were reaffirmed by major private
sector leaders in the Davos Manifesto during the Annual Meeting 2020.
Today, as Covid-19 affects health and economic systems globally, these
principles have acquired an even greater sense of urgency. Now, they are part of
the Forum’s Great Reset initiative to shape a more inclusive and resilient post-Covid
world.
Recently, we facilitated a virtual community meeting of the Regional Action
Group for the MENA, where a number of leaders from various industries and
sectors identified systemic challenges where greater levels of public-private
collaboration based on stakeholder capitalism principle are needed. The
community decided to work on the following four areas.
Accelerating inclusive economics and societies: With the Covid-19 crisis leading
to profound alterations to the nature of work and employment, broader measures
are needed to provide for social and economic inclusion of Arab youth
populations – particularly women. Government and private sector leaders have
called for greater efforts to promote labor market policies stimulating job
creation, including re-skilling and up-skilling initiatives; fiscal policies
that provide social safety nets in support of the vulnerable and the poor; and
targeted private sector development that will reduce youth unemployment and
stimulate the integration of women and refugee populations into the Arab
workforce.
Shaping a New Vision for Economic Integration: Effective containment of the
pandemic and ensuing recovery requires a holistic and integrated regional
response, which is currently hindered by low levels of intraregional trade and
cross-border collaboration between the region’s diverse economies.
According to McKinsey, intraregional trade of goods in the MENA region accounts
for only 16 percent of total trade, compared to 63 percent in the EU and 52
percent in Asia Pacific.
As the resilience of MENA societies and economic development more broadly is
hindered by the fragmentation of the region, leaders have called for greater
public-private collaboration to foster integrated economic and trading systems.
This includes the development of mutually supportive institutional mechanisms
and regulatory environments, including with regard to cross-border data flows
and the digital economy overall.
Harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution: As the pandemic exemplifies the
centrality of advanced technical solutions such as contact tracing and remote
work, the future of the region will depend on a tech governance architecture
that is able to balance both privacy and efficiency.
Leaders have called for greater collaboration to leverage a number of crucial
factors specific to the region, such as available digital infrastructures, high
rates of internet penetration and tech-savvy youth populations, in order to
connect the region’s digital economies, provide delivery platforms for services
and leverage fintech solutions to foster greater financial inclusion through
digital payment systems.
Promoting Environmental Stewardship: Finally, the crisis serves as a potent
reminder of the extent to which a black-swan-type event can disrupt economic and
political life globally. As the region faces a number of acute threats related
to desertification, water scarcity and heat waves, a renewed focus on the
environment is all the more urgent for climate-related risks to be mitigated and
potential future disruptions to be avoided.
In light of the imperative for MENA countries to transition towards greener
economy, there is an opportunity for governments to design their fiscal and
monetary responses in such a way that national economies are nudged towards
environmental sustainability, including supporting innovative green projects
within the area of the circular economy, as one example.
While this crisis is a clear public health emergency that requires an urgent and
adequate response, it also presents a unique moment for regional decision
makers. By endorsing the principles of stakeholder capitalism for the MENA
region, they have an opportunity to articulate a response whose outcomes not
only addresses existing grievances, but also reshapes societies and economies –
allowing them to emerge from the pandemic stronger, more unified and more
resilient than before.
*Mirek Dusek is Deputy Head of the Center for Geopolitical and Regional Affairs,
Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Alain Bejjani is the
chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim and Dr. Rania Al Mashat is Egypt's Minister
of International Co-operation.
Arab World Faces Pandemic, Turkish-Iranian Regional
Intimidation
Ahmed Abul Gheit/Ahmed Abul Gheit is the Secretary General of the Arab League//Asharq
Al-Awsat/June 20/ 2020
After nearly a decade of political turmoil and civil wars, and the accompanying
economic downturn, social upheaval and growing poverty, the Arab world finds
itself at the heart of a new lingering crisis caused by the coronavirus
pandemic.
Although the pandemic is a force majeure that hit the entire world, its negative
consequences and its grave effects will not be similar everywhere. There is some
indication that some countries will suffer more and some societies will face
more difficulties than others.
The direct impact of the coronavirus, including the numbers of victims and the
great pressure on health systems, will be overcome in one way or another, God
willing.
However, the deep repercussions on the stability of societies and states,
economic growth and social conditions are the most serious and severe,
especially for countries that were already enduring development problems or a
decline in their economies, or political or social crises. (Quite a few Arab
countries fall into this category.)
The global epidemic will contribute to exacerbating existing crises, as well as
creating new unforeseen challenges. Governments will need to distribute their
efforts, time and attention on more than one front.
