English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese,
Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 27/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.february27.21.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have
received it, and it will be yours
Mark 11/19-25./:”And when evening came, Jesus and
his disciples went out of the city. In the morning as they passed by, they saw
the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him,
‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.’Jesus answered them,
‘Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up
and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe
that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will
be yours. ‘Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against
anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”.
Question: "What is the key to living a victorious Christian life?"
GotQuestions.org/February 26- 27/2021
Answer: The victorious Christian life is the life that is lived, by faith, in a
moment-by-moment surrender to God. The victorious Christian life is rooted and
grounded in faith. The whole of Hebrews 11 tells the stories of men and women
who, by faith, were victorious in some way. Our God is always victorious, no
matter the foe. Even the cross of Christ was not a defeat for the Lord, but a
victory: “Now the prince of this world will be driven out,” Jesus said in the
final week of His earthly ministry. At His trial before the high priest, Jesus
testified, “You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty
One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). That’s the victory
believers share in.
The victorious Christian life is a life lived in triumph over “everything in the
world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1
John 2:16). It is the conquering of fear, knowing God’s peace (John 14:27;
16:33). It is perseverance through “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword” (Romans 8:35), showing us to be “more than
conquerors through him who loved us” (verse 37). The victorious Christian life
naturally leads to a defeat of death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54–55) and a
glorious reward in heaven (Revelation 21:7).
“The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17), and it’s impossible to
overemphasize the importance of faith in living the victorious Christian life:
“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome
the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4–5).
Part of living the victorious Christian life is properly dealing with
temptation. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you
except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide
a way out so that you can endure it.” In the context of this verse, Paul is
speaking to a church surrounded by idolatry and temptation. There were social,
financial, and political pressures to return to their old ways and participate
in pagan practices. God in His faithfulness told them, and us, that there is no
temptation anywhere at any time that will take Him by surprise, and He will
always make a way to escape it and thus endure. When a Christian faces a
temptation, God will always give a clear way of avoiding the sin, but it is
still the choice of the individual to take the way out or not. Avoiding
temptation requires moment-by-moment submission to God.
In John 15, Jesus tells a parable that gives a key to the victorious Christian
life. Jesus Christ is the vine, the source of life and health and wholeness, and
we are the branches, utterly dependent on the vine. The word used over and over
throughout the passage is most often translated as “abide” or “remain.” The
original Greek word really means “stay where you are.” Where is the Christian?
The Christian is in Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
The victorious Christian life is a journey of faith, not just for eternal
salvation, but of daily decisions building up into lifestyle that reflects
Christ (Galatians 2:20). Faith is the calm assurance that what we do not yet see
is far more real, more substantial, more trustworthy than what we do see
(Hebrews 11:1). The life of faith chooses to believe God in all things (Romans
4:3). “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that
are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also
will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1–4, ESV).
The victorious Christian life is lived with eyes set on the things of heaven,
not of this world. Jesus is our model in this: “For the joy set before him he
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that
you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2–3). The eternal life of
the believer is set securely in Christ. We, too, are at God’s right hand, by
faith. The victorious Christian is one who lives in that reality.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on February 26- 27/2021
Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/
MoPH: 3373 coronavirus cases, 50 deaths
Report: Bkirki Expresses Concern about Fate of Lebanon
Rahi before "Neutral Lebanon Gathering" delegation: How can Lebanon be platform
for civilizations encounters and dialogue if it is not neutral?
Patriarch Rahi welcomes MP Farid Khazen
Rahi receives copy of FPM’s letter to Vatican
STL to Try Salim Ayyash for Attacks on Hamade, Hawi, Murr
Guterres Extends Mandate of Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Aoun reviews situation with MPs Bou Saab and Abi Khalil, stresses need to
expedite audit completion
Frangieh, Bugdanov discuss political developments
Civic National Front: Lebanese people resist oppression, annihilation,
bargaining
Report: Lebanon Faces Complete Blackout amid Fuel Shortage
Frangieh, Bugdanov discuss political developments
Civic National Front: Lebanese people resist oppression, annihilation,
bargaining
UNIFIL to Assist in Cleanup of Oil Spill from Israel
AUBMC Clarifies Reports on 'Unregistered' Vaccine Recipients
Wazni Signs Letters of Credit for Fuel Shipment
Albanian Minister in Lebanon for Syria Repatriation Efforts
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 26- 27/2021
Damascus Slams U.S. Strike as Bad Omen for Biden
Administration
Biden will protect US interests, White House says in first remarks on Syria
U.S. Strikes Iran-backed Militias in Syria in Biden First
Explosion Hits Israeli-Owned Ship in Mideast amid Tension
Pentagon top brass gear up for US future strategies in the region
Iran-backed faction in Iraq launched drone attack on Saudi palace
G20 Finance Chiefs Meet on Covid Recovery, Aid to Poor Countries
5 Protesters Die, Dozens Injured in Clashes in Iraq’s Nasiriyah
MTN to Appeal Syrian Court Ruling to Put its Unit under Judicial Custody
Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on illegal annexation of Crimea by
Russia
Saudi Arabia categorically rejects US report on murder of Jamal Khashoggi:
Statement
Biden, Salman speak as US targeting of Saudi crown prince intensifies
U.S. to Release Report Blaming Saudi Prince in Khashoggi Murder
Zamfara secondary school girls kidnapping: Gunmen abduct students from Jangebe
Government Secondary School
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 26- 27/2021
The IAEA’s Latest Iran NPT Safeguards Report: Tehran
Continues to Stonewall Inspectors/David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Andrea
Stricker[1]/Institute for Science and International Security/February 26/2021
Iran Faces U.S. Censure in First Diplomatic Showdown With Biden/Jonathan Tirone/Bloomberg/February
26/2021,
Analysis of IAEA Iran Verification and Monitoring Report/David Albright, Sarah
Burkhard, Andrea Stricker/Institute for Science and International
Security/February 26/2021
Balancing act: Biden must redefine the US-Saudi relationship/Dennis Ross and
Robert Satloff /The Hill/February 26/2021
Voodoo economics leads Tunisia to the brink/Francis Ghiles/The Weekly
Arab/February 26/2021
Biden administration sending wrong message to Iran regime/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/February 26/ 2021
US aims to ‘decolonize,’ but does it really mean it?/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Arab
News/February 26/ 2021
Is the U.S. Arming an Adversary, China, Intent on Overpowering Us?/Peter
Schweizer/Gatestone Institute/February 26/2021
One Month into the Biden Administration/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/February
26/2021
A Syrian Ray of Hope in a German Court?/Elias Harfoush/Asharq Al-Awsat/February
26/2021
Intelligence report: Saudi prince 'approved' operation that killed Jamal
Khashoggi/Brittany Shepherd and Michael Isikoff/Yahoo News/February 26, 2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on
February 26- 27/2021
Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/
MoPH: 3373 coronavirus cases, 50 deaths
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced 3373 new coronavirus infection cases,
which raises the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 369,675
50 new deaths have been reported.
Report: Bkirki Expresses Concern about Fate of Lebanon
Naharnet/February 26- 27/2021
Circles close to Bkirki sounded the alarm on Friday saying crisis-hit Lebanon
faces a threat of “total collapse,” and a genuine fear for the “presence” of its
Christian community, al-Akhbar daily reported Friday.
They voiced real concern for the “fate” of Lebanon, noting that “Bkirki can no
longer keep silent” while the country is driven to “collapse,” Bkirki sources
told the daily. Maronite Patriarch Beshare el-Rahi has called for an
international conference on Lebanon because the “Lebanese cannot reach an
understanding on their own.”His calls came as the country grapples with multiple
crises, including its leaders inability to reach an agreement and form a
much-needed government to pull the country out of its plight. Some political
parties including Hizbullah, rejected Rahi’s call saying it only brings on war.
The daily said that according to specialists in international law, the idea of
raising the Lebanese issue internationally in a country where there is no
occupation and does not represent a threat to any other country is a precedent
that did not happen.
Rahi before "Neutral Lebanon Gathering" delegation: How can
Lebanon be platform for civilizations encounters and dialogue if it is not
neutral?
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
A delegation from the "Neutral Lebanon Gathering" visited Bkirki this Friday to
meet with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi and discuss his
call for neutrality and what the international conference may offer in this
regard, declaring its solidarity with Rahi, and a "readiness to assist in the
files under preparation to devise an optimal solution to the Lebanese
crisis."The Maronite Patriarch explained his principles regarding neutrality and
the international conference, most notably that "all local solutions and
endeavors have been exhausted without leading to the desired outcome. (…)
Therefore, it was necessary to go to the international community, and this is a
legitimate matter for Lebanon - a founding member of the United Nations.""If our
country is to play the role of a gathering ground for civilizations and
dialogue, how can it do that if it is not neutral but is biased towards one team
against another?" he wondered.
Patriarch Rahi welcomes MP Farid Khazen
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
MP Farid Khazen on Friday visited Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara
Boutros Al-Rahi, in Bkirki. MP Khazen affirmed in a statement that he stands by
Bkirki being the first national shield for Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and
diversity, especially at this fateful moment which the Patriarch is addressing
in a responsible and wise manner.Al-Khazen also relayed Patriarch Rahi’s support
to the "Taef, Constitution and the National Charter" golden trio equation..
Rahi receives copy of FPM’s letter to Vatican
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
Tasked by Free Patriotic Movement Leader, Gebran Bassil, MP Cesar Abi Khalil, on
Friday presented to Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, a copy of
the letter addressed by the FPM to Pope Francis through the Apostolic Nuncio to
Lebanon.
STL to Try Salim Ayyash for Attacks on Hamade, Hawi, Murr
Agence France Presse/February 26- 27/2021
A fugitive Hizbullah suspect will go on trial in June accused of three attacks
on Lebanese politicians in the mid-2000s, a U.N.-backed tribunal announced on
Friday. Salim Ayyash, 57, will be tried in absentia by the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, which in December sentenced him to life in prison for the 2005 murder
of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri and 21 others died in a massive
suicide bomb explosion in Beirut in early 2005 and Ayyash was one of four
suspects tried by the Netherlands-based court. Ayyash's sentence is currently
under appeal, while the three other suspects were acquitted as the court ruled
there was not enough evidence against them. The acquittals are also being
appealed. The new trial concerns three attacks against Marwan Hamade, George
Hawi and Elias Murr, said the STL, based on the outskirts of The Hague.
Ayyash faced five counts including the "commission of acts of terrorism" and
"intentional homicide," the court said. The first attack in Beirut in October
2004 wounded Democratic Gathering MP and ex-minister Hamade, as well as another
person, and killed his bodyguard, the tribunal said. The second attack, also in
Beirut, in June 2005, killed Hawi, the former leader of the Lebanese Communist
Party, and injured two other people. The third attack in July of that year
killed one person and injured then defense minister Murr and 14 others in
Antelias, near the Lebanese capital. The case was due to open on June 16, but
the date was still provisional, the court said. Ayyash however remains on the
run, with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah refusing to hand him over,
alongside three other defendants who were eventually acquitted. The trial
against Ayyash is the first new case taken on by the tribunal since its creation
in 2007. Hariri was allegedly killed because he opposed Syrian control over
Lebanon. His death led to the "Cedar Revolution" which forced Damascus to pull
out in 2005.
Guterres Extends Mandate of Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Naharnet/February 26- 27/2021
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has extended the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon's (STL) mandate from 1 March 2021 for "a further period of two years, or
until the completion of the cases before the STL, if sooner, or until the
exhaustion of available funds, if sooner," the STL said on Thursday. "The
extension is in accordance with Security Council resolution 1757 (2007)," the
STL added in a statement. In his statement, Guterres reaffirmed "the commitment
of the United Nations to support the STL in the fight against impunity for the
crimes under its jurisdiction, in order to bring those responsible to justice."
“I am grateful for the international community’s continued support towards the
STL’s work, which serves as a strong global message that terrorist crimes will
not go unpunished. Together with my colleagues at the Tribunal, I remain highly
committed to fulfilling the STL’s mandate in a timely manner and render justice
to the victims through fair and transparent proceedings," said STL President
Judge Ivana Hrdličková. Hrdličková had requested the two-year extension to allow
the Tribunal to progressively draw down its activities and complete the judicial
work before the different Chambers. The mandate of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, which is based near The Hague in the Netherlands, is to hold trials for
those accused of carrying out the attack of 14 February 2005 in Beirut, which
killed 22 people, including the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri,
and injured 226 more. The trial in absentia of four Hizbullah suspects indicted
over the killing began in January 2014. On 18 August 2020, Salim Jamil Ayyash
was convicted in relation to five counts relating to the attack. In the same
judgment, the three other accused, Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi
and Assad Hassan Sabra were found not guilty. On 11 December 2020, Ayyash
received five concurrent sentences of life imprisonment. On 13 January 2021, the
Prosecution, Defense and Legal Representative of Participating Victims filed
notices of appeal. Appeals proceedings are still ongoing. The Special Tribunal
for Lebanon also has jurisdiction over attacks carried out in Lebanon between 1
October 2004 and 12 December 2005 if they are connected to the attack of 14
February 2005 and are of a similar nature and gravity. Pre-trial proceedings
began in 2019 against Ayyash in relation to three attacks against Marwan Hamade,
Georges Hawi and Elias Murr that occurred on 1 October 2004, 21 June 2005 and 12
July 2005 respectively. "The United Nations looks forward to the completion of
the mandate of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in a timely manner. The United
Nations also looks forward to the continued support and cooperation of the
Government of Lebanon," said a statement by Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for
the U.N. Secretary-General.
Aoun reviews situation with MPs Bou Saab and Abi Khalil,
stresses need to expedite audit completion
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, continued his follow-up on the
ongoing work of the Audit Bureau in terms of auditing treasury advances that
were given between the years 1995 and 2019 as part of the preparation for
studying the draft budget for the year 2021.
President Aoun stressed the need to accelerate the completion of the audit in
order to proceed in what is convenient, noting the efforts exerted by the Audit
Bureau in this context. The President also noted that the Chief of the Court,
Judge Muhammad Badran, had submitted the report prepared by the Bureau, in this
regard.
MP Bou Saab:
President Aoun received MP, Elias Bou Saab, today at Baabda Palace, and
discussed with him the current political situation and the process of forming
the new government, in addition to health and development issues.
MP Abi Khalil:
The President also met MP, Cesar Abi Khalil, who briefed him on the actions
taken by the "Free Patriotic Movement" in the context of dealing with the
current political situation and the meetings that the movement's representatives
hold in this context.
The meeting also addressed development needs of Aley region.—Presidency Press
Office
Frangieh, Bugdanov discuss political developments
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov, and Head of the Marada
Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, on Friday discussed during a phone call current
political developments on the Lebanese arena, as per a statement by Marada
Movement.
Civic National Front: Lebanese people resist oppression, annihilation,
bargaining
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
The Civic National Front bureau held its periodic meeting, and discussed the
persistent violation by the criminal and corrupt regime of the deep state
institutions that have become platforms of repression, extermination, extortion
and bargaining. The bureau members discussed the regional and international
situations and their impact on the Lebanese people. They reiterated the need to
build on the dynamics and accomplishments of the October 17 Revolution namely
the need to pursue the founding of the National Civic Opposition Coalition -
which the CNF seeks to establish - on a harmonized vision, leadership and
program using a top-down approach which will soon include, through coordination
and cooperation, all the living social powers. The Coalition will reproduce
Lebanon's civilized model of a citizenship that embraces diversity, implements
the Constitution, upholds a Civil State, restores full sovereignty, and attains
justice. This must be achieved amidst good governance and sustainable policies
guided by transparent ethics, accountability and responsibility. The relation
between public affairs and public good shall consequently be cemented. The
participants affirmed the following:
1.The shameless play of the Parliamentarians’ bypassing of the Lebanese people
national vaccination plan proves, undeniably, the persistent corruption and
takeover of fundamental rights, the loss of a so-called State ethics, and the
tarnishing of Lebanon's reputation among international institutions. This calls
first for punitive measures from the latter against offenders and requires next
an active, speedy and decentralized monitoring and distribution of vaccines to
prevent - knowing the transgressions - a discretionary and nepotistic
distribution, and yet possibly the sale of the vaccine in the black market. It
is urgent that the living societal forces organize their monitoring of the
violations to prepare a coherent indictment that brings the perpetrators before
justice on Judgement Day.
2.The continued tracking of activists fighting for truth, freedom and justice by
means of summoning, arbitrary or preventive arrest, intimidation, and the
fabrication of malicious ready-made accusations, and the suspicious use of the
military or even civil justice, requires from the Bar Association in Beirut and
Tripoli, and from the Supreme Judicial Council a tough stance and a resounding
move. The living societal forces are facing an existential threat that imperils
the foundations of freedom and human rights on which Lebanon was historically
built. Lebanon, let us not forget, is a founding member of the League of Arab
States and the United Nations. In this context, one cannot disregard the
systematic assault on the rebels of Tripoli Al-Fayhaa and the manipulated dark
attempt of aligning them with “Daech”. A word to the wise, this mischievous plan
will not flourish! Tripoli is the bride and icon of the revolution, and will
remain so.
3.The mere existence of Lebanon which is currently hijacked by the mafia-militia
alliance is now at threat. Speeches, influences, and ideologies are at play to
change its historical experience, hijack its present and future and subject them
to bargaining and compromise. Lebanon is scarified on the altar of regional and
international settlements. A scientific and practical roadmap that achieves
positive neutrality, and reconnects Lebanon with Arab and International
legitimacy, is a moral imperative and a noble task that one must shoulder
without hesitation or surrendering to intimidations, the background and
objectives of which are now clear to the far and near.
