English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese,
Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 10/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.june10.21.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but
the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 16/20-24/:”Very
truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will
have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has
pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer
remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into
the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will
rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask
nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my
name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my
name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on June 09-10/2021
Ministry of Health: 139 new infections, 6 deaths
President Aoun addresses economic affairs with former Minister Sehnaoui
President receives credentials of Swedish, Chinese, Philippines’ Ambassadors
Presidency General Directorate organizes training course for its employees on
foundations of negotiations, ways to succeed in cooperation with UNITAR
Khalil to Meet Hariri after 'Positive' Talks with Bassil
Bassil Meets Shiite Duo on Govt Deadlock
Conflicting Reports Emerge on Govt. Formation Efforts
Protesters Block Roads across Lebanon over Dire Situations
Hariri Meets New UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Report: Iraq Agrees to Secure Half of Lebanon’s Oil Needs
Inauguration of Italian Library at the Center for Languages and Translation
Najm from Bkirki: Government with exceptional powers required
In Lebanon, a Search for Medicine and a Stranger's Help
Hybrid Hooding and White Coat Ceremonies at LAU: New cohort of graduates and
incoming residents who walked the change and were central to its happening
Hezbollah threatens to import fuel from Iran if shortages persist
Powerplays In The Rubble: What Next for Lebanon?/Alberto M. Fernandez/MEMRI/June
09/2021
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on June 09-10/2021
Eight Syrian Fighters Killed by Israeli Air Strikes
In bid to appease tensions, Iraq releases Iran-aligned commander
Iraqi Kurds flee as Turkey beefs up military clout in border zone
Qatar accused of channeling millions to terrorists in Syria
Biden Leaves Washington to Meet Allies -- then Putin
Ex-Mossad chief Tamir Pardo: Netanyahu broke policy with Iran, US
Republican lawmakers urge Biden to stop reopening of PLO Washington office
Resigned to a nuclear deal revival, Saudi Arabia, UAE engage with Iran
Houthis claim they arrested a Mossad spy in Yemen
US working on more normalization between Israel, Arab states - Ashkenazi
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on June 09-10/2021
Satellite images of Iran nuclear site raise alarms as IAEA meets in
Vienna/Jennifer Griffin and Yonat Friling/Fox News/June 09/ 2
Leaving Afghanistan/Clifford D. May/FDD/Tuesday/June 09/ 2021
Why Cutting off Aid to Hamas Is Insufficient/Julia Schulman/The National
Interest/June 09/ 2021
Norwegian divestment illustrates weakness of campaign to boycott Israel/Orde
Kittrie/David May/The Jerusalem Post/June 09/2021
How The Assad Regime Is Dealing With The Caesar Act Sanctions – Part II:
Increasing Pressure On Syrian Citizens In Order To Fill State Coffers/O. Peri/MEMRI/June
09/2021
Israelis Want Victory, Preferably without Paying the Price/Daniel Pipes/Israel
Hayom/June 09/2021
The Poisonous Fruit of Appeasing Iran's Mullahs/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/June 09/2021
Tebboune says Algeria was ready to enforce red-line in Tripoli against Haftar/Saber
Blidi/The Arab Weekly/June 09/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
& Editorials published on June 09-10/2021
Ministry of Health: 139 new infections, 6 deaths
NNA/June 09/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced 139 new coronavirus infection cases,
which brings the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 541940.
Six deaths have been reported.
President Aoun addresses economic affairs with former
Minister Sehnaoui
NNA/June 09/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met former Minister, Maurice
Sehnaoui, today at Baabda Palace. The meeting tackled current developments,
economic and financial conditions, and ways to get out of the current crisis.--
Presidency Press Office
President receives credentials of Swedish, Chinese, Philippines’ Ambassadors
NNA/June 09/2021
Baabda Palace witnessed a credential reception, today by President of the
Republic, General Michel Aoun, of three new Ambassadors accredited to Lebanon.
Ambassadors are: Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, Mrs. ANN DISMORR, Chinese
Ambassador, Mr. Qian Minjian, and Philippines’ Ambassador, Raymond Reyes
Balatbat.
The presentation of the credentials was attended by Acting Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Emigrants Zina Aker, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Ambassador Hani Shmaitili, Director General of Protocols at the
Presidential Palace, Dr. Nabil Shedid, and Director of Protocols at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Abeer Ali. Upon the successive arrival of Ambassadors to
the Presidential Palace, the approved ceremonies were held. The army's music
played the anthem of the country represented by each Ambassador, while the flag
of his country was raised on the mast of the Palace alongside the Lebanese flag.
Then, each Ambassador saluted the flag, before entering the October 22 salon in
the middle of two rows of spears, and from there to the Ambassadors’ salon,
where each Ambassador presented his credentials and the members of the
diplomatic mission, to President Aoun.
Upon their departure, after presenting the credentials, the army music played
the Lebanese national anthem.
Ambassadors conveyed to President Aoun the greetings of their Presidents, and
wished him success in his national responsibilities, assuring him to work to
strengthen relations between Lebanon and their countries.
For his part, the President conveyed his greetings to the ambassadors and their
heads of state, wishing them success in their new diplomatic missions.
Ambassador Biography:
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, Mrs. ANN DISMORR:
- Joined her country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1981, and has headed the
mission of her country's embassy in Lebanon since September 2020.
-Assumed the position of Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department
between 2015-2020.
- Assumed the position of diplomatic advisor to the Swedish special envoy to
peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
- In 2008, she published a book about Turkey and its relations with Europe and
the Middle East. From 2012-2014, she held the position of Director of UNRWA in
Lebanon.
- Fluctuated in several positions, including her country's ambassador to
Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Seychelles and Comoros.
-Held the position of Head of the International Department of the Swedish
Parliament between 2006 and 2009.
- Worked as a consultant to her country's mission to the United Nations in
Geneva, between 1995-1999, and was concerned with human rights.
-Holds a Ph.D. from Yale University in Political Science, and a Bachelor of Arts
from Stockholm University.
-Written numerous articles m in a number of major international newspapers.
Ambassador of China, Mr. Qian Minjian:
-Born in Zhejiang Province in 1975.
-Holds a master's degree in law.
-Fluctuated in several positions, as he worked as an employee in his country's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1997-1998.
- Appointed attache to the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon between 1998-2002
-Held the position of attaché, then third secretary, and deputy head of a
department in the West Asia and North Africa Department of the Chinese Foreign
Ministry between 2002-2006.
-Appointed as an advisor at his country's embassy in the United States of
America between 2013-2015.
- Appointed as an advisor and head of department in the West Asia and North
Africa Department in his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs between
2015-2019, before he was appointed as Deputy Director General of the West Asia
and North Africa Department in the same ministry since 2019.
Philippine Ambassador RAYMOND REYES BALATBAT:
-Holds a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Department of English Language and
Literature, from the College of Arts and Languages of the University of the
Philippines.
-Holds a master's degree in national security management from the National
Defense College of the same university.
-Fluctuated in several management positions.
-Appointed between 1999-2002 as Third Secretary and Deputy Consul at his
country's embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
-Between 2003-2005, he was appointed second secretary and consul of his
country's embassy in Indonesia.
-Between 2008-2011, he was appointed first secretary and general consul of his
country's embassy in Brunei.
-Between 2014-2016, he was appointed director of the Southern Europe Department
of the European Affairs Department in his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
-Since 2017, he has held the position of Executive Director of the Middle East
and Africa Office in his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ----Presidency
Press Office
Presidency General Directorate organizes training course
for its employees on foundations of negotiations, ways to succeed in cooperation
with UNITAR
NNA/June 09/2021
The General Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic, in cooperation with
the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), organized
meetings on “The foundations of negotiations and ways to succeed” over a period
of two days, in which a number of advisers and employees of the General
Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic participated. The Director-General
of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, thanked UNITAR
Foundation and the international negotiator, Marwan Merhi, for their cooperation
in making this session successful, which contributes to strengthening the
capabilities of employees and workers, both professionally and personally.
During the course meetings, Mr. Merhi, founder of the global ADN Group, which is
concerned with graduating international negotiators in various negotiating
fields and fields, gave lectures and managed virtual meetings via video, and
presented the most prominent foundations on which negotiations are based at all
levels, and the number of the most important points and data necessary for the
success of any negotiation process. It is noteworthy that the General
Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic is preparing for other training
courses with the aim of enhancing the expertise of its employees in various
fields.-- Presidency Press Office
President Aoun asserts full support for educational sector
NNA/June 09/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received Education Minister, Dr.
Tarek Majzoub, today at the Presidential Palace. Minister Majzoub conveyed the
President’s full support for the educational sector with all its components,
describing it as "A vital sector for Lebanon, which is a fundamental lever for
the country and its economy”. “We will have official exams, because the matter
is essential for Lebanon, and it must be conducted. We hope to succeed in this
national merit with distinction” Minister Majzoub said. Minister Majzoub, who
was accompanied by the Director General of the Ministry of Education and Higher
Education, Dr. Fadi Yarak, and the Director of Guidance and Guidance in the
Ministry, Ms. Hilda Khoury, presented the arrangements made by the Ministry to
end the school year, and the ongoing preparations for official exams.
Statement: "We briefed His Excellency, the President, General Michel Aoun, on
the mechanism of ending the current school year for the transitional classes, so
that teaching ends at the end of June. We also briefed him about the
preparations for the official exams for the intermediate and secondary
certificates in its four branches. His Excellency the President expressed his
full support for the educational sector with all its components, and stressed
the support for this vital sector for Lebanon, which is an essential lever for
the country and its economy. There is no harm in recalling the support of the
Speaker of Parliament and the support of the Prime Minister to maintain official
certificates. The educational file will be completed with the Speaker of
Parliament and the Prime Minister, and with the three presidencies in the near
future”.
Questions & Answers:
Question: Is there any confirmation on holding official exams, and how this
matter will be dealt with in practice, in light of the Corona pandemic. Answer:
“We will certainly have official exams, because the matter is essential for
Lebanon, and it must be conducted. In addition, the mechanisms are being worked
on, to make matters clear with the Director General, the administrative units,
and Mrs. Khoury, to ensure that we have health matters in terms of prevention
and respectful measures. We hope that with our cooperation and your media
support, we will succeed in this national achievement with distinction”.
----Presidency Press Office
Khalil to Meet Hariri after 'Positive' Talks with Bassil
Naharnet/June 09/2021
The overnight meeting between Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil,
Hizbullah secretary-general’s assistant Hussein Khalil and Speaker Nabih Berri’s
aide Ali Hassan Khalil was “positive,” al-Jadeed TV said on Wednesday. “The
meeting broke the ice after the previous stormy meeting,” the TV network added.
It said the conferees discussed the “sectarian distribution of portfolios” and
agreed on “a large part of the portfolios.” “Bassil agreed to give up the energy
portfolio on the condition that it not be given to al-Marada (Movement) due to
electoral and presidential calculations that concern the two parties,” al-Jadeed
added. As for the key obstacle related to the two additional Christian
ministers, al-Jadeed said the meeting did not tackle the thorny file, adding
that a meeting will be held between Hassan Khalil and PM-designate Saad Hariri
in this regard. Al-Jadeed also said that Hariri was awaiting the outcome of the
meeting between Bassil and the “two Khalils”.
Bassil Meets Shiite Duo on Govt Deadlock
Naharnet/June 09/2021
Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Jebran Bassil met at his residence in
Bayyadah overnight with senior political aide to Berri, MP Ali Hassan Khalil;
political aide to Hizbullah leader Hussein Khalil; and Hizbullah official Wafik
Safa. The discussions reportedly focused on the political and government
developments related to the delayed formation process. The discussions ran in
“positive” atmospheres and have tackled the means to ease and facilitate the
formation process as per the French initiative, according to Bassil’s press
office. MTV television station said the talks during a “three-hour” meeting
focused on “distribution of the entire cabinet portfolios except for one,” and
that Speaker Nabih Berri, through Khalil, will relay the atmosphere of the
meeting with Bassil to PM-designate Saad Hariri. The station also said that
interlocutors were “surprised” to learn that media outlets reflected “negative”
atmospheres about their meeting, although it was “encouraging and still in
progress.”
Conflicting Reports Emerge on Govt. Formation Efforts
Naharnet/June 09/2021
Conflicting reports emerged Wednesday evening on whether or not the current
government formation efforts have made progress. Sources close to Hizbullah
secretary-general’s assistant Hussein Khalil, Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa and
Speaker Nabih Berri’s aide Ali Hassan Khalil told al-Manar TV that the trio’s
meeting with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday evening was
“positive.”“The most important things in it were frankness, transparency and the
progress in the efforts,” the sources added. The sources said the meeting
tackled three points: the distribution of portfolios, the naming of the two
additional Christian ministers and whether or not the Strong Lebanon bloc would
grant the government its confidence. “As for the naming of the two Christian
ministers, ideas that can contribute to reaching a settlement were discussed,”
the sources added, noting that the confidence vote issue would be discussed with
Bassil upon reaching an agreement on the first two points. MTV meanwhile said
that the “positive reports” about the government formation efforts are not
accurate, adding that PM-designate Saad Hariri “has not responded positively” to
the ongoing negotiations.
Protesters Block Roads across Lebanon over Dire Situations
Naharnet/June 09/2021
Protesters on Wednesday took to the streets in several Lebanese regions to
denounce the dire economic situations, mainly the dollar, gasoline and
electricity crises. In Beirut’s Verdun area, demonstrators gathered at the Druze
Council intersection, blocking the road with trash bins and tree branches. They
also used megaphones to urge citizens to hit the streets to “rebel in the face
of corrupts.”In the evening, protesters blocked the Ain el-Mreisseh and Manara
roads. Outside the capital, protesters blocked the international road in Dhour
al-Abadiyeh near Bhamdoun’s intersection. Demonstrators also blocked the
Taalabaya and Saadnayel roads in the Bekaa and the al-Nour Square road in
Tripoli. Later in the evening, the Verdun road was reopened as roads were
blocked in Bint Jbeil, Tyre, Nabatiyeh and al-Zahrani as reports said that
protesters were gathering on the Jal el-Dib highway amid a heavy deployment by
army troops.
Hariri Meets New UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Naharnet/June 09/2021
In an acquaintance visit, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met Wednesday
with the newly appointed UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka,
Hariri’s press office said on. In April, the UN Secretary General António
Guterres appointed Wronecka of Poland as Special Coordinator for Lebanon,
succeeding Jab Kubis of the Slovak Republic.
Report: Iraq Agrees to Secure Half of Lebanon’s Oil Needs
Naharnet/June 09/2021
The Iraqi government approved to provide Lebanon with Iraqi oil increasing this
support from 500,000 tons to one million tons, al-Akhbar daily reported on
Wednesday. Iraq’s crude oil support for Lebanon was first approved during the
recent April visit of caretaker Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar to Iraq
accompanied by General Security chief Ibrahim Abbas, said the daily. According
to reports, a preliminary agreement was signed earlier between the two countries
that would see Lebanon trade its medical expertise for 500,000 tons of Iraqi
oil. The amount was doubled later on.
The move was not announced then until some “Iraqi” problems were resolved, al-Akhbar
said. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa el-Kazemi informed concerned parties in
Lebanon that he will raise the issue of increasing the quantity of crude oil in
the cabinet session (Tuesday). Despite some opposition, the Council was decisive
in passing the resolution confirming support for Lebanon. Lebanon's ailing
electricity sector is facing dire cash shortages, as the country grapples with
its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. Ghajar has warned that
electricity supply was becoming critical and that the crisis-stricken country
could be plunged into total darkness by June's end. Lebanon is wrangling with an
unprecedented economic and financial crisis since late 2019, and has been facing
increasingly severe fuel shortages in recent months, with long queues at service
stations and some drivers waiting more than an hour to buy even small quantities
of supplies.
Inauguration of Italian Library at the Center for Languages
and Translation
NNA/June 09/2021
Today, the Ambassador of Italy to Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardiere, together with
the Director of the Center for Languages and Translation, Dr. Rabih Machaalany,
inaugurated the Italian Library, a donation from the Italian Ministry of
Culture, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation, at the Center for Languages and Translation. The
ceremony took place in the presence of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and
Humanities at the Lebanese University, Dr. Ahmad Rahab, of the Director of the
Institute of Culture in Lebanon, Monica Zecca, of the Italian Lecturer at the
Lebanese University, Caterina Carlini , and numerous students of the Italian
languageclasses. The Italian Library constitutes a prestigious award that the
Italian Ministry of Culture has decided to assign this year to the Center for
Languages and Translation, being a prominent institution in the field of the
dissemination of the Italian language. There are about 550 volumes on various
themes, from literature to history and various arts, from geography and
landscape to archeology, and from gastronomy tocinema, including also 34 DVDs of
Italian cinema masterpieces. A real journey into the Italian culture world,
through the works of the greatest classical and contemporary Italian authors. "I
am sure" - underlined the Ambassador - "that every student and every teacher at
the Center for Languages and Translation of the Lebanese University will now be
able to find in this library a corner of Italy to explore and deepen, a source
of new inspirations and new opportunities to strengthen the cultural link
between our two countries-- Embassy of Italy in Beirut
Najm from Bkirki: Government with exceptional powers required
NNA/June 09/2021
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, welcomed this Wednesday
in Bkirki caretaker Minister of Justice, Marie-Claude Najm, with whom he tackled
the general situation and the government formation crisis. Najm also briefed
Rahi on the progress made in the decree to appoint members of the Supreme
Judicial Council. In the wake of the meeting, Najm delivered a statement in
which she said: "I discussed with His Beatitude the country's accumulated
crises, and the judicial aspect of matters -- which falls within my powers. The
biggest concern today is to form a government on foundations that benefit the
Lebanese people. We want this to happen sooner rather than later, because the
situation is no longer tolerable. As a resigned government, we shoulder many
responsibilities, but we must be able to exercise our powers in a firmer way.
Today, we lack a government capable of resolving financial, judicial, or other
issues. As members of a caretaker government, we are not authorized to properly
take decisions, and this is the worst of circumstances." "In my personal
opinion, Lebanon's crises and problems go far beyond the issue of government
formation -- although that is essential. The most important question remains:
what government will we have, and what will it be able to accomplish? My opinion
is clear in this context; what is required is a government with exceptional
powers to be able to work and achieve. I have demanded such powers for our
present government, but I realize that there is a problem in this particular
matter."
In Lebanon, a Search for Medicine and a Stranger's Help
Naharnet/June 09/2021
To all the struggles of life in Lebanon — the pandemic, the power outages, the
inflation, the punishing financial and political crises — add one more:
shortages of crucial medications. But as residents struggle to find the
medicines they need, some are finding that their fellow Lebanese are doing what
they can to help.
Christiane Massoud, a 41-year-old nurse, scoured pharmacies for an elusive drug
to manage her Crohn's disease, had friends around the country search on her
behalf and asked her doctor if there was a substitute. She also appealed to
strangers online for pointers to track it down. Nada Waked responded to one of
those online pleas: She had a small amount that her mom no longer needed.
Massoud offered to pay; Waked and her mom declined the money. Instead, Waked
asked for a prayer. In this bleak landscape, Massoud found in Waked's gesture a
bright spot.
"It showed that we are a people who stand by one another and feel for one
another," she said. "There are still people who help each other out."As the
country's crises deepened, pharmacist Chadi Geha said he noticed more were eager
to help strangers. Some of his customers started refusing to take back change,
asking him instead to use the cash to pay for the medications of others in need.
"That didn't happen before," he said. "You feel like there's still good in the
world. ... They don't even want to know who they're helping; they just care
about helping."But money or no money, Geha has had to turn away many customers
as more medications became unavailable, shortages that had been exacerbated by
panic buying and by some suppliers holding on to the drugs. The difference
between the official and black-market dollar rates has also fueled smuggling of
subsidized drugs out of the country. In late May, Lebanon's central bank said it
could not continue with its subsidies of medical items without dipping into the
mandatory reserves, hard currency deposits parked by local lenders at the bank,
and asked authorities to find a solution. Geha started closing the pharmacy
early. "I'm tired of telling people we're out of this and out of that."Frantic
pleas for tracking down medications abound on LibanTroc, the Facebook group
where Massoud and Waked connected. Members point some to organizations who may
have the drugs or to pharmacies they know carry them. "We've seen amazing
interaction and a lot of good deeds that keep us from working on migrating
elsewhere, as we're still trying to fix whatever remains of our wounded roots,"
said Hala Dahrouge, founder of LibanTroc, which has evolved into a
nongovernmental organization facilitating different kinds of assistance and
requests. Massoud thinks of others who may not know how to navigate social media
like she did to find medications. She's thinking of moving her family out of the
country, but amid the despair of life in Lebanon, she takes heart from the ways,
small and big, in which many are helping strangers. Waked said that even though
she has no extra means to help others financially, she still wanted to offer a
little relief. "I know very well that if you give from the heart, God will
provide for you whenever you are in need," she said. "I gave from the heart."
Hybrid Hooding and White Coat Ceremonies at LAU: New cohort of graduates and
incoming residents who walked the change and were central to its happening
NNA/June 09/2021
In keeping with social distancing measures, the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury
School of Medicine at the Lebanese American University (LAU) celebrated a new
cohort of medical doctors and fellows at its annual Hooding and Graduation
Ceremony, while marking the rite of passage for the incoming residents at the
White Coat Ceremony. While Lebanon grasps for good news, as President Michel E.
Mawad pointed out, securing another group of trained physicians to join the
ranks of the medical profession is truly remarkable. He exhorted the graduates
to deliver good health to patients “with a work ethic and moral fortitude that
distinguishes you from other physicians – embodying high competence,
conscientiousness, and compassion.”In her address to the students, Interim Dean
of the School of Medicine Sola Aoun Bahous said that the hood bestowed upon the
graduates was a token of trust. “You endured unprecedented uncertainty, which
you have navigated with an inspiring level of understanding, wisdom and
creativity – how can we not trust you?”From caring for COVID-19 patients and
shifting to virtual learning, to embracing historic difficulties and serving the
community in the aftermath of the August 4 explosion, Dr. Bahous congratulated
the class for winning a hard-fought battle. “Go and earn the trust of your
patients and always remember that the highest level of wisdom is humility, a
virtue you have demonstrated to great lengths and still.”Keynote speaker Dr.
Bermans Iskandar, who is a pediatric neurosurgeon at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, called on the new cohort of medical doctors to “have a clear
understanding of your goal, and unambiguous pursuit of excellence while staying
motivated and grounded by the challenges you face.”Delivering a heartfelt
speech, class valedictorian Dr. Abdulrahman Al Kotob touched on these very
challenges: the uprising, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, a crushing economic
crisis and a blast that destroyed half the capital. “Despite the unspeakable, we
persevered, studied every last lecture and stayed for that last call,” he said.
On behalf of residents and fellows, Dr. Jad Mansour shared a positive note.
Addressing the inevitable reality that some graduates will be seeking
fellowships and positions abroad, he remarked that “it is places like LAU that
make us want to take part in the change in our country.” Despite feelings of
hopelessness, he continued, “we should remain optimistic because we are the
frontliners – the very beginning of change.” -- LAU
Hezbollah threatens to import fuel from Iran if shortages persist
The Arab Weekly/June 09/2021
BEIRUT--The head of Lebanon’s powerful Shia movement Hezbollah said Tuesday that
the country could soon be forced to rely on fuel imports from Iran, amid an
ongoing economic collapse. Lebanon has been facing increasingly severe fuel
shortages in recent months, with long queues at service stations and some
drivers waiting more than an hour to buy even small quantities of supplies.
Describing the situation as humiliating, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called
on authorities to take a “courageous decision” and override their “fear” of the
US to import fuel supplies from Iran, a country under hefty American sanctions.
If the Lebanese state fails to take action, “we, within Hezbollah, will go to
Iran, negotiate with the Iranian government … and buy vessels full of petrol and
fuel oil and bring them to Beirut port,” Nasrallah said. “Let the Lebanese state
(dare to) prevent the delivery of petrol and fuel oil to the Lebanese people!”
he said, adding, “We can no longer tolerate these scenes of
humiliation.”Hezbollah, long designated a terrorist organisation by the US, is a
major political player in Lebanon and is closely aligned with regional Shia
powerhouse Iran.
Washington slapped punitive sanctions on Tehran under former president Donald
Trump, after he unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran
and world powers. Trump’s successor President Joe Biden favours returning to the
nuclear deal and Vienna has hosted indirect negotiations to that end, but
sanctions seeking to block Iran from exporting fuel remain in place. In late
2019, Lebanon plunged into political and economic crisis, with huge street
protests against an elite deemed beholden to different sectarian interests. The
country has been without a government for the past ten months.
The crisis is also eating away at the country’s dwindling foreign currency
reserves which have so far funded subsidies on key goods such as fuel, flour and
medicine. The local currency has lost around 85 percent of its value against the
dollar on the black market. The World Bank last week said the country’s
financial crisis was one of the world’s worst since the mid-19th century. In his
most recent speech, Nasrallah reassured supporters that he was well after
coughing episodes during his last speech caused concerns about his health. “A
human being is a human being, you get sick or tired sometimes,” Nasrallah said
in his first televised appearance since he coughed his way through a speech on
May 25, when he said he was suffering from allergies and nothing serious.
Referring to social media rumours suggesting he had a grave illness, he said:
“Some people killed us off and some started looking for a successor. I reassure
them.” Nasrallah has led the Iran-backed, armed Hezbollah movement for nearly
three decades, turning it from one of Lebanon’s many civil war militias into a
group of regional influence. In recent months, Hezbollah has been calling for a
swift formation of a new cabinet in Lebanon. “Those responsible for government
formation need to listen to people’s voices and look with pain at the cars
queuing up for fuel and the loss of electricity and medication,” Nasrallah said
on Tuesday.
Powerplays In The Rubble: What Next for Lebanon?
Alberto M. Fernandez/MEMRI/June 09/2021
ألبرتو إم. فرنانديز/موقع ممري: ماذا بعد للبنان الواقع
تحت الأنقاض والغارق في مسرحيات النفوذ والسلطة
ترجمة الياس بجاني. (بتصرف)
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/99594/alberto-m-fernandez-memri-powerplays-in-the-rubble-what-next-for-lebanon-%d8%a3%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88-%d8%a5%d9%85-%d9%81%d8%b1%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%b2-%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9/
According to the World Bank, Lebanon is seeing an economic and financial
disaster of historic proportions rarely seen since the mid-19th century.[1] Most
Lebanese today are newly poor, money is worthless and electricity, food,
medicine, and water are all scarce commodities. It still has no real government
as rival corrupt politicians struggle for position, divvying up the crumbs of
power, while the ultimate arbiter and hegemon, the terrorist group Hizbullah,
looks on.
The best-case scenario seems to be that a coalition government will be formed
soon, likely with former prime minister Saad Hariri, that will be able to turn
the spigots of foreign aid back on. A few billion in hard currency from the West
and some Arab states would then supposedly stabilize Lebanon – prop up the
currency, promote good governance, and implement some reforms – and at least
prevent it from collapsing further. Elections would then be held in 2022. That
seems to be the theory. And this rosy scenario is supposed to unfurl while
Hizbullah still remains in ultimate control and the same politicians that
oversaw the Lebanese debacle in the first place remain on top.
A more likely worst-case scenario would be continued economic collapse, further
delaying government formation intended to delay May 2022 parliamentary elections
so that the same crowd can stay in power even longer. A collapse that leads to
the implosion of remaining institutions and low-grade gang warfare. While
someone like the despised presidential son-in-law Gibran Bassil, a key Hizbullah
ally, maneuvers in the rubble to gain the presidency in October 2022.[2] With
maybe another Hizbullah war against Israel thrown in, following the conclusion
of a new American-Iranian nuclear deal.
It does look like Lebanon will need a miracle to survive so it is then quite
timely that Pope Francis will be meeting with Lebanese Christian religious
leaders at the Vatican on July 1.[3] This is a message of support to Lebanon and
particularly to the Lebanese Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Butros Al-Rahi
who has chided politicians for failing to form a government, openly criticized
Hizbullah, and urged that Lebanon pursue a policy of active neutrality,
distancing itself from regional conflicts.
The Lebanese need and deserve some basis for hope for what looks like a grim
future. Some in the Lebanese diaspora, especially Christians, place their hopes
in calling for federalism, dividing the country into smaller, decentralized
political entities. They are not wrong in that decentralized entities closer to
the people, responding to local realities, would be a boon not just for Lebanon
but for many states in the region. However, the trend in the region has and
continues to be towards the centralization of power and those that hold such
power jealously guard it. The idea that those who centralize power today in
Lebanon would willingly surrender it is ludicrous.
The concept of devolution of powers, of divisions into smaller entities is also,
of course, anathema in the contemporary Middle East, built as it is on
centralizing ideologies centered on Arabism, or on Turkish and Iranian
nationalism. Division is what the Western imperialists are supposed to have done
as, indeed, Lebanon itself was seen by Arab nationalists as an artificial
construct created by France for the Maronites.
The Lebanese disaster has, perhaps, had a few incidental benefits for Lebanese
along with so much suffering. Certainly, many cherished political and economic
illusions have been punctured. The fantasy that Lebanon could flourish on the
basis of a political and economic Ponzi scheme has been unmasked. The hope that
you can somehow develop stability, a state, and an economy without true
sovereignty has been shown to be illusory. How can you do so when a
political-military entity immune from any real accountability can plunge you
into war or crisis at any moment? Lebanon's "resistance state" has been very
costly, especially for the Lebanese. There was a rare chance for a real change
in 2005, but this was effectively buried by Hizbullah in collaboration with
Michel Aoun.
While the Lebanese have painfully been divested of many illusions, one wonders
how much these illusions remain entrenched among the international community?
Rather than kicking the can down the road or doubling down on strengthening
dubious institutions and collaborating with even more dubious political
partners, the time is perhaps ripe for a more aggressive form of contingency
planning for Lebanon. This means preparing both for a deeper disaster – the
chaotic worst-case scenario which seems to be happening now – and the best
outcome scenario, which is intimately tied with domestic politics in the coming
year.
With people fighting over food and gasoline in Beirut while electricity goes off
during a hot summer, planning for a no government/further implosion/hunger
scenario is a logical move. I have been one of those mocking the $1.8 billion
(since 2006) spent by the U.S. in supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and
certainly the idea that it would ever be a counterweight to Hizbullah is
ridiculous.[4] But perhaps the LAF will soon have a role to play in preventing
further chaos in parts of the country.
Lebanon's economic problems are also intimately connected to its political
problems. Economic help for Lebanon is essential but, should it come, it must
have a political dimension, one that is heavily tilted in favor of an admittedly
shaky democratic processes, so elections in 2022 are a must in shoring up
Lebanon's vital if battered civil society. Hizbullah and its political allies
will do all they can to delay and cheat (and kill, if necessary,) in such a
situation. Above all things, they want to avoid any sort of popular accounting
at the ballot box in response to the catastrophes of the past few years. It is
not too early for local and international opponents of the Nasrallah gang and
its front men to be preparing as well.
Here there is a very slim, but real, chance at change. Just as Hizbullah will
have its favorites, both for parliamentary elections and for the presidency, so
should the international community (and in reality, this means France, the
United States, and some Gulf Arab states) have its allies and play political
hardball in 2022. And supporting the usual political crowd with the same
blandishments Westerners have heard for years just does not seem like a very
good bet.
Both the U.S. and France have taken some small steps in punishing local bad
actors involved in corruption or political obstruction and that should continue
and expand into the pre-electoral period. Paradoxically, such aggressive
intrusive steps carefully planned and implemented by the international community
are therapeutic interventions aimed at strengthening a Lebanon that has a slight
chance, a small possibility, of emerging from the ruins. Lebanon needs a
miracle, no doubt. But also, tough and ruthless political international
gamesmanship by those who seek to save her from destruction.
*Alberto M. Fernandez is Vice President of MEMRI.
[1] Worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/05/01/lebanon-sinking-into-one-of-the-most-severe-global-crises-episodes,
June 1, 2021.
[2] Almodon.com/politics/2021/6/7/%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D8%AD%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%F,
June 7, 2021.
[3] Catholicnewsagency.com/news/247841/pope-francis-invites-lebanese-christian-leaders-to-vatican-to-pray-for-peace,
May 30, 2021.
[4] State.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-lebanon, May 21, 2021.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on June 09-10/2021
Eight Syrian Fighters Killed by
Israeli Air Strikes
Agence France Presse/June 09/2021
At least eight fighters for the Syrian regime were killed Tuesday night in
Israeli air strikes on Homs Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said. The monitor's director Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP "at least five army
soldiers and three allied fighters were killed" in the strikes which hit shortly
before midnight.
In bid to appease tensions, Iraq releases Iran-aligned commander
The Arab Weekly/June 09/2021
BAGHDAD – Iraq has released an Iran-aligned militia commander arrested in May on
what the military said were terrorism-related charges after finding insufficient
evidence against him, government and paramilitary officials said on Wednesday.
Security forces arrested Qasim Muslih, who commands the Popular Mobilisation
Forces (PMF) in Iraq’s western Anbar province, on May 26. The military said the
charges were terrorism-related but did not give details. The PMF is Iraq’s state
paramilitary grouping that includes mostly Shia Muslim factions and is dominated
by Iran-backed groups. Muslih is seen by Western and some Iraqi officials as
being aligned with Iran. Security sources said Muslih’s arrest was linked to
attacks on a military base that hosts US forces. Some media and analysts
reported that he had been arrested over alleged links to the killing of peaceful
pro-democracy activists.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has placed himself publicly in opposition to
Iran-backed militias and parties and Muslih’s arrest was a major attempt to rein
in their power. It echoed another attempt to bring Iran-backed militias under
control, when in June last year Kadhimi ordered the arrest of militants alleged
to have fired rockets at US targets. On both occasions, paramilitary groups
deployed in force inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where foreign embassies
and government buildings are located, no prosecutions were made and those
arrested were released. Earlier this week, The Arab Weekly reported that Kadhimi
may be intent on building better ties with figures who are close to pro-Iran
Shia parties and militias. The Iraqi premier does not have any partisan cover
and is accused by pro-Iran Shia parties and militias of “working” and colluding
with the United States. He has been trying to maintain calm, ease tensions and
preserve security in the run-up to voting scheduled for this October, The Arab
Weekly explained. The presence of the PMF is now a fait accompli that is hardly
in need of recognition by anyone, especially after the integration of the
militias within state institutions, allowing them to benefit from state funds
and a legal umbrella.
Iraqi Kurds flee as Turkey beefs up military clout in
border zone
The Arab Weekly/June 09/2021
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq – Since Turkey launched a new military campaign in northern
Iraq on April 23, three civilians have been killed and four wounded. Amongst
those, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a senior official
from Turkey’s outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In the face of Turkey’s
actions, some 1,500 people from 300 families have fled their villages, according
to Iraq’s ministry for the displaced. One of them is Yohanna Khushfa who
gathered his 200 sheep and took off in May, along with 120 other villagers in
Iraqi Kurdistan, fearful of the Turkish drones hunting Kurdish separatists.
“Shrapnel blew out our windows and furniture,” the mayor of Jelki, a village in
the Al-Amadiya area, said. “We were afraid for our lives and we left,” said the
71-year-old, reached by telephone from a rugged strip near the Turkish border.
Others already left long ago, among them Berqi Islam, who fled in 2017 from
Shiladzi, an area near the border where his brother was killed in Turkish
bombing. With his family’s farmland burnt down and no compensation paid by Iraqi
Kurdish or federal authorities, he has yet to return. Erdogan, who has
threatened to “clean up” parts of northern Iraq, accuses the PKK of using the
mountainous border area as a springboard for its insurgency. The PKK has waged a
rebellion in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey since 1984 that has claimed
more than 40,000 lives.
Turkey’s growing clout
Erdogan is willing to move “Turkey’s ongoing military confrontation with the PKK
from Turkey to territory the PKK controls or transits through in Iraq,” said
Aykan Erdemir, senior director of the Turkey Programme at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies. He said Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of Iraqi
Kurdistan and an ally of Ankara, appear to have accepted this. The growing
Turkish involvement on the ground in Iraqi Kurdistan “has been evolving into a
permanent Turkish presence in the region”, said Erdemir, a former opposition
lawmaker in Turkey. The Iraqi state, tied up with chasing down remnants of the
Islamic State group and often challenged by pro-Iran Shia armed groups “has no
means of pressure on the PKK to make it leave,” explained Adel Bakawan, director
of the French Centre for Research on Iraq (CFRI). In a sign of Turkey’s growing
confidence, its defence minister visited troops on Iraqi soil in early May, even
though the dozen bases and other military posts that the Turkish army has set up
over the past quarter of a century are illegal in the eyes of Iraqi law. Baghdad
has summoned the Turkish ambassador several times in protest over Turkey’s
military actions, but the bombs continue to fall, taking away 2.5 percent of
Iraq’s forested areas, “an inhuman environmental crime” in the words of Iraqi
President Barham Saleh.
Deeper incursions
And the Turkish incursions are getting deeper, up to 20 kilometres (12 miles)
inside Iraqi Kurdistan, said Kurdish MP Rivink Muhammad, himself from Al-Amadiya.
“Until the latest campaign, Turkish forces were entering through the border
posts, but now they are setting up their own routes to avoid the official
crossings,” added colleague Ali Saleh. Ankara, the PKK charges, wants a repeat
of the situation in northern Syria, where Turkey has since 2016 conducted three
military offensives that have left it in control of more than 2,000 square
kilometres. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Sunday defended his
country’s actions. “All of our operations only target terrorists, respecting
international law and respecting the territorial integrity of our neighbours,
particularly Iraq,” he told reporters. But he warned they would “continue until
the last terrorist is neutralised… Our duty is to destroy all of the villains’
nests.”Zagros Hiwa, a PKK spokesman, said that Ankara was determined to block
any dream of a Greater Kurdistan straddling Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey.
Turkey’s military forays are “strategic, they aim to occupy Kurdish areas to cut
off contacts between the Kurds (of the four countries) and eventually create a
security cordon”, he said.
Qatar accused of channeling millions to terrorists in
Syria
The Arab Weekly/June 09/2021
LONDON--Qatar is trying to stop a London court case into allegations that the
emirate funnelled hundreds of millions of dollars to al-Nusra Front terrorists
in Syria.
It has been alleged in the High Court that the emir’s private office was the
centre of a secret web that fed money to the al-Qaeda-linked terrorists. In
2019, nine Syrians, currently living in the Netherlands and unnamed, lodged a
claim for damages against leading politicians, civil servants, two Qatari banks
and wealthy businessmen and several charities. The lawsuit accuses the Qatari
businessmen of using their Qatari bank accounts to allow money to be withdrawn
in Turkey and Lebanon and then carried over the border to Syria for the Nusra
Front. The allegation is that there was a conspiracy organised “by high-ranking
members of the Qatari ruling elite” to “actively support and facilitate”
al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists in the Syrian civil war. It is being claimed that
money was laundered for terrorism via significantly over-priced construction
contracts, the purchase of property at inflated prices and overpayments to
Syrian migrant workers. The claim also alleges this clandestine funding
operation was carried out with the Muslim Brotherhood who had meetings in Turkey
with prominent Qatari individuals and representatives of jihadist groups
operating in Syria. All defendants have refuted the claims vigorously and some
of those accused have said they are victims of a state-orchestrated campaign to
damage Qatar’s international reputation. At the moment the High Court in London
is still deciding whether it actually has jurisdiction in the case. Lawyers for
Qatar argue that since the plaintiffs, now reduced to eight, along with all the
other parties have no links to the UK, there are no grounds for the case to be
heard there. The plaintiffs should have launched their action in the courts in
Qatar. The court also directed the claimants to limit their evidence at the next
hearing, scheduled for November, to alleged attempts by Qatar to interfere with
the proceedings. Lawyers for the refugees had claimed they had evidence of
bribery and intimidation by agents of the Middle East state.
Biden Leaves Washington to Meet Allies -- then Putin
Agence France Presse/June 09/2021
Joe Biden left on the first foreign trip of his presidency Wednesday, touting
the strong transatlantic alliance ahead of summits with G7, European and NATO
partners, then a face-to-face with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Boarding Air Force
One outside Washington, Biden said his trip would make "clear to Putin and China
that Europe and the United States are tight." The 78-year-old president was
headed first to Britain for a G7 summit in a Cornish seaside resort from Friday
to Sunday. From there, in rapid succession, he will visit Queen Elizabeth II at
Windsor Castle, fly to Brussels for summits with the NATO military alliance and
the European Union, then finish up in Geneva, where he meets Putin next
Wednesday. With the world still crawling out from under the wreckage of
Covid-19, Biden has cast his diplomatic marathon as a return to badly needed
U.S. leadership. But beyond the immediate challenges of boosting vaccine
donations to poorer regions and reinvigorating post-pandemic economies, Biden's
agenda features the even bigger task of shoring up a somewhat-tattered group of
democracies against Russia and China. "This is a defining question of our time,"
Biden wrote in The Washington Post ahead of his trip. Biden's pitch marks a
return to traditional U.S. diplomacy after four years during which Donald Trump
flirted with autocrats and recast multilateralism as a dirty word. U.S. allies
are looking for concrete signs of change. As Biden departed Washington, the
European Union trade commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, called on "the US to walk
the talk" when it comes to resolving lingering Trump-era trade disputes. For
now, Biden is accentuating the feel-good factor, repeating the mantra "America
is back."That's a message that the trip's choreography, with Biden meeting a
Who's Who of U.S. allies before sitting down with Putin, reinforces. "He will go
into this (Putin) meeting with the wind at his back," National Security Advisor
Jake Sullivan said.
Avoiding 'chaos' -
As he boarded his plane, Biden jokingly warned journalists to "watch out for
cicadas," saying one of the insects currently invading the Washington area had
just landed on him. Earlier, a separate plane carrying White House journalists
was delayed due to technical problems caused by a cicada swarm. Weighter
problems await Biden on the other side of the Atlantic. The Biden administration
sees the pivot back from Trump's isolationism as vital to world order. The
alternative to U.S. leadership, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
is China taking over or "chaos." Still reeling from Trump shock, European
partners may eye Biden's vows with skepticism -- and not just on trade disputes.
There was friction last month when Washington blocked French attempts at the
United Nations to demand a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Biden's
ramping up of vaccine donations around the world also follows what critics saw
as a long period of hoarding. Biden's meeting on the sidelines of NATO with
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promises to be especially prickly. Biden
has irked Erdogan, a sometimes Trump ally, by highlighting Turkey's dire human
rights situation and recognizing the Ottoman Empire's genocide against the
Armenians. Washington risks "losing a precious friend," Erdogan has warned.
'More stable?'
Expectations for the Putin summit are so low that simply making U.S.-Russian
relations "more stable" would be considered a success, Blinken and other White
House officials say. The White House sees the extension of the New START nuclear
arms treaty in February as an example of where business can be done. Biden also
needs the Kremlin to make progress with Iran, which is close to Russia. The list
of tensions, however, is far longer. Biden blames Russia for the massive
SolarWinds cyber-attack, election interference, and at the very least harboring
criminals behind ransomware attacks against the vital Colonial fuel pipeline and
the US subsidiary of Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS. Biden will also press
Putin about saber-rattling on the Ukrainian border, the imprisonment of opponent
Alexei Navalny, and his support for Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarussian
strongman who forced a Ryanair airliner to land in Minsk, then arrested an
opponent on the flight. It's a long to-do list for the US president on his first
foreign trip. But Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that with decades in the Senate
and eight years as vice president under Barack Obama, Biden has done his
homework. "He's been getting ready for 50 years," she said.
Ex-Mossad chief Tamir Pardo: Netanyahu broke policy with
Iran, US
Yoonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/June 09/2021
Netanyahu's non-strategy led to 60% nuke enrichment
Former Mossad director Tamir Pardo on Wednesday said that Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has broken the country’s strategy for dealing with Iran with
the support of the US. Speaking at the Meir Dagan conference at Netanya Academic
College, Pardo said it was a massive strategic error for Netanyahu to be in open
conflict with the Obama and Biden administrations over Iran. The former Mossad
chief asked how Netanyahu could dare to say Jerusalem will completely ignore
Washington, when it is America which provides both the aircraft and the weapons
which the Jewish state uses and needs to defend itself.
Pardo said, “we must do everything to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,”
but that it was a mistake for Netanyahu to call it an existential threat as if,
should the Islamic Republic someday get such a weapon, all of the Jews would
need to flee from the Middle East. He said that Netanyahu’s policy had helped
push the Trump administration to leave the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which now has
led to Tehran passing the 60% nuclear enrichment level. According to Pardo,
“Iran never would have dreamed” they would have gotten to this unprecedented
high level of uranium enrichment in prior eras, but that the lack of strategy on
the part of Israel along with the Trump administration, has led to the
ayatollahs being potentially only weeks away from a nuclear weapon. In contrast,
he said that the Sharon and Olmert governments made their primary principle in
dealing with Iran to coordinate with the US.
He accused Israel under Netanyahu of having “top notch tactics, but zero
strategy.” Earlier at the conference, former state’s attorney Shai Nitzan said
that despite statements by Netanyahu’s defense lawyers, the case against him is
nowhere near crashing and that he still “has plenty to worry about.”
Nitzan was responding to a decision on Wednesday by the Jerusalem District Court
presiding over Netanyahu’s trial that the prosecution had failed to turn over
significant aspects of evidence relevant to the defense. Further, Netanyahu’s
defense team has succeeded in recent weeks in undermining aspects of the
credibility of key prosecution witness Ilan Yeshua, the former CEO of Walla.
Yet, Nitzan said that the comments from the judges so far were still narrow
criticisms which would not impact the broader verdict, which will depend on
around 300 witnesses besides Yeshua. In addition, he said that Yeshua had scored
many strong points against Netanyahu during his direct testimony for the
prosecution.
Nitzan also rejected the idea of splitting the powers of the attorney-general,
saying that weakening his office could have negative impacts such as what has
been seen in the US when former US president Donald Trump fired his
attorney-generals at will.
Also at the conference, former police chief Roni Alsheich said that Public
Security Minister Amir Ohana has crossed redlines interfering with non-political
professional aspects of the running of the police. Alsheich said that, “I hear
lines have been crossed, I am extremely worried,” about such interference.
Asked if the impact of having a temporary police chief for two years had caused
the police to lose their independence to the public security minister’s
political considerations, he responded, “unambiguously yes, for sure. Someone
[the police chief] waiting for an appointment [by the public security minister]
cannot be independent.”
After two years, the police were “falling apart,” as a temporary chief has no
long-term strategic plan, budget plans and “no independent power and cannot tell
the minister, you cannot be involved on this issue.”Alsheich added that there
was no way the public security minister – which Ohana has served as for over a
year – could be stopped from politicization by a temporary police chief. The
former police chief also cited the outgoing speech of Moti Cohen slamming the
interference of Ohana and the political class – who had been temporary police
chief – and what he has been told by current police commanders.
Ohana has been caught on tape threatening police officials regarding their
handling of protests for and against Netanyahu. Concluding the conference,
former prime minister Ehud Olmert lashed out at Netanyahu for trying to scare
Israelis about national security dangers so that they would feel dependent on
him as prime minister as their lifelong protector. Olmert also said that the
IDF’s budget is too large and that it could be a smaller and smarter military.
Further, he said that integrating Haredim into the broader society should be
through national service and not through the IDF. Regarding the Palestinians,
the former prime minister said that Israel lost the last round to Hamas because
of the public relations achievements of the terror group. He added that after
the seventh day of the war, the IDF had no quality targets left and just
continued aimlessly until the eleventh day to try to look tougher.
Olmert attacked Netanyahu for favoring dealing with Hamas in Gaza over
empowering and negotiating with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Republican lawmakers urge Biden to stop reopening of PLO
Washington office
Jerusalem Post/June 09/2021
The lawmakers said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s announcement about
the move to reopen the two offices “is deeply concerning.”
WASHINGTON – A group of 16 Senate Republicans led by Sen. Marco Rubio sent a
letter to US President Joe Biden, urging him not to reopen the PLO office in
Washington, and the US Consulate-General in Jerusalem. They said that US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s announcement about the move to reopen the
two offices “is deeply concerning. “It is particularly misguided at a time when
the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas along with the Iran-backed
terrorist organization Hamas, incited and supported recent violent riots, rock
throwing, and other terror attacks in Jerusalem.
“This was escalated by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad firing more than
4,000 rockets that rained down terror on Israeli civilians,” they added. “We
urge you to adhere to US law and ensure both of these diplomatic missions remain
closed.”They argued that reopening the diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in
Israel’s capital “would wrongly indicate that the US supports dividing the
capital city of our close ally and would only reward the Palestinian
leadership’s continued hostility toward Israel. “While we are committed to
working with you on constructive ways to engage with the Palestinian people, we
oppose any efforts by your administration to provide rewards and incentives to
the Palestinian leadership or Hamas for their abhorrent support of violence and
terrorism, their efforts to press the ICC to illegitimately investigate Israel,
and other efforts to circumvent direct negotiations with Israel,” the letter
reads.
“We urge your administration... to craft policies that support our ally, Israel,
and assist the Palestinian people.”
Resigned to a nuclear deal revival, Saudi Arabia, UAE
engage with Iran
Reuters/June 09/2021
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear on Monday that Washington's
priority was to get the deal "back in the box" and then use it as a platform to
address other questions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, resigned to
the revival of a nuclear pact with Iran they always opposed, are engaging with
Tehran to contain tensions while lobbying for future talks to take their
security concerns into account. World powers have been negotiating in Vienna
with Iran and the United States to revive the 2015 deal, under which Tehran
agreed to curbs on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of
international sanctions. The new US administration of President Joe Biden wants
to restore the deal, which Washington abandoned under his predecessor, Donald
Trump. But Washington's Gulf allies have always said the deal was inadequate
because it ignored other issues, such as Iran's missile exports and support for
regional proxy fighters.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear on
Monday that Washington's priority was to get the deal "back in the box" and then
use it as a platform to address other questions. But with Saudi Arabia embroiled
in a costly war in Yemen and facing repeated missile and drone attacks on its
oil infrastructure which it blames on Iran and its allies, the Gulf States say
the wider issues must not be set aside. "The Gulf countries have said 'fine the
US can go back to (the nuclear deal), this is their decision we cannot change
it, but...we need everybody to take into account regional security concerns',"
Gulf Research Center's Abdulaziz Sager, who has been active in past unofficial
Saudi-Iran dialog, said this week. Gulf officials worry that they lack the same
clout with the Biden administration that they had under Trump. They lobbied to
join the Vienna talks, but were rebuffed.Rather than wait for the outcome in
Vienna, Riyadh accepted Iraqi overtures in April to host talks between Saudi and
Iranian officials, two sources familiar with the matter said.
"WE NEED TO LIVE WITH THEM"
As the foes suss each other out, Riyadh has said it wants to see "verifiable
deeds."
Iran holds a number of cards, not least its support for the Houthi movement in
Yemen, which the Saudis have failed to defeat after six years of war that
exhausted Washington's patience. "Yemen is a cheap course for Iran and a very
expensive one for Saudi Arabia. This gives Iran a strong bargaining position,"
Sager said. The UAE, for its part, has already been in regular contact with Iran
trying to de-escalate, notably since tankers were attacked off its coast in
2019, a third regional source said. The priority now for Gulf states is to focus
on their economies following COVID-19. But security assurances are an important
part of that recovery. "A (nuclear) deal is better than no deal, but how can you
convince the world -- and investors -- that this is a real deal that can stand
the test of time?" the third source told Reuters.Gulf states hope Washington
maintains leverage over Tehran by keeping some sanctions, including those
designed to punish foreign actors for supporting terrorism or weapons
proliferation. Blinken told a congressional committee hearing that a deal could
be used "as a platform both to look at whether the agreement itself can be
lengthened and if necessary strengthened and also to capture" regional concerns.
The Gulf States remain skeptical. UAE envoy to Washington Yousef Al Otaiba said
in April he saw no evidence the nuclear deal would become "a tool where
moderates are empowered" in Iran, which holds presidential elections this month
dominated by hardliners. "But we need to live with them in peace," Otaiba said.
"We want non-interference, no missiles, no proxies."
Houthis claim they arrested a Mossad spy in Yemen
Jerusalem Post/June 09/2021
Yemen's Houthis have threatened Israel in the past, including threats to attack
Israeli vessels in the Red Sea and fire rockets and drones towards Israel.
The Houthis arrested a Mossad spy in Yemen and plan to release documents over
the next few days about the spy's operations in the country, the terrorist
group's spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Yahya Saree, announced on Tuesday, according to
the Iranian Fars News Agency. The terrorist group will release a documentary
titled "The Spy of Mossad in Yemen" which "reveals, in documents, part of the
Israeli intervention in [Yemen], the plan to target Yemen militarily and other
secrets revealed for the first time," said Saree. Yemen's Houthis have
threatened Israel in the past, including threats to attack Israeli vessels in
the Red Sea and fire rockets and drones towards Israel. In a speech on Tuesday,
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah is in contact
with "anyone who is willing to be part of this regional equation," adding that
Yemen was the first result of these efforts after the Houthi terrorist group
announced that they would act for "the protection of Jerusalem." Last week, the
Houthis expressed outrage at reports that Israeli tourists had visited the
island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen through the United Arab Emirates,
saying that this "contradicts international law, since Socotra is Yemeni and
occupied by the coalition," according to Arabic reports. Mukhtar Al-Rahbi, an
adviser to the Yemeni information minister, claimed in a tweet recently that the
UAE had dispatched military commanders to Socotra and had allowed foreign
tourists of "different nationalities" to visit the island, according to Anadolu
Agency.
Fars News Agency claimed on Tuesday that the UAE and Israel were cooperating to
establish intelligence bases on Socotra. Similar reports have been issued in the
past about alleged efforts to construct an airbase on the island of Mayun, also
off the coast of Yemen. The UAE has been accused of being behind the
construction of that base as well. The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has
called the reports of Emirati forces on Mayun and Socotra "baseless," saying
that all equipment on Mayun is under control of the coalition, according to the
Khaleej Times.
US working on more normalization between Israel, Arab
states - Ashkenazi
Lahav Harkov/The Jerusalem Post/June 09/2021
The Biden administration does not use the Trump-era name “Abraham Accords,”
calling them “normalization agreements.”
The Biden administration is actively involved in encouraging more Arab states to
establish diplomatic relations with Israel, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said
Tuesday.
“They fully adopted the Abraham Accords and are eager to expand them,” he said.
“There is going to be someone appointed to be responsible for doing so.”
The Biden administration is considering appointing former US ambassador to
Israel Dan Shapiro as a Middle East envoy responsible for handling the
continuation of the Abraham Accords, The Washington Post reported last week.
The Biden administration does not use the Trump-era name “Abraham Accords,”
instead calling them “normalization agreements.”
In a briefing summing up his time in the Foreign Ministry, as a new government
is expected to be sworn in on Sunday with Yair Lapid taking his place, Ashkenazi
said he is in daily contact with Washington.
Ashkenazi would not say which countries were likely to be next to establish full
relations with Israel. But before US President Joe Biden came into office, there
was progress with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Mauritania and others.
Ashkenazi also said he was in contact with several of his counterparts in
countries with which Israel does not have formal ties.
Relations with Abraham Accords countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and
Morocco – are on a “super-fast track,” Ashkenazi said, adding that it has
continued after they “passed the test in the framework of Operation Guardian of
the Walls.”
Ashkenazi pointed to 29 agreements already signed, as well as four new
diplomatic delegations. Trade between Israel and those countries has already
reached NIS 1 billion, he said.Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz
said the agreement to avoid double taxation signed with the UAE last week was a
key one that will open the door to more deals. But beyond the numbers, Ashkenazi
touted the Abraham Accords as “changing the discourse in the Middle East.”
Ashkenazi is a cofounder of the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace, founded by
top Trump aide Jared Kushner to deepen ties between Israel and Arab countries,
and he plans to take part in the institute’s activities after he leaves office.
The foreign minister denied reports that the US set any ultimatums or time
limits on Operation Guardian of the Walls last month.
“We had full support from the US government,” he said. “They asked us what our
goals were and how we planned to attain them. Biden was involved in the
details... It wasn’t easy for them, but they blocked UN Security Council
decisions [against Israel] at least three times.”
A continuous and transparent dialogue with the US was key to continued support,
Ashkenazi said. The Foreign Ministry also worked on a trade agreement with
Jordan in the past year that would increase imports and exports between Israel
and Jordan and allow Amman to export more to the Palestinian Authority.
Ashkenazi met with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, three times in the
past year, and said they were close to signing a deal, but the latest round of
fighting with Hamas set the talks back. Ashkenazi pointed to slight positive
shifts in voting patterns in the UN, such as only 18 UN General Assembly
decisions against Israel in 2020, compared with 20 the previous year. Israel is
now taking a more aggressive negotiating tack to try to get countries to vote in
its favor or abstain, which included calling in ambassadors to the Foreign
Ministry for clarifications after a recent UN Human Rights Council vote.
“This is a war of attrition, and we have to be assertive,” Ashkenazi said.
Ushpiz touted Israel’s election to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
for the first time on Monday, pointing out that it is one of the UN’s largest
councils.
Israel will now be able to vote, propose discussions and launch initiatives in
ECOSOC, after 154 countries voted to support Israel’s membership via the Western
European and Other Countries group. ECOSOC oversees various UN committees,
including Status of Women, Statistics, Population and Development. “Choosing
Israel to serve on ECOSOC is a recognition of our innovation and creativity,
which serves to benefit all nations of the world, as well as evidence of our
diplomatic efforts throughout the international community,” Ambassador to the UN
Gilad Erdan said Monday.
The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on June
09-10/2021
Satellite images of Iran nuclear site raise
alarms as IAEA meets in Vienna
Jennifer Griffin and Yonat Friling/Fox News/June 09/ 2021
The new images show vehicles at the site in October 2020, and a new access road
and excavation in January 2021 that was covered up in March
During a crucial IAEA board meeting in Vienna, the U.S. accused Iran of
violating the very nuclear deal that U.S. negotiators are trying to reinstate.
"Since this Board last met, Iran has also exceeded JCPOA constraints by
enriching uranium to 60 percent U-235," the U.S. delegation said in a statement.
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, issued a similar warning.
"My expectations about this process, of course, were not met," the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director said. "We have a country that has a very
developed and ambitious nuclear program, which is enriching at very high levels,
enriching uranium at very high levels, very close to weapons-grade."
The head of the IAEA said it is no longer possible to say for certain that Iran
is not pursuing nuclear weapons, chastising Tehran for failing to answer
questions about the discovery of uranium particles at former undeclared nuclear
sites.
"The Iranian government has reiterated its will to engage and to cooperate and
to provide answers," Grossi said. "But they haven't done that so far. So I hope
this may change, but as we speak, we haven't had any concrete progress on any of
the issues."
The IAEA agreed to extend a monitoring arrangement for a month until after
Iran's presidential election, as U.S. and Iranian negotiators prepare to sit
down and try to hammer out a new nuclear deal.
New activity at known Iranian nuclear sites worries those seeking a new nuclear
deal. A sixth round of indirect talks about a return to the JCPOA is slated for
Thursday.
"We don't know, at this stage, whether Iran is willing and able to do what it
would need to do to come back into compliance," Secretary of State Antony
Blinken told U.S. lawmakers. "I would anticipate that even in the event of a
return to compliance with the JCPOA, hundreds of sanctions will remain in place,
including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. If they are not
inconsistent with the JCPOA, they will remain unless and until Iran's behavior
changes."
Fox News has obtained new satellite images that show unusual activity at Iran’s
Sanjarian site, which has been exposed in the past as a suspected manufacturing
site for "shock wave generators" – devices which would allow Iran to miniaturize
a nuclear weapon.
The new images obtained from Maxar show 18 vehicles at the site on October 15,
2020, more vehicles and excavation in January along with a new access road that
was later covered up in March of this year. All that is visible by satellite now
are excavation swirls and new trenches, according to analysis from Itay Bar Lev
of The Intel Lab who worked in conjunction with the Institute for Science and
International Security.
The site, which is 25 miles outside Tehran and has a population of 361, was
first revealed when Israel's Mossad obtained Iran's secret nuclear archive in
2018: 50,000 computer files and 50,000 documents outlining Iran's Amad project,
the scientific program to build a nuclear weapon which the IAEA says was halted
in 2003.
Israel says Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons continues. Now the IAEA —
frustrated by Iran's lack of transparency — says it can't rule that out.
**Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX
News Channel . She joined FNC in October 1999 as a Jerusalem-based
correspondent. You can follow her on Twitter at @JenGriffinFNC.
Leaving Afghanistan
There's not much time left to mitigate the consequences
Clifford D. May/FDD/Tuesday/June 09/ 2021
After Sept. 11, 2001, most Americans thought justice and prudence demanded
sending troops to Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and extirpate its ally, al
Qaeda, the organization that had carried out the most horrific terrorist attacks
ever on U.S. soil.
That mission was swiftly accomplished. Or so it seemed. Leaders of the Taliban
and al Qaeda fled to neighboring Pakistan — a most unreliable American ally —
and to the Islamic Republic of Iran — a most reliable American enemy. With
patience and determination, the Taliban and AQ began to plot their return to
power. In 2003, President George W. Bush’s attention shifted from Afghanistan to
Iraq where he toppled a tyrant without a plan for what would follow.
President Obama thought himself wise for having opposed the intervention in
Iraq. As for Afghanistan, he called that “the war that has to be won” on “the
right battlefield.” But after dispatching Osama bin Laden in 2011, he declared,
incorrectly, that only “remnants” of al Qaeda remained.
Former President Trump promised the Taliban that all U.S. troops would be
withdrawn by May 1, 2021, in exchange for Taliban promises — such as breaking
with al Qaeda — that were not remotely believable.
President Biden extended the timeline to Sept. 11, 2021. U.S. defense officials
are now said to be withdrawing ahead of schedule which means there’s not much
time left to mitigate the negative consequences of this historic capitulation to
terrorists.
The odds that the Afghan government will survive without American air support,
intelligence, training and other assistance are not good. A report issued last
Thursday by a team of counterterrorism experts working for the U.N. Security
Council finds that the Taliban are “contesting or controlling up to 70% of
territory outside of urban areas,” and massing “their forces around key cities
and towns,” ready to strike when “departing foreign troops are no longer able to
effectively respond.” This is consistent with the research and reporting of my
colleague, Bill Roggio, at FDD’s Long War Journal.
The Jihadist Threat Persists
Thomas Joscelyn/ FDD's Long War Journal/December 15/2020 |
President Trump and President-elect Biden do not agree on much. But they concur
that America needs to extricate itself from “endless wars” against jihadists.1
There is just one problem: Jihadist terrorists will not go away simply because
Americans want them to. ISIS and al-Qaeda will continue to fight on, seeking
victory and threatening Americans.2 The only question is whether the United
States will meet the jihadist terrorist threat proactively overseas or belatedly
in America’s homeland.
The political desire to “end” the post-9/11 wars is compounded by a renewed
sense of urgency with respect to the great power rivals of China and Russia.
Defense and intelligence officials are rightly concerned about the growing
military capabilities of these two revisionist powers. However, this should not
cloud Washington policymakers’ view of terrorist threats. Indeed, one often
hears that America must pivot away from the fight against jihadism so the U.S.
military and intelligence establishment has the resources necessary to counter
Chinese and Russian aggression.3 However, this argument ignores a simple fact:
America has already pivoted away from large-scale post-9/11 wars.
Comparing the number of American service members deployed in jihadist war zones
over time is instructive.4 In 2008, there were approximately 190,000 American
troops deployed across Afghanistan and Iraq.5 By June 2020, there were fewer
than 15,000 American troops across those two countries and Syria.6 Approximately
8,600 of them were stationed in Afghanistan, and the Trump administration is
reducing the number to 2,500.7 In addition, approximately 6,000 to 7,000 U.S.
troops were located across Africa, where they were assisting others in the fight
against al-Qaeda and ISIS.8 In sum, there were only about 22,000 American troops
in jihadist war zones by mid-2020.9 That was less than 12 percent of the troops
deployed in 2008 in Afghanistan and Iraq.10
Islamic State recruits at the “Dawoud al Somali” training camp in Somalia’s
northern Puntland region, September 21, 2019. (Photo via FDD’s Long War Journal)
The question today is not whether the United States should end massive combat
efforts with tens of thousands of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those efforts
have already ended. The question today is whether the United States will
continue its modest, economy-of-force missions in support of allies and partners
in these locations. If the United States does so, it can – at a relatively low
and sustainable cost – secure American interests, prevent jihadist advances, and
deprive terrorist groups of the space they need to launch attacks on Americans.
If Washington withdraws from these locations, there could be dangerous
repercussions.
ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other jihadist groups remain committed to their goal of
building an Islamic caliphate. They are attempting to overthrow existing
governments throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. They
hope to replace those governments with emirates that rule according to Sharia,
or Islamic law.
From al-Qaeda’s perspective, the first and most important emirate is the
Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has portrayed
the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as the cornerstone of a new
caliphate, telling his followers around the globe that they should emulate it as
a model for Islamic governance.11
Refusing to take him at his word, the United States seeks an exit from
Afghanistan. The international terrorist threats in both Afghanistan and
neighboring Pakistan will not disappear after America leaves. So, while the war
in Afghanistan is not going well, the small U.S. presence has actually made a
difference. Even more heartening is the fact that Afghan forces have carried the
lion’s share of the burden there since 2012.12 Thus, with a reduced presence in
the country, U.S. forces have helped their Afghan partners prevent the Taliban
and its al-Qaeda allies from seizing provincial capitals.13 This has deprived
terrorist groups of the ability to launch another major attack on the United
States from Afghanistan. Additionally, the United States has retained a
counterterrorism outpost that counters threats across the region – including in
Pakistan. Should the United States complete its withdrawal, these gains would
dissipate.
A defeat in Afghanistan would also likely inspire al-Qaeda branches elsewhere.
In Somalia, al-Shabaab is fighting to topple the internationally recognized
federal government and replace it with an al-Qaeda emirate. In West Africa,
al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its subsidiary, Jama’at Nusrat
al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM, or the “Group for the Support of Islam and
Muslims”), seek to form their own emirate in Mali. Both AQIM and JNIM operate
elsewhere throughout North and West Africa as well. In Yemen, al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula has twice seized large chunks of the country and still seeks
to build its own Sharia regime. Al-Qaeda groups are also fighting in Syria,
where the prospects for a jihadist emirate currently look dim, but the threat
persists.
In most of these areas, the United States has partnered with local forces or
Western allies. In Somalia, for instance, the United States and regional nations
have backed the federal government in Mogadishu, preventing jihadists from
overrunning the country.14 America’s support has helped prevent al-Qaeda and
ISIS from establishing emirates in parts of Africa. In Syria, a minimal
footprint of approximately 2,000 U.S. Special Operations Forces, buttressed by
tens of thousands of members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), helped
defeat the ISIS caliphate (a smaller ISIS presence remains).15 Without such
support, Americans should expect jihadist regimes would rise or return.
Some Americans might dismiss such warnings and ask: Why is jihad overseas a
security concern for Americans? The answer is simple: The jihadists have
demonstrated time and again since the 1990s that as they gain ground “over
there,” the threat to Americans rises “over here.”16
The Obama administration withdrew U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011 based on the
appealing but misguided belief that America could declare victory and go home,
leaving the troubling Middle East behind. But jihadists stormed through much of
Iraq and Syria in the months that followed, seizing territory the size of
Tennessee and terrorizing civilians across both countries. Some voices dismissed
ISIS’ territorial advances in 2013 and 2014 as a purely local concern.17 But
that assessment quickly proved erroneous, as the so-called caliphate mushroomed
into a global menace, plotting terrorist attacks around the world.18 Today,
should the United States give up its small presence in Iraq and Syria, an ISIS
resurgence would be unsurprising.
On a tactical level, wholesale withdrawals that remove American troops entirely
would make it more difficult for Washington to target key terrorist leaders.
Even as Trump has lamented “endless wars,” the U.S. military and intelligence
establishment have utilized the relatively modest remaining military presence in
key locations to hunt down dozens of dangerous terrorists around the globe. If
they were not running from U.S. and partner forces, these terrorists would have
had more opportunities to plot and launch attacks on America or our allies.
Intelligence derived from America’s modest military footprint has also made
Americans safer. That includes an October 2019 raid that killed ISIS leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi.19 It also includes a strike announced one month prior that
killed Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s son and ideological heir in the
Afghanistan-Pakistan region.20 From September 2019 through June 2020, the United
States took out other senior terrorists in Afghanistan, Mali, Syria, and
Yemen.21 These strikes likely saved countless American lives.
The disconnect between the political rhetoric concerning “endless wars” and the
reality of the terrorist threat could not be more pronounced. It is easy to
decry war and call to bring American service members home. But it is not so easy
for advocates of American retrenchment to explain how the United States would
locate and strike the world’s most dangerous terrorists without a military
presence near the jihadists’ strongholds. Supporters of wholesale American
military withdrawals often fail to acknowledge the importance of forward U.S.
military bases as platforms for intelligence collection and counterterrorism
operations.
The days of massive U.S.-led “nation-building” projects or ill-conceived
interventions in the wider Middle East and Central and South Asia are long over.
But a complete American military retreat would represent an unnecessary and
devastating self-inflicted wound that would only invite more terrorist attacks
on Americans – and perhaps even prompt another wave of wars most Americans would
like to avoid.
Why Cutting off Aid to Hamas Is Insufficient
Julia Schulman/The National Interest/June 09/ 2021
Congress should take concrete steps to ensure that UNRWA does not become a
pass-through for funding to terrorists.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid is pouring in from around
the world to rebuild Gaza after the recent war between Israel and over a dozen
Palestinian terrorist groups. But rebuilding a territory that is controlled by
Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, is complicated. American laws place
conditions on the flow of funds. But it’s not that simple. The UN Relief and
Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN agency tasked with aid distribution to the
Palestinians, doesn’t consider Gaza’s violent extremist groups to be terrorist
organizations. Not even Hamas.
Despite this, donor countries promise to prevent the aid from going to
terrorists. It’s noteworthy that many of these donor countries—including the
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have also designated Hamas
entities under their terrorism laws. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced
that the United States would “work with partners to ensure that Hamas does not
benefit from these reconstruction efforts.” UNRWA is one of those partners. It
is currently slated to receive $150 million of U.S. taxpayer funds this year.
Unless the State Department makes funding to UNRWA contingent on the agency’s
compliance with U.S. terrorist designations, U.S. taxpayer funds could flow to
any one of the fifteen Palestinian terror groups that launched rockets
indiscriminately into Israel during the course of the recent war.
Indeed, Hamas is not the only concern. At least three groups that the United
States formally regards as terrorist entities participated in the Hamas-led
campaign against Israel: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Democratic Front
for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine (PFLP), according to Joe Truzman of FDD’s Long War Journal.
UNRWA’s procurement contracts suggest that funds are already flowing to PFLP
affiliates. As recently as March, UNRWA was funding the Union of Health Work
Committees (UHWC), a Gaza-based entity with extensive links to the PFLP. Earlier
this month, Israel charged several staff members from UHWC’s partner
organization with funneling funds to the PFLP. Like Hamas, the PFLP receives
financial backing from Iran. The PFLP’s “political and military wings” have been
receiving financial and logistical support from Iran since at least 2013,
according to a Gaza-based Palestinian journalist. Iran’s financial support for
both Hamas and PFLP is well-documented in official Iranian government media.
Over the eleven days of the recent conflict, the PFLP’s military wing circulated
videos of its uniformed fighters launching projectiles at Israel, posted
obituaries for its fighters, and claimed credit for Arab Israelis injuring IDF
soldiers inside Israel. Despite conclusive proof that the PFLP receives funding
from Iran to carry out terror attacks against Israel, UNRWA continues to send
U.S. taxpayer funding to UHWC, a PFLP entity.
On May 18, the PFLP posted a photo on social media of a destroyed Palestinian
building and demanded that UNRWA take care of the building’s former inhabitants.
In a May 25 Arabic-language post on Telegram, the PFLP berated the head of UNRWA
for admitting that Israel conducted military strikes with “precision” and
“sophistication.” The outcry from the PFLP and other Palestinian terror groups
led UNRWA’s Gaza director Matthias Schmale to amend his original statement.
Palestinian factions subsequently declared Schmale to be persona non-grata in
Gaza. These episodes provide a glimpse into the power dynamics in Gaza. So long
as Palestinian terrorist groups run Gaza, UNRWA will continue to operate at
their behest.
With Washington now set to provide Gaza with humanitarian assistance, Congress
must condition U.S. aid to ensure it does not flow to terrorist entities. UNRWA
is unlikely to adopt aggressive policies in this regard. But Congress can take
concrete steps to ensure that UNRWA does not become a pass-through for funding
to terrorists. The State Department should warn that it will halt and recover
U.S. funding if UNRWA fails to comply with the letter and spirit of American
laws to prevent the financing of terrorism.
Since UNRWA has sent over $4.8 million to the PFLP-linked UHWC, Congress may
already be justified in opening an investigation. As of today, UNRWA is subject
only to a biannual audit conducted by the People’s Republic of China’s
representative to the UN Board of Auditors. Congress should not have to depend
on China to ensure that U.S. taxpayer funding is being spent appropriately.
Congress should also address another major UNRWA failing: The agency’s schools
teach violence and anti-Semitic rhetoric. Future U.S. assistance to UNRWA should
be conditioned so that textbooks used in UNRWA schools do not include
anti-Semitic content, incitement, or extremism.
In the coming months, the State Department will work with Israel and Egypt to
identify mechanisms to prevent Hamas from refilling its coffers. But until UNRWA
takes concrete steps to prevent funds from flowing to Palestinian militant
groups that participated in the recent war, there is a loophole. The need for
humanitarian aid in Gaza is real. It’s time for Congress to ensure that aid
doesn’t flow to Palestinian terrorist groups, by holding both the State
Department and the United Nations to account.
*Julia Schulman is senior director of special projects at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies, a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute
focused on national security and foreign policy.
Norwegian divestment illustrates weakness of campaign to boycott Israel
Orde Kittrie/David May/The Jerusalem Post/June 09/2021
It will be important to see if the blacklist’s impact is boosted by the new
UNHRC commission of inquiry into Israeli activities in the disputed territories,
which was approved on May 27.
The day before Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, Norway’s $1.3 trillion
sovereign wealth fund (the world’s largest) announced its divestment from two
Israeli companies for their connections to West Bank settlements. But the timing
was reportedly a coincidence, and the May 19 announcement illustrates the
weakness, rather than the strength, of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)
campaign’s efforts to isolate Israel economically.
Norges Bank Investment Management, which oversees the sovereign wealth fund
(known formally as Norway’s Government Pension Fund), announced that it was
divesting from two Israeli companies “due to an unacceptable risk that the
company is contributing to serious violations of the rights of individuals in
situations of war or conflict.” The Fund excluded Mivne Real Estate KD Ltd
because it “engages in letting of industrial real estate linked to Israeli
settlements in the West Bank.” Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd was excluded
because it “engages in the construction of homes in Israeli settlements in the
West Bank.”
Mivne and Shapir joined three other Israeli companies from which the Norwegian
Fund had already divested due to West Bank activities: Danya Cebus Ltd.
(divested in 2013), Elbit Systems Ltd. (divested in 2009), and Shikun & Binui
Ltd. (divested in 2012).
These five companies have not been the only targets of divestment. For example,
the Fund is currently divested from American defense firms involved in the
production of nuclear weapons, including Boeing, Honeywell International,
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
Divestment decisions by the Norwegian Fund are exceptionally important because
its size and vetting processes lead it to be considered the gold standard that
other socially responsible investors often follow. The Fund owns about 1.5% of
all stocks worldwide.
The Fund is therefore a natural target for, and barometer of the success of,
BDS. The campaign’s efforts gained momentum with the February 2020 publication
of the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) blacklist of 112 businesses involved
with West Bank settlements. BDS leaders immediately called for divestment from
these firms.
Two international trade unions soon urged the Norwegian Fund to divest from
companies on the UNHRC blacklist. In addition, the UN Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights criticized the Fund for investing in companies doing
business with the settlements.
Mivne and Shapir appear to be the first companies from which the Norwegian Fund
has divested for settlement-connection reasons since the UNHRC blacklist’s
publication. While Shapir was one of the 112 listed companies, Mivne was not.
The two also appear to have been the first two firms from which the Fund has
divested for settlement-connection reasons in almost a decade. The Fund
reportedly divested itself of approximately $12 million in Mivne stocks and $1
million in Shapir stocks.
As detailed in a 2018 report, the Norwegian Fund invests in several companies
operating in the disputed Western Sahara. The fund’s divestment from one
conflict zone while maintaining investments in another exposes it to accusations
of double standards and unequal application of standards.
Regardless, the Norwegian Fund’s divestment from only two Israeli firms in the
year since the UNHRC issued its blacklist of 112 firms may be an indication that
the blacklist is having a surprisingly weak impact. In another indication of the
Norwegian government’s views, an official clarified that its procurement office
will not use the blacklist as a basis for excluding companies.
It will be important to see if the blacklist’s impact is boosted by the new
UNHRC commission of inquiry into Israeli activities in the disputed territories,
which was approved on May 27.
RECENT FALSE charges, including by Human Rights Watch, that Israeli officials
have committed “crimes of apartheid” could, if they gain traction, also tarnish
Israel as an investment destination.
“The more that (term) becomes part of the mainstream, the more difficult it will
be for companies and for investment review agencies to physically separate what
goes on in Israel from what goes on with its activities in the Occupied
Territory,” Michael Lynk, the UN’s Special Rapporteur for the human rights
situation in the Palestinian Territories, told Reuters.
Currently, there are no signs of a wholesale global retreat from investments in
either Israel or the companies on the UNHRC blacklist. Notwithstanding the Mivne
and Shapir divestments, the Norwegian Fund itself currently holds some $1.3
billion in investments across 81 Israeli companies.
Israel has thus far been insulated by factors including its cutting-edge
innovation, investment-grade credit rating, and a justified view among many
observers that the accusations against it are politically driven, hypocritical
and otherwise wrong.
Another factor deterring divestment from Israel is the laws, enacted by a
majority of US states that prohibit state investments in or contracts with
companies that engage in boycotts of Israel or of Israeli companies. Both
Illinois and Texas have divested from Den Norske Bank ASA (DNB), Norway’s
largest financial services group, for its boycott of Israeli companies. Texas
alone divested $72 million from DNB.
DNB’s list of Israeli companies excluded for settlement connections appears to
mirror that of the Norwegian Fund. While US states have little to no leverage
over the Norwegian Fund, which is a governmental rather than a commercial
entity, private investment managers or other companies that mirror the Fund’s
divestments from Israeli companies could find themselves subjected to US state
sanctions.
While the BDS campaign has thus far gained only incremental traction with
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, its massive size and
influence will continue to make it a pivotal battleground for Israel’s efforts
to avert economic isolation.
*Orde Kittrie is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)
and law professor at Arizona State University.
*David May is a research analyst at FDD. FDD is a nonpartisan think tank focused
on foreign policy and national security issues. Follow Orde and David on Twitter
@OrdeFK and @DavidSamuelMay. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD.
How The Assad Regime Is Dealing With The Caesar Act
Sanctions – Part II: Increasing Pressure On Syrian Citizens In Order To Fill
State Coffers
O. Peri/MEMRI/June 09/2021
Introduction
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, also known as the Caesar Act,
which came into force on June 17, 2020, is U.S. legislation imposing sanctions
on individuals and companies who finance the Syrian regime or conduct
transactions with it, especially in the military and energy domains. Named after
a former Syrian army photographer codenamed "Caesar" who smuggled tens of
thousands of photographs out of the country documenting the torture and murder
of prisoners in the regime's jails, the act also enables to sanction elements
that extend construction or engineering services to the Syrian regime.[1] The
act is meant to promote the goals of reaching a political solution to the Syria
crisis consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254; holding war
criminals to account; dismantling the Syrian regime's chemical weapons program
and encouraging the regime to sever its relations with the Iranian militias.[2]
Since the Caesar Act came into force, the Assad regime has been acting to
circumvent the sanctions and overcome their implications. Part I of this report
reviewed its efforts to guarantee the ongoing supply of goods and commodities
with the help of its allies, chief of them Russia, Iran and Hizbullah, who
assist it by implementing joint economic agreements and by helping to smuggle
petroleum products into the country.[3] The present report reviews another
strategy used by the regime to fill the state coffers, namely by imposing
exorbitant fees on Syrian citizens living inside and outside the country and by
seizing the assets of wealthy Syrian businessmen.
Collecting Fees From Syrian Citizens
In an attempt to alleviate the shortage of cash caused by the U.S. Caesar Act,
over the last year the Syrian regime has taken a number of measures to extract
extra funds from its citizens inside and outside the country, in order to
minimize the effect of the sanctions and replenish its coffers, especially with
foreign currency. The Syrian economic website Eqtesad.net reported that Syrians
receiving transfers from relatives abroad would not be able to withdraw them in
dollars from the Syrian banks, but only in Syrian pounds, according to the
Central Bank's official exchange rate, which is much lower than the dollar's
real market price. This means that the transfers lose over half their value when
withdrawn from the bank, while the rest of the money goes into Syria's state
coffers, to replenish its foreign currency reserves.[4]
In addition, on July 8, 2020, Syrian Prime Minister Hussein 'Arnous mandated
that Syrian citizens would have to pay a $100 fee upon entering the country.[5]
Despite intense criticism of this measure in Syria, including from the
government press, and despite pictures appearing in the media of Syrians stuck
on the Lebanese border due to their inability to pay the fee, the regime refused
to reverse the decision.[6] On January 18, 2021 'Arnous said that it will be
possible to revoke it when the economic situation improves and Syria's foreign
currency reserves increase.[7]
"Assad's Syria" collects $100 from every Syrian entering the state (Source:
Syria.tv, September 11, 2020)
Syrians stuck on the Syria-Lebanon border (Source: Twitter.com/hadialbahra,
September 4, 2020)
The regime also exploited the Covid-19 pandemic to increase its income. On July
22, 2020 the Syrian Health Minister announced that citizens leaving the country
would be required to take a Covid test at a cost of $100.[8] In addition,
Lebanese nationals who had entered Syria in their private vehicles and were
unable to leave after the border closed were required to pay a weekly fee of $55
for keeping their vehicles in the country, in accordance with the Syrian customs
law.[9] A decree issued by President Assad on November 8, 2020 stated that
soldiers in Syria's regular army who were medically unfit for combat could pay
$3,000 to be exempted from service.[10]
Extracting Money From Syrians Living Abroad
Syrians living abroad are another important source of income for the Assad
regime. In particular, the regime charges fees of thousands of dollars for
exemption from military service. Elias Bitar, head of the Syrian army's
Exemptions and Allowances Branch, announced recently that all Syrian citizens
over 42 years of age, inside and outside the country, who had not completed
their military service must pay an exemption fee, otherwise their money and
assets, or those of their family, would be seized.[11]
As stated, on November 8, 2020, Assad issued a decree, which came into force on
February 1, 2021, adjusting the criteria for receiving exemption from military
service. According to the decree, Syrians who have been living abroad between
one year and two must pay an exemption fee of $10,000, and the fee for those who
have been living abroad for over two years, three years and four years is
$9,000, $8,000 and $7,000, respectively.[12] In addition, since 2017, the cost
of issuing or renewing a passport at the Syrian representations abroad has been
$300 for the regular procedure and $800 for an expedited procedure.[13] This fee
is one of the highest in the world – despite the low ranking of the Syrian
passport (which grants access to only 29 other countries) – and was considered,
even before the passing of the Caesar Act, as one of the regime's methods of
squeezing money from its citizens.[14] On November 16, 2020, Syrian Interior
Minister Muhammad Rahmoun revealed that these passport fees had earned the
regime over $21.5 million since the beginning of that year.[15]
In addition, when the Caesar Act came into force, Syrian representations across
Europe called on Syrians living there to make donations "in dollars or euros"
for needy Syrians, in light of the economic crisis in the country. Bassem Yousef,
a Syrian journalist living in Europe, regarded this as a measure for
circumventing the Caesar Act in the guise of humanitarian action. He added that
the representations were asking for the money in cash, rather than bank
transfers, to facilitate their transfer to the regime despite the sanctions.[16]
Seizing The Funds And Assets Of Prominent Syrian Tycoons
To gain funds, the regime is also targeting prominent Syrian businesspeople,
including ones previously close to the regime, on the pretext of fighting
corruption. Some reports claim that "the fight against corruption" is led by the
Financial and Administrative Committee, chaired by President Assad's wife Asmaa
Al-Assad.[17] The most prominent figure whose funds and assets have been seized
is Assad's cousin Rami Makhlouf, who in the past has been described as
controlling Syria's economy. The regime began seizing his assets even before the
Caesar Act came into force. On April 27, 2020 his cellular company Syriatel was
forced to pay back state loans worth billions of Syrian pounds,[18] and on May
19 the Syrian government ordered the seizure of assets belonging to him and to
his wife and children.[19]
On September 3, 2020, it was reported that the regime had ordered the
dissolution of the Emmar Motors company, headed by tycoon Samer Al-Foz.
According to the opposition website All4syria.com this is a preliminary step
before seizing all of Al-Foz's companies.[20] On September 25, the regime seized
the funds of businessman Hani 'Azzouz,[21] and on September 28 those of
businessman Saeb Al-Nahhas.[22] On October 30 it was reported that the regime
had seized a steelworks owned by Muhammad Hamsho.[23] All of these are
businessmen close to the regime.
Establishing Private Companies For Laundering Funds
Yet another method used by the Syrian regime to avoid the sanctions is through
private companies owned by its associates inside and outside Syria, established
specifically in order to launder funds. In fact, the regime has been using this
method since the 1970s.[24] Recent reports indicate that, in the past few years,
the regime has licensed nine new private Syrian airlines. According to the
coordinator of the Caesar Act Follow-up Team, 'Abd Al-Majid Barakat, these
companies were established as an alternative to Syrian airlines that are under
U.S. sanctions.[25] Economic analyst Khalid Tarkawi stated that these airlines,
owned by regime associates, can be compared to Iranian airlines owned by the
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which evade oversight and acquire foreign
capital for the Iranian regime.[26]
* O. Peri is a research fellow at MEMRI.
[1] State.gov, June 17, 2020; congress.gov, June 3, 2019.
[2] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), June 17, 2020.
[3] See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis Series No. 1571 "How The Assad Regime Is
Dealing With The Caesar Act Sanctions – Part I: Circumventing The Sanctions With
Help Of Russia, Iran, Hizbullah," June 8, 2021
[4] Eqtesad.net, July 3, 2020.
[5] Al-Watan (Syria), July 9, 2020.
[6] Al-Watan (Syria), September 5, 2020.
[7] Al-Watan (Syria), January 18, 2021. It should be noted that, in early April
2021, the Syrian government announced that certain sectors would be exempt from
paying the border fee, but no sweeping exemption has been granted. Al-Watan
(Syria), April 7, 2021.
[8] Facebook.com/MinistryOfHealthSYR, July 22, 2020.
[9] Al-Ba'th (Syria), September 29, 2020.
[10] Sana.sy, November 8, 2020.
[11] Facebook.com/moi.gov.sy, February 2, 2021.
[12] Sana.sy/ November 8, 2020.
[13] Mofa.gov.sy, November 9, 2020.
[14] Al-Jazeera.net, January 28, 2019.
[15] Al-Watan (Syria), November 16, 2020.
[16] Alhurra.com, June 19, 2020; almodon.com, June 20, 2020.
[17] Zamanalwsal, June 18, 2020; hadiabdullah.net, July 7, 2020. It should be
noted that, on October 31, 2020, the Syrian pro-regime daily Al-Watan denied the
existence of this committee.
[18] Sana.sy, April 27, 2020.
[19] Shaamtimes.net, May 19, 2021. In a July 9, 2020 Facebook post, Makhlouf
stated that, for several months, the Syrian regime had been arresting his
employees and that the security apparatuses had closed some of his companies. In
a post from January 10, 2021, he wrote that assets belonging to him and his
family had been illegally sold. Facebook.com/RamiMakhloufSY, July 9, 2020;
January 10, 2021.
[20] All4syria.org, September 3, 2020.
[21] Facebook.com/all4syria.org, September 25, 2020.
[22] Zamanalwsl.net, September 28, 2020.
[23] Nedaa-sy.com, October 30, 2020.
[24] Alarabiya.net, August 12, 2020.
[25] M.arabi21.com, September 3, 2020.
[26] Orient-news.com, September 2, 2020.
Israelis Want Victory, Preferably without Paying the
Price
Daniel Pipes/Israel Hayom/June 09/2021
http://www.danielpipes.org/20436/israelis-want-victory-preferably-without-paying
An Israel Victory Project billboard in Tel Aviv: "The people demand victory!"
Israelis show an ambivalence between wanting to achieve victory over Hamas and a
reluctance to pay the cost of this victory, a survey of Israeli opinion shows.
This points to the intellectual and political leadership needed to educate the
public about this complex issue.
(Midgam Research & Consulting conducted the survey for the Middle East Forum
following the recent conflict with Hamas. It asked 22 questions in Hebrew or
Russian on May 27-31 of 503 Jewish Israeli respondents. The poll has a margin of
error of 4.4 percent.)
Looking back on the eleven days of fighting in May 2021, Jewish Israelis feel
frustrated. Despite persistent claims of success by the Israel Defense Forces,
only one-third believe that their side won the fighting and only a quarter
expect that the IDF broke Hamas' will to continue fighting. The great majority,
in other words, expect further rounds of unprovoked attacks by Hamas on the
country's civilian population.
Looking to the future, 82 percent agree that "There can be no appeasing Hamas;
only by defeating it unequivocally can we bring this conflict to an end"; and
the same percentage concurs more generally on the importance "for Israel to
defeat its enemies," not just Palestinians. Likewise, 70 percent agree that
"There can be no deals with terrorist organizations, only defeat. Israel must
use all its military, diplomatic and economic means to crush Hamas' will to
continue fighting."
Sentiment for this view is also growing, as shown by the fact that only 54
percent of respondents agreed with this statement in January 2020; a 16 percent
increase in 16 months is noteworthy. In keeping with this attitude, an
extraordinary 90 percent of Jewish Israelis support the tactic of at-will
assassinations of Hamas leaders both in Gaza and in other locations around the
world.
On March 22, 2004, the Israeli government executed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of Hamas;
a possible precedent?
Together, these answers emphatically point to the very strong support in the
abstract for an Israel Victory and a Palestinian defeat. They confirm that the
Israel Victory Project has great potential to convince Israelis and their
leaders that wars end when one side gives up, that victory is the necessary
precursor to peace, and that the Palestinians will only tend to their own
gardens, leaving Israel's alone, when they have permanently accepted the Jewish
state. Anything short of these steps will not endure.
But then comes the kicker: those lofty numbers of 82 and 70 percent drop to 48
percent when respondents are reminded that crushing Hamas will lead to "a raised
intensity of attacks on the home front and a possible significant loss of
Israeli lives." They further descend to 37 percent when asked about Israel
taking over the Gaza Strip "to root out Hamas once and for all." When asked
about the main goal of a future round of fighting with Hamas, only 21 percent
seek to break Hamas' will to continue to fight, with other respondents focused
on lesser goals such as the return of captives or disarming or deterring Hamas.
A similar reluctance applies to the fighting in May. Yes, two-thirds of the
sample believe the operation should have continued longer, "until Hamas' ability
and will to attack Israel was destroyed and the hostages and bodies in Gaza were
returned." But a larger majority of three-quarters rejects the government
authorizing "a ground operation into the Gaza Strip."
The last full-scale Israeli ground invasion of Gaza took place on June 6, 1967.
This apparent contradiction implies that while roughly 80 percent of Jewish
Israelis seek to defeat Hamas and other enemies, only about half that number are
willing to pay the concomitant price in terms of rockets, ground troop
casualties, international censure, and other problems.
More specifically, one-fifth of Jewish Israelis reject the idea of victory;
two-fifths want it but are unwilling to pay the price for it; one-fifth want it,
are willing to pay for it, but do not fully understand what it means; and just
one-fifth want it, are willing to pay for it, and grasp the goal of breaking the
enemy's will.
From the Israel Victory point of view, this points to a receptive audience that
requires much education about the nature of warfare and what ends conflicts. The
middle three-fifths is the key target audience whose opinion can potentially be
changed by explaining that, for all the pain involved in decisively defeating
the Palestinians, this will ultimately prove a lesser price than unending
conflict. Intellectuals and politicians have their work cut out.
Mr. Pipes (DanielPipes.org, @DanielPipes) is president of the Middle East Forum.
© 2021 by Daniel Pipes. All rights reserved.
The Poisonous Fruit of Appeasing Iran's Mullahs
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/June 09/2021
The Arabs clearly see what the Biden administration, Britain, Germany and France
are refusing to see -- that Iran has ambitions not only to acquire a nuclear
bomb, but also aggressively to export its "Islamic revolution" and terrorism on
a global scale.
It is also important to note that one of the missions of Quds Force is to
"liberate Jerusalem and Palestine," a euphemism for the elimination of Israel.
"The Quds Force is in Yemen to launch attacks on Mecca and Medina and their
surroundings [in Saudi Arabia]. The goal of the mullahs in Tehran is to attack
Muslims and inflict the greatest possible harm on them." — Walid Al-Ghamidi,
Saudi writer, YouTube, June 5, 2021.
"The Houthi's missiles and drones nearly hit the holy sites in Mecca and Medina.
How can Iran invest in the bombing of Saudi Arabia while claiming... that it
seeks to liberate Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque? Iran's claim to support
Islamic holy sites is not related to any religious beliefs. It is related to
regional ambitions, expansionist dreams, and striving to export the Iranian
revolution to various countries in the region." — Mohammed Hassan Mufti, Saudi
author, Okaz, June 3, 2021.
"There is no dispute among experts and political analysts that Iran is a direct
cause of the complete destruction of at least four Arab countries": Syria, Iraq,
Lebanon and Yemen. — Mohammed Hassan Mufti, Okaz, June 3, 2021.
"America's entry into the Iranian nuclear agreement will.... enable the mullahs
to obtain nuclear weapons and more than a billion dollars. Some of the money
will go to Iran's agents in the region." — Bader bin Saud, Saudi columnist, Okaz,
May 24, 2021.
"Does Iran want to liberate Jerusalem and give it to the Palestinians, or does
it want to add it to the group of Arab capitals it occupies, such as Damascus,
Baghdad, Beirut and Sana'a?" — Faisal Al-Qassem, prominent Syrian writer and
journalist, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, May 14, 2021.
Qassem also pointed out that some commentators have come to prefer keeping
Jerusalem under Israeli control over its liberation by Iran: "Look at the
capitals occupied by Iran: Baghdad has become, according to the United Nations,
the dirtiest capital in the world, while Beirut has become the largest dumpster
in the Middle East. As for Damascus, it turned into a ruin, while Sana'a
returned to the Middle Ages." — Faisal Al-Qassem, quoting an Arab in Al-Quds Al-Arabi,
May 14, 2021.
"Jerusalem is not in the mind of the regime. Rather, what concerns Iran is
killing Arabs and occupying their countries." — Dr. Bahera Al-Sheikhli, Iraqi
author, Al-Arab, May 21, 2021.
"The truth is that Iran established the Quds Force to occupy Arab countries,
recruit Arab traitors into terrorist organizations to overthrow Arab
governments, and threaten Arab national security." — Abdel Munim Ibrahim,
Emirati political analyst, Akhbar Al-Khaleej, May 12, 2021.
The Arabs, however, are sending a very different message to the Biden
administration and other Western powers: Appeasing Iran by reviving the nuclear
deal, lifting sanctions or giving it money will only assist the Iranian regime
in perpetrating more crimes and increasing instability and terrorism in the
region.
"The Houthi's missiles and drones nearly hit the holy sites in Mecca and Medina.
How can Iran invest in the bombing of Saudi Arabia while claiming... that it
seeks to liberate Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque? Iran's claim to support
Islamic holy sites is not related to any religious beliefs. It is related to
regional ambitions, expansionist dreams, and striving to export the Iranian
revolution to various countries in the region." — Mohammed Hassan Mufti, Saudi
author, Okaz, June 3, 2021.
Iran is continuing to exploit the Palestinian issue to promote its expansionist
schemes in the Middle East and meddle in the internal affairs of Arab countries,
including Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain.
Iran is doing so while its representatives continue to conduct indirect
negotiations with the US administration in Vienna on reviving the 2015 "Iran
nuclear deal," which Iran never signed.
Diplomats from Britain, France and Germany who are negotiating with the Iranians
seem oblivious to the growing concern in the Arab world over Tehran's support
for terrorism and its ongoing intervention in the internal affairs of several
Arab countries.
The accusation that Iran is using the Palestinian issue to advance its schemes
in the region was made by many Arabs in the aftermath of the recent war between
Israel and Hamas, which ended with an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on May 21.
During and after the 11-day war, Iran went out of its way to make known that
without Tehran's financial and military support, Hamas and other Palestinian
terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip would not have been able to fire thousands of
rockets at Israel.
Many Arabs, however, are scoffing at Iran's claims and accusing it of taking
advantage of the last round of fighting between Hamas and Israel to present
itself as the defender of the Palestinian cause, Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa
Mosque. The Arabs clearly see what the Biden administration, Britain, Germany
and France are refusing to see -- that Iran has ambitions not only to acquire a
nuclear bomb, but also aggressively to export its "Islamic revolution" and
terrorism on a global scale.
The Arabs have pointed out that Iran's Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), has done nothing to defend Jerusalem and the
Palestinians since its establishment in 1982. It is also important to note that
one of the missions of Quds Force is to "liberate Jerusalem and Palestine," a
euphemism for the elimination of Israel.
"The notorious Quds Force has committed crimes against Arabs and has been busy
creating militias consisting of Arab traitors in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen,
noted Saudi writer Abdullah Al-Anzi. "Iran uses the Palestinian issue to pass
its expansionist agenda and extend its ideological and political influence to
the Arab countries. Iran wants to show that it is the defender of the
Palestinians."
A Lebanese activist, who did not reveal his name, recently posted a video on
social media in which he mocked Iran's Quds Force for its ostensible plan to
"liberate Jerusalem and Palestine." In the video, which has gone viral on
various social media platforms, he asked:
"Iran has a force called Quds Force. Isn't it the duty of this force to come to
Jerusalem to help the Palestinians? Or is its duty just to go to Lebanon, Syria,
Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain? This force has gone to many Arab countries, but never
to Jerusalem."
The words of the Lebanese activist struck a chord with many Arabs who have long
accused Iran of working to destabilize their countries with the help of its
terrorist proxies, especially Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and
the Houthis.
Referring to the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen, which has been
attacking Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones for the past few years, Saudi
writer Walid Al-Ghamidi commented:
"The Quds Force is in Yemen to launch attacks on Mecca and Medina and their
surroundings [in Saudi Arabia]. The goal of the mullahs in Tehran is to attack
Muslims and inflict the greatest possible harm on them."
Saudi author Mohammed Hassan Mufti said that he was "completely baffled" by the
"strange" statement of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif expressing Iran's
intention not to abandon its duty toward Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"The truth is that such a statement may delude some people into thinking that
Iran has never, and will never, actually abandon its support for the Palestinian
cause, and that it has never failed to seek to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque,"
Mufti remarked.
"Isn't Iran the country that supports the Houthi militia with money and weapons
to attack Saudi Arabia? The Houthi's missiles and drones nearly hit the holy
sites in Mecca and Medina. How can Iran invest in the bombing of Saudi Arabia
while claiming with the utmost enthusiasm that it seeks to liberate Jerusalem
and the Al-Aqsa Mosque? Iran's claim to support Islamic holy sites is not
related to any religious beliefs. It is related to regional ambitions,
expansionist dreams, and striving to export the Iranian revolution to various
countries in the region."
According to Mufti, the extent of Iran's manipulation of the minds of young
Iranians was exposed during the Iran-Iraq war. Iranian soldiers who were
captured by the Iraqi army told their interrogators that the mullahs in Tehran
had convinced them that "the road to Jerusalem passes through Iraq," the Saudi
writer revealed. "There is no dispute among experts and political analysts that
Iran is a direct cause of the complete destruction of at least four Arab
countries."
Saudi columnist Bader bin Saud warned that the Biden administration's insistence
on negotiating with the Iranians about reviving the Iran nuclear deal at a time
when the mullahs in Tehran are boasting of their financial and military support
for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will intensify tensions in the Middle
East.
"The Biden administration still insists on continuing the nuclear negotiations
with Iran," bin Saud wrote.
"America's entry into the Iranian nuclear agreement will exacerbate matters and
will enable the mullahs to obtain nuclear weapons and more than a billion
dollars. Some of the money will go to Iran's agents in the region. The Iranian
regime considers the Middle East an extension of its strategic depth and
neo-colonialism, and calls for the universality of the Palestinian cause to
justify its direct intervention in Palestinian affairs."
Dr. Dalal Mahmoud, a professor in the Faculty of Economics and Political Science
at Cairo University, stated explicitly that Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood have
done nothing for the Palestinian issue over the past years.
Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, she told the Emirati newspaper Al-Ain,
referring to the dispute between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and
Hamas in the Gaza Strip, have actually "contributed to increasing the complexity
of the Palestinian issue, conspired against it and exploited it for their
political calculations, and increased divisions among the Palestinian people."
Former Egyptian diplomat Mohamed Al-Orabi said that the relationship between
Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood is "governed by opportunism and an interest in
achieving the common goal of being present in the region, extending influence
and destabilizing the security and stability of the region and the Gulf."
Prominent Syrian writer and journalist Faisal Al-Qassem said that many Arabs
were ridiculing Iran's rhetoric about supporting the Palestinians and
"liberating Jerusalem and Palestine."
"The strange thing is that Iran often asks the Palestinians to specify their
role in the resistance in return for Iranian support... The Palestinians are
required to mention Iran's name in their statements. Generally speaking, Iran
has not and will not succeed in the public relations game to polish its image
and benefit from the Palestinian uprising because most of the Arab street is
making fun of it."
Qassem noted that polls on Twitter have shown that more than 85% of voters do
not trust the Iranian position on the Palestinian issue. "How can those who have
killed and displaced millions of Syrians, Iraqis, Lebanese and Yemenis help the
Palestinians," he quoted some Arabs as saying.
"Does Iran want to liberate Jerusalem and give it to the Palestinians, or does
it want to add it to the group of Arab capitals it occupies, such as Damascus,
Baghdad, Beirut and Sana'a? When Iran claims that it supports the Palestinians
in their fight against Israel, does it do that to help them liberate Jerusalem
and annex it to the other four Arab capitals occupied by Iran?"
Qassem also pointed out that some commentators have come to prefer keeping
Jerusalem under Israeli control over its liberation by Iran. He quoted one Arab
as saying:
"Look at the capitals occupied by Iran: Baghdad has become, according to the
United Nations, the dirtiest capital in the world, while Beirut has become the
largest dumpster in the Middle East. As for Damascus, it turned into a ruin,
while Sana'a returned to the Middle Ages."
Iraqi writer Dr. Bahera Al-Sheikhli also mocked Iran's claim that it is doing
its utmost to help the Palestinians:
"During the past 30 years, the Al-Quds Force fought the Arabs everywhere and did
not fire a single bullet to liberate Jerusalem or Palestine. Jerusalem and
Palestine are the Trojan horse of the Iranian regime. Jerusalem is not in the
mind of the regime. Rather, what concerns Iran is killing Arabs and occupying
their countries. The only thing Iran did for the Palestinians was that it
divided them into two entities – one led by the Palestinian Authority and
another led by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Iran seeks to expand at the
expense of the Arabs and their countries, and does not care about Jerusalem."
Emirati political analyst Abdel Munim Ibrahim said he also shared the view that
Iran and its Quds Force have done nothing to "defend" the Palestinians. Instead,
he pointed out, the Quds Force has "committed crimes against Arabs in their
countries."
"The Iranian Quds Force is nothing more than a political cover that uses the
Palestinian cause to play conspiratorial roles against Arabs... It is not
concerned about what is happening in Jerusalem and Palestine. It is very
interested in supporting its agents and armed militias in Iraq and Syria and
smuggling missiles, drones, explosives and mines to the Houthi militias in
Yemen. Only the delusional people in Palestine, the Gulf and the Arab countries
were betting on the Quds Force to liberate Jerusalem and defend the
Palestinians. The truth is that Iran established the Quds Force to occupy Arab
countries, recruit Arab traitors into terrorist organizations to overthrow Arab
governments, and threaten Arab national security."
The Arabs who are mocking Iran and exposing its malign behavior are mainly
addressing those in the West who, against all reason, continue to believe that
appeasing the mullahs of Iran is the path to security and stability.
The Arabs are also sending a message to the Biden administration and other
Western powers that Iran's continued interference in the internal affairs of
Arab countries – both directly and through its proxies – poses a risk to
regional security and stability.
The Arabs, in other words, are telling the Americans and other Westerners that
appeasing Iran by reviving the nuclear deal, lifting sanctions or giving it
money will only assist its regime in perpetrating more crimes and increasing
instability and terrorism in the region. This is the poisonous fruit of
placating the mullahs.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 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.
Tebboune says Algeria was ready to enforce red-line in
Tripoli against Haftar
Saber Blidi/The Arab Weekly/June 09/2021
Tebboune displays support for Turkish-Qatari alliance at the expense of
traditional partners.
ALGIERS - Recent statements by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune have
revealed his country’s close coordination with Turkey and Qatar in last year’s
fight for control of Tripoli and the role played by Algeria in that showdown.
The revelations belie the claims of “neutrality” made by Algiers throughout the
years of the Libya crisis and confirm its alignment with the axis of political
Islam and affiliated militias. The Algerian “red-line” preceded the other
red-line drawn by Egypt when it took a public stand against permitting Turkey to
reach Sirte. Cairo did not conceal its support for the Libyan National Army (LNA)
led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Tebboune said that his country’s message that Tripoli constituted a “red line”
was one that did reach the parties concerned. He stressed that Algeria was
“ready to intervene” to prevent the fall of the Libyan capital.
Tebboune’s statements were contained in excerpts released by Al-Jazeera
satellite channel on Tuesday, from an interview it conducted with Tabboune which
is scheduled to be broadcast in its entirety at a later date. What the Algerian
president told the Qatari Al-Jazeera channel reinforces the impression of the
similarity of positions between the North Africa country and both Qatar and
Turkey. Less than a week ago, Tebboune seemed already to side with the
Turkish-Qatari camp, when he emphasised his country’s readiness to enhance its
comprehensive cooperation with Ankara.
In buttressing his argument, he told the French magazine “Le Point” that “Turkey
invests five billion dollars in Algeria with no political strings attached,”
alluding to French investments that come for the most part with strings attached
to political and diplomatic issues. It seems that Tebboune, who is the first
Algerian president to give an interview to Al Jazeerah since it began
broadcasting in the mid-nineties, wants to send messages of reassurance to
Qatari and Turkish allies, at the expense of countries known for their support
for Khalifa Haftar, which are also classified as allies of Algeria, such as
France and Russia. In January 2020, the Algerian president had said, during a
meeting with former Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA)
Fayez al-Sarraj, that, “Tripoli, in the eyes of Algeria, is a red-line that
hopefully will not be crossed.”
Tebboune said at the time that his country “refused that Tripoli be the first
Arab and Maghreb capital to be occupied by mercenaries.”Tebboune did not specify
then what he meant by mercenaries. Media reports at the time talked about
Turkey’s transfer of thousands of mercenaries from Syria to Tripoli in support
of the militias loyal to the GNA, while US officials indicated that Russian
Wagner mercenaries were helping LNA troops.
Tebboune’s statements to Al-Jazeera confirm that he was referring to Wagner’s
mercenaries and that Algeria had no problem with the Syrian mercenaries, even if
media reports mentioned the presence of extremists from Jabhat al-Nusra and
other Islamist organisations in their ranks.
At that time, many observers thought that Tebboune was referring to Turkey in
his statement, given the tensions between the Algerian army and the Islamists
with whom it had fought a ten-year war during the so-called black Decade.
But Tebboune said in the excerpts of his interview with Al-Jazeera, which were
published on the official page of the Algerian presidency, that “the Islamist
trend in his country differs from that in other countries.” He stressed that,
“Algeria has gotten rid of ideological Islam forever,” referring to what the
Algerian authorities consider Islamic extremist currents.
Since the start of the Libyan crisis in 2014, Algeria has presented itself a
neutral country keeping the same distance from all parties, despite accusations
of siding with the Islamist camp, especially after it received the former emir
of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), Abdelhakim Belhaj. Since the era of
former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, it has reiterated its rejection of “any
military intervention in Libya” and its “promotion of political solutions”. But
its assertion of readiness to intervene in Tripoli has surprised those who were
keeping track of Algeria’s “neutral” position.
Algeria’s relationship with Khalifa Haftar was either cool or tense, despite the
limited number of meetings that brought him together with senior Algerian
officials, especially after the threats attributed to him to invade the border
region and the resentment he expressed more than once at what he called
“Algeria’s bias in favour of its (LNA’s) opponents in the conflict in Libya.”
Observers say that Tebboune’s statements are aimed primarily at France, which
backs Morocco in its row with Algeria over the Western Sahara, as the tensions
between Algiers and Paris are thought to be mainly due to this issue.
The observers do not rule out that Tebboune’s statements could affect the role
that the new authorities in Tripoli would like Algeria to play during the coming
period so as to achieve the desired reconciliation.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid al-Dbeibah, had asked the Algerian president to
“participate in the Libyan national reconciliation; as Algeria is qualified to
lead and support the Libyan-Libyan reconciliation.”He pointed out that “Algeria
has not interfered in Libyan affairs during the past ten years, and that Libya
views Algeria as an older brother.”