The effects of the pandemic are not limited to internal challenges. Rather, its
serious consequences extend to relations between countries and shake the
international system itself, the distribution of powers and the rules governing
its work. Initial indications hint at the decline of international cooperation
and the increased tendency towards isolationist policies and unilateral action
in an international environment that is more turbulent and more prone to
conflicts and rivalries that may bring the world closer to the Cold War
paradigm.
The pandemic, with its challenges, will prompt many countries to reconsider
relying on long “supply chains” to obtain goods, especially strategic ones. They
will seek to become self-sufficient, or will resort to allies and neighbors to
acquire these goods. This will inevitably be reflected on the globalization
system, perhaps in the interest of regional blocs and homogenous economic groups
(something that calls for reflection and attention from the Arab side).
The economic recession and the decline of the system of interdependence may
increase the chances of the rise of right-wing and extremist nationalist
movements, which will adopt anti-immigration and xenophobic policies in more
than one region around the world. It is no secret that the rise of such
ideologies will lead to a more combative environment, with the erosion of
international law and the dominance of the logic of force, coercion and the
imposition of the fait accompli.
Faced with this state of corrosion at the international level, and the
associated potential crises, especially in developing countries (which will
confront the challenges of economic growth, poverty, health conditions and
climate change), the Arab region finds itself in an unenviable situation, as it
fights the pandemic in a very accurate moment of its contemporary history, and
after a decade of suffering and turmoil that exhausted the region and drained
resources and energies.
While some Arab countries are mired in civil wars that threaten their very
existence as unified sovereign political entities, other countries suffer from
complex political and economic crises, putting them under severe pressure that
may reach the point of explosion.
The region also suffers from “regional intimidation” from immediate neighbors,
who work to exploit these conditions to establish footholds and to consolidate
their presence and interests at the expense of the people of the region.
This “regional intimidation” applies to Iran, Turkey, Ethiopia and Israel. The
latter in particular seeks to take advantage of the coincidence of two rare
events (the pandemic and the presence in the White House of a president who has
the ideology of the Likud party) to commit a blatant move by further
legitimizing the occupation and annexing Palestinian lands occupied in 1967 and
placing them under Israeli sovereignty. This threatens to fuel national and
religious sentiments not only in Palestine, but across the region. This ignition
may combine with crises resulting from the epidemic to produce a “perfect storm”
that Israel does not seem aware of its dimensions.
As for Iran, Turkey and Ethiopia, over the recent months, they have escalated
their interference in the interests of other countries, which are located in the
immediate Arab neighborhood. Both Iran and Turkey are openly attacking a number
of Arab countries, and each of them has a direct military presence on Arab lands
and seek to make them of a long-term nature.
During the past year (2019), Iran escalated its direct attacks on navigation in
the Arabian Gulf and on oil installations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as
well as its sinister involvement in the wars in Syria and Yemen, not to mention
its negative role in Lebanon.
As for Turkey, in addition to fostering the Muslim Brotherhood, which is
classified as a terrorist organization in a number of Arab countries, it has
continued to occupy large parts of Syrian territory, and has begun its attacks
on Iraqi territory.
Recently, Turkey became involved in the Libyan civil war by direct military
intervention in favor of one of its parties, in a manner that fuels the conflict
and further complicates it, threatens to plunder Libyan natural resources and
risks to ignite a wider conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Finally, by insisting on moving forward in operating the Renaissance Dam on the
Blue Nile without a comprehensive agreement with the downstream countries (Egypt
and Sudan), Ethiopia is exercising an unprecedented hegemony over the river’s
resources, and threatens the survival of the two countries that depend on the
water of the river as a major lifeline. This comes despite various efforts from
Egypt and Sudan to consolidate a cooperative framework in the Nile Basin that
allows the construction and operation of the dam, taking into account the
interests and rights of all concerned sides.
These global and regional conditions impose on the Arab region new challenges
that are more severe and more impactful, especially since the synergy between
these factors may create multiple and unexpected crises. International erosion
may encourage “regional intimidation” and give it more space. Poor economic
conditions may increase political tension that already exist in some countries.
Confronted with these serious problems, the Arabs have no choice but to activate
joint action as quickly as possible, because no country - whatever the size of
its resources and capabilities - will be able to deal with crises individually,
in addition to the fact that those challenges will surpass internal borders and
will require a collective Arab approach.
Finally, “regional intimidation”, including serious Israeli plans to legalize
its occupation, needs more collective Arab stances than ever before. The call to
promote joint Arab action is not just a hollow slogan that we launch or a broad
title without substance. The reality makes it imperative to engage in wider
programs of interdependence in the future.