4.The amendment of Decree 6433 relating to Lebanon's southern maritime borders
to ensure that the demarcation line starts from the Naqoura RS to Point 29, is a
top priority to protect Lebanese national security and the rights and wealth of
the Lebanese people. This amendment must be sent to the United Nations before
May 1st and therefore any delay, failure or negligence to implement this
patriotic duty is an indicator of a growing suspicious deal that exposes its
masterminds to the charges of high treason. Forewarned is forearmed.
The CNF, while closely following on the investigation into the Beirut Port
explosion, confirms that this organized crime will not go unnoticed, and the
choice of international investigation in all its forms is under way. Saving the
judiciary shall not be compromised.—CNF
Report: Lebanon Faces Complete Blackout amid Fuel Shortage
Naharnet/February 26- 27/2021
For almost a week, the Lebanese have been suffering from severe electricity
rationing that exceeded 8 hours a day in Beirut, while other areas witnessed
daily power rationing that exceeded 12 hours, Asharq el Awsat daily reported on
Friday.
Meanwhile caretaker Minister of Energy Raymond Ghajar had warned that his
ministry would not be able to pay the price of the fuel needed to generate
electricity after the month of March. The country’s Electricity Du Liban
announced that its stock of fuel oil has dropped to its lowest levels which
resulted in a drop of electricity supply by about 400 megawatts of the total
energy produced, which is about 1,400 megawatts. EDL said in a statement on
Thursday, that despite the arrival of two marine carriers loaded with "Grade A"
and “Grade B” fuel oil to the Lebanese territorial waters, their cargo could not
be unloaded due to the failure to open necessary credits and the difficulty of
completing the banking procedures. After the end of its contracts with Kuwait
and the Algerian "Sonatrach" company at the beginning of this year, Lebanon
replaced long-term contracts with companies with immediate purchases of fuel
known as Spot Cargo in the oil market. However, this process is threatened due
to lack of foreign currency reserves at the Central Bank of Lebanon. EDL said it
expected a gradual improvement in electricity supply as soon as the marine
carriers start unloading the cargo. Lebanon also expects a shipment of gas oil
on Saturday evening, according to EDL. For multiple reasons, many warn that
Lebanon is on the verge of a bigger crisis in the issue of electricity. Among
these reasons is the scarcity of fuel reserves needed to generate electricity
and the lack of funds to secure it, Muhammed Basbous, a member of the
Progressive Socialist Party and a specialist in the electricity file told the
newspaper. Ghajar had earlier announced that he had asked the three presidents,
Michel Aoun, Nabih Berri and Hassan Diab, to approve an emergency loan of 1,500
billion Lebanese pounds ($ 996 million at the official exchange rate) to buy
more fuel, otherwise Lebanon will face a real crisis next month. Later on
Friday, the Minister of Finance in the caretaker government, Ghazi Wazni, said
he signed the opening of letters of credit for the fuel shipment.
Frangieh, Bugdanov discuss political developments
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov, and Head of the Marada
Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, on Friday discussed during a phone call current
political developments on the Lebanese arena, as per a statement by Marada
Movement.
Civic National Front: Lebanese people resist oppression, annihilation,
bargaining
NNA/February 26- 27/2021
The Civic National Front bureau held its periodic meeting, and discussed the
persistent violation by the criminal and corrupt regime of the deep state
institutions that have become platforms of repression, extermination, extortion
and bargaining. The bureau members discussed the regional and international
situations and their impact on the Lebanese people. They reiterated the need to
build on the dynamics and accomplishments of the October 17 Revolution namely
the need to pursue the founding of the National Civic Opposition Coalition -
which the CNF seeks to establish - on a harmonized vision, leadership and
program using a top-down approach which will soon include, through coordination
and cooperation, all the living social powers. The Coalition will reproduce
Lebanon's civilized model of a citizenship that embraces diversity, implements
the Constitution, upholds a Civil State, restores full sovereignty, and attains
justice. This must be achieved amidst good governance and sustainable policies
guided by transparent ethics, accountability and responsibility. The relation
between public affairs and public good shall consequently be cemented. The
participants affirmed the following:
1.The shameless play of the Parliamentarians’ bypassing of the Lebanese people
national vaccination plan proves, undeniably, the persistent corruption and
takeover of fundamental rights, the loss of a so-called State ethics, and the
tarnishing of Lebanon's reputation among international institutions. This calls
first for punitive measures from the latter against offenders and requires next
an active, speedy and decentralized monitoring and distribution of vaccines to
prevent - knowing the transgressions - a discretionary and nepotistic
distribution, and yet possibly the sale of the vaccine in the black market. It
is urgent that the living societal forces organize their monitoring of the
violations to prepare a coherent indictment that brings the perpetrators before
justice on Judgement Day.
2.The continued tracking of activists fighting for truth, freedom
and justice by means of summoning, arbitrary or preventive arrest, intimidation,
and the fabrication of malicious ready-made accusations, and the suspicious use
of the military or even civil justice, requires from the Bar Association in
Beirut and Tripoli, and from the Supreme Judicial Council a tough stance and a
resounding move. The living societal forces are facing an existential threat
that imperils the foundations of freedom and human rights on which Lebanon was
historically built. Lebanon, let us not forget, is a founding member of the
League of Arab States and the United Nations. In this context, one cannot
disregard the systematic assault on the rebels of Tripoli Al-Fayhaa and the
manipulated dark attempt of aligning them with “Daech”. A word to the wise, this
mischievous plan will not flourish! Tripoli is the bride and icon of the
revolution, and will remain so.
3.The mere existence of Lebanon which is currently hijacked by the mafia-militia
alliance is now at threat. Speeches, influences, and ideologies are at play to
change its historical experience, hijack its present and future and subject them
to bargaining and compromise. Lebanon is scarified on the altar of regional and
international settlements. A scientific and practical roadmap that achieves
positive neutrality, and reconnects Lebanon with Arab and International
legitimacy, is a moral imperative and a noble task that one must shoulder
without hesitation or surrendering to intimidations, the background and
objectives of which are now clear to the far and near.
4.The amendment of Decree 6433 relating to Lebanon's southern maritime borders
to ensure that the demarcation line starts from the Naqoura RS to Point 29, is a
top priority to protect Lebanese national security and the rights and wealth of
the Lebanese people. This amendment must be sent to the United Nations before
May 1st and therefore any delay, failure or negligence to implement this
patriotic duty is an indicator of a growing suspicious deal that exposes its
masterminds to the charges of high treason. Forewarned is forearmed.
The CNF, while closely following on the investigation into the Beirut Port
explosion, confirms that this organized crime will not go unnoticed, and the
choice of international investigation in all its forms is under way. Saving the
judiciary shall not be compromised.—CNF
UNIFIL to Assist in Cleanup of Oil Spill from Israel
Naharnet/February 26- 27/2021
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said the
UNIFIL will study the ways it can possibly help Lebanon counter the threat of an
oil spill from Israel affecting Lebanon’s shores.“With regard to the oil and tar
spill that reached parts of Lebanon’s southern shores, local authorities have
contacted the UNIFIL inquiring about the assistance that could be provided
within the limits of our capabilities and available equipment,” said Tenenti in
a statement. “For our part, we are studying these requests to see how we can
help,” he added.President Michel Aoun had on on Thursday explored “the measures
that should be taken to limit the oil spill and its negative impact on the
Lebanese coastline, especially after the appearance of sporadic black spots on
the southern coastline all the way to Ramlet el-Bayda” in Beirut. The disastrous
oil spill has blackened most of Israel's shoreline and deposits of tar have
started washing up in the Lebanese south.
AUBMC Clarifies Reports on 'Unregistered' Vaccine
Recipients
Naharnet/February 26- 27/2021
The administration of the American University of Beirut Medical Center issued a
statement Friday clarifying information attributed to the state-run Central
Inspection bureau, which claimed that 1,600 people who had not registered on the
Health Ministry’s electronic platform have received the Covid-19 vaccine at
AUBMC.“AUBMC administration is keen to clarify that these allegations are
inaccurate,” it said in an English-language statement. “Indeed, the vaccination
campaign was launched on February 14, 2021, a day designated for healthcare
workers registered in the first priority category as per the Ministry’s
guidelines. When the platform was launched on that date, only one appointment
appeared on the system,” AUBMC explained. “Because of this malfunction and in
the presence of His Excellency, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan;
the Head of the National Immunization Committee, Dr. Abdel-Rahman Bizri; the
Minister of Public Health principal advisor, Dr. Muhammad Haidar; and
representatives of Pfizer, AUBMC administration was asked to proceed with
vaccinating its healthcare workers who are already registered on the platform,”
it added.
“As agreed with the MoPH, data on these workers was to be forwarded to the
ministry within 48 hours to finalize their registration at the platform. In
fact, 536 individuals who were registered on the platform were vaccinated on the
day, and their data was submitted within the required period,” AUBMC said.
It added that on the following day, February 15, a day dedicated to the
vaccination of healthcare workers and the elderly above 75 of age, vaccinations
started through registration on the Ministry’s platform although “several
malfunctions remained unresolved.”
“These technical issues hindered the proper flow of the vaccination process, and
a large number of elderly individuals arrived at AUBMC showing appointments sent
to them by phone messages. These appointments were not visible on the platform
so AUBMC staff could not rely on them to vaccinate people,” it explained. “After
contacting and consulting with Dr. Bizri and Dr. Haidar, vaccination proceeded
with all scheduled elderly individuals who presented to the center even if their
names were not showing on the platform. This helped reduce the inconvenience
caused by the platform malfunction,” AUBMC went on to say. It added that with
the gradual improvement of the performance of the platform in the following
days, a total of 2467 individuals who were registered on the platform and
received text notifications of their appointments, were vaccinated by the end of
the first week.
On the other hand, 1648 individuals who had already registered on the platform
were vaccinated without appointments during the malfunctioning of the platform
system. “In due time, the list of these individuals were provided to the
Ministry, which was fully aware of the major difficulties precipitated by the
recurrent malfunctions of the registration procedure at the platform,” AUBMC
said. It added that it is “keen to reaffirm that no person who was not
registered on its electronic platform or on the system provided by the Ministry
of Public Health and supervised by the National Committee for Corona Vaccine has
been vaccinated at its center.” Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzi had
claimed Wednesday that “the observatory of the American University has admitted
that more than 50% of people who received the vaccine did not have their names
registered on the (national) platform.”
Wazni Signs Letters of Credit for Fuel Shipment
Naharnet/February 26/2021
Caretaker Minister of Finance Ghazi Wazni signed on Friday the letters of credit
in favor of Électricité du Liban EDL for the shipment of fuel oil, the National
News Agency reported. “The Ministry of Finance reports that it has signed all
the received appropriations and does not have any outstanding ones,” a statement
by the MoF said. For almost a week, the Lebanese have been suffering from severe
electricity rationing that exceeded 8 hours a day in Beirut, while other areas
witnessed daily power rationing that exceeded 12 hours. EDL had announced that
its stock of fuel oil has dropped to its lowest levels which resulted in a drop
of electricity supply because of the failure to open necessary letters of credit
and the difficulty of completing the banking procedures.
Albanian Minister in Lebanon for Syria Repatriation Efforts
Associated Press/February 26/2021
Albania's interior minister on Thursday said he was in Lebanon looking to
repatriate more Albanians related to other nationals who had joined Islamic
extremist groups in Syria and Iraq. Bledi Cuci, in Beirut in the last two days,
said he met with Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon's General Security
Directorate whom Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had described as
"instrumental" in a previous successful attempt. The minister did not say
whether he would be able to repatriate any Albanians, only adding that his visit
was a "significant indicator of the insistence of the Albanian government to
repatriate Albanian citizens from Syria." Last October four children and a woman
related to Albanian nationals killed in fighting with Islamic extremist groups
in Syria were repatriated. The woman had severe health problems. "We shall work
with the same devotion and determination to successfully finalize this
operation, like we did the first time," said Cuci. Authorities have not
specified the number of Albanians still in detention camps in Syria, only saying
they have been identified. Their relatives in Albania say 52 children are still
in Syria. In October then-Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj said 20 other
Albanian women and children were interviewed and were expected to be
repatriated, adding that camp authorities were reluctant to release adults who
could have been involved in criminal activities. A few hundred Albanians joined
the Islamic State and other groups fighting in Syria and Iraq in the early
2010s. Many were killed, and their widows and children are stuck in Syrian
camps. Two years ago the Italian government, the Red Cross and Red Crescent
repatriated an 11-year-old Albanian boy who had been taken to Syria by his
mother when she joined the Islamic State group. The boy was trapped there after
his mother's death.
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February 26- 27/2021
Damascus Slams U.S. Strike as Bad Omen for Biden
Administration
Agence France Presse/February 26/2021
Syria on Friday condemned a deadly .US. air strike on Iran-backed militias in
its far east as a bad omen from the administration of new U.S. President Joe
Biden. The U.S. said it carried out the strikes overnight at a Syria-Iraq border
control point used by Iran-backed groups, destroying "multiple facilities" in
retaliation for a spate of rocket attacks targeting its troops in Iraq. A war
monitor said at least 22 fighters were killed in the operation that struck three
trucks loaded with munitions coming from Iraq near the Syrian frontier town of
Albu Kamal. It was the first U.S. military action targeting such groups since
Biden took office five weeks ago and came just as Washington had opened the door
to resuming negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. "At President
Biden's direction," the U.S. raids targeted "infrastructure utilized by
Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby
said. "These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against
American and coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those
personnel." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike killed at
least 22 fighters from Iraq's state-sponsored Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary
force. The raid also destroyed border posts of the Hashed, an umbrella group
that includes many small militias with ties to Iran, said the monitor. Kirby
said the location was used by Kataeb Hezbollah and Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, two
Iraqi pro-Iran groups operating under the Hashed. Kataeb Hezbollah said one of
its fighters was killed. It identified him as Rahi al-Sharifi, and said he had
been "stationed at the Iraqi-Syrian border to protect Iraq's land and people
from the gangs" of the Islamic State group.
-'Bad sign'-
Syria condemned the strike as "cowardly American aggression.""It is a bad sign
regarding the policies of the new U.S. administration which should adhere to
international" norms, its foreign ministry said.m Iraq's defense ministry denied
the U.S. had coordinated with it to conduct the strike, saying it only works
together with the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against IS. Syria's ally
Russia also condemned the attack, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
questioning the Biden administration's plans in Syria. "It is very important for
us to understand the United States' strategic line on the ground," he said. The
U.S. action followed three rocket attacks on facilities in Iraq used by U.S. and
coalition forces fighting IS. One of those strikes, on a military complex in the
Kurdish regional capital Arbil on February 15, killed a civilian and a foreign
contractor working with coalition forces, and wounded several U.S. contractors
and a soldier.
Last week, the Biden administration offered talks with Iran led by European
allies as it seeks to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal, left on the brink of collapse
after Biden's predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from it.
But the new administration has also made clear it would not brook "malign
activities" in the region by Iran.
'Unambiguous message' -
Although Kataeb Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the attacks, U.S.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said it was behind them. "We're confident in the
target we went after. We know what we hit," he said. "We are confident that the
target was being used by the same Shia militia that conducted the strikes"
against U.S. interests in Iraq, he added. Iran is believed to be searching for
an opportunity to avenge the U.S. assassination of top general Qasem Soleimani
one year ago. Soleimani, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander, was Iran's key
liaison to its allies in Iraq and Syria, and elsewhere in the region. He was
killed in a U.S. drone strike just as he arrived in Baghdad for meetings with
top Iraqi officials. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday the U.S.
would "hold Iran responsible for the actions of its proxies that attack
Americans" but would not "lash out" and risk destabilizing Iraq. Kirby also
called Thursday's strike "proportionate.""The operation sends an unambiguous
message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel,"
he said. "At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to
de-escalate the overall situation."Nicholas Heras, of the Institute of the Study
of War, said other diplomatic interests were also at play. "The Biden
administration is in the process of seeking out a way to show the Israelis that
it is willing to do more against Iran and its proxy groups in the region,
especially in Syria," he said.
Biden will protect US interests, White House says in first remarks on Syria
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/Published: 26 February ,2021
The US decision to bomb an Iran-backed militia inside Syria was meant to send a
message that attacks against Americans would not go unnoticed, the White House
said Friday in its first comments since the airstrike the night before.
President Joe Biden ordered the airstrike on targets near the Syrian-Iraqi
border late Thursday in response to recent attacks against US and US-led
Coalition forces inside Iraq. The “deliberative” strike was meant to send an
“unambiguous message” from Biden that he would act to protect Americans, White
House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One. The aim was
for “de-escalating activity in both Syria and Iraq.”She added that the US
president had the right to respond and take action “at the time and the manner
of his choosing” when there are threats to US interests. Asked what Biden’s “red
lines” were for strikes or attacks on US troops or interests, Psaki said: “I've
been doing this long enough not to set new red lines.”
U.S. Strikes Iran-backed Militias in Syria in Biden First
Agence France Presse/February 26/2021
The US military has struck Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria, killing at
least 22 fighters according to a war monitor, in what the Pentagon said was a
message from the new administration after recent rocket attacks targeting US
troops in Iraq. In its first military action against Iran-linked groups since
Joe Biden became president five weeks ago, the Pentagon said it had carried out
air strikes on Thursday at a Syria-Iraq border control point used by Iran-backed
groups, destroying "multiple facilities". "At President Biden's direction", the
US raids targeted "infrastructure utilised by Iranian-backed militant groups in
eastern Syria", spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "These strikes were
authorised in response to recent attacks against American and coalition
personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel," he said. The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 22 fighters were killed when
the strike hit three trucks loaded with munitions coming from Iraq near the
Syrian border town of Albu Kamal. Militia border posts were also destroyed, the
war monitor said. It said all the dead were from Iraq's state-sponsored Hashed
al-Shaabi force, an umbrella group that includes many small militias with ties
to Iran. Kirby said the location was used by Kataeb Hezbollah and Kataeb Sayyid
al-Shuhada, two Iraqi pro-Iran groups operating under the Hashed umbrella.Syrian
state television condemned the "American aggression" against the fighters, who
are allied with the Damascus government.
Reprisal for rocket attacks
The US action followed three rocket attacks on facilities in Iraq used by US and
coalition forces fighting the Islamic State group.
One of those strikes, on a military complex in the Kurdish regional capital
Arbil on February 15, killed a civilian and a foreign contractor working with
coalition forces, and wounded several US contractors and a soldier. The attacks
in Iraq laid down a challenge to the new Biden administration just as it opened
a door to resumed negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme. Last
week, the administration offered talks with Iran led by European allies as it
seeks to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal, left on the brink of collapse after
Biden's predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from it. But the administration has
also made clear it will not brook "malign activities" in the region by Iran.
Although Kataeb Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the attacks, US
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the powerful pro-Iranian group was
behind them. "We're confident in the target we went after. We know what we hit,"
he told reporters on the plane flying back to Washington after a tour of the
aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the California coast. "We are confident that the
target was being used by the same Shia militia that conducted the strikes"
against US interests in Iraq, he said.
Iran is believed to be searching for an opportunity to avenge the US
assassination of top general Qasem Soleimani one year ago. Soleimani, a senior
Revolutionary Guards commander, was Iran's key liaison to its allies in Iraq and
Syria, and elsewhere in the region. He was killed in a US drone strike just as
he arrived in Baghdad for meetings with top Iraqi officials. State Department
spokesman Ned Price said Monday the US would "hold Iran responsible for the
actions of its proxies that attack Americans" but would not "lash out" and risk
destabilising Iraq. Kirby called Thursday's strike "proportionate" and said it
"was conducted together with diplomatic measures," including consultation with
US partners in the anti-IS coalition. "The operation sends an unambiguous
message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel,"
he said. "At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to
de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq," he added.
Explosion Hits Israeli-Owned Ship in Mideast amid Tension
Associated Press/February 26/2021
An explosion struck an Israeli-owned cargo ship sailing out of the Middle East
on Friday, an unexplained blast renewing concerns about ship security in the
region amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
The crew and vessel were safe, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Operations, which is run by the British navy. The explosion in the Gulf of Oman
forced the vessel to head to the nearest port.
The incident recalled the summer of 2019, when the same site saw a series of
suspected attacks that the U.S. Navy blamed on Iran, which Tehran denied.
Meanwhile, as U.S. President Joe Biden tries to revive nuclear negotiations with
Iran, he ordered overnight airstrikes on facilities in Syria belonging to a
powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group.
Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, identified the stricken vessel as
the MV Helios Ray, a Bahamian-flagged roll-on, roll-off vehicle cargo ship.
Another private security official, who spoke to The Associated Press on
condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, similarly identified the
ship as the Helios Ray. Satellite-tracking data from website MarineTraffic.com
showed the Helios Ray had been nearly entering the Arabian Sea around 0600 GMT
Friday before it suddenly turned around and began heading back toward the Strait
of Hormuz. It was coming from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and still listed Singapore
as its destination on its tracker. The blast comes as Tehran increasingly
breaches its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers to create leverage over
Washington. Iran is seeking to pressure Biden to grant the sanctions relief it
received under the deal that former President Donald Trump abandoned nearly
three years ago. Iran also has blamed Israel for a recent series of attacks,
including a mysterious explosion last summer that destroyed an advanced
centrifuge assembly plant at its Natanz nuclear facility and the killing of
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian scientist who founded the Islamic Republic's
military nuclear program two decades ago. Capt. Ranjith Raja of the data firm
Refinitiv told the AP that the Israeli-owned vessel had left the Persian Gulf
Thursday bound for Singapore. On Friday at 0230 GMT, the vessel stopped for at
least 9 hours east of a main Omani port before making a 360-degree turn and
sailing toward Dubai, likely for damage assessment and repairs, he said. The
vessel came loaded with cargo from Europe. It discharged vehicles at several
ports in the region, Raja added, including in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates
and Saudi Arabia, with its last port of call at Dammam.
While details of the explosion remained unclear, two American defense officials
told the AP that the ship had sustained two holes on its port side and two holes
on its starboard side just above the waterline in the blast. The officials said
it remained unclear what caused the holes. They spoke to the AP on condition of
anonymity to discuss unreleased information on the incidents.
A United Nations ship database identified the vessel's owners as a Tel
Aviv-based firm called Ray Shipping Ltd. Calls to Ray Shipping rang unanswered
Friday. Abraham Ungar, 74, who goes by "Rami," is the founder of Ray Shipping
Ltd., and is known as one of the richest men in Israel. He made his fortune in
shipping and construction. According to the Nikola Y. Vaptsarov Naval Academy,
where Ungar provides support and maritime training, he owns dozens of
car-carrying ships and employs thousands of engineers. The U.S. Navy's
Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said it was "aware and monitoring" the situation. While
the circumstances of the explosion remain unclear, Dryad Global said it was very
possible the blast stemmed from "asymmetric activity by Iranian military." As
Iran seeks to pressure the United States to lift sanctions, the country may seek
"to exercise forceful diplomacy through military means," Dryad reported. Iran
did not immediately acknowledge the incident.In the tense summer of 2019, the
U.S. military blamed Iran for explosions on two oil tankers near the Strait of
Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic shipping lanes. The U.S. also had
attributed a series of other suspected attacks to Iran, including the use of
limpet mines - designed to be attached magnetically to a ship's hull - to
cripple four oil tankers off the nearby Emirati port of Fujairah. Israel did not
immediately comment on the blast. Since the killing of Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian
nuclear scientist, last November, Israeli officials have raised alarms about
potential Iranian retaliation, including through its regional proxies like
Lebanon's Hizbullah and Yemen's Houthi rebels. Over the years, Iran has been
linked to attacks on Israeli and Jewish civilian targets in Latin America,
Europe and Asia. Israel has not commented on its alleged role in the scientist's
killing.
Friday's incident also follows normalization deals between Israel and the UAE
and Bahrain. The agreements, met with scathing criticism from Iran, solidified
an emerging regional alliance against the Islamic Republic.
Pentagon top brass gear up for US future strategies in the
region
The Weekly Arab/February 26/2021
WASHINGTON / TUNIS--Senior US military officials are visiting countries in North
Africa and the Gulf region to update their take on realities on the ground and
help shape President Joe Biden’s vision for promoting US interests in the
region.
Through talks with leaders and military counterparts in countries of the region
they are seen as seeking to determine the political-military directions the US
needs to follow to meet the challenges facing its military command in Africa (AFRICOM)
and US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces in their areas of operations. On
Wednesday, Christopher Cavoli, US Army Europe and Africa Commander, and Major
General Andrew Rohling, head of the Southern Europe Task Force, arrived in
Tunisia, confirming the Biden administration’s interest in reviewing the
stationing of US forces in North Africa, a strategic area linking the African
continent to Europe from which the US can pursue its fight against terrorist
activities in the Sahel and sub-Saharan countries. In press statements, Rohling
announced that in June Tunisia will host the largest part of the “African Lion”
military exercises, which are held annually under US supervision. “This year
we’ll conduct African Lion with about 10,000 troops and about 20,000 from our
partner nations. We’re going to conduct it in three countries: Morocco, Senegal
and Tunisia,” he said.
These exercises include naval and air exercises, and also involve the United
States, Britain, Egypt, Mauritania, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany and Spain.
Cavoli said the exercises “are going to give us the opportunity to work
interoperability issues not just with key African partners but also with some of
our European allies as well.”
He stressed that “Tunisia is an extremely important partner for the United
States.” In recent days, US Ambassador to Tunisia Donald Blome met with the head
of Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement, Rached Ghannouchi, and Prime Minister Hichem
Mechichi, while President Kais Saied met with European Union ambassadors on
Tuesday amid speculation that Tunisia could be the focus of growing US-French
competition as an extension of competition between Paris and Washington in Libya
and the Sahel region. According to French security sources, Paris resents
playing second fiddle to Washington on military and security matters since 2011,
when the French were apparently caught off guard with the collapse of the regime
of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Senior European diplomats who met
with Saied said they conveyed to him their concern about Tunisia’s ongoing
political standoff that has blocked the swearing-in of eleven members of
government.
New Biden agenda
US experts say that the Biden administration could be amenable to boosting its
support for Tunisia’s democratic transition as part of plans to support
democracy and human rights in the region. Tunisia faces a serious economic
crisis that some experts fear could threaten its democratic transition. The
economy contracted in 2020 by an unprecedented 8.8%. There are concerns among a
number of Arab analysts that the new Biden agenda of democracy and human rights
promotion could lead to a revival of “Arab Spring” upheaval, widely seen as
having brought chaos and violent strife and paved the way for the growth of
jihadism in the region. Analysts believe the visit of Cavoli and Rohling
reflects a geographic scope of interest that goes beyond Tunisia. They see the
Biden administration as planing to reexamine the positioning and tasks of US
forces in southern Europe, North Africa and other regions, based on the
participation of military forces in the formulation of new foreign policies that
balance military and security concerns with diplomatic roles to promote American
interests.
US relations with Tunisia, Morocco and to a lesser extent Algeria have gained
special importance for Washington since Russia introduced advanced military
equipment in Libya last year, including combat aircraft and air defence and
radar systems, and secured strategic locations near oil wells.
Political instability and social upheaval could threaten the stability of the
Maghreb region and intensify security threats there, especially as the situation
in Libya is still precarious. Former Tunisian Deputy Ambassador to Libya Bashir
Jouini told The Arab Weekly that Tunisia could serve as a launch-pad for
Washington to address the Libya situation and contribute to the final settlement
there through the UN support mission in Libya, with a broader focus on
containing North Africa’s socioeconomic and security problems and promoting the
election of democratic systems. The Pentagon has sent a specialised military
training unit to North Africa last year. Elements of that unit, known as the
Security Forces Assistance Brigade, will for the first time coordinate the
multinational “African Lion” exercise this year.
Iran concerns linger
“Currently, we have Security Force Assistance elements in Djibouti, we have them
in Tunisia, and we’re making reconnaissance in other countries across Africa,”
Rohling said at the briefing. Cavoli and Rohling’s visit to Tunisia came shortly
after a tour by General Kenneth F. McKenzie, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM),
in which he explored the Red Sea operations area, southern Arabia and Egypt to
define a vision for future US strategies towards the conflict in Yemen and the
risk of confrontation with Iran. McKenzie met with Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi on Monday. After the meeting, the senior US military official
expressed “keenness to continue the pace of coordination and consultation with
Egypt regarding regional issues,” in a clear reference to Cairo’s strategic role
within American plans, despite disagreements over human rights issues and
Egypt’s acquisition of non-US armament, including the purchase of Sukhoi-35
Russian fighters. McKenzie urged Iran Sunday not to undertake any “nefarious
activities” if it wants to rebuild trust. “I would think this would be a good
time for everybody to behave soberly and cautiously, and see what happens,”
McKenzie said.
“I do believe we will be prepared for any eventuality, however,” he added.
Analysts believe that McKenzie’s visit was aimed at gathering facts and
factoring in recent security related developments on the ground to fine-tune the
new administration’s strategies towards Iran and gauge Tehran’s threats to its
neighbours. Beyond advocating for human rights and democratic governance,
Washington wants to show friend and foe that it is also attentive to security
challenges, such as Iran’s designs in the Red Sea and its threats to the US
presence in Iraq.
In North Africa, the US is projecting a commitment to the security and stability
of a strategic region that is close to Europe and to the fight against extremism
in the Maghreb, the Sahel and Sahara regions.
Iran-backed faction in Iraq launched drone attack on Saudi
palace
The Weekly Arab/February 26/2021
BAGHDAD--Explosive-laden drones that targeted Saudi Arabia’s royal palace in the
kingdom’s capital last month were launched from inside Iraq, a senior
Iran-backed militia official in Baghdad and a US official said.
Speaking to The Associated Press this week, the militia official said three
drones were launched from Iraqi-Saudi border areas by a relatively unknown
Iran-backed faction in Iraq and crashed into the royal complex in Riyadh on Jan.
23, exacerbating regional tensions.
Attacks on the Saudi capital have been sporadic amid the kingdom’s yearslong war
against neighbouring Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Earlier this month, the rebels
targeted an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia with bomb-laden drones, causing
a civilian plane on the tarmac to catch fire.
The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, however, denied carrying out the attack that
targeted Saudi Arabia’s Yamama Palace on Jan. 23.
The comments by the senior Iraqi militia official mark the first time an
Iran-backed group has acknowledged that Iraq was the origin of the attack, and
points to the challenge Baghdad faces in halting attacks by Iranian-backed
militia factions in Iraq.
It followed a claim of responsibility allegedly issued by a little-known group
called Awliya Wa’ad al-Haq, or “The True Promise Brigades,” that circulated on
social media, calling it retaliation for a suicide bombing claimed by the
Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group in a Baghdad shopping district on Jan. 21.
The militia official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorised to speak publicly about the attack, said the drones came “in parts
from Iran and were assembled in Iraq, and were launched from Iraq.” He did not
disclose where along the border the drones were launched and did not provide
more details about the group claiming the attack. Iran-backed groups have
splintered significantly since the Washington-directed strike that killed
Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in
Baghdad more than a year ago. Both were key in commanding and controlling a wide
array of Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq. Since their deaths, militias have
become increasingly unruly and disparate. Some Washington-based analysts argue
the militias have become splintered only to allow them to claim attacks under
different names to mask their involvement. A US official said Washington
believes the Jan. 23 attack on the Yamama Palace was launched from inside Iraq.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not elaborate or say how
the US came to this conclusion. An Iraqi official, speaking on condition of
anonymity in line with regulations, said the US intelligence was shared with
Iraq’s government. Launching a strike from Iraq would pose a challenge to Saudi
air defences, now focused on threats from Iran to the northeast and Yemen from
the south. Such drones also are small enough and fly low enough to the ground to
not be picked up on radar. The attack comes as Iraq seeks to deepen economic
ties with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies over a variety of investment
projects. Last week, Iraq’s President Barham Salih visited the United Arab
Emirates and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein visited Saudi Arabia this week,
apparently to discuss the attack.
G20 Finance Chiefs Meet on Covid Recovery, Aid to Poor
Countries
Agence France Presse/February 26/2021
G20 finance ministers and central bankers were meeting Friday to align plans to
relaunch the global economy after the coronavirus pandemic and to limit the harm
to the worst-off nations shut out of the race for vaccines. The video
conference, which Italy was chairing as G20 president, is the first such meeting
in post for US President Joe Biden's new Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is
expected to be far less confrontational than Donald Trump's representatives at
past gatherings. "With the new American administration, it will certainly be
easier to reach a deal" for increased aid to poorer nations, international
economy professor Lucia Tajoli of Milan's Polytechnic business school told AFP.
But while "Joe Biden's approach to international cooperation is much more
open... it won't be easy to gather funds given the economic crisis hitting many
countries," she added. On Thursday, Washington urged wealthy G20 countries to
launch a truly global, coordinated vaccination campaign. "Without access to
vaccines, low-income countries in particular will experience further tragic loss
of life and needlessly delay their economic recoveries," Yellen wrote in an open
letter to her G20 finance counterparts.
New moves on debt -
Yellen also signalled openness to issuing new so-called Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
at the International Monetary Fund to worse-off countries, reversing a Trump
position. Several G20 countries have already suggested the move, after the
financial instruments -- which can be exchanged for US dollars, euros, Chinese
renminbi, Japanese yen or British pounds -- proved their worth as crisis
firefighting tools in 2009. Financial crisis-era SDR allocations amounted to
around half the $500 billion now under discussion. But a source close to the
Italian presidency dampened expectations of a quick deal, saying "it is
premature to talk about a sum" as "the decision on the SDR can only be taken
after the [IMF] has made a proposal." Last year, the G20 also agreed a pause in
debt interest payments for the poorest countries, extending it until June 30
this year. However, the impact of this initiative "hasn't been as broad an
impact as had been hoped. The private sector didn't participate in it and, in
many parts of the world, the China Development Bank (CDB) has not been
participating," the President of the World Bank, David Malpass, told Italy's La
Stampa newspaper. In November, the G20 finance ministers also agreed a framework
for reducing debt burdens. So far Chad, Zambia and Ethiopia have asked for their
debt to be restructured. "Debt alleviation, which had been swept under the rug,
is now on the agenda and we can certainly expect a step forward," Federico
Niglia, an international relations professor at Rome's Luiss university, said to
AFP. So far just 46 of the 73 eligible countries have delayed debt interest
payments worth a total of $5.7 billion.
- The threat of 'Great Divergence' -
The debt question deals with minuscule amounts compared with the $14 trillion
mobilised by G20 countries to reboot their own pandemic-hit economies. The
recovery "from the worst recession since World War II" will be "long and
uncertain," IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned in a separate interview with
La Stampa. "The prospects for recovery are diverging dangerously across
countries", against the backdrop of "a slow rollout of vaccines even as new
mutations are spreading", she said. "So, my deepest concern is that the Great
Lockdown of 2020 could morph into a Great Divergence in 2021 and beyond",
Georgieva added. The IMF has forecast a 5.5 percent rebound in worldwide
GDP this year, followed by 4.2 percent growth in 2022. The G20 gathering, which
started as scheduled at 1130 GMT, was also due to turn its gaze to international
finance, as although markets have proved resilient through the health crisis,
borrowing costs have risen sharply since early February.One factor is Biden's
planned $1.9 trillion stimulus programme for the US economy. Luiss professor
Niglia noted that investors fear that "an uncontrolled rebound in the global
economy could trigger a surge in inflation".
The European Central Bank (ECB), however, issued a reassuring message Friday, as
its executive board member Isabel Schnabel said it could broaden its support for
the economy in case of a sharp rise in interest rates.
5 Protesters Die, Dozens Injured in Clashes in Iraq’s
Nasiriyah
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 26 February, 2021
At least five protesters were killed and more than 175 people injured on Friday
in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the southern Iraqi city
of Nasiriyah, a Reuters witness and other sources said. Among the fatalities,
most of the protesters died from bullet wounds, a hospital source said, adding
that about 120 protesters were wounded, reported Reuters. At least 57 members of
the security forces were injured, according to another hospital source and a
security source. The clashes continued on Friday evening after a week of
violence that erupted on Sunday when security forces fired to disperse
protesters, who were trying to storm the provincial government building using
rocks and Molotov cocktails. Protesters are demanding the removal of the
governor and justice for protesters who killed since 2019. Iraq's biggest
anti-government protests in decades broke out in October 2019 and continued for
several months, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis demanding jobs, services
and the removal of the ruling elite, whom they accused of corruption. Nearly 500
people were killed, and the protests caused the resignation of Prime Minister
Adel Abdul Mehdi. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took office in May
2020, has pledged justice for activists killed or abused by armed groups. But no
prosecutions have occurred so far. The clashes come just a week before Pope
Francis visits Iraq from March 5 to 8. He is due to tour the ancient
Mesopotamian site of Ur, only a few kilometers away from the clashes.
MTN to Appeal Syrian Court Ruling to Put its Unit
under Judicial Custody
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 26 February, 2021
South Africa’s MTN Group said on Friday it intended to appeal a ruling from the
Administrative Court of Damascus to place the company’s Syrian business under
judicial guardianship and was also considering other steps. The latest lawsuit
is an added headache for the mobile operator, whose entry into the Middle East
has been marred by allegations, which it has denied, that it used bribes to win
a 15-year operating license in Iran and also that it aided militant groups in
Afghanistan. The company said a lawsuit was filed to the court by the Syrian
Ministry of Telecommunications and the Syrian Telecommunications and Post
Regulatory Authority earlier this month, seeking interim measures against MTN
Syria. The Syrian State Council said on Thursday this was after MTN had violated
its obligations in its licensing contract, which deprived the Treasury of 21.5%
of the total revenues. According to the court order, the judicial guardian will
be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of MTN Syria, in which MTN
has a 75% stake. Chairman of TeleInvest, the minority shareholder of MTN Syria,
has been appointed to serve as the judicial guardian. “MTN Group strongly
disagrees with the allegations made before the court as well as the court’s
decision and intends to file an appeal. In addition, MTN is also considering
other appropriate steps to take in light of the ruling,” it said in a statement.
This comes as MTN is planning to sell its stake in MTN Syria to TeleInvest as
part of plans to exit the Middle East in the medium term. In a response to
questions, MTN’s spokeswoman said advanced talks with TeleInvest were on hold
until the matter is resolved. In the six months to June 2020, MTN Syria
contributed 0.7% to the group’s reported earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation and amortisation. At that time, the net assets attributable to MTN
Syria in the MTN Group accounts had been written down to the estimated
recoverable amount of 1.4 billion rand ($80 million).
Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on illegal
annexation of Crimea by Russia
February 26, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global
Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the
following statement:
“As we mark Ukraine’s Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous
Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Canada reiterates its unequivocal
condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea. We remain
committed to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we
stand with the people of Ukraine who continue to fight tirelessly for their
fundamental rights and freedoms.
“For seven consecutive years, Russia has repeatedly ignored calls from the
international community to reverse its decision to illegally annex and occupy
Crimea, which grossly violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Russia must comply with its international obligations and cease illegal
occupation of Crimea.
“Canada is deeply concerned by Russia’s efforts to militarize Crimea and
suppress human rights on the peninsula, especially those of Crimean Tatars, who
have been particularly targeted. We also denounce the banning of the Mejlis, the
Tatars’ self-governing body, and call on Russia to release all political
prisoners who have been unlawfully detained.
“Canada supports Ukraine’s new initiative, the Crimea Platform, aimed at
bringing the de-occupation of Crimea to the forefront of international
discussions.
“Canada is committed to support local civil society organizations in Ukraine
working on human rights reporting, the protection of Crimean Tatar identity and
cultural heritage and the provision of humanitarian support to internally
displaced persons in Ukraine.
“We will continue to maintain pressure on Russia until Russia respects Ukraine’s
sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.”
Saudi Arabia categorically rejects US report on murder of
Jamal Khashoggi: Statement
Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya English/February 27/2021
The Saudi government categorically rejects what was stated in the report
provided to US Congress regarding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, according to a
statement published by the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry. “The Kingdom's government
categorically rejects the abusive and incorrect conclusions contained in the
report about the Kingdom's leadership and cannot be accepted in any way, and
that the report included a set of information and other incorrect conclusions,”
the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The Kingdom also confirms what was
previously issued in this regard by the competent authorities in the Kingdom
that this is a heinous crime that constituted a flagrant violation of the
Kingdom's laws and values committed by a group that violated all regulations and
violated the powers of the agencies in which they were working,” the foreign
ministry added.
Saudi Crown Prince says Khashoggi murder a ‘heinous crime,’ takes responsibility
Khashoggi was murdered on October 20, 2018, after a fistfight broke out at the
Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor had said
at the time. He was visiting the consulate to complete paperwork related to his
divorce. At the time, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested 18 Saudis for
investigation in connection with events surrounding Khashoggi’s murder. The
statement added that “all necessary judicial measures have been taken to
investigate them and bring them to justice, and final court rulings were issued
against them, and the Khashoggi family had welcomed them.” The sons of the late
Khashoggi said last May said that they have pardoned the killers of their
father. A Saudi Arabian court in December 2019 sentenced five people to death
for the murder of Khashoggi, and three others were sentenced to a total of 24
years in jail. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the release of the US
intelligence report was “truly regrettable” and that it included “wrong and
unjustified conclusions.”“It is truly regrettable that such a report and the
wrong and unjustified conclusions it contained were issued at a time when the
Kingdom condemned this heinous crime and its leadership took the necessary steps
to ensure that such an unfortunate incident would not be repeated in the
future,” the statement read.
The Foreign Ministry said the Kingdom rejects any matter that would “prejudice
its leadership, sovereignty and independence of its judiciary.” The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs affirmed that the partnership between Saudi Arabia and the
United States in its statement released on Friday. “The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs affirms that the partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the
United States of America is a strong and solid partnership over the past eight
decades on solid foundations based on mutual respect, and institutions in the
two countries are working to strengthen them in various fields, and to intensify
coordination and cooperation between them to achieve security and stability in
the region and the world. We hope that these solid foundations, which formed a
strong framework for the two countries' strategic partnership, will continue,”
the foreign ministry said. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told
CBS “60 Minutes” in 2019 that he takes “full responsibility” for the grisly
murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi but denied allegations that he
ordered it. “When a crime is committed against a Saudi citizen by officials,
working for the Saudi government, as a leader I must take responsibility. This
was a mistake. And I must take all actions to avoid such a thing in the future,”
he said at the time.
Biden, Salman speak as US targeting of Saudi crown prince intensifies
The Weekly Arab/February 26/2021
WASHINGTON / RIYADH--US President Joe Biden and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz
Al Saud held a long-awaited first phone call Thursday, stressing the enduring
strength of ties ahead of the publication of a US intelligence report on the
2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi. The report would further target
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and cast a huge shadow over
relations between the United States and its most significant ally in the Arab
world which had flourished under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump. In their
phone call, Biden and the Saudi monarch were said to have discussed “the US
commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks from
Iranian-aligned groups,” according to a statement from the White House. But the
statement added that Biden told King Salman he would work for bilateral ties “as
strong and transparent as possible,” in a hint to the expected release of the
intelligence report on Khashoggi’s murder. According to Arab and Western
analysts, the targeting of Crown Prince Mohammed through this report could mean
excluding Riyadh from any future arrangements involving the Iranian nuclear
file.
A month into the Biden administration, it has become clear that “recalibrating”
relations with Saudi Arabia is a priority for the United States. It is not
clear, however, what was the endgame behind the US’s particular focus on the
Khashoggi case is, even though many leaks have fueled speculation that
Washington’s undeclared is to “remove” Crown Prince Mohammed from his position
as crown prince. The Pentagon announced earlier in the week that US Defence
Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to “Saudi Defence Minister” Crown Prince Mohammed,
hence describing the conversation between Austin and his Saudi interlocutor as
one between two ministers instead of one between a US cabinet member and the
crown prince of Saudi Arabia who is the day-to-day de facto ruler of his
country.
Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he had read the classified report on
Khashoggi, without making any comments about it. But questions have swirled
about the US president’s intent regarding Riyadh and whether he will he continue
using harsh rhetoric against the country as he did on the campaign trial. The
other question is whether the Biden administration’s post-election
considerations will be different from those on the campaign trail and if
Washington will eventually prioritise its higher interests over other concerns,
including human rights. While Biden will only communicate with the king, others
in his administration are talking to Saudi officials at several levels.
US diplomatic and media pressure against Saudi Arabia seemed to intensify on the
eve of Biden’s call to King Salman on Thursday. Analysts believe another goal is
to obtain concessions from Riyadh on issues where the new US administration
wants to achieve immediate success, such as the Yemen and Iranian nuclear files.
During the Thursday call, Biden and the Saudi king emphasised the countries’
security ties and “the US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory
as it faces attacks from Iranian-aligned groups,” said The White House.
Publication of the Khashoggi report, expected Friday, could complicate US-Saudi
relations.
Saudi affairs experts believe that Biden’s delay in contacting King Salman for
weeks since his inauguration and the critical statements made by many figures in
the new administration as well as media leaks and published reports are all
attempts to confuse the Saudis and compel them to make concessions that would
ultimately serve the Biden administration’s agenda and to a certain extent
fulfill his electoral pledges.
Experts believe that the Saudis have so far only expressed a diplomatic desire
to cooperate with the new administration, especially to reach a political
settlement in Yemen, but have not displayed a willingness to accept the reset of
relations at their expense as a fait accompli. Experts feel Riyadh is unlikely
to agree to withdraw from Yemen without guarantees that its national security
needs will be met. That could push Washington to use its backchannels to
pressure Iran and the Houthis into accepting mutual concessions so as to make
sure that the fighting does not flare up once current conditions change.
The US pressure is also not expected to lead to Saudi concessions on the Iranian
nuclear issue due to the issue’s domestic sensitivity in Riyadh, especially due
to Crown Prince Mohammed’ hardline position on the 2015 nuclear agreement with
Iran and demands that the deal include additional provisions curtailing Iran’s
expansionism in the region and its interference in other countries’ internal
affairs. Biden pledged in his 2020 presidential campaign to reassess US-Saudi
relations and draw conclusions from the Khashoggi murder. Since taking office,
the US president has suspended the sale of offensive weapons that Saudi Arabia
could use in Yemen and appointed a special envoy to bolster diplomatic efforts
to end the war there. The official stances coincided with leaks aimed at
pressuring Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed. CNN has just published a
summary of documents it described as confidential, saying that the two private
jets used by the group accused of murdering Khashoggi were owned by a company
belonging to the Saudi crown prince. The network also carried an admission by
William Burns, Biden’s nominee to head the CIA, contained in a written
questionnaire submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee ahead of
Wednesday’s confirmation hearing that “he received a group trip to the Super
Bowl as a holiday gift from the Saudi ambassador sometime over the last five
years.”
U.S. to Release Report Blaming Saudi Prince in Khashoggi
Murder
Agence France Presse/February 26/2021
The US director of national intelligence is expected to release a damning report
Friday that blames Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the brutal murder
and dismemberment of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. The
classified report is believed to say that, based on intelligence collected by
the CIA and other spy bodies, the kingdom's de facto leader directed the
assassination of the respected US-based writer in the Saudi consulate in
Istanbul. The prince has steadfastly denied a part in the murder, even as some
of his closest advisors have been shown to be deeply involved. Intent on
strengthening relations with Riyadh, previous US president Donald Trump's
administration avoided making the report public or naming Prince Mohammed in the
case. Its declassification and release comes just as President Joe Biden
endeavors to reset US relations in the Middle East and return principles of
human rights to a prominent position in US policy. Ahead of the release, Biden
spoke on the telephone Thursday with Saudi King Salman, Prince Mohammed's
father, in their first discussion since he became president five weeks ago. A
White House statement on the call did not mention the Khashoggi report, but
Biden said Wednesday that he had read it.
High confidence -
A respected veteran Saudi journalist and editor, Khashoggi was in self-exile and
residing in the United States, writing articles critical of the crown prince
when he was assassinated on October 2, 2018. The 59-year-old writer had been
told by Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States to go to the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul if he wanted to obtain documents for his forthcoming
marriage to a Turkish woman, Hatice Cengiz. There, he was killed and his body
dismembered by a team sent from Riyadh under the direction of a top aide to
Prince Mohammed, Saud al-Qahtani. Just one month after the murder, the US
Central Intelligence Agency concluded with high confidence that Prince Mohammed
had ordered the assassination, according to The Washington Post. But, determined
to maintain strong relations with Riyadh, Trump would not publicly hold the
Saudi strongman responsible, even as the US government demanded the perpetrators
be punished. According to the Post -- for which Khashoggi regularly wrote -- US
intelligence had several key pieces of evidence pointing to Prince Mohammed. One
was a phone call from Prince Mohammed to his brother Khalid bin Salman, the
Saudi ambassador to the United States, that was monitored by US intelligence. In
that call, Prince Mohammed instructed his brother to tell Khashoggi to go to
Istanbul to obtain the documents he needed for his marriage. Another piece of
evidence was a recording of the murder from inside the Istanbul consulate made
by Turkish intelligence, which made clear what happened, helped identify the
participants and showed communications between them and Riyadh.
- Denials -
The prince has denied ordering or knowing about the plot to kill Khashoggi. But
few observers of Saudi Arabia believe the murder could have taken place without
the knowledge of Prince Mohammed, a calculating strongman who has jailed a
number of critics and locked up competing factions in the royal family. Under
heavy pressure from the United States and the international community, the Saudi
government put some of the perpetrators on trial. The closed-door trial
exonerated the two officials widely seen as the masterminds: Qahtani, the royal
court's media adviser, and deputy intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri. Both are
part of Prince Mohammed's inner circle. But five unnamed defendants were
sentenced to death and three others given stiff prison terms. Nine months later,
however, the death sentences were withdrawn by the court and replaced with
sentences of up to 20 years. Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders
both branded the case a "parody of justice."But it assuaged the Trump
administration, whose main action was to place 17 suspects in the case,
including Qahtani but not Assiri, on its sanctions blacklist.
Zamfara secondary school girls kidnapping: Gunmen abduct students from Jangebe
Government Secondary School
NNA /February 26- 27/2021
We dey hear reports say gunmen don kidnap 'hundreds' of girls from dia boarding
secondary school early morning today for di town of Jangebe, for Zamfara state,
north west, Nigeria. Special assistant on public enlightenment Zailani Bappah
confam to BBC say gunmen kidnap school girls from Government secondary school
Jangebe. Di govnor aide add say goment still dey wait for police report on di
incident at di moment. Meanwhile one teacher wey follow BBC tok say di number of
students dem carry fit reach 300. Kabiru Sani wey be vice president of voice of
di masses group for Zamfara state tell BBC say dem kidnap three of im nieces and
im and oda pipo don enter bush to go find dia children. Anoda man tell BBC say
dem kidnap im daughter and two of im nieces and e yan say di gunmen numbering
hundreds enter di school after midnight, dem first handle di gatemen first
before dem pack di students go. Meanwhile reactions don dey pour in afta dis
latest incident. Di United Nations International Children Emergency Fund,
(UNICEF) say "di targeted attack on students, teachers academics and education
personnel dey unacceptable."—BBC
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 26- 27/2021
The IAEA’s Latest Iran NPT Safeguards Report: Tehran
Continues to Stonewall Inspectors
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Andrea Stricker[1]/Institute for Science and
International Security/February 26/2021
This analysis summarizes and assesses information in the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA’s) periodic safeguards report, NPT (Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty) Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of
Iran, the most recent of which was issued on February 23, 2021. The IAEA report
itself represents a thorough overview of the IAEA’s investigation in Iran since
2018 and Tehran’s continued stonewalling of IAEA requests for explanations and
clarifications about undeclared nuclear material and activities. The IAEA calls
on Iran to “clarify and resolve these issues without further delay.”
Key Findings and Recommendations:
The report’s major finding is that there has been “lack of progress in
clarifying the safeguards issues” related to the agency’s investigation into
undeclared nuclear material and activities at four locations in Iran.
The IAEA reports that it detected “anthropogenic uranium particles” at two
undeclared sites in Iran. Iran has not provided credible technical explanations
to the agency to account for the presence of the particles. In January 2020, the
IAEA first requested access to the sites, one called the Tehran site, and the
other called Marivan, but Iran refused. Under international pressure, Iran
finally acquiesced and the IAEA visited and took samples in August and September
2020.
The IAEA reports that “after 18 months, Iran has not provided the necessary,
full and technically credible explanation for the presence of nuclear material
particles” that the agency detected in February 2019 at a warehouse location in
Iran, commonly referred to as Turquz-Abad.
Iran has not explained to the IAEA where nuclear material in the form of a metal
disc is now located, which allegedly relates to Iran’s early efforts to develop
a uranium deuteride neutron initiator for nuclear weapons at the undeclared
Lavisan-Shian site.
Iran’s decision to stop implementing the Additional Protocol (AP) to its
comprehensive safeguards agreement (CSA) on February 23, 2021 does not free Iran
from its legal requirements to answer the IAEA’s questions and provide access to
requested sites. Any attempt by Iran to use its recent actions to reduce IAEA
monitoring and refuse answering the IAEA’s questions or hinder verification
activities at undeclared locations should be severely condemned as a violation
of its comprehensive safeguards agreement, which Iran pledged to continue to
implement “fully and without limitation.”
The IAEA correctly points out in its report that it seeks answers relating to
the “correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations,” the traditional
manner of dealing with the possibility of undeclared materials and activities
under the CSA. As a NPT state party that implements a CSA, Iran is required to
answer the IAEA’s questions about undeclared nuclear material and activities,
with or without an AP in force. Thus, the IAEA is empowered to continue
requesting access to undeclared locations if its concerns pertain to potentially
undeclared nuclear material and activities, and if necessary, request special
inspections, a CSA provision that enables IAEA access to non-declared sites in a
country, including both military and civilian sites.
Iran notified the IAEA that it will no longer implement the CSA’s Modified Code
3.1, which requires Iran to provide the IAEA with notification as a decision is
taken to construct a nuclear facility and related design information, rather
than much closer to the facility’s date of operation with nuclear material. Iran
has claimed this code is a voluntary JCPOA commitment, but the IAEA has reminded
Iran that implementation of Modified Code 3.1 is a legal CSA obligation - not a
voluntary measure - and “cannot be modified unilaterally.” In the past, Iran has
unilaterally suspended its implementation of Modified Code 3.1, in violation of
its safeguards agreement. The IAEA noted that this would be a violation of
Iran’s CSA.
Iran’s continued refusal to cooperate with the agency on these matters, combined
with its steady and provocative nuclear advances and rhetoric over the past
months, call for more IAEA oversight, not less. Iran’s actions and refusal to
explain undeclared nuclear material and activities underscore that the
international community has diminishing confidence that its nuclear program is
devoted strictly to peaceful uses.
At its meeting from March 1-5, 2021, the IAEA Board of Governors should pass a
resolution demanding Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA’s outstanding questions
and concerns with a firm deadline. If Iran continues to deny cooperation, the
Board should vote to refer the matter to the UN Security Council.
Four Locations of Interest
In this report, the IAEA describes in detail its attempts to verify Iran’s
safeguards declarations based on evidence it obtained that alleges Tehran’s
undeclared use or storage of nuclear material at four locations. The IAEA refers
to these as Locations 1, 2, 3, and 4. It obliquely identified them or provided
information enabling their identification in past reporting.2
Location 1 is an open-air warehouse in Tehran, informally known as the Turquz-Abad
site, where Iran likely stored undeclared nuclear material and equipment.3
Location 2 involves questions about Iran’s alleged production of uranium
deuteride for a neutron initiator at Lavisan-Shian, the headquarters of its
early nuclear weapons program.4 Location 3 is the former location of a pilot
uranium conversion facility, which Iran referred to as the “Tehran site” in its
own documentation.5 Location 4 is a former high explosive test site used to test
highly sensitive components of nuclear weapons, called Marivan.6 The IAEA
reports that all four of these locations underwent significant sanitization or
leveling. Some of the concealment activities happened recently, while others
occurred several years ago.
Information about Iran’s alleged activities at the sites came, in part, from an
archive of nuclear weapons documentation that Israel seized from a Tehran
warehouse in 2018.7 The archive contained significant new information about
Iran’s nuclear weapons activities under its late 1990s to 2003 crash nuclear
weapons program, codenamed the “Amad Plan.” The IAEA obtained a copy of this
information and independently assessed it, finding it legitimate, particularly
when combined with information it already had in its possession about Iran’s
military nuclear activities. The agency is pursuing inspections at sites where
Iran may have produced, used, or stored, undeclared nuclear material or
conducted undeclared nuclear-related activities.
Location 1: Turquz-Abad warehouse
The IAEA included in this report its findings about undeclared uranium particles
it detected at Turquz-Abad. It previously included such reporting in its
separate report on Iran’s compliance with UN Security Council resolution 2231,
the resolution associated with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The IAEA reports that it “continued to assess that the explanations provided by
Iran for the uranium-rich particles found at location 1 to be not technically
credible.”
In September 2018, the IAEA obtained information from Israel that the open-air
Turquz-Abad warehouse site contained cargo containers which housed undeclared
nuclear material and equipment relating to Iran’s past nuclear weapons program.8
The IAEA observed activities consistent with “sanitization of the location.”
Commercial satellite imagery acquired and assessed by the Institute indicated
that over the summer of 2018, following Israel’s disclosure of the archive
seizure, Iran removed the cargo containers and scraped the ground at the Turquz-Abad
site, likely in an effort to defeat future IAEA environmental sampling.9
Nonetheless, the IAEA requested access to the site and inspected it in February
2019. The results of sampling indicated “the presence of natural uranium
particles of anthropogenic origin, the composition of which indicated that they
might have been produced through uranium conversion activities.” The IAEA also
detected “isotopically altered particles of low enriched uranium, with a
detectable presence of U-236, and of slightly depleted uranium.” The IAEA added
in a footnote that “the compositions of these isotopically altered particles
were similar to particles found in Iran in the past, originating from imported
centrifuge components.” Pursuant to its investigation into the origins of the
particles, the IAEA also took environmental samples at two related, declared
locations in Iran.
The IAEA assessed Iran’s subsequent explanation for the presence of the
undeclared nuclear material to be “unsatisfactory” because it was “not
technically credible.” The IAEA concluded, “After 18 months, Iran has not
provided the necessary, full and technically credible explanation for the
presence of nuclear material particles.” The IAEA iterated that it is “deeply
concerned that undeclared nuclear material may have been present at this
undeclared location and that such nuclear material remains unreported by Iran
under its Safeguards Agreement.”
Through exchanges of letters between Iran and the agency, the IAEA reported that
“regarding the presence of particles of natural uranium of anthropogenic
(man-made) origin and, in relation to the presence of isotopically altered
particles, Iran said that ‘no reason or basis had been found for such an
assertion.’” Thus, without any reason, Iran essentially denied the IAEA’s
findings from environmental sampling. In a letter dated January 25, 2021, the
IAEA asked Iran to provide “substantial additional clarifications” within two
weeks. Despite the IAEA sending a reminder letter dated February 10, 2021, Iran
has not replied to the agency.
Location 2: Lavisan-Shian
The IAEA also has questions about “the possible presence in Iran between 2002
and 2003 of natural uranium in the form of a metal disc, with indications of it
having undergone drilling and processing, which may not have been included in
Iran’s declarations; the origin of this disc; and where such material is
currently located.” Earlier IAEA reporting obliquely identified the site where
Iran may have carried out this work as Lavisan-Shian, the headquarters of Iran’s
early nuclear weapons program in the 1990s under the Physics Research Center (PHRC).
The IAEA noted that the site “had undergone extensive sanitization and levelling
in 2003 and 2004.” Commercial satellite imagery from that time period indicates
that Tehran tore down the buildings, removed the earth, and built a recreational
park in its place.10
Iran’s nuclear archive revealed how Iran carried out work on producing uranium
deuteride for a neutron initiator. Amad Plan documents sketch out the procedures
it used to make uranium deuteride, including drilling into a piece of uranium
metal. Included in the documentation are photos of the drilling equipment,
located inside a glove box.
The IAEA reported:
In relation to its questions concerning location 2, the Agency decided to
conduct additional verification activities at a declared facility in Iran where
uranium metal had been previously produced (1995-2000) [or early 2002?].11 The
uranium metal produced at this facility was declared to the Agency in 2003 and
has since been under Agency seal there. The purpose of the verification
activities would be to verify whether the natural uranium in the form of a metal
disc identified at location 2 is currently stored at this facility.
The site the IAEA visited is called the Jabr Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Research
Laboratory (JHL) at the Tehran Nuclear Research Center in Tehran. The IAEA
reported that these additional verification activities in September 2020 were
“inconclusive,” and that it requires “an additional verification at the declared
facility.” It concluded, “The current location of the natural uranium in the
form of a metal disc remains to be clarified.”
The IAEA appears, in part at least, to want to conduct another physical
verification inventory (PIV) at JHL, a standard procedure under a CSA designed
to ensure that the total inventory of material, in this case uranium metal,
recorded by Iran is correct. The IAEA would do so by verifying the declared
amount of uranium metal and associated uranium waste materials.
The IAEA previously conducted a PIV at JHL in August 2011, where it “identified
a possible discrepancy of several kilogrammes of natural uranium in the
accountancy records”12 related to Iran’s undeclared, secret experiments to
convert uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) into uranium metal prior to early 2002.13
However, in 2014, the IAEA reevaluated this information, asserting that “the
amount of natural uranium involved was within the uncertainties associated with
nuclear material accountancy and related measurement.”14 This 2014 conclusion is
likely worth a further reevaluation in light of new information.
A new PIV at the JHL and closer scrutiny of its past activities therefore seems
warranted. However, a more fruitful approach may be obtaining a resolution from
the Board of Governors insisting that Iran promptly produce a complete
declaration.
Locations 3 and 4: The Tehran Site and the Marivan Site
Location 3 is identified in the Nuclear Archive as the Tehran site, a secret
Amad Plan pilot uranium conversion site, located near the village of Mobarakiyeh,
about 75 kilometers southeast of Tehran.15 According to the IAEA report, this
location is of concern because it involves “the possible use or storage of
nuclear material and/or conducting of nuclear-related activities, including
research and development activities related to the nuclear fuel cycle. This
location may have been used for the processing and conversion of uranium ore
including fluorination in 2003. This location also underwent significant changes
in 2004, including the demolition of most buildings.” Fluorination of uranium
usually refers to the production of uranium hexafluoride.
Location 4 is the secret Marivan site, near Abadeh. 16 According to the IAEA
report, this site involved “the possible use and storage of nuclear material
where outdoor, conventional explosive testing may have taken place in 2003,
including in relation to testing of shielding in preparation for the use of
neutron detectors.” The IAEA added, “From July 2019 onwards, the Agency observed
activities consistent with efforts to sanitize part of the location.”
The IAEA’s findings about sanitization and concealment activities at these two
sites are supported by satellite imagery independently analyzed by the
Institute.
After the IAEA notified Iran of its need for access to these two sites, Iran
refused to grant the request. In response to Iran’s intransigence, the Board of
Governors passed a resolution on June 19, 2020, calling on Iran, to “fully
cooperate with the Agency and satisfy the Agency’s requests without any further
delay, including by providing prompt access to the locations specified by the
Agency.”17
After delaying for several more months, Iran finally allowed the IAEA to access
these two sites and take environmental samples in August and September 2020.
According to the IAEA report,
The analytical results of the environmental samples taken at locations 3 and 4
indicated the presence of anthropogenic uranium particles that required
explanation by Iran. On 14 January 2021, the Agency conveyed to Iran in separate
letters the results of the analysis and related Agency questions in connection
with locations 3 and 4. Iran has yet to provide answers to the Agency’s related
questions.
During a visit to Tehran from February 20-21, 2021, IAEA Director General Rafael
M. Grossi registered its concern with Iran about “the lack of progress in
clarifying the safeguards issues outlined above” and called on it to “resolve
these issues without further delay.”
[1] Andrea Stricker is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies (FDD).
2. David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Frank Pabian, and Andrea Stricker, “Iran
Defies the International Atomic Energy Agency: the IAEA’s Latest Iran Safeguards
Report,” Institute for Science and International Security, June 10, 2020,
https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/iran-defies-the-international-atomic-energy-agency/8#fn6
↩
3. David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Olli Heinonen, and Frank Pabian, “Presence of
Undeclared Natural Uranium at the Turquz-Abad Nuclear Weaponization Storage
Location,” Institute for Science and International Security, November 20, 2019,
https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/presence-of-undeclared-natural-uranium-at-the-turquz-abad-nuclear-weaponiza
↩
4. “Neutron Source: Iran’s Uranium Deuteride Neutron Initiator,” Institute for
Science and International Security, May 13, 2019, https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/neutron-source-irans-uranium-deuteride-neutron-initiator-1/
↩
5.David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Frank Pabian, “The Amad Plan Pilot Uranium
Conversion Site, Which Iran Denies Ever Existed,” Institute for Science and
International Security, November 9, 2020, https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/the-amad-plan-pilot-uranium-conversion-site/8
↩
6. David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Frank Pabian, “Abadeh is Marivan: A Key,
Former Secret Nuclear Weapons Development Test Site,” Institute for Science and
International Security, November 18, 2020, https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/abadeh-is-marivan-irans-former-secret-nuclear-weapons-development-test-site
↩
7.David E. Sanger and Ronen Bergman, “How Israel, in Dark of Night, Torched its
Way to Iran’s Nuclear Secrets,” The New York Times, July 15, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/15/us/politics/iran-israel-mossad-nuclear.html
Israel reportedly provided the IAEA with separate information about the Turquz-Abad
warehouse that came from intelligence monitoring. See: “Israel Accuses Iran of
Having Secret Atomic Warehouse Near Tehran,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,
September 28, 2018, https://www.rferl.org/a/israeli-prime-minister-netanyahu-accuses-iran-having-secret-atomic-warehouse-outside-tehran/29514107.html↩
8. John Irish and Arshad Mohammed, “Netanyahu, in U.N. Speech, Claims Secret
Iranian Nuclear Site,” Reuters, September 27, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-assembly-israel-iran/netanyahu-in-un-speech-claims-secret-iranian-nuclear-site-idUSKCN1M72FZ
↩
9.David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Olli Heinonen, and Frank Pabian, “Presence of
Undeclared Natural Uranium at the Turquz-Abad Nuclear Weaponization Storage
Location,” Institute for Science and International Security, November 20, 2019,
https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/presence-of-undeclared-natural-uranium-at-the-turquz-abad-nuclear-weaponiza
↩
10. David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Stricker, “The Physics Research
Center and Iran’s Parallel Military Nuclear Program,” Institute for Science and
International Security, February 23, 2012https://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/PHRC_report_23February2012.pdf
↩
11. There is a discrepancy in the dates among IAEA safeguards reports. A 2003
report discusses carrying out a PIV at JHL to “re-verify the natural uranium in
the form of metal declared by Iran in 2003 as having been produced during
previously undeclared conversion experiments carried out between 1995 and early
2002” (see GOV/2003/75, Annex 1, para. 25 and GOV/2004/60, Annex, para. 2). A
June 2020 safeguards report also uses the early 2002 date (GOV/2020/30). ↩
12. IAEA Director General, Final Assessment on Past and Present Outstanding
Issues Regarding Iran’s Nuclear Programme, GOV/2015/68, December 2, 2015,
http://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/IAEA_PMD_Assessment_2Dec2015.pdf
↩
13. GOV/2003/75, Annex 1, para. 25 and GOV/2004/60, Annex, para. 2. The
difference in the dates of 2000 versus early 2002 is unresolved (see footnote
11). ↩
14. Final Assessment on Past and Present Outstanding Issues Regarding Iran’s
Nuclear Programme. ↩
15. “The Amad Plan Pilot Uranium Conversion Site, Which Iran Denies Ever
Existed.” ↩
16. “Abadeh is Marivan: A Key, Former Secret Nuclear Weapons Development Test
Site.” ↩
17.IAEA Board of Governors, “NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic
of Iran: Resolution adopted by the Board of Governors on 19 June 2020,”
GOV/2020/34, https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/20/06/gov2020-34.pdf ↩
Iran Faces U.S. Censure in First Diplomatic Showdown With
Biden
Jonathan Tirone/Bloomberg/February 26/2021,
The U.S. is asking other countries to support a formal censure of Iran over its
accelerating nuclear activities, a signal that the Biden administration wants to
turn up the diplomatic heat on Tehran as it looks to restore a crumbling 2015
accord.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors convenes next week
in Vienna to discuss the latest reports that Iran has stepped up production of
nuclear fuel while stalling inquiries into the presence of uranium particles at
undeclared sites.
U.S. diplomats circulated a document on Thursday which lists Washington’s
grievances and orders Iran to fully cooperate with inspectors. The proposed
resolution would “underscore strong concern at the IAEA’s findings” and “express
the board’s deepening concern with respect to Iran’s cooperation,” read the
three-page document seen by Bloomberg.
A State Department spokesman declined to comment. Two European officials
confirmed they received the document and said they were studying its contents.
Iran Enriches Closer to Weapons Grade as Monitors Flag Sites
Next week’s meeting could become a key early test of the new U.S.
administration’s approach to Iran. The document reiterates that “President Biden
has made clear that if Iran returns to full performance of its JCPOA
commitments, the U.S. is prepared to do the same,” using an abbreviation for the
2015 accord that’s all but collapsed under the weight of American sanctions.
Iran has violated key restrictions on uranium enrichment and production capacity
since the U.S. under former President Donald Trump left the nuclear accord in
May 2018 and reimposed economic penalties. Each government is now demanding the
other make the first move toward restoring the pact.
The IAEA reported Tuesday that Iran’s stockpile of uranium had been enriched
closer to levels needed for a weapon for the first time in eight years. It also
said that Iranian explanations over decades-old uranium traces detected at
several sites were inadequate. Tehran has always maintained it’s never sought a
bomb.
The proposed censure suggests the U.S. is ratcheting up the pressure. “The world
has long known that Iran pursued nuclear weapons in the past,” according to the
document. “We also know that Iran retained a vast collection of records from its
past nuclear weapons program. Iran must now cooperate fully with the IAEA so we
may have assurance that the legacy of Iran’s past nuclear weapons work does not
include undeclared nuclear material in Iran today.”
A suggestion that Iran could be providing incomplete information has potentially
serious consequences, including another referral to the United Nations Security
Council.
The IAEA erupted in rancor the last time the U.S. led an effort to censure Iran,
with China lambasting what it saw as U.S. bullying under Trump.
While that June measure ultimately passed, it left the body that’s responsible
for accounting for gram-levels of nuclear material worldwide badly divided.
Russia, India, Pakistan and South Africa were among the countries that joined
China in either opposing the measure or abstaining from the vote.
Russia sees a chance to resurrect the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and is proposing
a synchronized approach including “concrete” steps by the Biden administration
to help Iran and the U.S. break their deadlock, the country’s top negotiator
said.
“There’s a chance now that hasn’t existed for a long time,” Deputy Foreign
Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview Wednesday in Moscow. “We have to
try and use it.”
U.S. President Joe Biden has offered to participate in talks between Iran and
major powers to revive the accord abandoned by Donald Trump in 2018, but the two
sides remain at odds over who should act first. As a starting point, Iran wants
the U.S. to lift sanctions that Trump reimposed, stifling oil exports and
hurting the economy. Biden wants the Islamic Republic to first resume its
compliance with the multilateral agreement that seeks to curb its nuclear
program.
Ryabkov said the U.S. could show its commitment to rejoin the nuclear deal by
starting to lift the freeze on Iranian assets and oil exports, while Iran should
gradually restore its compliance with the agreement.
Russian efforts to push a compromise would likely face significant skepticism in
Washington, given Moscow’s close ties to Iran and deep tensions with the U.S.
and Europe.
‘Double Game’
“Now, as in the past, Moscow continues to play a double game with the West. It
acts as both a ready partner and Iran’s lawyer,” Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior
fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in a commentary.
Talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 -- China, Russia, France, the U.K.,
the U.S. and Germany -- could take place as soon as next month, Ryabkov said,
adding that he sees the currently incompatible Iranian and U.S. positions as
merely “points of departure” for negotiation.
Moscow has a detailed plan whereby Washington and Tehran would take synchronized
steps to gradually return to their obligations under the pact without either
side losing face, he said. Iran has been urging a step-by-step return to the
deal as a potential compromise but the U.S. hasn’t embraced the idea.
Ryabkov said both governments had shown interest in the idea, though neither has
done so publicly.
Iran last week rebuffed the offer of talks from Washington, but the two sides
are in indirect contact, including through the Swiss embassy in Tehran.
Path to Restored Iran Deal Set to Be Long and Politically Toxic
Raising the barrier to diplomacy, Iran has restricted snap international
inspections of its nuclear sites, providing access only for an additional
three-month period under an arrangement with the global atomic watchdog
announced Sunday.
Ryabkov said he did not share concerns that the Iranians were close to
developing a nuclear weapon though it was also important that Tehran “reverse
gears on enrichment, on the centrifuges.”
“Everybody noticed the correctness of steps taken by the Biden administration
but it is not sufficient. Of course, lifting sanctions is of paramount
importance,” but there are other steps such as issuing waivers for oil exports
and allowing access to Iranian holdings frozen in third-country banks, he said.
“From the Iranian side, accordingly, it is quite possible and necessary to take
concrete steps to return to full implementation.”
Analysis of IAEA Iran Verification and Monitoring Report
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Andrea Stricker/Institute for Science and
International Security/February 26/2021
Excerpt
This report assesses information in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s)
quarterly safeguards report for February 23, 2021, Verification and monitoring
in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council
resolution 2231 (2015), including Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The IAEA issued its report to member states on the day that Iran pledged to stop
implementing the Additional Protocol (AP) to its comprehensive safeguards
agreement (CSA), a further step in nuclear advances it has been taking since
Iran passed new legislation in December. The legislation mandates augmentations
to Iran’s nuclear program and reduced IAEA inspections, absent the United States
dropping all sanctions on Iran, a step that the Biden administration has refused
to take. On February 23, 2021, Iran suspended the AP and voluntary monitoring
measures under the JCPOA, as mandated by the legislation. A few days earlier,
during a weekend visit to Tehran by IAEA Director General Rafael M. Grossi, Iran
agreed to continue implementing a limited number of verification and monitoring
activities for three months and abide by its CSA, the latter being the
fundamental IAEA inspection arrangement, including for IAEA access to any site
in Iran.
Summary and Breakout Estimate
1) Iran started to produce near 20 percent enriched uranium on January 4, 2021,
in 1044 IR-1 centrifuges located at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP).
2) Iran produced 3.6 grams of uranium metal from natural uranium tetrafluoride
(UF4) at the Fuel Plate Fabrication Plant (FPFP) at Esfahan, testing the process
in preparation for a scaled up enriched uranium metal production line at the
FPFP.
3) Iran’s low enriched uranium (LEU) stock far exceeds the limit set by the
JCPOA. As of February 16, 2021, Iran had a stockpile of about 4390.2 kilograms
(kg) of LEU (hexafluoride mass), almost all enriched below 5 percent, or 2967.8
kg (uranium mass).
4) Of the 2967.8 kg LEU (uranium mass), 1025.5 kg are enriched to up to 2
percent, 1890 kg are enriched to more than 2 but less than 5 percent, and 17.6
kg are enriched to up to 20 percent. The remainder, 34.7 kg, is uranium not in
the form of uranium hexafluoride (UF6), and its enrichment level is not
specified. In past reports, the subcategories of enriched uranium added up to
match the total amount of enriched uranium listed. However, this time, there was
a discrepancy of 34.7 kg.
5) Monthly LEU production of up to 5 percent LEU (excluding near 20 percent
enrichment and enriched uranium not in the form of UF6) has increased from 146.7
kg/month (uranium mass) in the previous reporting period (Aug. 2020 – Nov. 2020)
to 205.5 kg/month during this reporting period (Nov. 2020 – Feb. 2021). The
increase affected mostly the below 2 percent LEU production, which had dropped
during the previous reporting period before reaching 144.7 kg/month this
reporting period. The monthly average production of 2 to 5 percent LEU increased
slightly to 154.3 kg/month.
6) Iran’s estimated breakout time, as of late February 2021, is as short as 3.1
months. Iran now has sufficient LEU enriched below five percent to produce
enough weapon-grade uranium (WGU) for a second nuclear weapon, where the second
one would be produced more quickly than the first, requiring, in total, as
little as five months to produce enough WGU for two nuclear weapons.
7) Iran’s total estimated enrichment capacity at Natanz and Fordow has increased
from 6963 separated work units (SWU)/yr to 8258 SWU/yr in currently enriching
centrifuges; an increase of nearly 20 percent. (This value, while indicative of
Iran’s total enrichment output, should not be used in breakout estimates).
8) The current enrichment capacity at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and
Fordow plant, ignoring the Natanz Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP), is 6744
SWU per year. If Iran installs all cascades of advanced centrifuges it is
currently installing and firmly planning (a total of six), the total capacity
increases to almost 12,900 SWU per year. This enrichment capacity is almost
three times larger than allowed under the JCPOA.
9) Iran’s stock of heavy water as of February 15, 2021 was 131.4 metric tonnes,
above the JCPOA’s limit of 130 metric tonnes. Iran also shipped out 5.4 metric
tonnes.
10) Iran has not pursued the construction of the Arak heavy water research
reactor (IR-40 Reactor) based on its original design. It also has not produced
or tested natural uranium pellets, fuel pins or fuel assemblies for the original
reactor design.
**Andrea Stricker is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies (FDD). Follow Andrea on Twitter @StrickerNonpro. FDD is a
Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national
security and foreign policy.
Balancing act: Biden must redefine the US-Saudi
relationship
Dennis Ross and Robert Satloff /The Hill/February 26/2021
The expected release of a declassified intelligence report that will probably
conclude with “moderate confidence” that Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman
— known as MbS — ordered the killing of Washington Post contributor Jamal
Khashoggi is sure to heighten anger with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. How the
Biden administration responds will have huge ramifications for its broader
Middle East policy.
The U.S.-Saudi relationship is a classic case in which Washington has had to
reconcile concerns, needs and interests. For more than 70 years, there was a
basic bargain: We provide the Saudis security, they provide a stable oil market
and support against common adversaries, from Arab radicals to the Soviet-backed
regime in Afghanistan. We paid little attention to the often medieval governance
of the kingdom or the intolerant, hateful interpretation of Islam — what critics
call Wahhabism — that its clerical establishment enforced domestically and
exported internationally.
But with the waning of our dependence on Middle East oil and our growing fatigue
with regional conflicts, this relationship has come under much greater scrutiny.
True, serious questions began to emerge after 9/11, when 15 of the 19 hijackers
were Saudis, but the impulse to challenge the relationship is more recent. It
coincides with the appointment of MbS as Crown Prince, his control of all the
key instrumentalities of power and his use of that power in ways that often seem
impulsive and reckless. These include: launching an anti-corruption campaign
that appeared mostly to target opponents or shake down critics; arresting free
speech and women’s rights advocates on dubious charges; starting feuds with
Canada and Germany over relatively mild criticism of Saudi human rights
policies; detaining the former Lebanese prime minister; and, of course, going to
war in Yemen to restore the legitimate government but conducting what often
degenerated into an indiscriminate aerial bombing campaign with terrible human
consequences.
If all that weren’t enough, Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi consulate in
Istanbul crossed every line and led many in Washington to seek not only to
ostracize MbS but even seek his removal — as if the U.S. could do that.
The fact that Donald Trump shielded Riyadh from any punishment for the sake of
arms sales only added to the increasingly bipartisan fury in Congress that MbS
and Saudi Arabia should pay a price.
So far, President Biden has tried to strike a balance in his approach to the
kingdom, having promised as a candidate that America will not check its values
at the door for the sake of oil or selling arms. He has ordered an end to
material support for the Saudi military operations in Yemen but re-committed the
U.S. to defending Saudi territorial integrity. While the administration has
paused the sale of offensive weapons, it will provide defensive weapons to help
the Saudis deal with cruise missiles and drone attacks that the Houthis in Yemen
and Iranian proxies launch at Saudi cities, including at Riyadh itself.
President Biden is right to emphasize balance in the relationship.
Our disgust at certain Saudi actions notwithstanding, we retain real stakes in
Saudi Arabia, as there is no significant issue in the Middle East where a
successful strategy is possible without active Saudi support. From containing
Iran to combatting terror, to building on Arab normalization with Israel (and
using that to break the stalemate between Israelis and Palestinians) or trying
to end or reduce conflicts in Yemen and Syria, we need Saudi cooperation.
Moreover, to manage the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, we need a
stable and predictable price of oil that makes wind, solar and hydrogen
alternatives competitive in terms of cost — while also preventing the sudden
collapse of our oil and gas industry. Here again, the Saudis remain important.
Perhaps most of all, we have a stake in the fundamental change of Saudi social
and economic norms being led by the same leader responsible for those impulsive,
reckless actions: the crown prince. For all his faults, MbS understands that his
kingdom — and his family — won’t survive the eventual demise of a fossil fuel
economy without dramatic adjustment. His answer has been to implement a
“revolution from above” — the National Transformation Plan — in which
modernization and nationalism replace traditionalism and Wahhabism as sources of
identity and legitimacy.
In practice, this has meant expanding civil rights and economic opportunities
for women, since the Saudi economy would forever languish without the
contribution of half its population. It has meant reforming the legal code and
school textbooks in ways that may seem modest to a foreign observer but are
dramatic in the Saudi context. And it has meant empowering clerics that advocate
a more tolerant, inclusive Islam, while imposing tight controls on those who
refuse to discard the old ways.
The U.S. has an interest in the success of this effort. Skeptics may doubt the
NTP’s ambitious targets — and they may be right — but what matters most is the
direction of change and the regime’s continuing commitment to it. Our
responsibility is to engage with Saudis at all levels to encourage progress,
provide technical assistance and make clear that the scale of foreign investment
the kingdom needs to succeed will never come in an atmosphere of fear or without
the consistent application of the rule of law.
So leveling with the Saudi leadership, a natural Biden instinct, is necessary.
The president should send someone close to him to have a discreet discussion
with MbS to re-define the boundaries of our relationship, making clear what we
will support and what we will criticize.
We should insist on a two-way policy of “no surprises.” We should demand a
formula for what Biden has called “accountability” for the Khashoggi murder,
including specific commitments that ensure such an outrage can never recur. And
that early discussion should lay the basis for a strategic dialogue on a broad
range of key regional issues.
The Biden administration’s instinct to end the blank check with the Saudis is
right. But engaging a flawed partner is not the same as confronting a determined
adversary. The administration’s instinct to find a balance in the relationship
is right, too.
*Dennis Ross and Robert Satloff are, respectively, counselor to and executive
director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Ross served as special assistant to President Obama, as Special Middle East
Coordinator under President Clinton, and as director of the State Department's
Policy Planning Staff in the first Bush administration. Follow him on Twitter @AmbDennisRoss.
*Satloff, an expert on Arab and Islamic politics as well as U.S. Middle East
policy, has written and spoken widely on the Arab-Israeli peace process, the
challenge of political Islam, and the need to revamp U.S. public diplomacy in
the Middle East. A frequent media commentator, he has testified to numerous
Congressional committees on U.S. Middle East policy. Follow him on Twitter @robsatloff.
Voodoo economics leads Tunisia to the brink
Francis Ghiles/The Weekly Arab/February 26/2021
The time of economic reckoning is fast approaching for Tunisia’s young
democracy. Rating agency Moody’s this week downgraded the Tunisian government’s
long-term foreign currency issuer ratings to B3 from B2 and maintained its
negative outlook, which means that a further downgrade “would be likely if
fiscal and public sector reform implementation is even more protracted, keeping
the debt burden rising higher and for longer than Moody currently expects,
potentially raising debt sustainability concerns.”
In plain English, that means that if the Tunisian government continues to
borrow, not least in foreign currency, and essentially pay the wages of a
bloated civil service and state company payroll, the country’s foreign debt
burden will become unbearable and it will default on its foreign debt.
That, in turn, means the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the country’s
major economic partners will step in to put the economic train back on the
rails.
Ten years of voodoo economics coupled with political opportunism, practiced by
nine successive governments of different political hues, whether the Islamist
Ennahda, the now-declining Nidaa Tounes or the Islamists’ ally Qalb Tounes (the
vehicle of a TV magnate who has just been released from jail after serving time
on suspicion of corruption), have brought the country to its knees.
Moody’s notes that “post pandemic, a prolonged period of subdued growth and most
likely gradual fiscal consolidation will raise the debt burden to over 90% of
GDP in the next few years, reducing Tunisia’s resilience to future shocks.” The
cost of borrowing will increase not least because the 65% foreign currency share
of the debt stock makes its very vulnerable to any increase in interest rates
worldwide. Foreign exchange reserves may stand at a reasonable $8.7 billion as
of December 2020, but that needs to be set against declining foreign investment
and shrinking manufacturing.
Magical thinking is another way of characterising the management of Tunisia’s
economy. Successive governments have bowed to the pressure of the trade unions
to inflate the state payroll: State air carrier Tunisair, which is de facto
bankrupt, employs twice as many agents as necessary (more than 8,000) to work an
ageing fleet where even spare parts are not guaranteed.
Successive governments have often recruited under pressure people whose only
qualification were their connections to the parties in power. Many times, the
hiring served to appease protesters even if it meant filling ghost positions.
Despite this fuite en avant, only 38.5% of those of age to work (15-65, by the
World Bank’s definition) are employed, roughly half of their peers in the EU.
Unemployment among young people stands at 35.7% and is 30.1% among university
graduates. Between one third and one half of economic activity is informal, thus
escaping taxation while bureaucracy produces yet more forms to fill, thus
feeding corruption. The state has become predatory and is feeding off of its
young people, most of whom dream of escaping what is for them a prison. With an
economic contraction of 8.8% in 2020 and no vaccine rollout yet in place,
prospects are not rosy for this year.
The former, highly respected Central Bank governor of pre-revolution days,
Taoufik Baccar, expressed his sorrow, not to say disgust, at the reversal of
efforts made over a quarter of a century to ensure that Tunisia received a good
rating from the four major rating agencies — Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch
and R&I. In the late 1990s, the only other country in Africa that had bothered
to secure such a rating was South Africa. Tunisian officials worked hard because
they knew that such ratings were essentials to attracting foreign investors. In
2007, as Baccar notes in his book “Le Miroir et l’Horizon,” the Japanese R&I
rated Tunisian bonds A-, the highest the country ever achieved and on par with
far more developed countries. The A-, A and A+ ratings Tunisia achieved in those
years spoke of a country moving forward and playing its cards well in the game
of globalisation. Such hard work was of no interest to Ennahda leader Rached
Ghanouchi or to former Presidents Moncef Marzouki and Beji Caid Essebsi. The
first inserted his party into the web of vested interests and corruption that
all to often passes for business circles in Tunisia, the second was a demagogue
and the third was immensely beholden to family interests.
Tunisian President Kais Saied, who was elected fifteen months ago, has declared
all out war on corruption. Before entering the Carthage Palace in December 2019,
he was a constitutional law professor who had no political experience. His pious
ways are not to the liking of all Tunisians, but his honesty is beyond a shadow
of a doubt and he has decided to fight. As the guardian of the constitution, he
refuses to receive ministers tainted with corruption and is engaged in open
warfare with Ghannouchi, who is also speaker of parliament, from where he eyes a
parallel foreign policy. According to Tunisia’s 2014 constitution, diplomacy and
defence are the prerogatives of the head of state, who resents Ghannouchi’s
competition.
When Saied made the unprecedented move of receiving 27 European Union
ambassadors Monday night, he made his thinking very clear. Many of those present
were happy to engage with the head of state and made clear the EU was ready to
help Tunisia if a serious blueprint for reform were presented to them. The
president’s attitude was described by some of his critics as “rigid.” But, as
the saying goes,“a fish rots from the head down.” In Tunisia, the head does not
include the head of state. But there are enough other actors vying for that role
in the small youthful country.
Biden administration sending wrong message to Iran regime
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 26/ 2021
د. مجيد رازيدا: رسالة ادارة الرئيس بايدين إلى النظام الإيراني هي خاطئة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/96414/dr-majid-rafizadeh-biden-administration-sending-wrong-message-to-iran-regime-%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a7-%d8%b1%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%a7/
The Iranian regime has begun testing the Biden administration by
escalating its aggressive and belligerent policies in the region. A barrage of
rockets on Saturday targeted an airbase in Balad, north of Baghdad, where a US
defense company is based. A few days before that, a dozen rockets struck
coalition forces at a US base next to Irbil international airport, northern
Iraq. Six people were wounded and a civilian contractor with the American-led
anti-Daesh coalition was killed. The Kurdish authorities had to close the
airport for a short time and warned residents to stay at home.
Shiite militant group Saraya Awliya Al-Dam (the Guardians of Blood Brigade)
claimed responsibility for the attack on Irbil. It has also threatened to cause
more bloodshed. According to the Site Intelligence Group, a nongovernmental
organization that monitors the online activities of armed organizations, the
militia group said in a statement: “The American occupation will not be safe
from our strikes in any inch of the homeland, even in Kurdistan, where we
promise we will carry out other qualitative operations.”
The Iranian regime most likely sponsors this little-known militia group. It is
also likely that Saraya Awliya Al-Dam launched the rockets in order to win the
approval of the Iranian regime.
Iran is already known to support a conglomerate of militias known as the Popular
Mobilization Units (PMU). These groups ratchet up the conflict in Iraq by
engaging in various crimes, including torture, indiscriminate attacks and
unlawful restrictions on the movement of people fleeing the fighting. They have
also become skilled at using sectarianism as a tool to gain power and further
Iran’s parochial, religious and political ambitions. The Tehran regime has even
pushed the Iraqi government into recognizing the PMU members as “legitimate”
groups, incorporating them into the state apparatuses and making Baghdad
allocate wages and ammunition for them.
It is important to point out that the Iranian regime still intends to take
revenge on the US for Qassem Soleimani’s killing. More than a year after the
Quds Force commander’s death, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continues to mention
him in his speeches. He warned last month: “Those who ordered the murder of Gen.
Soleimani as well as those who carried this out should be punished. This revenge
will certainly happen at the right time.” Taking revenge for Soleimani’s killing
is critical for the regime, partially because Tehran has never faced such a
major humiliation in its four-decade rule. It wants to show its proxies, militia
groups and hard-line base that it is not weak. Furthermore, taking revenge
against the US would deter Washington and other parties from targeting Iranian
officials in the future.
What is now crucial for the ruling clerics of Iran is how the new US
administration will respond to these attacks. Unfortunately, not only has the
Biden administration not taken a firm stance, it last week announced that it
would not be pursuing the previous administration’s efforts to reimpose UN
sanctions on the Iranian regime. This move outraged several American lawmakers,
including Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who said: “Not long after Iranian-backed
forces attacked Americans in Iraq, President (Joe) Biden is desperately trying
to re-enter a failed deal and provide sanctions relief to the Iranian regime.
The president must make clear that he understands that Khamenei cannot be
trusted to honor international agreements, and that the United States will not
play into the hands of the Iranians for the next four years.”
By reversing the Trump administration’s call to reimpose UN sanctions, Biden
also appears to be in agreement with the lifting of the arms embargo on Iran.
Tehran’s leaders scored a major political victory against the US, its allies and
regional powers when the UN Security Council in August voted down a proposal to
extend its 13-year-old arms embargo on Iran. The embargo was lifted in October
in spite of the fact the regime was violating all of the restrictions of the
nuclear deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Biden
administration has also lifted restrictions on Iranian diplomats traveling to
the UN headquarters in New York.
By turning a blind eye to its aggression, the US is only empowering and
emboldening Tehran.
In addition, after the first attack in Iraq, the Biden administration announced
that it was ready to meet with the Iranian leaders to discuss re-entering the
2015 nuclear deal. In a statement, State Department spokesman Ned Price said:
“The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High
Representative to attend a meeting of the P5+1 and Iran to discuss a diplomatic
way forward on Iran’s nuclear program.”
By turning a blind eye to Iran’s aggression, the Biden administration is only
empowering and emboldening the Tehran regime, which will further escalate its
military adventurism and destructive behavior in the Middle East.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
US aims to ‘decolonize,’ but does it really mean it?
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Arab News/February 26/ 2021
There is a new administration in the White House and a new watchword in US
foreign policy: Decolonization. Imperialism, so the reasoning goes, is to blame
for all the ills of the world so, to fix it, empires like America must
“decolonize.” The US, it is said, must see things from the perspective of
smaller foreign powers that it has often been at odds with.
Those words might describe the worldview of Robert Malley, the new envoy to Iran
(not a universally popular appointment). But if Iran is one of those smaller
foreign powers, those in the State Department behind the commitment to
decolonize are not only misguided, they are woefully misinformed.
If imperialism equals occupying and bullying neighboring countries, then Iran,
for example, has a long history of it. In 1936, Tehran annexed the Arab Kaab
emirate in the south and renamed it Khuzestan. In 1971, Iran occupied three
Emirati islands.
Yet President Joe Biden, Malley and company don’t perceive Iran as a colonizer,
only as colonized, which suggests either a lack of historical understanding or
flagrant bias.
In his book “The Call from Algeria,” Malley links the rise of Islamism to the
failure of communism in what he calls the Third World. Leaving aside his use of
a term that is now deemed offensive, Malley fails to see that Islamism is in
fact communism mark II. Both ideologies use populist rhetoric and sanction
violence. Had the Soviet Union not collapsed, Islamism would have remained a
fringe movement.
If Biden is persuaded by the decolonization argument, the US will up sticks and
leave the Gulf, which is exactly what the mullahs have been dreaming of since
1979. The Iranians have hardly made a secret of their intentions: With the US
and its military forces gone, the way would be open for Iran to step in as the
dominant power in the region, restructuring security and turning neighboring
countries into satellite states.
Iran has often pressed for admission to the Gulf Cooperation Council, which
currently comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. In
fact, Iran would like to go further and replace the GCC with something bigger —
which would include not only the Gulf but also the Red Sea and the Eastern
Mediterranean, which sounds more like expansionism than decolonizing.
The Biden administration is dressing up its decolonization policy as the
ditching of Donald Trump’s “America First” unilateralism. In reality, the US is
being very choosy about just how multilateral it wants to be.
Biden rejoined the Paris agreement on climate change on his very first day in
office. But the US also plans to revive the nuclear deal with Iran, which would
allow Tehran to export more than 2 million barrels of oil a day. How does that
square with reducing fossil fuel energy, one of the commitments enshrined in the
Paris agreement?
The Biden team has been selective at the UN too, breaking with multilateral
decisions to pursue its own unilateral policy. Security Council Resolutions 1559
and 1701 call for all militias in Lebanon to disarm and disband. For “all
militias,” read Hezbollah in particular. Yet the White House — especially when
occupied by the Democrats — prefers to talk to Hezbollah rather than enforce UN
resolutions.
Similarly, on Yemen, the UN Security Council has passed no fewer than nine
resolutions imposing an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on any
individual or entity connected to the Houthi militia, which is accused of
obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Yet new US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken has had the Houthis removed from the US list of Foreign
Terrorist Organizations because, he argued, the war in Yemen can only be
resolved by talking to the Houthis.
Pursuing decolonization and combating climate change appear to give the US the
moral high ground. The reality, however, is that foreign policy is never cut and
dried or black and white, but rather a frayed mess of gray areas and compromise.
The administration does not perceive Iran as a colonizer, only as colonized,
which suggests either a lack of historical understanding or flagrant bias.
The Biden administration seems set to put on a show of “fixing” the world by
pursuing decolonization — a term it clearly does not fully understand but will
still use to put a gloss on the fact that the US, like all governments, has its
own agenda. It will embrace multilateralism when it is expedient. It will “see
things from the perspective of smaller foreign powers” when it is advantageous.
Under Biden, the US will pick and choose where to dispense its largesse, as all
empires do. Impartiality has nothing to do with it.
*Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington bureau chief of Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai
and a former visiting fellow at Chatham House in London. Copyright: Syndication
Bureau
Is the U.S. Arming an Adversary, China, Intent on
Overpowering Us?
Peter Schweizer/Gatestone Institute/February 26/2021
China's greatest financial weakness remains its continued dependence on Western
capital markets, crucial for a growing economy.... To grow, China depends on
massive inflows of capital that surge through the capital markets based in the
U.S. The Trump administration made several moves during its term to delist
Chinese companies that are not forthcoming about who really owns them and what
businesses they are really engaged in.
[S]ince 2013, Chinese state-owned enterprises have enjoyed exemptions from
Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory requirements that also force greater
transparency from these companies. They were the only ones granted these
exemptions while still being listed on New York stock markets. What if those
exemptions were removed?
The only relevant screening in the US happens through the same government body
that approved the sale of Uranium One to Russian government-backed investors,
called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Yet, U.S. capital markets currently have no such insulation. So we have capital
markets which freely trade the shares of companies that have violated
international sanctions, sold America's adversaries advanced ballistic missiles,
armed the PLA, and helped militarize the fabricated new islands in the South
China Sea. These companies freely receive investment dollars from ordinary
Americans saving for their retirement, unaware of their real activities and
ownership.
This January, the New York Stock Exchange began the process of delisting three
Chinese telecom companies.... The administration said the three firms are owned
or controlled by China's military.
No one wants to damage the investment portfolios of American retirement savers.
But the dark side of this exposure is what may become of U.S. resolve to stand
up to Beijing if 180 million Americans realize that up to 20% of their
retirement funds are locked into Chinese securities. These Americans would
suddenly have a personal, vested interest in opposing any future sanctions or
other penalties against China, regardless of the geopolitical sense or national
security implications. That prospect should encourage Congress to move sooner
rather than later.
Since 2013, Chinese state-owned enterprises have enjoyed exemptions from
Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory requirements that also force greater
transparency from these companies. They were the only ones granted these
exemptions while still being listed on New York stock markets. Many US investors
have been scammed by investments in Chinese companies. Luckin Coffee was a
recent example. Its top executives fraudulently inflated their sales figures by
$300 million. The fraud extended so deeply into the company that its shares were
delisted from the Nasdaq exchange.
President Ronald Reagan knew the weaknesses of the Soviet Union. Unlike his
predecessors, he did not focus on countering their strengths, but by exploiting
those problems of life under a Marxist-Leninist regime that were impossible for
them to fix. Reagan's policies targeted many weaknesses – religious, political,
military, and cultural among them – but his focus on Russia's economic problems
exposed those other weaknesses by choking the regime's ability even to throw
money at other problems.
Today, the most pressing threats do not come from Russia. They come from the
growing power exerted by China. So, the question becomes: Can we apply these
today lessons to China? With the massive, worldwide reach of China, its economic
power and military build-up combine to pose strategic threats to the U.S. and
the free world. Reagan's strategy, however, can counter these threats and reduce
others posed by the Chinese dragon.
China's greatest financial weakness remains its continued dependence on Western
capital markets, crucial for a growing economy that, if official statistics are
to be believed, is trying to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic's toll. To grow,
China depends on massive inflows of capital that surge through the capital
markets based in the U.S. The Trump administration made several moves during its
term to delist Chinese companies that are not forthcoming about who really owns
them and what businesses they are really engaged in.
In addition, since 2013, Chinese state-owned enterprises (SEOs) have enjoyed
exemptions from Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory requirements that also force
greater transparency from these companies. They were the only ones granted these
exemptions while still being listed on New York stock markets. What if those
exemptions were removed?
Trump's moves towards forcing Chinese companies to conform to the financial
transparency required of other companies was a great start --but if they are to
work, these policies must be continued and even strengthened by the Biden
administration. The threat of being de-listed from U.S. stock exchanges would
force these companies into the light. For a Biden administration that has said
it wants to protect American investors and look out for America's national
interests, strengthening his predecessor's efforts makes perfect sense.
First, many US investors have been scammed by investments in Chinese companies.
Luckin Coffee was a recent example. Its top executives fraudulently inflated
their sales figures by 2.12 billion yuan ($300 million). The fraud extended so
deeply into the company that its shares were delisted from the Nasdaq exchange.
There are also many Chinese military-linked companies using Western capital
markets to modernize their companies through investments. Among these companies
is, for example, the noxious, party-controlled Hikvision. This company is
responsible for the artificial intelligence facial recognition technology used
to identify and track ethnic Uyghurs in China today. Hikvision even makes the
surveillance cameras that glower at them inside the Chinese concentration camps
where as many as two million Uyghurs are forcibly detained by their own
government.
Roger Robinson -- the chairman of the Prague Security Studies Institute and in
the 1980s, a member of the Reagan administration's National Security Council --
was intimately involved in the economic warfare waged against the crumbling
Soviet Union. He sees the opportunity to do so again with China. In a speech at
Hillsdale College, Robinson pointed out that China has more than 700 companies
in U.S. stock and bond markets or capital markets. Eighty-six Chinese companies
are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, about 62 in the NASDAQ, and more than
500 in the OTC market.
These companies are attractive to investors, including those looking for the
dynamic growth Chinese firms claim to be driving. They are represented in
millions of investment portfolios for IRAs and pensions, but without having to
show the same kind of financial transparency expected of other firms. Hikvision
might be the most egregious example we know about, but as Robinson asked in his
speech, "do any of us have the financing of concentration camps in mind when we
transfer money into our retirement and investment accounts?"
"We can no longer allow China's authoritarian government to reap the rewards of
American and international capital markets while Chinese companies avoid
financial disclosure and basic transparency, and place U.S. investors and
pensioners at risk," wrote U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) last June.
Rubio recognized the eye-popping fact that American investors are unwittingly
funding technology to oppress the Uyghurs and even to finance weapons systems
for the People's Liberation Army (PLA). This is possible because, as Robinson
notes, the U.S. has no security-minded screening mechanism for our capital
markets, which manage more than $35 trillion in assets.
The only relevant screening in the US happens through the same government body
that approved the sale of Uranium One to Russian government-backed investors,
called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
Congress expanded CFIUS's reach in 2018 because it was worried about Chinese
entities stealing American technology and undermining our security. But CFIUS is
consulted when a foreign company wants to buy an American company that may
produce strategically important materials or "dual-use" technologies.
Yet, U.S. capital markets currently have no such insulation. So we have capital
markets which freely trade the shares of companies that have violated
international sanctions, sold our adversaries advanced ballistic missiles, armed
the PLA, and helped militarize the fabricated new islands in the South China
Sea. These companies freely receive investment dollars from ordinary Americans
saving for their retirement, unaware of their real activities and ownership.
There are companies trading now whose employees have been arrested for espionage
or are known cyber criminals.
As Rubio and the Trump administration understood, only Congress can change this.
By pressing Congress, the Biden administration has the chance to check the
Chinese grasp for power and a fearsome lever to help do so. Removing any
favorable treatment for Chinese companies from the required regulatory paperwork
that other companies must supply is just the beginning. Investors need to know
the truth about the Chinese companies competing for their money in the capital
markets. To be real, Chinese companies, nearly all of which are state-owned
enterprises, need the threat of delisting from capital markets.
To return to Reagan's strategy, this effort must be part of a broader strategy
to hurt China's ambitions on the world stage. The trade war unleashed by Trump
and his tariffs hurts Chinese commerce, as it should. But if China's access to
capital markets in the U.S. comes at the price of transparency, as it does for
every other company, this will severely restrict Beijing's ability to manage the
damage from the trade war.
This January, the New York Stock Exchange began the process of delisting three
Chinese telecom companies, after Trump signed an order barring any transactions
in securities "designed to provide investment exposure to such securities, of
any Communist Chinese military company, by any United States person." The
administration said the three firms are owned or controlled by China's military.
As Roger Robinson also warned, it is estimated the Chinese have attracted nearly
$2 trillion of American investment in equities alone. For Americans, this
exposure will only grow greater if China is not forced by the capital markets to
play by the same rules as everyone else. He estimated in 2019 that within the
following 36 months, if nothing is done, U.S. exposure will be two to three
trillion dollars more than it is today. The Chinese are desperate for the
dollars from the investment portfolios of the American people.
No one wants to damage the portfolios of American retirement savers. But the
dark side of that exposure is what may become of U.S. resolve to stand up to
Beijing if 180 million Americans realize that up to 20% of their retirement
funds are locked into Chinese securities. These Americans would suddenly have a
personal, vested interest in opposing any future sanctions or other penalties
against China, regardless of the geopolitical sense or national security
implications. That prospect should encourage Congress to move sooner rather than
later.
*Peter Schweizer, President of the Governmental Accountability Institute, is a
Gatestone Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow and author of the best-selling
books Profiles in Corruption, Secret Empires and Clinton Cash, among others.
© 2021 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.
One Month into the Biden Administration
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 26/2021
It could be said that the first month of Joe Biden’s presidency went exactly as
most observers had expected, in terms of both internal and international
policies.
Just like Donald Trump’s ethos was to undo everything Barack Obama did, the new
Democratic administration does not only want to reverse Trump’s policies, but
also to complete what Obama failed to achieve in eight years. Indeed, if the
early team appointments made by Biden reflect this line, the Democrats’ control
of the Senate – albeit thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’ casting vote –
should confirm most of these appointments without much trouble.
In the same vein, came the early decisions and initiatives, underlining a full
break with everything the previous Republican administration adopted and stood
for. What adds to the strength of Biden’s position is the deep rift appearing in
the Republican Party, between the current of the sedate traditional interests of
the “establishment” and Trump’s populist current born in 2016; and went on to
lead the party to extremist “putschist” positions none of the main two parties
dared to espouse.
However, the passing of time may be more than capable of changing several
equations, even if convictions remain the same. Hence, if the Biden team
continues what it “ideologically” began last month in the sphere of foreign
policies, it must expect reactions like those of the European allies in the
recent 5+1 meeting. It is true that the wise European leadership had a difficult
time with Donald Trump’s mercurial moods, extremism and populism under the
banners of “America First”. It is also true that they detested his support of
certain ultra-right European characters and his open animosity to the spirit of
European unity - and always preferred to deal with a moderate Democratic
administration than a difficult coexistence with Republicans who see Europe more
as a competitor than an ally.
All the above are true, and so is the issue that European countries have their
own interests which may not be congruent with Biden’s visions. This is why,
throughout Trump’s four years, most European leaders have realized that they
could not rely anymore on Washington as the ultimate and only Western authority,
and Western Europe’s reliable defender in all conditions.
The Trump years opened the eyes of the Europeans, and other realistic
non-European politicians, that there is life outside the American camp; and
sometimes the interests of even the closest allies are not one and the same.
This has been confirmed by the Iranian nuclear agreement (JCPOA), the growing
relations between many European countries and Russia, the future dealings with
China and other issues.
On the other hand, just as the east and south Asian affairs now seem to rank
higher in Washington than trans-Atlantic relations, European powers now believe
they cannot deal with its neighboring Russian giant solely through the keyhole
of US interests. Furthermore, thanks to the Nord Stream1 and Nord Stream2 gas
pipes (strongly opposed by Washington) Russia is now an influential player in
Europe, and after gaining footholds in Syria and Libya, also has a presence in
the Mediterranean.
As for China, it now poses the major and most direct threat to America’s global
status, as top American officials agree. Furthermore, it is now the major
economic powerhouse in many global regions. Ambitious Chinese projects, such as
the Belt and Road (the New Silk Road) announced in 2013, would enhance China’s
investments in 70 countries, and link it with numerous ports which it hopes will
be the launchpad for its worldwide economic expansion.
After four years of Trump’s “America First” policies, the Europeans should no
doubt welcome Biden’s goodwill gestures. They would also welcome the return of
good relations with the powerful old ally who stood by them during WWII, as well
as throughout the Cold War against the USSR. However, they are not reassured
anymore about an American consensus on foreign policy, in light of huge
differences between the Democrats and the Republicans.
Here we come to the US Middle East policy. Despite structural differences
between Washington’s trans-Atlantic alliances and its other international
relations, every country, and every situation, has intersecting common worries
and interests.
All rational Middle Eastern leaders – whether Arab or non-Arab – realize that a
solid relationship with Washington is a must. They would all prefer to be secure
and trusted allies, based on old strong relations with America that go back to
the second half of the 19th century when many of the current Arab countries were
part of the Ottoman Empire. But as with what has happened with European allies,
differences began to appear some time ago. During the last four years, the
difference increased with the emergence of new interests that have started to
impose themselves.
In the Arab “Mashreq”, in particular, there has been a two-sided problem; the
first side appeared during Obama’s presidency, and the second during Trump’s
presidency.
Obama’s foremost regional “aim” was reaching an agreement with Iran. This meant
allowing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), through its sectarian militias
inside Arab countries, to undermine any remnant of sovereignty and state
institutions in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Thus, Iran won and the Arabs
lost; and unfortunately, unless the Biden administration changes this “aim”,
Arab trust in Washington’s intentions will collapse, and Arab belief in
America’s culture and political principles will disappear.
As for Trump, Washington changed course, and went back to regarding the special
relationship with Israel, regardless of how hawkish its government is, the core
of its regional strategy. This is why, Washington blessed and recognized
Israel’s annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights, moved its embassy to Jerusalem,
and fought every Palestinian entity in every possible way. So, again, Israel won
and the Arabs lost; after finding themselves at the mercy of two regional
political enemies (Iran and Israel) enjoying American support!
This terrible situation must change as soon as possible, otherwise it will bring
frightening future dangers, if states collapse and disintegrate, and sectarian
militias impose their criminality as a practice tolerated by major world powers,
and blessed by the international community.
A Syrian Ray of Hope in a German Court?
Elias Harfoush/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 26/2021
Justice will not bring the Syrian regime’s victims back to life, and it will not
alleviate the pain suffered by those who were tortured by the criminals who work
for that regime. However, justice opens a window of hope, no matter how small,
that the crimes will not be repeated and that those who committed them will reap
what they sow.
Commenting on the German court of Koblenz convicting of Iyad al-Gharib, a victim
of torture in the Assad prisons says: “I hope that I would manage to sleep
better this night and that the other victims would manage to sleep too;” the man
means that impunity for the crimes committed by the regime equates to rewarding
it for what it had done. On Iyad al-Gharib’s four and half year prison-sentence,
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said: “It is the first verdict that holds
those responsible for torture in Syria accountable, and it sends a message to
this regime that its actions will not go unpunished.
A message to this regime? It is easy to get carried away with far-fetched hopes
based on the minister’s statements. But the ten years since the “revolution”
began have taught us that excessive optimism about the potential for the
materialization of criticism of the Syrian regime is not always founded.
All the bets on the untenability of this regime’s maintenance of its power after
it spilled blood of at least half a million Syrians, in addition to the hundreds
of thousands of wounded and millions displaced- who outnumber those displaced
during the Second World War- were not founded on reality, as it became apparent.
Nonetheless, Germany and its court dared to do what others had not. By giving
precedence to the principle of universal jurisdiction, it has allowed for the
prosecution of those guilty of committing these crimes outside Germany’s borders
as well. The German court’s ruling is founded on the premise that Syrian
citizens’ lives have value and that those who committed crimes against them must
pay the price. Although Iyad al-Gharib’s sentence is not consistent with the
gravity of his crimes, it opens the door to subsequent trials in which Gharib
will be a witness. The most prominent of these trials is that of his “mentor”
Anwar Raslan, who is awaiting a sentence that may reach life imprisonment for
torturing 4,000 prisoners, 58 of whom died under torture.
There has never been a scarcity of evidence for the crimes of Bashar al Assad’s
regime against the Syrian people. In today’s discussion, let us limit our scope
to the Syrian regime's victims and overlook the crimes it has committed against
the Palestinians, whether in Lebanon or Syria- the Yarmouk camp is a prime
example- or against the Lebanese during its “tutelage” of this miserable
country, although the fate of dozens of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons
remains obscure to this day.
Among the most prominent of examples of this proof are documents and images
leaked by “Caesar”, the Syrian intelligence photographer who dared to escape
carrying 50,000 images that prove the savage torture of no less than 7,000
detainees. These documents could have been sufficient reason for this regime to
worry about its fate. Nonetheless, that didn't happen despite the US sanctions
that were imposed on several high-ranking regime officials. The international
resolutions issued against the Syrian regime, the most prominent of which is UN
Resolution 2254, could have compelled it to change its approach of torture and
repression, but so far, it is nothing more than ink on paper.
As a result, Bashar al-Assad has been in power for 21 years, and he is preparing
to hold presidential elections that pave the way for a new seven-year term, and
he will perhaps rule for another seven years after that. He is disrupting any
means for the political transition stipulated by UN Resolution 2254, and it is
no secret that he is betting on patching things up with Arab neighbors and
establishing communication with the outside world, starting from the assumption
that these states have to accept the regime in place given the absence of an
alternative.
The regime is basing its calculations on many considerations. It has played its
cards astutely during the Syrian crisis, especially since 2015, when it became a
mere bargaining chip on the Russian- Iranian negotiating table with the West. It
has also astutely exploited the dubious rise of ISIS and the fact that it
transformed Raqqa into one of its “capitals”, using it to give itself the guise
of a force in the war against terrorism- thinking that it would be easy for it
to promote itself as such. Assad’s Russian friends also used this pretext to
defend him at all the international forums they have taken part in.
Tehran also considers the Assad regime to be central to its “axis” and believes
that the regime’s collapse would constitute a defeat for its project and cut off
its route to its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Moscow sees the regime as an
important site for its land and naval military bases and retrieving its
influence in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has always been critical to it. As
for Washington, it has effectively given up on confronting Bashar al-Assad’s
regime since it refrained from acting on the “red line” threats issued by Barack
Obama to prevent the regime from using its chemical weapons against its people.
Those weapons were used in Ghouta in August 2013, and nothing came out of this
“red line” threat. Moscow rushed to Bashar al-Assad’s rescue through a plan in
which Russian ruses played a major role, and the Russians managed to delude the
Obama administration into believing that Assad had abandoned his chemical
weapons. However, Western intelligence agencies and international weapons
investigators remained suspicious of Assad’s concealment of chemical weapon
warehouses, even with his announcement that this program would be abandoned
completely as part of the agreement concluded by Russia and the United States.
Obama left, and Donald Trump came. Despite the Trump administration’s austere
dealings with the Syrian regime, its ability to “endure” was not shaken. The
regime benefited from the rapprochement between the Trump administration and
Russian leadership, which made it easier for Moscow to exert greater influence
on decision-making in Syria.
Those who are optimistic about the German court’s ruling view Iyad al-Gharib’s
punishment as punishment for the Syrian regime; an optimism that I don’t quite
share. While this criminal is incarcerated in a German prison, Bashar al-Assad
is still at large, ruling Syria.
Intelligence report: Saudi prince 'approved' operation that
killed Jamal Khashoggi
Brittany Shepherd and Michael Isikoff/Yahoo News/February 26, 2021
The Biden administration on Friday afternoon released an intelligence report
that concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to
capture or kill Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside his country’s
consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018.
“The world was horrified” by the journalist’s murder, Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said after the report’s release. He added the administration would
respond with a “Khashoggi ban” — a move that would effectively block from
entering the U.S. any individuals who, acting on behalf of a foreign country,
are engaged in “extraterritorial counterdissident activities.” He then placed 76
Saudis on the list, including many who were involved in operations to kidnap or
intimidate other Saudi dissidents overseas.
“While the U.S. remains invested in its relationship with Saudi Arabia,
President Biden has made clear that partnership must reflect U.S. values,” he
said. “To that end, we have made absolutely clear that extraterritorial threats
and assaults by Saudi Arabia against activists, dissidents and journalists must
end. They will not be tolerated by the United States.”
The disclosure of the brief four-page declassified report, based on a CIA
assessment, comes after more than two years of controversy about Khashoggi’s
death that has upended relations with one of America’s oldest allies in the
Mideast. The release by President Biden’s director of national intelligence,
Avril Haines, also comes after a congressional requirement in 2019 that the
CIA’s conclusions about the murder be made publicly available — a step the Trump
administration refused to follow but which Biden pledged to comply with during
the presidential campaign.
The report provides little new information about what actually happened to
Khashoggi and leaves out damning but classified details about the Saudi
operation that was briefed to Congress in 2018. But it reaches the conclusion
that the crown prince, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and the son of 85-year-old
King Salman, was directly involved based on the CIA’s assessment that he had
“absolute control of the Kingdom’s security and intelligence organizations,
making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an
operation of this nature without” his authorization.
The report also notes that a 15-member Saudi hit team that carried out
Khashoggi’s killing included seven members of the crown prince’s “elite personal
protective detail, known as the Rapid Intervention Force.” The Rapid
Intervention Force, a subset of the Saudi Royal Guard, “exists to defend the
Crown Prince, answers only to him and directly participated in earlier”
operations targeting dissidents “at the Crown Prince’s direction.”
The hit team also included officials with the Saudi Center for Studies and Media
Affairs that was led by Saud al-Qahtani, a close adviser to the crown prince who
has been described as his right-hand man. The report says U.S. intelligence has
“high confidence” that al-Qahtani — along with other members of the hit team —
“participated in, ordered or were otherwise complicit in or responsible for the
death of Khashoggi on behalf of Muhammad bin Salman.” (Among those identified as
participating in the operation were two notable names: Ahmed Zayed Asiri, at the
time the deputy chief of Saudi intelligence, and Abdulla Mohammed Alhoeriny, the
brother of the president of Saudi state security.)
Khashoggi’s killing was widely condemned by governments and human rights
advocates around the world as a shocking act against an independent journalist
who had dared to criticize bin Salman.
It was even more stunning given Khashoggi’s prominence. He was his country’s
best-known journalist and a frequent commentator about Mideast affairs on
television shows and at think tank conferences around the world. He also had
previously served as a Saudi government spokesman in Washington and London.
But with the rise of bin Salman as the most powerful figure in the kingdom,
Khashoggi’s sharp critiques of the authoritarian crackdowns inside his country
drove the journalist into exile in the United States, where he wrote opinion
columns for the Washington Post. “The Crown Prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat
to the Kingdom and broadly supported using violent measures if necessary to
silence him,” the U.S. intelligence report states. It cautions, however, that
while Saudi officials had “pre-planned an unspecified operation” against him,
“we do not know how far in advance Saudi officials decided to harm him.”
Khashoggi, 59, had entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018, in
hopes of obtaining documents proving he was divorced from his wife in Saudi
Arabia so that he could marry his Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz. But when
Khashoggi failed to come out, Turkish authorities leaked that they had audio
recordings from inside the consulate that captured the efforts by a Saudi hit
team to kill him and dismember his body.
Among those recordings — later quoted in a report by a United Nations special
rapporteur — was a conversation that a leader of the Saudi hit team, Maher
Mutreb, an intelligence officer, had with a forensic doctor, Dr. Salah Mohammed
Tubaigy, just moments before Khashoggi entered the consulate.
Mutreb asked the doctor whether it would be “possible to put the trunk in a
bag,” to which Tubaigy replied: “Joints will be separated. It is not a problem.”
A still image taken from CCTV video obtained by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet
claiming to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate
in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 2, 2018. (CCTV via Hurriyet via AP)
A still image taken from CCTV video obtained by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet
claiming to show Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on
Oct. 2, 2018. (CCTV via Hurriyet via AP)
Moments later, when Khashoggi entered the consulate, Tubaigy — according to the
Turkish recording — said “the sacrificial animal” has arrived. Once inside, the
U.N. report says, Khashoggi was anesthetized, and suffocated with a plastic bag,
after which his body was dismembered, purportedly with a bone saw. His body has
never been found.
The release of the report comes the day after a phone call between President
Biden and Saudi King Salman in which, according to a White House readout, the
president “affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human
rights and the rule of law.”
But there was no indication from the White House readout that the president
raised Khashoggi’s murder and the crown prince’s complicity in it. At the same
time, Biden stopped far short of fundamentally disrupting ties with the kingdom,
long a key U.S. ally in the region. “The President told Salman he would work to
make the bilateral relationship as strong and transparent as possible,” the
readout says.
The Saudi government initially denied any involvement in the killing, but bin
Salman acknowledged in 2019 that he maintains some responsibility for
Khashoggi’s death. “I get all the responsibility because it happened under my
watch,” he said to a journalist in a PBS documentary.
Meanwhile, even after receiving a copy of the classified CIA report a few weeks
after the murder, then-President Donald Trump protected the crown prince,
insisting there was no smoking gun that proved his complicity in the slaying.
Trump also vetoed a series of bills aiming to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia
in July of 2019, frustrating lawmakers who argued the Saudis should also be held
responsible for the bombings of civilians in Yemen as well as for Khashoggi’s
death.
The Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom activists hold a
candlelight vigil in front of the Saudi Embassy to mark the anniversary of the
killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Washington on October 2, 2019. (Sarah
Silbiger/Reuters)
The Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom activists hold a
candlelight vigil at the Saudi Embassy to mark the anniversary of Jamal
Khashoggi’s death in Washington on Oct. 2, 2019. (Sarah Silbiger/Reuters)
Bob Woodward’s book “Rage” details a conversation between Woodward and Trump in
January 2020 in which Trump said, in reference to the crown prince, “I saved his
ass” after pressure mounted in Congress for answers and accountability.
“I was able to get Congress to leave him alone,” Trump is quoted as telling
Woodward. “I was able to stop them.”
Instead, the Trump administration issued sanctions against the 17 Saudi
individuals identified as being involved in Khashoggi’s death, al-Qahtani among
them.
During his presidential campaign, Biden vowed to make the Saudis “pay the price,
and make them in fact the pariah that they are.” He also said that there is
“very little social redeeming value in the present government in Saudi Arabia.”
The release of the long-delayed report is unlikely to satisfy human rights
advocates who have called for full disclosure of what the U.S. government knows
about Khashoggi’s murder and strong steps to deter the Saudis from other
repressive measures. The Friday disclosure “is only a small part of the evidence
we’re seeking from the U.S. government about the murder of Khashoggi, including
regarding U.S. officials close to MBS who potentially facilitated a cover-up,”
said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now
(DAWN). “Biden should move to voluntarily disclose all of this information now.”
Human rights advocates also called for sanctions against the crown prince — a
step the administration declined to take. While saying the report was an
important step in obtaining justice for Khashoggi, “not clearly sanctioning the
Saudi crown prince is a missed opportunity,” said Seth Binder, advocacy officer
at the Project on Middle East Democracy. “No individual should be above the
law.”