The economic crises produced by the pandemic will reshuffle many papers, while
intra-regional trade, economic cooperation programs and joint regional projects
to resettle strategic industries will gain increasing importance. There is an
open horizon for activating what already exists, and what has been achieved,
towards the establishment of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, so that all
restrictions to intra-regional trade are abolished. The total Arab trade does
not exceed 10 percent, which is a meager percentage that makes the Arab region
one of the weakest in the world in terms of economic integration.
The pandemic will undoubtedly open new areas for integration between Arab
countries in the health or pharmaceutical industries, or even in other areas
that may witness a renaissance and upward movement, such as electronic commerce.
In the face of global and regional situations and the various threats they
entail, the Arab system will be required to assume an active and influential
role in settling disputes and civil wars that spread like malignant tumors in
the Arab body. These conflicts have caused loopholes that regional powers have
exploited to extend their influence and achieve their own agendas. With a quick
look at the “theaters of conflict” in the Arab world, we immediately realize
that every stage of civil war provides an opportunity for regional powers to
enter in different forms, either directly or through proxies.
Settling these conflicts closes open wounds that lurking regional powers are
employing in their favor. Unfortunately, the keys to settling these disputes
were handed over to foreign powers and international parties, with a limited and
declining role given to the Arab parties.
Without unifying the Arab will and allowing the regional organization sponsoring
collective Arab interests (the Arab League) to play a fundamental role in
settling the disputes, the League’s hands would remain tied in the face of
foreign powers that would tighten their grip over the region.
Confronting the unprecedented regional bullying facing the Arab world also
depends on taking collective positions and coordinating policies at the Arab
level that go beyond mere verbal solidarity to practical action. While
acknowledging that regional threats do not come from one source and not all Arab
countries face them to the same extent, yet effective action to address these
threats necessarily requires a collective national security agenda within the
Arab League, so that no country or group of countries face such threats alone.
There are existing mechanisms that meet this direction, such as the Arab
Ministerial Committee to address Iranian interference in Arab affairs, which has
been operating under the League since 2016. Rather than issuing mere periodic
statements, the Committee’s work must be activated to coordinate actual policies
to limit the Iranian meddling. Similar work committees are required to be
established to address the Turkish interventions, which have had the same
malicious and devastating effect on Arab national security.
The Palestinian Cause remains crucial for its known historical considerations.
Its importance also derives from the level of Arab solidarity and the ability to
work together and coordinate policies. The Palestinian Cause is currently going
through one of its most dangerous phases: the occupation is seeking to obtain
legitimacy after it acquired the land. This issue is being emptied of any legal
or moral substance and faces an accelerating decline at the international level,
reinforced by the global preoccupation in dealing with crises arising from the
pandemic and others.
The most immediate threat is confronting the so-called annexation plans adopted
by the current government in Israel, with the support of the United States. It
goes without saying that the Arab consensus rejects these Israeli plans, without
reservation or exception. However, this rejection has not yet been translated
into effective political action at the international level, at the United
Nations and various forums. A powerful political-media-legal campaign is
required to raise awareness among the global public opinion and various
political stakeholders about the imminent danger these Israeli plans pose to
stability in the region and to world peace.
Turkey: Erdoğan Wishes "Many More Happy Conquests"
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/June 20/2020
بوراك باكديل: الرئيس التركي أردوغان يتمنى "العديد من الفتوحات السعيدة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/87493/burak-bekdil-gatestone-institute-turkey-erdogan-wishes-many-more-happy-conquests-%d8%a8%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%83-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%83%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d8%a7/
In Turkish jargon, the difference is simple: It is "conquest" when we do it and
"invasion" when others do it.
In this year's celebrations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raised the stakes
when he spoke of the conquest prospectively not just retrospectively. "I am
wishing that God grant this nation many more happy conquests," he said....
A serious question remains to be asked: When Erdoğan wished God to grant Turks
"many more happy conquests" which non-Turkish lands is he hoping to "conquer"?
Picture Enclsed/The venue for this year's Turkish celebrations of the 1453
conquest of Constantinople was not chosen randomly: it was the stunning edifice
of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral (pictured), built in the sixth century Byzantine
Empire as the centerpiece of its capital. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
personally commemorated the conquest with Islamic prayers at the Hagia Sophia, a
UNESCO world heritage site.
In Turkey, every May 29 brings up the country's "conquest fetish." Turks are
proud that their Ottoman ancestors, in 1453, "conquered" (not "invaded")
then-Constantinople, today's Istanbul. It is bizarre enough that a proud nation
is commemorating, every year, the capture from another nation of its biggest
city by the "force of sword." This year's 567th anniversary was no exception:
The celebrations euphemistically referred to the fall of Constantinople as
"conquest" -- not "invasion."
In Turkish jargon the difference is simple: it is "conquest" when we do it and
"invasion" when others do it. In this year's celebrations, President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan raised the stakes when he spoke of the conquest prospectively not
just retrospectively. "I am wishing that God grant this nation many more happy
conquests," he said at a celebration where he recited from the Quran.
The venue for this year's celebrations was not chosen randomly: it was the
stunning edifice of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, built in the sixth century
Byzantine Empire as the centerpiece of its capital, Constantinople. Erdoğan
personally commemorated the conquest with Islamic prayers at the Hagia Sophia, a
UNESCO world heritage site. The church was converted into a mosque after the
fall of Constantinople. But Atatürk, the secular founder of modern Turkey,
converted it into a museum.
The Hagia Sophia has been emblematic in the Turkish Islamist politics from whose
ranks Erdoğan emerged. It reflects Islam's "spread by force," the capture of
another Christian monument by Muslims, therefore a Muslim victory over
"infidels." The Hagia Sophia has been a source of political tension between
secular Turks who want it to remain a museum out of respect for Christians and
Islamists who want it to become a mosque for the sake of the spirit of
"conquest".
In 2016 the Erdoğan government issued a directive to allow the recitation of
Islamic call for prayers inside the Hagia Sophia. It then assigned an imam into
a small chamber (masjid) within the church compound where Muslims had been
allowed to pray since 1991. More recently Erdoğan said he would convert the
Hagia Sophia into a mosque in retaliation to U.S. President Donald Trump's
recognition of Israel's "claims to East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights."
The childish Turkish hypocrisy over "conquest vs. invasion" came most clearly
from a fiercely pro-Erdoğan columnist. A Hürriyet newspaper columnist and former
member of parliament, Fuat Bol , wrote on June 1: "[Ottoman Sultan] Mehmet the
Conqueror converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque as required by the right of
sword." ["Right of sword" refers to the Ottoman narrative that it supposedly has
the right of a successful invader to rule an invaded land in line with its rules
and wishes. Ed.] In the same article, Bol then mentioned "those shameless Greeks
who converted [Ottoman] mosques into churches."
The "spirit of conquest" keeps poisoning the ordinary minds, too, and slowly
winning over respect from the people who have remained secular.
On May 23, just a few days before the anniversary of the "conquest" of
Constantinople, an attacker dismantled a cross outside an Armenian church in
Istanbul's historical Kuzguncuk neighborhood. Two weeks earlier, on May 9,
another Armenian church in Istanbul's Bakırköy district, had also been also
attacked. Garo Paylan, a Turkish-Armenian lawmaker for the opposition Peoples'
Democratic Party, called it a hate crime. "Attacks continue on our churches. The
cross of our Surp Krikor Lusaroviç Armenian Church was removed and thrown away.
Hate speech made by the ruling power normalizes hate crimes," he said in a
tweet.
On the day the Turks celebrated the "conquest" of Constantinople, an
Istanbul-based Armenian foundation received death threats by email. The threat
to the Hrant Dink Foundation, named after the Turkish-Armenian journalist who
was assassinated in 2007, included the phrase "We may turn up one night, when
you least expect it." This is a slogan used frequently by Turkish
ultra-nationalist groups -- "and the very same slogan we were well used to
hearing before Hrant Dink was assassinated, and within the knowledge of
officials," the foundation said.
After all that gloom, the good news was that the Turkish police quickly found
and detained the suspects responsible for the threats to the Hrant Dink
Foundation and church attacks. The not-so-good news is that the suspects will
probably get a red-carpet treatment under detention, be brought to a prosecutor
for a brief testimony and released immediately, and then receive several
official and unofficial pats on the shoulder for their "heroic" acts.
In all this typically Turkish "conquest" fanfare a serious question remains to
be asked: When Erdoğan wished God to grant Turks "many more happy conquests"
which non-Turkish lands is he hoping to "conquer"?
*Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the
country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is
taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Caesar Act: US sanctions against Iran's partners are a
statement of intent
Raghida Dergham/The National/June 20/2020
Washington will not spare Venezuela, Syria and Hezbollah – or anyone else for
that matter – for doing business with Tehran
The scope and scale of American sanctions against the Iranian regime evidently
run wide and deep. They extend themselves from faraway Venezuela to nearby Syria
via Lebanon. They also target such specific figures as Venezuelan President
Nicolas Maduro, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and Hassan Nasrallah, who heads
the Lebanese militia group Hezbollah; common to all these figures is, of course,
their errant behavour on the global stage and a refusal to play by international
rules.
In oil-rich Venezuela, the Russians and Chinese weighed their options against
Washington's clampdown on Caracas’s ability to sell them its crude – through a
sanctions regime that left petroleum companies petrified – and decided to leave.
When Iran stepped into the breach, it too faced the Trump administration's
music: when Caracas began trading its gold in exchange for refined fuel
transported to the beleaguered South American country in Iranian tankers, the US
imposed sanctions on 125 of those tankers and blocked the only route available,
thereby triggering an economic collapse in Venezuela.
Last week, the Syrian regime was slapped with the Caesar Act, a piece of US
legislation that seeks to curb the ability of Mr Al Assad, his family members
and associates to continue profiting from the ongoing civil war and getting away
with their crimes against humanity. Washington’s goal may not be to topple the
regime but force it to drive out its Iranian backers currently operating within
its borders and agree to a power-sharing agreement with the opposition.
Meanwhile in crisis-hit Lebanon, where Hezbollah has a stake in government, it
appears that Nasrallah has a plan ostensibly to save his country from economic
collapse by ending the "dollarisation" of its economy. It is a pipe dream – one
that is predicated on the idea of Beirut bartering with Tehran using the
national currency – and could effectively turn Lebanon into another Venezuela,
which pursued a "gold for oil" arrangement with Iran. He has also pledged to
keep Lebanon's border with Syria open and help Damascus in any way Hezbollah
can.
It is worth noting that Nasrallah has struck a defiant note from a position of
considerable weakness, having been set back by sanctions put in place against
Hezbollah and its patrons in Tehran.
At least that is how Brian Hook, the US Special Representative for Iran, sees
it, based on my conversation with him at the Beirut Institute seventh e-policy
circle last week. Mr Hook has accused Nasrallah of “shedding crocodile tears”
for the Lebanese people, who have been feeling the economic pinch for the past
few months, thanks in large part to gross mismanagement by its government.
“Hezbollah has undercut the security, prosperity and welfare of the Lebanese
people – in the same way that the Iranian regime has done that for the Iranian
people," he added.
To be sure, the situation in Lebanon is more complicated.
The people there have long been accustomed to blaming others for their problems,
with many of them living either in selfish apathy or in the shadow of their
sectarian leaders. A case in point is the uprising that began last October with
much promise before the people allowed it to be co-opted by partisan elements
across political and ideological divides. As a result, the country continues to
be riddled with the same old economic and governance problems, with little
appetite on the part of the ruling elite to implement much-needed reforms.
Of course, Hezbollah is a significant piece in that puzzle. And if one were to
take Mr Hook at his word, this will not be the last that Nasrallah – or for that
matter Mr Al Assad and the regime in Tehran – have heard from the Trump
administration.
“The US is going to withhold reconstruction assistance for Syria until all
forces under Iranian command and control leave the country," he said. "Iran has
got to get out of Syria and I see increased incentives for both [Russia] and [Mr
Al] Assad to at some point have Iran exit."
In other words, Washington aims to pressure Moscow, which is allied to Damascus,
to break away from Tehran – or possibly face sanctions of its own, including the
blacklisting of its businesses under the Caesar Act. Mr Hook described the US
move so far as a statement of its intent to bring change. “People should
understand that if we are willing to target and designate [Mr Al] Assad, then no
one who is involved in these atrocities [in Syria] should feel safe," he said.
It is therefore important for the Lebanese and Syrian people, and their leaders,
to understand that the Caesar Act is a tool that the US is determined to use
with the purpose of holding wrongdoers accountable – much the same way Venezuela
is being dealt with.
Circling back to Caracas, its relationship with Tehran has come under scrutiny.
But Elliott Abrams, the US Special Representative for Venezuela, told me that it
is the larger impact of the Maduro government's actions that concerns him more.
Predicting that Iran would eventually stop shipping fuel to Venezuela, Mr Abrams
said: “We’ll see if they have enough tankers actually to [continue] this
[arrangement]."
He compared the situation pertaining to refugees and displaced people in Syria
with that of Venezuela. “The Maduro dictatorship has created five million
migrants and refugees, and this burden is a very heavy one for Latin America,
South America, and particularly in the Caribbean," he pointed out. "It’s the
largest refugee crisis in the history of Latin America. By the end of this year,
it will be larger than the Syrian refugee crisis."
According to Mr Abrams, the unfortunate situations prevalent in both countries
are the outcome of "human action by corrupt, venal, brutal rulers". And that the
Trump administration has determined that the only solution is that "those rulers
must go".
*Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute.