English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 21/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
You received without payment; give without payment
Matthew 10/08-15: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 20-21/2021
Fathers’ Day: The Holy Gift Of Fatherhood/Fathers on Earth are God’s servants/Elias Bejjani/June 21/2021
Open Letter To Pope Francis/Elie Aoun/June 21/2021
Health Ministry: 134 new Corona cases, 3 deaths
Rahi presides over Sunday Mass service in Bkirki
Archbishop Elias Aoudeh: The world is stepping forward while we are still stumbling over our misfortunes, and the cause is known
Bassil: 888 cabinet formula rejected
Bassil Says Berri Not an 'Impartial' Mediator, Urges Nasrallah to Intervene
Jumblat Says Coming Days 'Very Difficult', Renews Call for 'Settlement'
Top EU Diplomat: Mistrust at Core of Lebanon Political Crisis
Lebanon's crisis caused by feud over power, says EU envoy/Samia Nakhoul/Reuters/June 20/2021
Hezbollah Reiterates Call on President Aoun, PM-designate Hariri to Make Agreement on Cabinet Formation
Bassil attacks attempts to form the Lebanese govt/Najia Houssari/Arab News/June 21, 2021
Lebanese Christian leader asks Hezbollah to intervene to solve political crisis/Aya Iskandarani/The National/June 20/202
Nasrallah Hails Raisi's Election Win in Iran
Hashem calls for responding to Speaker Berri's initiative, being the only available means
Moucharafieh: Return of the displaced and refugees remains a right & a sustainable solution
The story of a Lebanese family’s descent into hell/Marie Jo SADER/L'Orient-Le Jour/Translated by Joelle El Khoury/June 20/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 20-21/2021
Bennett Says Raisi's Win 'Wake Up' Call for Nuclear Pact Parties
Profile: Who is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s next president?
Iran, world powers adjourn talks on reviving nuclear deal, resumption date unclear
Talks 'Closer' to Saving Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran’s sole nuclear power plant in Bushehr undergoes emergency shutdown
US Defense Department approves replenishment of Israel's Iron Dome system
Butcher of Tehran’ Raisi wins Iran election amid low turnout
IDF seeking increased military cooperation with Gulf states under CENTCOM
Post-War Armenia Holds Snap Parliamentary Election
Rocket targets Iraq base hosting US troops: security source
Egypt calls for exit of foreign forces from Libya
Dozens Killed as Battle for Yemen's Marib Flares
Houthi attacks on Marib and Saudi Arabia imperil peace efforts

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 20-21/2021
The Killing Mullah, Iran and the future of a murderous dystopia/Charles Elias Chartouni/June 20/2021
Bennett: Iran ‘regime of executioners’ can’t get the bomb/Lahav Harkov/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
‘Is the 'hardliner' talking point about Iran’s Raisi a whitewash?/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
Turkey is radicalizing extremists to attack Kurdish women/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
The Iranian election does not change the fact the West is in a catch-22 situation/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/June 21/2021
Biden, Erdogan agree to disagree at peaceable summit/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/June 21, 2021
Renaissance Dam crisis in danger of exploding/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/June 21, 2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 20-21/2021
Fathers’ Day: The Holy Gift Of Fatherhood/Fathers on Earth are God’s servants
Elias Bejjani/June 21/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/65390/elias-bejjani-fathers-day-the-holy-gift-of-fatherhood/
“Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!” (Lydia M. Child, U.S. Author)
Canadians observe Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. It is a day for people to show their appreciation for fathers, grandfathers, godfathers and fatherly figures. Father figures may include stepfathers, fathers-in-law, guardians, foster parent, and family friends. Hopefully, all men will have the blessed grace of being fathers. Being a father is a heavenly endowment, a great satisfaction, and a fulfilling Godly obligation as the Holy Bible teaches us: “Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.”
Almighty God has blessed both parents, fathers and mothers and recommended that they be honored, respected, cared for, and obeyed by their children. God’s fifth commandment delineates this heavenly obligation and duty: “”Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which The Lord your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12 ).
God is our Holy Father, and we all, men and women, are His beloved children. Fathers on Earth are God’s servants who are entrusted by Him to safeguard, raise, embrace, support, provide and teach their children. Meanwhile fathers are required to carry their holy duties in raising their children in the fear of God, with the best of their knowledge, all their resource and means, full devotion and with all required sacrifices.
Fathers are the cornerstone of their families upon which children depend, learn, nurture, hold fast and shape their lives. Caring, devoted and righteous fathers are always given a hand by God and blessed for their rearing and erection of boundaries. Today we are celebrating “Fathers’ Day”, with all those who cherish fathers, appreciate their sacrifices and honor their Godly role. Best wishes to all fathers hoping they will be shown today all the due gratitude from their sons and daughters. On this very special day our deceased fathers’ and mothers’ spirits are roaming around sharing with us our joy and happiness, God bless their souls.
Attitudes of gratitude or ingratitude towards fathers on Fathers’ Day, are very sensitive issues that affect and touch the hearts and minds of many people. These two contradicting attitudes exhibit how much a person is either appreciative or ungrateful. The majority of people hold on dear to their fathers and do all that they can to always show them their great and deeply felt gratitude, while sadly there are those odd ones out who show no gratitude, abandon them and even at times endeavour to ruin their lives and inflict harm and pain on them. By doing so and negating God’s commandments that stress an utmost respect for parents, these people make themselves enemies of Christ Himself. Definitely God will be angry about such condemned conduct. This deviation from all human norms occur because of ignorance, selfishness, lack of faith and hope. These people fall into temptation, become proud of what they should be ashamed of, worship things that belong to this world and forget all about “Judgment Day”.
Colossians 3/20: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord”.
Leviticus 20/09: “For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him”
Fathers no matter what must be loved, honored, dignified and respected. God Himself is a Father and He will not bless those who deny their fathers’ heavenly right of fatherhood and respect. In this context, Billy Graham says: “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” The Holy Bible in tens of its verses warns and puts on notice all those with callous hearts and numbed conscience who show no gratitude to their fathers and break their hearts.
Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”
Even when fathers are abandoned by their children and denied their heavenly rights, they never ever hold any grudges, feelings of hatred or hostility against them. No matter what, fathers always wish their children health, prosperity and success. One of our Lebanese deeply rooted sayings portray how fathers constantly feel towards their ungrateful children: ” My heart beats for my son no matter what, while my son’s heart is callous like a rock”. Many verses in the Holy Bible overtly call on the children to treat their parents with love, endurance, affection and utmost care. At the same time the Bible instructs parents to value the Godly delegation to them to raise their children with all means of righteous, protection and provision.
Proverbs 23/22: “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old”.
Ephesians 06/01-02: “Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do. Respect your father and mother is the first commandment that has a promise added: so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land”.
Many grown-up men and women do not appreciate their parents’ sacrifices unless they themselves have become parents. Back home in Lebanon where the family has always been sacred, we have a saying that shows how important it is in the eyes of the God that parents are always to be respected, honored and loved. “God will not bless or facilitate the life of those who mistreat their parents and He will reply to the parents’ wrath when they ask for punishment for their ungrateful children”. Good, loving , faithful and God-fearing fathers know no hatred, grudges or despair. They remain, always, hopeful and keep on praying to Almighty God that their children, (grateful or ungrateful ) are constantly healthy, prosperous, happy, and successful .
Philippians 04/04-07: “May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.”.
Happy Fathers’ Day to all Fathers.
N.B: This above piece is from the 2015 archive and republished with minor changes

Open Letter To Pope Francis
Elie Aoun/June 21/2021
ايلي عون: رسالة مفتوحة إلى قداسة البابا فرنسيس
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/99946/elie-aoun-open-letter-to-pope-francis-%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a-%d8%b9%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a9-%d9%85%d9%81%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%ad%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%82%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%a9/
The declared purpose of the July 1st meeting in the Vatican (with the principal leaders of the Lebanese Christian community) is to reflect “on the worrying situation in the country and to pray together for the gift of peace and stability.”
As a Christian, I respectfully present this letter with the aim of correcting certain “errors” committed by the Church institution – primarily (1) its support for the Taif Agreement, (2) its selection process of Lebanese presidential candidates, and (3) its adherence to certain faulty concepts.
Firstly, the Taif Agreement proved to be a failure for Lebanon because it offered a “cure” for a faulty diagnosis. The presumption was to reduce “Maronite presidential authority” – at a time when the real problem was not the authority itself but the character of the individuals who attained the presidency.
The real cure should have been to elevate quality Christians to the office of the President. Instead of doing so, the Church supported the Taif amendments which have been nothing more than sharing authority between three unqualified presidents. Instead of one unfit Christian, we now have a Christian, a Sunni and a Shiite who are equally unfit – leading to the status quo of general inaptitude and corruption.
The solution for Lebanon is to restore the authority of the Lebanese president, and be given to a qualified Christian. Otherwise, what is the meaning of Christian-Muslim “partnership” in the region if the only Christian president has no meaningful authority?
In the entire Arab world, Arab Christians do not behave in the same manner as some Sunni, Shiite, and Druze leaders did in Lebanon.
Arab Christians do not revolt against their governments, do not seek more political influence, and do not align with foreign powers against their own countrymen. Instead, they make whatever positive contributions that they could, with total respect towards the governments and people wherever they live. That same attitude has to be accepted by Lebanese Muslims in Lebanon whose individual rights as citizens should also be protected.
In the same manner that Lebanese Muslims cannot be all responsible for decisions made by their leaders, the same can be said about the Christians especially since the “Maronite president” is elected by a large number of Muslim parliamentarians who should equally share responsibility for the conduct of whoever they vote for.
Secondly, during the last presidential election in Lebanon, Bkirki “adopted” four presidential candidates from four “Christian political parties.” Although each of these candidates has some public support, Bkirki’s “presidential selection” should have been wiser than that of the “common people” and realize that these candidates, and the leaders of the political parties, are not qualified for the presidency.
The Lebanese President should be selected by the Lebanese Parliament, not by a religious leader. However, in reality, the clergy (for both Christians and Muslims) rule the country. The Shiites are led by a clergyman. The Sunnis act in coherence with their Mufti, and all Christian political parties claim to be under the “umbrella of Bkirki.”
The clergy do support the Lebanese political parties despite their public rhetoric against the politicians and their deeds.
Therefore, the clergy are partly to blame for the Lebanese status quo and must pursue “corrective measures” if peace and stability are to be restored.
When God selected David to be a king of Israel, He looked at David’s heart – not his “strength” or his popularity. In the same manner, when the Vatican and Lebanese clergy “choose” a politician, they need to reflect at that person’s heart towards his people, constructive vision for the country, and adherence to accurate principles. This is the type of leadership that the country needs. However, the Christian and Muslim clergy are contributing to the demise of Lebanon by supporting Lebanese politicians who lack these criteria.
Thirdly, the Vatican’s agenda is supportive of the so-called New World Order, a one-world bank, a unified educational system, and other concepts which are contradictory to national sovereignty – for both Lebanon and the Vatican state.
Also, the slogan that “Lebanon is a message” is not in itself true. If the “message” is co-existence, there are many countries whose various religious and ethnic communities live in a far better harmony and prosperity than in Lebanon.
Instead of being labeled as a “message,” Lebanon is a republic which can prosper or diminish depending on the principles that guide it and the character of the individuals who lead it.
Furthermore, there had been ceremonies aimed at placing Lebanon “under Mary.” There is no Biblical support for such a measure. The real Mary, mother of Christ, has no political ambition. Even if she did, and even if Lebanon is truly “under Mary”, the result would not be political and economic bankruptcy.
The “Christian” clergy have twisted the teachings of the Bible and transformed the focus from the Creator Father to a Mary-centered system.
The “Muslim” clergy are not any different. One example is Hizballah’s use of the phallic symbol (on its flag) in the word Allah. Does Allah approve of the phallic symbol, the acts of terrorism, and the “export” of captagon?
In summary, the religious corruption is the cause of the political and economic corruption, and it must be corrected.
The “message” that Lebanon conveys to the world today is how to destroy a nation-state to the benefit of the New World Order. How could globalists “acquire” Lebanon without first ruining it to justify their take-over?
The destruction of Lebanon is intentional, and the clergy (Christian and Muslim) are co-conspirators against the country – until they prove otherwise by their deeds and not just rhetoric.
Nations and rulers interacted with popes over centuries. They would not do so if the Vatican did not have political influence. Has this political influence been used to benefit Lebanon in any constructive way in the last fifty years or so? Personally, I do not believe so.

Health Ministry: 134 new Corona cases, 3 deaths
NNA/June 20/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced, on Sunday, the registration of 134 new infections with the Coronavirus, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 543,505. It added that 3 deaths were also recorded during the past 24 hours.

Rahi presides over Sunday Mass service in Bkirki
NNA/June 20/2021 
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi, said on Sunday that politicians give the ugliest image of Lebanon. The Prelate, who presided over a Mass on Father's Day in Bkirki, added that politicians are giving irrevocable proof of their bankruptcy.
According to the Patriarch, the people are called to a national awareness, and to render the elections of 2022 an opportunity to choose new elites in power.

Archbishop Elias Aoudeh: The world is stepping forward while we are still stumbling over our misfortunes, and the cause is known
NNA/June 20/2021
Beirut’s Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop Elias Aoudeh criticized today the Lebanese politicians and members of parliament for turning a blind eye towards the people’s interests, remaining asleep in their ministries and departments and waking up only to tend to their own personal affairs, their feuds, their benefits, and the interests of their circle of aids and friends.“As for the people’s interests, they are left to God,” the Archbishop said in his homily, as he presided over Sunday Mass at St. George's Cathedral in downtown Beirut this morning. He referred to the wide-spread corruption and the scandals and thefts in various areas of the state and its departments, in the absence of any serious penal measures against the perpetrators, thus allowing chaos to prevail in our state departments. “The world has taken steps forward, but we are still faltering in our misfortunes, and the cause is known,” Aoudeh added regretfully. He concluded by praying to the Lord Almighty to salvage this country and its people, saying: “May we turn our hearts to God, the only Savior, hoping that He will pour out on us the grace of the Holy Spirit…and deliver us from the flames of what we are witnessing.”

Bassil: 888 cabinet formula rejected
NNA/June 20/2021
Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, held a press conference this afternoon, in which he commented on the various political, economic and social files in the country. Bassil started the conference by addressing the issue of forming a government, saying: "The crisis of the system, the constitution, practice and intentions, revealed that the battle to defend our rights is not out of bidding or obstruction, but rather in order to protect our free existence.""Our existence is linked to our role, and our role must be complete, not sectarian, but national, and this is what makes Lebanon a unique message. They are using people's distress to break us, and as usual they are asking for help from outside, choosing between starving people and losing our political existence...As long as our people are steadfast, we are resilient," Bassil asserted. He noted that the formation crisis showed that the problem is not with the vague texts of the constitution that lack deadlines, but unfortunately with the hidden intentions that expose their owners in a moment of crisis or anger. "It is clear that there are those who did not swallow our recapture of the role they stole from us between 1990 and 2005, and today they consider that they have a new opportunity to reclaim the time of the usurpation of our rights," the MP went on. "You refuse to set a deadline for the minister to sign the decree, while the president of the republic is obliged to sign it within 15 days, and it is not considered enforceable. Is this how the preservation of Taif is done, and the system is in operation?," Bassil questioned..He also wondered how the prime minister rotates over all ministerial portfolios except for the Ministry of Finance, saying: "this alone is enough to bring down the Taif, and we do not accept it."Referring to the House Speaker Nabih Berri's initiative with 8-8-8 formula, Bassil compeltely refused said formula, considering that the actual parity is 12-12. He stressed that "forming the new government remains the responsibility of the Prime Minister-designate, in agreement with the President of the Republic." Bassil appealed to the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to carry out a governmental effort, not an initiative. "He knows that we are being targeted, and everything that happens is undermining us, and he knows that we have abandoned the issue of government in many matters."The FPM Chief concluded his word in this regard by saying: "Sayyid Hassan, I know that you do not betray the truth. I entrust you with the rights and accept what you accept for yourself. This is my last word pertaining to the government."

Bassil Says Berri Not an 'Impartial' Mediator, Urges Nasrallah to Intervene
Naharnet/June 20/2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Sunday said Speaker Nabih Berri has not been an “impartial” mediator in the cabinet formation process, urging Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to step in as a “friend” and “referee.” “I entrust him with the issue and I entrust him with the rights. He knows that we are being targeted and that everything happening is aimed at harming us and he knows that we have made several concessions in the governmental file,” Bassil said in a televised address. “I, Jebran Bassil, without putting any burden on you, would accept what you would accept for yourself. These are my last words regarding the government,” the FPM chief added. He noted that the cabinet formation crisis has unveiled “more dangerous and deeper crises -- the crises of the system, constitution, practices and intentions.”“We're defending our rights to protect our free existence,” Bassil said, in an apparent reference to the Christian community. “You want to coerce us to take our vote of confidence in order to implicate us, hold us responsible and draw people’s ire against us,” Bassil went on to say, addressing PM-designate Saad Hariri and his allies. “You will not take from us through pressure and people's pain and crises, nor through sanctions from the entire world, what you did not manage to take from 2005 until today. You are bothered by partnership and you do not want to respect jurisdiction! You also do not want reforms and you only want to get rid of us! You will not succeed in this!” Bassil added, referring to political rivals such as Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat. Commenting on the structure of the so-called 8-8-8 government, the FPM chef said “real parity is 12 ministers named by Christians and 12 named by Muslims, not eight named by Christians and 16 named by Muslims.”“This is called tripartite power-sharing and it is rejected!” he emphasized, referring to a system in which Christians, Sunnis and Shiites have equal shares in power. Moreover, Bassil said the FPM wants the 2022 parliamentary elections to be held on time. He however added that his Movement is with organizing early parliamentary elections “if there will be a delay in the government's formation.”.

Jumblat Says Coming Days 'Very Difficult', Renews Call for 'Settlement'
Naharnet/June 20/2021
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat warned Sunday that the circumstances in the country are “extraordinary and dire,” noting that he does not see an imminent solution. “It seems that there will be no solution in the near future, because the solution will not come from abroad,” Jumblat said during a tour in the Aley region in which he met with Druze spiritual leaders. “If some so-called top politicians think that the solution will come from abroad, I tell them that no solution will come from abroad. The solution must come from inside the country and a settlement in politics is not something shameful. A settlement is essential in politics for the sake of the country,” the veteran Druze politician added. “I do not have new information that points to a settlement nor to the possibility of reining in this economic and financial collapse,” Jumblat went on to say, cautioning that “the coming days will be very difficult.” He added: “There are no prospects because they are rejecting the settlement. I don’t know how there can be such an irresponsible official to reject a settlement.”Reminding that he had personally gone through “more difficult circumstances,” Jumbat noted that he made a settlement with the Syrians after they “killed Kamal Jumblat.” “I went to Damascus and shook Hafez al-Assad’s hand for the sake of Lebanon’s Arabism and for the sake of my community, the Lebanese National Movement and the threat that Lebanon was facing? What is the big deal? I remained an ally of Syria for 29 years and I wish Syria was still the same. That’s why a settlement is not a mistake,” Jumblat added. He accordingly said that “it is required to form a government that can halt the collapse, so that it faces the World Bank and the international institutions in order to take conditional and not free loans.”“We don’t have any other solution,” Jumblat added.

Top EU Diplomat: Mistrust at Core of Lebanon Political Crisis
Associated Press/June 20/2021
A struggle for power and strong mistrust is at the heart of the fight between Lebanese political leaders and the deadlock over government formation, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Sunday."It is clear a fight for the distribution of power and I have to say there is also strong mistrust," Josep Borrell told a group of reporters before leaving Beirut. "It is difficult to get an agreement between people that don't trust each other." A power struggle has emerged between PM-designate Saad Hariri, named to the post in October, one one side, and President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law Jebran Bassil, who heads the Free Patriotic Movement and the largest bloc in parliament, on the other. The top leaders are locking horns over the shape of the government while the country's economic problems, unfolding since late 2019, are worsening.
The European Union foreign policy chief was in Lebanon for two days where he met with political, security and military leaders. He delivered a strong message that forming a government is a matter of urgency as the small country is on the verge of total financial collapse.
Lebanon's economy has contracted by over 20% in 2020, while poverty has deepened with more than 55% of the population living below the poverty line. The national currency has tumbled, losing nearly 90% of its value to the dollar. Blamed on decades of corruption and mismanagement, the World Bank said Lebanon's crisis is likely to rank as one of the worst the world has seen in more than 150 years. Borrell said European countries are considering sanctions against Lebanese politicians, who he blamed for obstructing the formation of a government. Borrell said the make-up of the new government must be agreed upon by the president and the prime-minister designate. Aside from technical capabilities, it must have the political support it needs to operate in such difficult conditions, he added. Borrell said a new government could then reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, which would then facilitate European Union assistance. "A ship in the middle of a storm needs a captain... It needs officers of different departments of the ship. If not the ship will sink," Borrell said. "You need a government with technical capacities and political support to implement the decisions, take decisions, and these decisions will not be easy to take." Lebanese media have reported that France and the EU are putting together proposals for possible travel bans and freezes on assets of some politicians. Borrell said the sanctions are one way, but not the only way, to exert political pressure on Lebanese politicians to get an agreement. "I am very much afraid that the crisis will be producing very negative effects on the stability of the country," he said. Lebanon defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time in March, while talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package stopped last year. The crisis has been the biggest threat to Lebanon's stability since the 1975-90 civil war ended.

Lebanon's crisis caused by feud over power, says EU envoy
Samia Nakhoul/Reuters/June 20/2021
The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday a fight among Lebanese leaders to secure power is at the heart of its government crisis and he urged them to set their feud aside and form a cabinet or risk a total financial crash and sanctions. Speaking after talks with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and House Speaker Nabih Berri, Josep Borrell said he delivered a frank message that some leaders could face sanctions if they continued to block steps to form a new government and implement badly needed reforms. "The country is in big financial trouble and in order to solve the economic crisis they need a government," he said. "A ship in the middle of a storm, needs a captain, needs a crew for the system to work ... If not the ship will sink." "It is clear it's a fight for the distribution of power. I have to say there is also strong mistrust," he told a group of reporters before leaving Beirut. Borrell said Lebanon needed a government with technical capacity and real authority to avoid the failure of the outgoing government of Hassan Diab, which he said presented a sound financial reform plan that was blocked by politicians. Lebanon's currency has lost 90% of its value. More than half the population are living in poverty while grappling with raging inflation, power blackouts and shortages of fuel and food. The crisis has been aggravated by political deadlock, with Hariri at loggerheads with Aoun for months over forming a new government. Borrell said foreign aid would not flow without a government that engaged with the International Monetary Fund and delivered reforms to tackle corruption and mismanagement of funds. But he said the leaders he met were pessimistic about making progress. He said a failure to act would drive down foreign reserves and leave the nation without foreign exchange to pay for basic goods or to prevent its hospitals running short of supplies. He said his talks highlighted deep divisions among Lebanon's sectarian communities, whether Christian, Sunni or Shi'ite Muslim, or Druze, and the way power was shared. "This country has a clear problem with its governance system," he said.
Sanctions have been threatened in an effort by some EU states, led by France, to push politicians to end the deadlock. An EU diplomatic note seen by Reuters showed criteria for imposing possible sanctions were likely to be corruption, obstructing efforts to form a government, financial mishandling and human rights abuses. The bloc has yet to decide on its approach. Paris says it has restricted entry to some Lebanese officials it sees as blocking efforts to tackle the crisis, without naming them. "The sanctions are a possibility that is going to be considered, and we would like very much not to use. But we cannot stay like this," said Borrell, who reports back to EU foreign ministers on Monday.
Reporting by Samia Nakhoul; Editing by Edmund Blair

Hezbollah Reiterates Call on President Aoun, PM-designate Hariri to Make Agreement on Cabinet Formation
Al-Manar English Website/Reuters/June 20/2021
Member of Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Hasan Fadlallah called on President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Saad Hariri to make an agreement on the cabinet formation, stressing that would the sole solution to the governmental deadlock.
Addressing a political seminar in Bint Jbeil town in southern Lebanon, MP Fadlallah underlined that all the concerned parties must continue exerting efforts in order to create the new government despite all the rifts. MP Fadlallah affirmed that Hezbollah is contributing to the efforts aimed at forming the new cabinet and assuming its responsibilities related to confronting the socioeconomic crisis overburdening the Lebanese people. In this regard, MP Fadlallah explained that Hezbollah is only one of the parties represented in the government and parliament, adding that who alleges the Resistance Party of controlling the Lebanese state plans to throw all the corruption accusations at the Party. MP Fadlallah recalled the negative responses of certain Lebanese parties to Hezbollah initiatives aimed at relieving the citizens’ socioeconomic agonies, adding that the Party cannot assume the responsibilities of the in all the domains. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah proposed a solution to the oil crisis based on importing oil from Iran, according to MP Fadlallah who added that, as long as the state exists, Hezbollah will not carry out this solution. MP Fadlallah added that Hezbollah detected several corruption files, adding that the politically controlled judiciary system did not assume its responsibilities in this regard. Stressing that Hezbollah does not protect any corrupt, MP Fadlallah indicated that the Party will never use its military power to fight corruption in Lebanon.

Bassil attacks attempts to form the Lebanese govt
Najia Houssari/Arab News/June 21, 2021
BEIRUT: The head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Lebanese MP Gebran Bassil made a speech on Sunday attacking all attempts to form a government. He declared his rejection of the “three-eight formula that is being worked on to form a government of 24 ministers.”Bassil, an ally of Hezbollah, said that “actual parity between Muslims and Christians is through having 12 ministers named by Christians and 12 ministers named by Muslims, not eight ministers named by Christians and 16 ministers named by Muslims.”Bassil, who was described by the British newspaper The Times as “the most hated man in Lebanon,” strongly criticized Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s main ally, as well as the head of the Lebanese Forces (LF) Party, Samir Geagea, the rival Christian party on the Lebanese political scene, accusing him of failing to defend the Christian interests. Bassil said he had decided “to seek help from his friend Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah,” as he accepts what Nasrallah believes about forming a government.“Bassil seemed to open the battle for the parliamentary and possibly presidential elections by presenting himself as a sole defender of the Christian community’s rights.”The coordinator of the Rally for Sovereignty, Naufal Daou, said that “Bassil’s request for Nasrallah’s assistance is ... rather an attempt to bully through weapons and a recognition of Nasrallah’s authority in exchange for some positions and quotas.”
FASTFACT
Hezbollah activists celebrated on social media the victory of Ebrahim Raisi in the Iranian presidential elections. Daou addressed Bassil by saying: “Isn’t it better ... to seek the assistance of the Lebanese constitution and Lebanon’s true Arab friends in the interests of the Lebanese people instead of resorting to arms? The constitution is a reference, not a party that owns weapons.”A member of the parliamentary Strong Republic bloc, MP Wehbe Qatisha, said that Bassil “has entrenched himself in sectarianism.” Former MP Fadi Karam said that Bassil and his team “ruined the country, destroyed the state, and devastated the people through their alliances with the enemies of freedom and with the axis of humiliation and backwardness.”Bassil affirmed that “our intention is to restore the role they took from us between 1990 and 2005,” referring to reducing the powers of the presidency in accordance with the Taif Agreement for the benefit of the Council of Ministers. He accused the other parties of not respecting the text of the agreement. A few hours before Bassil’s speech, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi in his Sunday sermon called on “the Lebanese people to be vigilant.” He strongly criticized “the ruling political group ... for its inability to rule the people and the country. Officials are blocking the formation of the government under the pretext of powers. What powers are you looking for? ... Our problem is not a lack of powers, but a lack of responsibility,” he said.
Al-Rahi stressed that “our army is always ready to confront any breach of security, and the time has come for the state to clarify its position and recognize the army as the sole legitimate party that is responsible for Lebanon’s security, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.”
Meanwhile, Hezbollah activists celebrated on social media the victory of Ebrahim Raisi in the Iranian presidential elections.

Lebanese Christian leader asks Hezbollah to intervene to solve political crisis
Aya Iskandarani/The National/June 20/202
Gebran Bassil's appeal to Hassan Nasrallah reveals the shifting alliances between Lebanon’s foreign-backed politicians. An ally of Lebanon's Hezbollah appealed to the Iran-backed group on Sunday for support in a months-long dispute over government formation. Gebran Bassil, leader of Lebanon's largest Christian Maronite party, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) asked Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to directly intervene to solve the country’s political crisis in a televised speech on Sunday. Mr Bassil is President Michel Aoun’s son-in-law and is widely seen as the power behind the presidency. Lebanon has been without a fully-functioning government since last August after the Hezbollah-backed government resigned in the wake of a deadly blast at Beirut’s port. “I want to ask for help from a friend, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. I ask him to act as a judge and I trust him with this matter,” Mr Bassil said in reference to the dispute over government formation.“He knows we are being targeted unfairly,” Mr Bassil said in a televised speech. Mr Bassil and Mr Aoun have been at loggerheads with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri over ministerial shares in the Cabinet since last October. His call on Nasrallah is a reminder of Hezbollah’s wide influence over Lebanese politics. The Iran-backed group was the only militia allowed to keep its arms at the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990. Mr Bassil was sanctioned by the US last year for corruption - a charge he denies.
Mr Hariri tweeted earlier this week that he was willing to step down, if it would help solve the political crisis.Mr Bassil has rejected a mediation attempt by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, also an ally of Hezbollah and denied allegations by his political rivals that the FPM has been purposely delaying formation of the government, saying the group has been “flexible” about its share of ministerial portfolios.
While Hezbollah holds sway over political life in Lebanon, the group has so far refrained from openly interfering with government formation and is used to conducting politics behind the scenes. Any Cabinet aligned with the militant group is likely to be internationally shunned - making it more difficult for the Lebanese government to access billions of dollars needed to weather the crisis. Mr Bassil’s plea to Nasrallah is the latest sign of shifting alliances between Lebanon’s foreign-backed politicians. The alliance of Mr Aoun’s FPM with Hezbollah propelled him to the presidency in 2016 - a position Mr Bassil has been vying for ahead of next year’s elections. The alliance split Lebanon’s Christian community but helped the FPM become the most powerful Christian political actor in the country. But the Iran-backed Hezbollah is moving closer to Mr Hariri, a traditional ally of Western countries and Gulf states, said Imad Salamey, an associate professor of political science and international affairs at the Lebanese American University. He said the FPM is no longer a useful ally to Hezbollah because they lost popular Christian support and may face more Western sanctions. “By far, there are more benefits to having Hariri as a sort of half-ally,” he said. “Bassil is simply burnt out as far as Hezbollah is concerned.”Although Hezbollah members of parliament did not nominate Mr Hariri for the premiership, their close allies the Amal movement, headed by Mr Berri, voted in his favour. Lebanon’s political system is divided along sectarian lines with party leaders representing religious communities. While political leaders bicker over their upcoming ministerial shares, the head of the Maronite church called for Lebanon to vote out the political class in parliamentary elections next year. Patriarch Bechar Al Rahi said elections must be a moment of “national awakening” to mend the economy after a year and a half of financial crisis. “The people of Lebanon are called to a national awakening,” the Patriarch said in his Sunday sermon. “The elections are a unique occasion to present our country with new leaders.”

Nasrallah Hails Raisi's Election Win in Iran
Agence France Presse/June 20/202
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday congratulated ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi on winning Iran's presidential election, describing him as a "shield" against Israel and other "aggressors." Raisi, a former judiciary chief, won nearly 62 percent of the vote in Friday's election on turnout of 48.8 percent, after his most prominent rivals were either disqualified or pulled out of the race. "Your victory has renewed the hopes of the Iranian people and the people of the region who see you as a shield and a strong supporter... for the resistance against aggressors," Nasrallah said in a cable to Raisi.
Hizbullah, long designated a "terrorist" organization by the United States, forms an "axis of resistance" against Israel together with Iran and Syria. The Lebanese, Iran-backed movement fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, and its fighters have also battled against rebels trying to oust the regime of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Assad, whose government counts Iran as one of its top allies, wished Raisi "success in his new responsibilities... and steering the country in the face of external pressure." Hizbullah, a powerful force in Lebanese politics, also has close ties with the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas which rules the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said "Iran has always been a main, strong and real supporter of the Palestinian resistance and our national cause" as he congratulated Raisi

Hashem calls for responding to Speaker Berri's initiative, being the only available means
NNA/June 20/2021
Member of the "Development and Liberation" Parliamentary Bloc, MP Kassem Hashem, highlighted Sunday the need for various sides to respond to House Speaker Nabih Berri’s initiative with regards to the stalled government formation process, as it is the only available pathway at this stage. Speaking before municipal, social and agricultural delegations and dignitaries who visited his Shebaa residence today, Hashem said that "the atmosphere surrounding the issue of the government is still the same despite some tension that prevailed last week, and the deterioration of people's life conditions continues because crises cannot be solved by mere statements and stubbornness, but rather by forming a capable and effective rescue government that takes remedial decisions for all aspects of the crisis and develops an integrated rescue plan.” Hashem assured that “the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese is what governs the course, vision and notions of Speaker Berri, away from sectarian and partisan considerations,” adding that “extremism and bias to protect Lebanon and the Lebanese are a national act and a basic requirement for things to be straightened out so that the public interest can prevail over everything else.”Amidst the daily humiliation and suffering that the Lebanese citizen is subjected to, the MP deemed it shameful to continue with the persisting obstinacy just to pass some gains. Instead, he emphasized that the political forces and those concerned with the government formation ought to abandon their selfishness and narrow personal interests, and venture into a mutual understanding over common denominators, since any further procrastination and arrogance at the expense of citizens’ dignity and wellbeing can no longer be tolerated.

Moucharafieh: Return of the displaced and refugees remains a right & a sustainable solution
NNA/June 20/2021
Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs and Tourism, Ramzi Moucharafieh, tweeted Sunday on the displaced issue, saying: “With Lebanon reeling under the weight of multifaceted crises, the displaced Syrians, Palestinian refugees and the Lebanese host community are going through a very difficult period, amid increasing social and economic challenges. Therefore, the return of the displaced and refugees remains their right and the optimal and sustainable solution.”

The story of a Lebanese family’s descent into hell
Marie Jo SADER/L'Orient-Le Jour/Translated by Joelle El Khoury/June 20/2021
In light of an unprecedented economic and political crisis, a new, lower social class is emerging in Lebanon. We chronicle the experience of a family in Beirut’s eastern suburbs who could never have imagined how much they would lose
“It’s been ages since I last got home at this hour,” Nadim says as he enters the house, switches on the living room lights and walks toward a glass door leading to the apartment’s large terrace.
“Have you seen this?” he asks with pride, opening the door, allowing an unobstructed view to Beirut’s eastern suburbs. It is twilight, the sky a light pink with the last vestige of the day. Across the street, a series of buildings, some standing in darkness, faces the apartment. The sea lies to the west, and the remains of the Beirut port glitter in the distance. It is 8:15 p.m.
Nadim struggled to get his boss to let him leave work earlier than usual. Still, he didn’t arrive home as early as he had hoped to. He first had to visit his father, who had been discharged from the hospital.
“He wasn’t feeling well. He had low blood pressure, the doctor said,” Nadim explains.
When he finally made it home, he found the house quiet. Carole, his wife, and their three children, ages 10, 16 and 18, were apparently out. Their names have been changed in this article to protect their identity.
Suddenly, a scream rips through the corridor, piercing the apartment’s silence. “Are you there, Gabriel?” Nadim asks as he walks toward the bedrooms before returning. “He is my youngest son. He tends to barricade himself in the room. He’s not doing well lately.”
Nadim is restless. He is still wearing his work shirt, ready to take off as if he is still expecting a call for another delivery. He paces back and forth, from inside to outside, before deciding to sit down.
It is hard to tell whether he is naturally restless or is simply overwhelmed by his 18-hour workday. Although he lives through hell, he has smiling eyes. Once he sits down, he becomes sterner — he is now ready to vent.
The 48-year-old can’t deal with his situation anymore. “Sometimes I feel like breaking down, but then I pull myself together. After all, the lord has given me good health.”
Despite his three jobs, which prevent him from spending time with his children, his monthly income never exceeds LL3 million, or about $200 at the market exchange rate, half of which is used to pay off debts. Carole got hit with a 50 percent salary cut and is now earning LL1 million a month.
Nadim stares at the ground while telling the story of his descent into hell. He has a long list of problems. His father, 86, underwent several procedures necessitating a long ICU stay. But he cut it short, knowing his son would have to pay. Still, the cost of his hospital stay almost hit LL20 million.
It was impossible for Nadim to cover the payment himself, so he reached out to a few generous people — which is frequent in Lebanon, a crisis-stricken country where solidarity is a partial remedy for a nonexistent social safety net.
Yet their contribution covered only a sliver of the bill. For the rest of the sum, Nadim had no other choice but to borrow money from loan sharks, who lend money at extremely high interest rates.
“He is an acquaintance of my brother-in-law, and he paid the remaining LL17 million. I don’t know how to pay him back.”
‘Payment defaults broke me’
Nadim’s life is centered around an obsession for repaying debt. Things had gone well for him the past few years. Fluent in English and a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame University in Louaizeh, he had everything he needed to break away from the family business that he and his wife had focused on in the early years of their marriage.
“I ran a school canteen my parents had founded. Carole used to teach there. That had hardly yielded any returns. We were doing it just so we could help my father.”
In 2005, he started a passenger transportation business that focuses on construction companies. He obtained several contracts, including with a large company, and began investing in a fleet of high-end buses, giving his clients rides, including to the Habtoor Hotel, the City Center mall and Beit Misk daily. The buses he managed would drop off and pick up passengers working at several major construction sites across Lebanon.
His business flourished. Carole was teaching at a reputable school. They were able to lead a comfortable life.
“I would not go to bed before 4 a.m.,” Nadim says. “I worked really hard. I was not the kind of business owner who sits back and smokes cigars. The clients were able to reach out to me at any time, and I would go whole hog for them. That’s why they trusted me so much.”
This golden age stretched more than a dozen years. But in late 2017, the situation worsened in the land of the cedars. Rising prices for raw materials were accompanied by political instability. Economic downturn set in, and big projects were frozen.
Gradually, more and more customers began making excuses for delaying payments. But Nadim had to carry on. He had to continue to transport workers and purchase new buses. He spent millions of lira on gasoline and maintenance, and had to pay back loans and pay his employees. The golden age began to slip through his fingers.
“My clients’ payment defaults broke me, humiliated me, buried me and destroyed my future and that of my children. I’ve got nothing to do with it. It is the country’s situation that killed me.”
Nadim failed to repay his loans, and his checks bounced due to insufficient funds. He found himself trapped in a hellish spiral of debt.
The fear of having to close his business pushed him into the arms of loan sharks. “The good thing with them, you immediately get cash in hand,” he says — but at a very heavy cost. The required 10 percent monthly interest rate grows bigger each time payments are delayed.
Nadim’s income was simply not enough to meet his expenses. He found himself unable to pay the sums he owed his lenders. Since then, his family’s life has turned into a nightmare. Intimidation and death threats have become part of the daily routine.
“They were convinced that I did not want to pay them back. They hired men to chase and intercept me while driving. They held me at gunpoint and knifepoint. They also threatened to abduct my children. They came to the house carrying Kalashnikovs one day. I hid in a water tank on the roof. The children have witnessed everything. The little one talked about it for a long time.”
Nadim’s breath becomes short as he recounts his nightmare, as though he is anxiously reliving it.
He speaks for 10 minutes in the dark due to power cuts, which have grown in length and frequency across the country since the state utility further rationed supply. But he does not seem to realize it. He is fully engaged in the story, which he tries to render as best he can, as if he wants to convince himself one last time that he is not responsible for bringing ruin on his family.
“There was a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I used to make it home completely on edge, but at the same time I had to be careful not to lose my family.”
Selling his parents’ house and a family plot of land at a low price finally saved him from the loan sharks. He even mortgaged his own apartment. “They can throw us out of the house anytime they want, and I’ll be out on the streets with the kids.”
He transferred his buses to another firm and went out of business. The situation in Lebanon worsened due to COVID-19 and high inflation, resulting in thousands of households suddenly relegated to a lower social class.
There were no prospects for Nadim. “I didn’t even have enough money in my pocket to buy a bag of flatbread,” he bitterly recounts. He could never have imagined reaching this point.
A broken family
Nadim leaves home every day at 3:30 a.m., not to return before 10:30 p.m. He borrows a truck in exchange for providing free transportation services for a few hours each day. The rest of the day, he can use it at his job as a delivery driver. It is an unbearable pace of work — his days are manic.
“Sometimes I fall asleep at the wheel. That’s when I tell myself, ‘This is it. You’re done for.’ Then I tell myself that I cannot be weak — otherwise the whole family will fall apart. But how long can I keep going?”
He points to the hole in his sneakers, which used to belong to his oldest son. “I deliver to upscale neighborhoods, and my boss keeps criticizing my outfit. These sneakers are worth more than LL1 million. How can I replace them if I don’t make more than $150 a month [after paying the bills]?”
Today, Nadim is willing to endure even the worst of personal humiliations. Nothing matters compared to his children. He hasn’t paid tuition for his sons for the second year in a row, amounting to millions of lira. His oldest is supposed to start university next year.
“Everything is very expensive. I can’t even afford running errands anymore. My two sons agreed to work in a snack bar just to have free meals. These boys were supposed to focus on their social life and studies. Can you imagine?” he says angrily.
His eyes shine when he speaks of his daughter. “She’s sharp. I must do everything in my power to make sure she finishes her studies.” He frowns as he recalls that Chloe used her mother’s cellphone for online classes during the lockdown, since she does not have a computer.
Nadim is well aware that his children stand by his side, but their lives have been thrown into turmoil. They no longer see their friends, and their parents’ worsening financial situation has taken its toll. Marco, the oldest, is increasingly aggressive, and Gabriel attempted to commit suicide last year.
“He complained about severe back pain. We took him to the hospital, and that’s when he told the doctors. My own son wanted to end his life.”
Nadim’s anger boils over when he recounts the event, which he says shook the entire family. “What kills me is that I did everything to get my kids to the top of the ladder, but I failed.”
The physicians who took care of his son at the hospital asked Nadim whether he had thought of suicide as well. “Can you imagine?” he says.
He seems taken aback at such a question, as if he is the only one who cannot conceive how his ominous circumstances might lead others to worry. “What advantage could suicide bring me, apart from causing greater pain to my children and my wife?”
When he comments on their relationship, his head slumps. He briefly closes his eyes while recalling the hardships his wife has endured. “Things are more complicated with Carole. We don’t get along anymore. She suffered bitter humiliation, to the point that she resents me in spite of herself.”
‘Every day is worse than the day before’
Carole, 44, is more introverted than her husband. She speaks softly, her broken voice betraying the toll the family’s situation has taken on her. She is a graduate of the Lebanese American University and works as an English teacher at a small private primary school. When it comes to her salary cut, she has seemingly become resigned.
“The parents can’t afford tuition and the school can’t work out a solution [to the salary problem]. There are no other options,” she told L’Orient-Le Jour a few days earlier when her husband wasn’t present. She knows Nadim carries the heavier burden, but for her, failing to meet the children’s needs is excruciating.
“It is easier for an adult to abstain. You can tell yourself, ‘I don’t care to have this or that.’ But things are harder when your child needs shoes or your daughter is growing up and her clothes don’t fit anymore, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
Carole tries to cope. She has taken to cutting her daughter’s pants into shorts and repairing her sons’ shoes at the shoemaker.
Due to the financial crisis, the price of basic necessities has skyrocketed. A kilogram of beef costs about LL150,000, so Carole hardly puts any in the dishes she makes. She rations other products as well, including oil and milk.
“I don’t make any fried food anymore, so that the bottle of oil can last as long as possible.”
The couches in the living room are all covered with sheets, giving the impression that no one lives there.
Carole sits on the sofa, clasping her own hands together and staring into the void, as if she is begging someone. The clock facing her has not been set for daylight savings time; it is behind by an hour. The family has no faith that things will get better with time.
“Every day is worse than the day before. The sums that we need to pay back [after borrowing for] my father-in-law's medical bills have added another problem. I expect tomorrow to be even worse. I feel that prayers are what is keeping me going. Sometimes I feel suffocated and I need a break, so I pray a little bit and calm down.”
Chloe, 10, enters the living room, wearing her pajamas. The mother and daughter hug each other. “Chloe, say hi and go get dressed,” she says. “I’m trying to protect her. She’s still too little. It is harder to pretend with the boys.”
Carole speaks of the suicide attempt by her youngest son, the costly therapy they could not provide, and his recent bedwetting, which is probably linked to the terrors inflicted by loan sharks.
“All I want is for my kids to complete their studies and leave. Anything they find abroad will be better than what they have here.”
*This article was originally published in French. Translation by Joelle El Khoury.
La famille B. ou le récit d’une descente aux enfers
https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/amp/1265723/the-story-of-a-lebanese-familys-descent-into-hell?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3KSC_Xg_cbph6Onu4-tVCQnnPDBGQ1AgVXujjCDtYzuIMlg89roukEsNE

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 20-21/2021
Bennett Says Raisi's Win 'Wake Up' Call for Nuclear Pact Parties
Agence France Presse/June 20/202
Israel's new premier Naftali Bennett Sunday described the victory of ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi in Iran's presidential election as a "wake up" call for parties to a nuclear deal with Tehran. Raisi was elected with just under 62 percent of votes cast in Friday's poll, and will replace moderate President Hassan Rouhani -- whose landmark achievement was a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers -- in August. "Raisi's election is, I would say, the last chance for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement, and to understand who they are doing business with," said Bennett, in remarks at a cabinet meeting on Sunday. The 2015 deal saw Iran accept limits on its nuclear capabilities in return for an easing of sanctions, but former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew three years later and ramped up sanctions, prompting Tehran to pull back from its nuclear commitments. Trump's successor Joe Biden has signaled his readiness to return to the deal and state parties -- also including China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- have lately been negotiating its revival in Vienna. Israel and Iran are arch enemies and the Jewish state has always opposed the nuclear agreement, which it says could enable the Islamic republic to develop nuclear arms. A change of Israeli government a week ago -- which saw long-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from office -- has not changed the country's policy on this matter. In an initial reaction to Raisi's election win, Israel's foreign ministry said late Saturday that the international community should be alarmed because of his commitment to a "rapidly advancing military nuclear program". It also described Raisi as Iran's "most extremist president to date". Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon. Jewish nationalist Bennett came to power last Sunday after Israel's parliament approved a disparate coalition that gives him the premiership until 2023, when his main partner in the new alliance -- centrist Yair Lapid -- is due to take over.  Lapid, who became foreign minister as part of the coalition agreement, earlier this week pledged Israel "will do whatever it takes to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb" and said he was opposed to a revival of the 2015 deal.

Profile: Who is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s next president?
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/June 20/2021
Ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi won Iran’s presidential election with 61.95 percent of the votes in an election that saw the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic. The interior ministry announced the result on Saturday, saying voter turnout was at 48.8 percent, the lowest turnout for a presidential election in the history of the Islamic Republic. Raisi garnered close to 18 million votes. The senior judge will leave his current post as head of the judiciary in early August to replace President Hassan Rouhani. With all serious rivals barred from running by the Guardian Council – an unelected body that answers to the supreme leader only – his victory came as no surprise. “For Iranians, the contest was yet another indicator of the irreconcilable chasm that exists between the state and society in their country. The lackluster turnout cannot be divorced from the past three years of nationalist protest in the country,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Al Arabiya English.
Who is Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi was born in 1960 in the northeastern city of Mashhad into a religious family.He received a doctorate degree in law and jurisprudence from Mottahari University in Tehran, according to his campaign website. Raisi has been a key figure in Iran’s judiciary since the early 1980s. In 1981, when he was 20 years old, Raisi was appointed the prosecutor of the city of Karaj near Tehran. Two years later, he was appointed the prosecutor of Hamedan – a city over 180 miles away from Karaj – while keeping his job as prosecutor of Karaj. He served as the prosecutor of both cities simultaneously for several months until he was promoted to prosecutor of Hamedan province. In 1985, Raisi moved to the capital Tehran, where he served as deputy prosecutor. Other senior positions Raisi served in include deputy chief justice from 2004 until 2014, and attorney-general from 2014 until 2016.
1988 mass executions
Raisi’s name is tied to Iran’s mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, when he was allegedly a leading member of what came to be known as the “death committee,” a group of Iranian judiciary and intelligence officials put together by then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini to oversee the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners at the time. Most of the victims were leftist activists and members of the dissident group Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). Rights groups estimate that as many as 5,000 people were executed, while MEK puts the number at 30,000 without offering evidence to support their claim. Iran has never fully acknowledged the executions, and Raisi himself has never publicly addressed the allegations against him. In 2019, the United States sanctioned Raisi for human rights abuses, including the 1980s executions. Rights group Amnesty International said on Saturday Raisi must be investigated for crimes against humanity. “That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran,” Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard said in a statement.
Rise since 2016
While he has been a key figure in Iran’s judiciary for decades, Raisi is a fairly new player in the Islamic Republic’s political arena. Raisi owes his prominence today to a campaign – seemingly being driven by the highest centers of power in Iran – that has aimed over the past six or so years to portray him as a humble, anti-corruption, and no-nonsense figure. In 2016, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Raisi as the custodian of Astan-e Qods-e Razavi, a multi-billion dollar religious conglomerate encompassing businesses and endowments that oversees the holy Shia shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, the home city of both Khamenei and Raisi. Raisi then ran for president in 2017, losing to Rouhani. But his rise within Iran’s ruling establishment went on uninterrupted. In 2019, Khamenei appointed him head of the judiciary, one of the most senior positions within the Islamic Republic. During his tenure, the judiciary “has granted blanket impunity to government officials and security forces responsible for unlawfully killing hundreds of men, women and children and subjecting thousands of protesters to mass arrests and at least hundreds to enforced disappearance, and torture and other ill-treatment during and in the aftermath of the nationwide protests of November 2019,” Callamard said. Under his watch, Iran executed wrestler Navid Afkari in September 2020, and three months later, journalist Ruhollah Zam – two cases that drew international condemnation.
What to expect
Iran’s foreign policy is set by the supreme leader, not the president, and is therefore unlikely to undergo major change with Raisi as president. “Abroad, Raisi is poised to implement Khamenei’s vision. Raisi himself is no visionary, nor does the Iranian president have the power to deviate from a pre-ordained path,” Ben Taleblu said. The Islamic Republic’s core policies “will largely remain the same” with Raisi in office, Jason Brodsky, a senior Middle East analyst at Iran International TV, told Al Arabiya English. The United States and Iran have engaged in indirect talks in Vienna for months to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington withdrew from under former President Donald Trump in 2018.
Raisi said during a televised presidential debate earlier this month that he is not opposed to the nuclear deal, and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator said Thursday the presidential election would have no impact on the ongoing negotiations in Vienna.
While Raisi is unlikely to obstruct a revival of the deal, having him as president, given his human rights record, could lessen the benefits from having sanctions lifted for Iran, Brodsky said. “A Raisi presidency may impact the degree to which any sanctions relief under the nuclear deal will be effective in boosting the Iranian economy. This is because despite the sanctions relief, there will remain severe reputational risks for countries and companies who choose to do business with the Islamic Republic,” he said. “Ebrahim Raisi's bloodstained record won’t exactly be a selling point.” Domestically, Brodsky said, Raisi will likely “seek to implement the supreme leader’s vision of a resistance economy, focusing more on enhancing local production rather than on attracting foreign investment.”“An Islamic Republic with Raisi at the helm means the mask has come off. Moreover, it means that Iran has less of a compunction about hiding its spots,” Ben Taleblu said.
Next supreme leader?
Raisi is frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Khamenei and winning the election could boost his chances of becoming Iran’s next supreme leader, analysts say. The Guardian Council’s decision to disqualify all serious rivals to Raisi from running in the election – a decision the council could not have taken without Khamenei’s approval – added to the speculation that Raisi is being groomed to become the next supreme leader. “It is too early to definitively say whether Raisi will become supreme leader,” said Brodsky. “But it is safe to assume he is a leading contender. At the very least, if Khamenei were to pass away during his tenure as president, Raisi would be playing a critical role during the transition, including the possibility of serving on an interim leadership council.”

Iran, world powers adjourn talks on reviving nuclear deal, resumption date unclear
Reuters/20 June ,2021
Negotiators for Iran and six world powers on Sunday adjourned talks on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal and return to respective capitals for consultations as remaining differences still need to be overcome, officials said.
“We are now closer than ever to an agreement but the distance that exists between us and an agreement remains and bridging it is not an easy job,” Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state TV from Vienna. “We will return to Tehran tonight.”
After more than a week of negotiations in their latest round, parties to the pact wrapped up with Russia’s envoy saying no date for a resumption in negotiations had been set for now, although he suggested they could return in about 10 days. Negotiations have been going on in Vienna since April to work out the nature and sequencing of steps Iran and the United States must take on nuclear activities and sanctions to return to full compliance with the nuclear pact.
Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner and fierce critic of the West, won Iran’s presidential election on Friday and will take office in early August, replacing pragmatist Hassan Rouhani, under whose aegis the 2015 deal was struck. But Raisi’s rise is unlikely to disrupt Iran’s effort under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all major policy, to restore the nuclear pact and be rid of tough US oil and financial sanctions.
“We have made progress this week, in this sixth round. We are closer to a deal but we are not still there. We are closer than we were one week ago but we are not still there,” Enrique Mora, the European Union political director who has coordinated the discussions, told reporters in Vienna. The United States under then-President Donald Trump left the deal in 2018, branding its terms too weak to remove the risk of Iran developing nuclear weapons potential, and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Iran has since breached the deal’s strict limits on uranium enrichment, a possible path to a nuclear bomb. It has said its moves would be reversed if the United States rescinded all sanctions. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said disagreements over how to save the deal persisted, repeating that the ultimate decision on the issue lay with Khamenei. “There is still a fair distance to travel on some of the key issues, including on sanctions and on the nuclear commitments that Iran has to make,” Sullivan told broadcaster ABC News. He added that the question of which sanctions on Iran should be lifted was still being discussed. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he had edited the text of a possible deal being discussed in Austria, saying it was getting “cleaner and cleaner.” He said there was a good possibility a deal could be reached before mid-August when the current Iranian administration leaves office. With the talks on pause, attention will now turn to extending a separate accord between the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, and Iran. That pact, expiring on June 24, aims to cushion the blow of Tehran’s decision to reduce its cooperation with the IAEA by ending extra monitoring measures introduced by the 2015 deal. Mora said he expected the two sides to reach that deal.
Israel: Don’t negotiate with ‘brutal’ new government
The Islamic republic’s arch-enemy, Israel, on Sunday condemned Raisi’s election. New Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it would be a “regime of brutal hangmen” with which world powers should not negotiate a new nuclear accord. “(His) election is, I would say, the last chance for world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement, and understand who they are doing business with,” Bennett said in a statement. Raisi has never publicly addressed allegations around his role in what the United States and human rights groups have called the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. He is under US sanctions over that past. Bennett, a nationalist atop a cross-partisan coalition, has hewed to the opposition of conservative predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu to the nuclear deal, whose caps on projects with atomic bomb-making potential Israel deemed too lax.
Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons. Raisi, like Khamenei, has supported the nuclear talks as a route to cancelling US sanctions that have laid waste to the Islamic republic’s oil-based economy and dramatically worsened economic hardships, stirring widespread discontent. The new government will hope to claim credit for any economic benefits arising from the revival of the accord, something the outgoing administration might clinch before Raisi takes office. “If the deal is finalized when Rouhani is (still) president, Raisi cannot be criticized by hardline supporters for giving concessions to the West,” a government official who is close to the talks told Reuters. “Also Rouhani, not Raisi, will be blamed for any future problems regarding the deal.” Several Iranian officials told Reuters that the country’s current negotiating team would remain intact at least for a few months under Raisi’s presidency. “Who Raisi picks as his foreign minister will reveal the new government’s foreign policy approach,” said another official. “But the establishment’s nuclear policy is not decided by the government” but by Khamenei.

Talks 'Closer' to Saving Iran Nuclear Deal
Agence France Presse/June 20/202
Negotiators are "closer" to saving the Iran nuclear deal but sticking points remain, an EU top diplomat said Sunday at the end of the latest round of talks. Enrique Mora spoke a day after ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi won the Islamic republic's presidential election. Sunday's meeting was part of regular discussions since early April, aimed at bringing the US back to the 2015 landmark agreement and Iran back into compliance with curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. But it came a day after Raisi was declared the winner of Iran's presidential election, replacing moderate Hassan Rouhani. "We are closer to a deal, but we are not still there," EU negotiator Mora, who is chairing the talks, told reporters. Mora added that he expected in the next round "the delegations will come back from the capitals with clearer instructions, clearer ideas on how to finally close the deal."
He did not say when talks would resume, noting that the main problem continued to be to find a solution "in this delicate balance" between lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran and reversing Tehran's stepped-up nuclear activities. Mora said the next round would also give "a clearer idea" of Iran's "new political environment" though he pointed out that talks had carried on despite the election. Iran's envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said ahead of Sunday's meeting that negotiators were "closer to an agreement than ever.
"But it is not an easy task to close the distance currently between us and an agreement," he told Iran's national television. "At this point, it is clear which fields, which actions are possible and which are not. Therefore, it is time for all sides, especially our counterparts, to be able to make their final decision." Araghchi could not say how many days the latest break would last. Parties to the agreement -- Britain, China, Germany, France, Russia and Iran -- have been meeting in Vienna with indirect US participation to restore the deal, which promised Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curtailing its nuclear program. They had hoped to finish the talks before the Iranian presidential election, but it had become clear recently that they would miss that target. The deal was thrown into disarray in 2018 when then U.S. president Donald Trump withdrew and reimposed sanctions, leading Iran in turn to step up its nuclear activities from 2019 onwards.In February, Tehran also suspended some inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, forcing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to negotiate continued though reduced access. The latest understanding runs out on June 24. "We continue to follow the issue. Iran is talking to the agency and to director general Rafael Grossi so we expect that they will reach an agreement and we can continue our negotiations in a good framework," Mora said.

Iran’s sole nuclear power plant in Bushehr undergoes emergency shutdown
The Associated Press/20 June ,2021
Iran’s sole nuclear power plant has undergone a temporary emergency shutdown, state TV reported on Sunday. An official from the state electric energy company, Gholamali Rakhshanimehr, said on a talk show that the Bushehr plant shutdown began on Saturday and would last “for three to four days.”He said that power outages could result. He did not elaborate but this is the first time Iran has reported an emergency shutdown of the plant, located in the southern port city of Bushehr. It went online in 2011 with help from Russia.In March, nuclear official Mahmoud Jafari said the plant could stop working since Iran cannot procure parts and equipment for it from Russia due to banking sanctions imposed by the US in 2018.

US Defense Department approves replenishment of Israel's Iron Dome system
Zachary Keyser/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
The Secretary of Defense announced during a Thursday congressional session that the request for military assistance has been approved and the US will transfer the requested amount over to Israel. The United States has pledged to replenish and reinforce Israel's Iron Dome system following the most recent escalation between Israel and allied terror groups in the Gaza Strip, which culminated with over 4,300 rockets being shot into Israeli territory. Israel requested $1 billion from the United States to replenish the IDF’s inventory in early June, following the IDF's Operation Guardian of the Walls, when Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to address reinforcing the Iron Dome system and Israel’s security and stability in the Middle East in a strategic dialogue. Austin confirmed during a Thursday congressional session, addressing the Senate Appropriations Committee, that the request for military assistance has been approved by the Department of Defense for its 2022 budget and the US will look to transfer the total requested amount over to Israel following approval from Congress.
Austin said that the administration is working on clarifying the details and that politicians should expect a special budget request within the coming days. US Army General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley also confirmed at the same Senate hearing that the Biden administration will call on Congress to approve the budget to replenish the Iron Dome system. President Joe Biden promised to replenish Israel's supply of Iron Dome interceptors and to help rebuild the Gaza Strip in a brief address he delivered at the White House shortly after the announcement that a ceasefire had been reached to end the 11 days of Israel-Gaza conflict. During the address, the president explained that during the conflict, he held six conversations with former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about steps to be performed after the ceasefire. The two spoke of the Iron Dome system, which had saved the lives of countless Israelis, both Arabs and Jews, Biden explained. Israel has said that the system had a 90% success rate amid the rocket barrages. "I assured him of my full support to replenish Israel's Iron Dome system to ensure its defenses and security in the future," the president said. Biden emphasized that "the US fully supports Israel's right to protect itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks from Hamas and other Gaza terror groups that have taken the lives of innocent civilians in Israel."
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.

Butcher of Tehran’ Raisi wins Iran election amid low turnout
Lahav Harkov/Reuters/June 20/2021
Lapid: His election should prompt renewed determination to immediately halt Iran’s nuclear program.
Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline judge under US sanctions for human rights abuses, secured victory as expected on Saturday in Iran’s presidential election after a contest marked by voter apathy over economic hardships and political restrictions.
With all 28.9 million ballots counted, Raisi was elected with a tally of 17.9 million, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said on state TV. Turnout in Friday’s four-man race was a record low of around 48.8% and there were 3.7 million invalid ballots that were likely to have been mostly blank or protest votes.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called Raisi the “Butcher of Tehran” and “an extremist responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians.”“His election should prompt renewed determination to immediately halt Iran’s nuclear program and put an end to its destructive regional ambitions,” Lapid tweeted.
The Foreign Ministry said Raisi has “been rightly denounced by the international community for his direct role in the extrajudicial executions of over 30,000 people. “An extremist figure, committed to Iran’s rapidly advancing military nuclear program, his election makes clear Iran’s true malign intentions, and should prompt grave concern among the international community,” the ministry stated. Raisi’s election comes as Iran and six major powers are in talks to revive their 2015 nuclear deal. Donald Trump, US president at the time, abandoned the deal in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions that have squeezed Iran’s oil income.However, with Iran’s ruling clerics aware their political fortunes rely on tackling worsening economic hardships, Raisi’s win is considered unlikely to disrupt Iran’s effort to revive the pact and break free of tough US oil and financial sanctions.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not the president, has the last say on all issue of state such as Iran’s foreign and nuclear policies. Discussing the negotiations to return to the JCPOA nuclear deal following Saturday’s election result, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that an agreement could be reached before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani leaves office between August 3 and mid-August.In an interview published in Iranian media on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Zarif said that “There is a good chance that an agreement will be reached before the end of our tenure. We will hand over the power to the new administration in mid-August and I think we will probably be able to reach an agreement long before that date.
“I have seen the latest edited draft of the agreement. The draft has become purer. The parentheses [the issues of the dispute] are being removed,” he added.APPOINTED BY Khamenei to the high-profile job of judiciary chief in 2019, Raisi was placed under US sanctions a few months later over human rights violations. Those included the role that human rights group say Raisi played in the executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 and in the violent suppression of unrest in 2009. Iran has never acknowledged the mass executions, and Raisi himself has never publicly addressed allegations about his role. Seen by analysts and insiders as representing the security establishment at its most fearsome, Raisi, 60, had been widely tipped to win the contest, thanks to Khamenei’s endorsement. Iran’s regional allies, Syrian President Bashar Assad and the terrorist Islamist group Hamas, welcomed Raisi’s election. Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard said his victory was “a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran.”“We continue to call for Ebrahim Raisi to be investigated for his involvement in past and ongoing crimes under international law, including by states that exercise universal jurisdiction,” she said in a statement. Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani, barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, visited Raisi at his office to congratulate him, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would lead Iran well.
“Backed by your high vote and exceptional confidence, I will form a hard-working, revolutionary and anti-corruption government,” state media quoted Raisi as saying in a statement. Raisi, who takes office in early August, said he will be a president for all Iranians – whether they voted for him or for the other candidates, or did not vote at all. Hoping to boost their legitimacy, the country’s clerical rulers had urged people to turn out and vote on Friday, but simmering anger over economic hardships and curbs on freedoms kept many Iranians at home.Khamenei said the turnout displayed the clerical establishment’s popularity. But more than half of eligible voters were too dissatisfied to vote or appeared to have heeded calls by hundreds of dissidents, at home and abroad, to boycott the vote. Another deterrent for many pro-reform voters was a lack of choice, after a hardline election body barred heavyweight moderates and conservatives from standing. The only real reformist-pragmatist camp candidate, Abdolnaser Hemamti, gained 3,412,712 compared to Rouhani’s 23 million in 2017, with most voters in that camp staying home. A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday: “Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process” – a likely reference to the disqualification of candidates. Analysts say the election win could increase Raisi’s chances of succeeding Khamenei, who himself served two terms as president before becoming supreme leader in 1989.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.

IDF seeking increased military cooperation with Gulf states under CENTCOM
Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
Kohavi, who is in the US, believes that moderate Sunni states such as the UAE and Bahrain can deepen ties with Israel on security arrangements.
Strengthening military coordination against Iran will be a main topic of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi’s visit to Washington, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
According to a report in Walla News and confirmed to the Post, Kohavi will discuss expanding and increasing military coordination with the forces of CENTCOM – Central Command, responsible for countries in the Middle East – in terms of intelligence sharing and defensive operational activities.
The United States moved Israel out of EUCOM – European Command, which currently focuses on Russia and its threats against Europe and NATO – to CENTCOM’s area of responsibility in January. The move to CENTCOM is believed to not only simplify the cooperation with American troops in the region but can also create the potential for a regional coalition with Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel against shared threats posed by Iran. Both Kohavi and Defense Minister Benny Gantz believe that moderate Sunni states such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – and others who have not yet signed agreements with Israel – can deepen their ties, especially in terms of regional security arrangements. CENTCOM Commander Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Defense News that the move would “put an operational perspective” on the Abraham Accords and will set up “further corridors and opportunities to open up between Israel and Arab countries in the region” on a military-to-military level. “I don’t want to overestimate the speed that this will happen – it’s going to take some time to occur – but it does make it a little easier for them to work together, and I think that is all a good thing,” McKenzie was quoted as saying. “In the future, we would like to see –and you know, for many years it has been an aspiration in US Central Command – a collective approach to security here in the region.”
Gov't approves state committee of inquiry into Meron disaster
THE REPORT came as Gantz and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett approved the extension of Kohavi’s term as the IDF's top military officer for another year. “Chief of Staff Kohavi is a valued and professional commander who performs his duties with boldness and responsibility,” Bennett said. “I welcome the government's approval to extend his term for a fourth year. The people of Israel can sleep soundly in light of the fact that Chief of Staff Kohavi will continue to lead the IDF in the face of the operational challenges facing the State of Israel.”The IDF chief, who will land in Washington on Sunday for a week of meetings with senior American defense officials, will continue “to advance strategic issues that I began working on during my meetings in Washington. We will continue to work together for Israel's security,” Gantz said. “This will be the first decision that I will pass as defense minister in the new government,” Gantz wrote on Twitter. “He led the army to unprecedented operational achievements in Operation Guardian of the Walls, and together we will continue to advance the multi-year Momentum plan to upgrade the IDF,” Gantz continued.
When he took over from Gadi Eisenkot in 2019, Kohavi vowed to make the IDF “deadly and efficient.” Shortly thereafter, he began to formulate a new operational victory concept and the Momentum multi-year plan.
The key to improving the military’s combat effectiveness, Kohavi believes, is to increase the IDF’s capabilities of identifying and destroying the enemy with multi-dimensional blows – both offensive, defensive and maneuvering – as well as the ability for IDF troops to be able to maneuver in high numbers.
These three main issues, as well as the changes of the enemy, led to a total revision of operational planning for Israel’s northern borders and the Gaza Strip. KOHAVI ALSO believes it is of the utmost importance to build the military for threats it will face some 30 years in the future and built the new multi-year plan accordingly, with new concepts and methods of warfare which have been adapted to the challenges of the urban battlefield saturated with enemy fire. And with battlefields changing, he is trying to transform the IDF into a “smart army,” holistic and tech-friendly, using simulators for more and more battalions and using artificial intelligence (AI) to significantly increase its target bank.  Having relied heavily on machine learning, the Israeli military called last month's Operation Guardian of the Walls the first "Artificial Intelligence War." "For the first time, artificial intelligence was a key component and power multiplier in fighting the enemy,” a senior officer in the IDF said. “This is a first-of-its-kind campaign for the IDF; we implemented new methods of operation and used technological developments that were a force multiplier for the entire IDF.” While the IDF had gathered thousands of targets in the densely populated coastal enclave over the past two years, hundreds were gathered in real-time, including missile launchers that were aimed at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The military believes that using AI helped shorten the length of the fighting, having been effective and quick in gathering targets using super-cognition.
In 11 days of fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military carried out intensive strikes against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets, stating that they were hitting key infrastructure and personnel belonging to the two groups.The IDF also killed over 150 PIJ and Hamas operatives, many of them considered senior commanders or irreplaceable in their roles, especially those who led the R&D of the missile projects.

Post-War Armenia Holds Snap Parliamentary Election
Agence France Presse/June 20/2021
Armenians went to the polls Sunday in early parliamentary elections which were called in an attempt to heal the country's divisions after a disastrous war with Azerbaijan, but which could spark post-vote protests. Reformist Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has lost much of his appeal after a military defeat last year to arch foe Azerbaijan, is hoping to renew his mandate but is in a tight race with former president Robert Kocharyan. During a campaign marred by polarizing rhetoric, Pashinyan said he expected his Civil Contract party to secure 60 percent of the vote, even though some pollsters say those estimates are far-fetched. The election in the South Caucasus country of three million people is being watched by Armenia's Soviet-era master Russia as well as Turkey, which backed Azerbaijan in last year's six-week war over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. As soon as voting started, Armenians began trickling into polling stations in central Yerevan, according to AFP correspondents. One voter, Anahit Sargsyan, said the prime minister deserved another chance, adding that she feared the return of the old guard whom she accused of plundering the country. "I voted against a return to the old ways," said the 63-year-old former teacher. Another voter, Vardan Hovhannisyan, said he cast his ballot for Kocharyan, who counts Russian leader Vladimir Putin among his friends. "I voted for secure borders, solidarity in society, the return of our war prisoners, the well-being of the wounded and a strong army," said the 41-year-old musician. "Only Kocharyan can deliver that." Critics accuse Pashinyan of ceding swathes of territory in and around Karabakh to Azerbaijan in a truce agreement that ended the fighting and of failing to deliver reforms.
'Hatred and enmity'
Pashinyan says he had to agree to the Moscow-brokered truce with Azerbaijan in order to prevent further human and territorial losses. More than 6,500 people were killed in the war, according to the latest official estimates from Armenia and Azerbaijan. Analysts say the election result is hard to predict, with both Pashinyan and Kocharyan drawing massive crowds in the final days of the race. Besides Kocharyan, who hails from Karabakh and was in power between 1998 and 2008, two other leaders of post-Soviet Armenia are backing parties in the race. All three are in opposition to Pashinyan. A venomous campaign saw candidates exchange insults and threats and both frontrunners are expected to stage demonstrations after the election. Pashinyan, 46, brandished a hammer at rallies, while Kocharyan, 66, said he would be ready to fight the prime minister in a duel and claimed he was planning to rig the vote. Armenian President Armen Sarkisian, largely a ceremonial figure, decried attempts "to incite hatred and enmity" and urged law enforcement to prevent any violations. "These elections are taking place in a difficult situation," he said on Saturday. "They are of crucial importance for our state and people."
- Corruption probe -
Kocharyan, who is seen as a wealthy man, faces a corruption probe and was also investigated over a deadly crackdown on protesters more than a decade ago. Some observers say Pashinyan might be investigated over his handling of the Karabakh war if he is voted out of power. A poll released Friday by MPG, a group affiliated with Gallup International Association, showed Kocharyan's Armenia bloc leading narrowly with 28.7 percent to 25.2 percent for Pashinyan's party. Following in third with 10.8 percent was an alliance linked to Pashinyan's enemy and predecessor Serzh Sargsyan.
A record four electoral blocs and 21 parties are running for election but only a handful are expected to win seats in parliament. Around 2.6 million people are eligible to vote to elect for a five-year term the minimum number of 101 parliament members under a proportional electoral system. A winning party needs to obtain at least 50 percent of seats plus one and can be assigned additional seats in order to form a government. Polls will close at 8:00 p.m. (1600 GMT) in an election being monitored by observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Rocket targets Iraq base hosting US troops: security source
Arab News/June 21, 2021
BAGHDAD: At least one Katyusha rocket fell close to the perimeter of a military base that hosts US troops in northern Iraq on Sunday, Iraq’s military said. The rocket fell near the sprawling Ain al-Asad air base in western Anbar province but did not explode, the military said in a statement. There was no significant damage, the statement said. An Iraqi security official said a fence at the perimeter of the base was minimally damaged. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. An investigation by security forces found the projectile had been launched from the nearby al-Baghdadi area.
The attack is the latest targeting the American presence in Iraq. Rockets and, more recently, drones have targeted military bases hosting US troops and the US Embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. The regular assaults have been described as disruptive by US contractors working on military bases. Recently, Lockheed Martin relocated its F-16 maintenance teams, citing security concerns. The US and Iraq are negotiating a timeline for foreign troops to withdraw from the country. Talks began under the former administration of Donald Trump and resumed after President Joe Biden assumed office.

Egypt calls for exit of foreign forces from Libya
Arab News/June 21, 2021
The two ministers discussed preparations for a new set of Libyan peace talks in Berlin
CAIRO: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has called for the exit of foreign mercenaries from Libya without delay, during a joint press conference with his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush. Shoukry affirmed Cairo’s support for the Libyan Presidential Council during its transitional period to restore security and stability in Libya until the elections on Dec. 24. He reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the Libyan interim executive authority, noting that he discussed with Mangoush the efforts to restore security and stability in Libya, and advancing relations between the two countries.
Shoukry said that the talks with his Libyan counterpart included discussions about preparations for the Berlin ministerial conference, which will be hosted by Germany on June 23. Egypt’s foreign minister reaffirmed Cairo’s support for the Libyan interim executive authority, noting that he discussed with his counterpart the efforts to restore security and stability in Libya, and advancing relations between the two countries. The meeting will discuss the Libyan crisis. The two ministers also discussed preparations for a new set of Libyan peace talks in Berlin. The Egyptian foreign minister said that through this conference, both sides would seek the renewal of the commitment of the international community inside and outside of Libya. He said that his and Magnoush’s renewed emphasis was on advancing joint cooperation frameworks aimed at ending foreign interference and preserving the capabilities of the Libyan people.
Meanwhile, his Libyan counterpart said: “We need Egypt’s support in the political process, to achieve stability and a cease-fire in Libya.” Magnoush added that there were signs of hope for the unification of Libyans after the conference in Berlin.

Dozens Killed as Battle for Yemen's Marib Flares
Agence France Presse/June 20/2021
Renewed battles between government forces and Huthi rebels over the strategic city of Marib in northern Yemen have left 47 dead, including 16 pro-government forces, military sources said. The Iran-backed rebels are seeking to seize control of Marib and its surrounding oil fields, the Yemeni government's last stronghold in the north after six years of fighting that has plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis. Diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Yemen had intensified, in parallel with the fierce campaign for control of Marib, which has left thousands dead on both sides. But with no agreement in sight, the fighting has flared again after a lull over the past month. Sources with the internationally recognized government told AFP that 16 soldiers from their ranks were killed, including six officers, on Saturday. The insurgents rarely report their casualties. The Huthis "launched attacks on various fronts, in an attempt to advance, but they were mostly repelled," one of the officials told AFP. The sources said that warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition, which supports the beleaguered government, launched air strikes on rebel sites. The Huthis said on their Al Masirah television channel that the coalition had also carried out 17 air strikes in different parts of Marib province. The renewed fighting over Marib comes after the failure of a diplomatic push by the United Nations, the United States and regional nations to secure a ceasefire in Yemen. The outgoing U.N. envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Tuesday told the Security Council his own efforts over the past three years to end the war have been "in vain." "It is with deep regret that I report today that the parties have not overcome their differences," he said. Yemen has been devastated by the civil war which broke out in 2014, and millions of civilians are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N.
The Huthis have repeatedly demanded the re-opening of the airport in the rebel-held northern capital of Sanaa before agreeing to any ceasefire. As well as the bloody offensive in Marib, the Huthis have also stepped up drone and missile strikes on Saudi targets, including its oil facilities. Saudi air defenses on Saturday intercepted and destroyed 11 drones fired at the kingdom by Huthi rebels in Yemen, Saudi state media reported, quoting the coalition battling the insurgents. "The interception operations were successful," the coalition said in a statement, adding that the drones were packed with explosives and seven were neutralized in Yemeni air space.

Houthi attacks on Marib and Saudi Arabia imperil peace efforts
Arab News/June 21, 2021
ALEXANDRIA: Yemen’s government warned on Sunday that Houthi military escalation in the central province of Marib and drone attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia threaten peace efforts to end the war in Yemen. In a statement carried by the official news agency SABA, Yemen’s foreign ministry slammed the Houthis for stepping up shelling of residential areas in the central city of Marib, as well as intensifying ground offensives in the province and firing explosive-rigged drones and ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia. The ministry accused the Houthis of executing Iran’s “subversive” policies in Yemen and seeking to derail efforts to end the war. “Those terrorist attacks and the ongoing military escalations are clear messages and responses to all regional and international efforts to bring peace and end the war in Yemen,” the ministry said, renewing the government’s support to the Kingdom in defending its soil against Houthi strikes. The warning comes as fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni government flared up over the last two days in Marib after the rebels resumed their push to seize control of the strategic city. Yemen’s defense minister said that dozens of rebel fighters were killed in key battlefields outside the city of Marib after army troops and allied tribesmen repelled a large Houthi offensive. Speaking to Arab News on Sunday from Marib, a local military official said that on Saturday, the Houthis mounted a “massive” assault on government forces in Al-Kasara, west of Marib city, and retreated after suffering heavy casualties and losses in military equipment. “We crushed their waves of fighters, burnt two armed vehicles and captured a key Houthi military leader along with his group,” the official said. Thousands of combatants and civilians have been killed in Marib since February when the rebels resumed a major offensive to seize control of the oil- and gas-rich region, the Yemeni government’s last bastion in northern parts of the country. At the same time, dozens of civilians in the densely populated city have been killed after Houthis targeted residential areas with missiles, mortal shells and drones. A week ago, Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad told Arab News that the government “would not allow the Houthis to capture Marib” as it had thrown all of its weight behind the “make-or-break” battle. The latest round of fighting in the province comes as regional and international mediators shuttle between Riyadh, Muscat and Sanaa to make a breakthrough toward reaching an agreement to end the war. At the same time, Awad said that the Omani delegation that visited Houthi-held Sanaa earlier this month could not convince the rebels to accept the UN-brokered peace initiative, adding that the Yemeni government is in favor of stopping fighting immediately to ease the humanitarian crisis in the country. “We see that the first humanitarian step is a comprehensive cease-fire on all fronts — on the ground and in the air. This is the most important step, because it will stop the bloodshed and will open crossings and passages,” the minister said, adding that along with halting hostilities, the peace plan calls for reopening Sanaa airport, lifting restrictions on Hodeidah port and resuming peace talks.

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 20-21/2021
The Killing Mullah, Iran and the future of a murderous dystopia
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شارل الياس شرتوني: الملا القاتل، ايران ومستقبل الديستوپيا القاتلة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/99922/charles-elias-chartouni-the-killing-mullah-iran-and-the-future-of-a-murderous-dystopia-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85/
The highly orchestrated presidential elections in Iran displays openly the radicalization of the Islamic regime, and the takeover of the extremists of the erstwhile brand of fascist clerics.The newly elect president, Ibrahim Raisi, has a heavy record of Human Rights violations, political executions by the thousands, arbitrary detention targeting political opponents, matched with poor educational records, servility towards Ali Khamenei, and total ineptitude in government and diplomacy. The election of a fascist apparatchik who takes pride in his career of professional killer is of bad omen, since it reveals the disinclination of the Islamic regime to reform itself, deal with the insidious liberalization, reckon with inter-generational transformations, and normalize its status within the international community. The rigged electoral process has eroded the tenuous links that the Islamic republic maintained with democracy, ushered the new wave of repression against recalcitrant oppositions, and brought back the revolutionary guard to the foreground of domestic policy and international diplomacy.
The hypothetical scenarios point towards systemic deadlocks and unwillingness to reconsider the ongoing political course, let alone the violent crackdown on any sort of political and social liberalization. The chasm between the Islamic regime and civil society is growing by the day, the prospective reforms are deliberately overlooked, and the current diplomatic forays are most likely self defeating since the Iranian power brokers are not in the business of negotiation and conflict resolution. The segmented blueprint which sets apart the mandates of internal reforms and liberalization, and the dire need to normalize ones status internationally, is aporetic and doesn’t help by any means the structuring of an operational diplomatic agenda. The Iranian mullahs are experts in double speak, prevarication and time biding, and whatever diplomatic processes they may engage is marred by equivocations and malevolence. The very choice of, Ibrahim Raisi, highlights their reluctance to normalize, abide by the international community rules, while their sabotaging strategies throughout the Middle East pursue their unhindered course.
Ali Khamenei maneuvering betrays the incertitudes of a massively spurned regime, and its aversion towards normalization perceived on a continuum with internal liberalization. The latest reports on the ongoing negotiations are quite illustrative of the diplomatic unilateralism of the Iranian regime, and its determination to spike a comprehensive deal based on the correlation between strategic denuclearization, termination of conventional and ballistic arm race, and a consensual diplomacy which aims at addressing the widening strategic voids and cascading State failures in the Middle East. The mere observation of the diplomatic landscape and its relationships with the Iranian rowdy military and political interventionism, should serve as a cautionary tale insofar as the chances of a constructive engagement. The sanctioning of the Iranian regime should pursue its course and double down, while the multilayered containment strategy should be revised, extend its partnerships, strengthen the national opposition, and not skimp on eventual military scenarios. The clear steering towards a totalitarian Islamic State is no more a matter of second guessing, it’s a fact that should be reckoned with and acted upon.

Bennett: Iran ‘regime of executioners’ can’t get the bomb
Lahav Harkov/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
“A regime of executioners cannot have weapons of mass destruction,” the prime minister stated.
The results of Iran’s presidential election show the world must act to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the opening of his government’s first Sunday cabinet meeting.
Ebrahim Raisi, a judge responsible for tens of thousands of executions and who is under US sanctions for human-rights abuses, was elected president of Iran on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the final meeting of the sixth round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran over a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal took place in Vienna on Sunday.
“Raisi’s election as president of Iran is a signal to world powers that they need to wake up,” Bennett said. “This may be the last signal a moment before returning to the Iran deal. They must understand who they’re doing business with and what kind of regime they are choosing to strengthen.”
“A regime of executioners cannot have weapons of mass destruction,” he said.
When asked about Bennett’s comments on ABC’s This Week, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: “What we need to do in the US is keep our eye on the ball, [and] our paramount priority right now is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”"We believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve that, rather than military conflict,” he added. “So we are going to negotiate in a clear-eyed, firm way with Iran to see if we can arrive at an outcome that can put their nuclear program in a box. And in that regard, whether the president is ‘Person A’ or ‘Person B’ is less relevant than whether their entire system is prepared to make verifiable commitments to constrain the nuclear program.”
Regarding the Israeli political situation, Bennett said the key to success in a unity government is mutual trust through open lines of communication to solve problems “quietly, without drama.”
“We are here to serve the people... We are not the bosses of the citizens of Israel; we work for them,” he said. “That is the spirit among all members of the government.”
The cabinet authorized regulations for the government’s work, which include the order for cabinet meetings, discussions and decision-making promises.
This is a standard decision for any new government as mandated by Basic Law: Government. But the previous one, led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Defense Minister Benny Gantz serving as alternate prime minister, never did so.
Bennett said the new government’s ministers are “full of willingness to act and make progress.”
Marking the ninth anniversary of the death of former prime minister Yitzhak Shamir, Bennett said Shamir presided over a government composed of right- and left-wing parties.
“By all accounts, Yitzhak Shamir was distinctly right-wing,” he said. “There is a time for everything. This is a time for unity, and unity is itself a critical goal… The public knows our ability to work together will allow us to do good things. We will be inspired by Yitzhak Shamir.”
Bennett said he planned to assess the impact of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in light of the two coronavirus breakouts in schools in Modi’in and Binyamina.
“This came from people returning from abroad not strictly keeping to quarantines, and professionals have assessed, though it is still not certain, that this is the Indian variant,” Bennett said. “Last night, we held a brief meeting, and today we will hold a meeting with relevant ministers, professionals and the National Security Council to assess the situation in relation to the Indian variant and the way people enter and leave the country, and we will update the public.”
Bennett said Israel’s strategy could not only depend on vaccines.
“If there’s a variant that circumvents vaccines tomorrow, everything will collapse,” he said. “We have vaccines but are also working on the assumption that there will not be a vaccine for every pandemic or variant. We need, with correct management, to avoid losing control.”
The cabinet voted in favor of 36 professional appointments of ambassadors and consuls-general to be posted around the world.
Earlier Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Foreign Service Appointments approved the diplomats for the top positions in Thailand, Sweden, the Vatican, Senegal, Panama, EU institutions in Brussels, Japan and more.
The diplomatic appointments had been delayed by six months in the previous government and were the subject of a lawsuit earlier this month.
“This is something that was stuck for a long time,” Bennett said, adding that Foreign Minister Yair Lapid “opened up the traffic jam, and we are on our way.”
“The appointments we authorized today waited too long,” Lapid said. “The State of Israel needs the best people to fight for its good name in the world. These are some of the best professionals in Israel who are a significant and critical part of strengthening Israel’s diplomatic and security status.”

‘Is the 'hardliner' talking point about Iran’s Raisi a whitewash?
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
Is the term accurately a descriptive for Iran’s far-right extremist theocratic leaders, or is it used to whitewash and excuse Iran’s politics?
A global narrative present in major media outlets uses the term “hardliner” to describe Ebrahim Raisi, the winner of Iran’s presidential election on Saturday.
The term “hardliner” was invented to describe the far-right in Iran – it is generally not used to describe any other form of politics in the world. For instance, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Japan, Spain or the Congo don’t have “hardliners” – only Iran does.
Does the term accurately describe Iran’s far-right extremist theocratic leaders, or is it used to whitewash and excuse Iran’s politics, the way “militants” is used to describe extremist groups that mass murder civilians?
Major media outlets and figures that have used the term “hardliner” also explain to the readers what it means, but only sometimes.
The BBC noted that “Iran’s hardliners will seek to reinforce a puritanical system of Islamic government, possibly meaning more controls on social activities, fewer freedoms and jobs for women, and tighter control of social media and the press. The hardliners are suspicious of the West, but both Raisi and Supreme Leader Khamenei favor a return to an international deal on Iran’s nuclear activity.”
BBC’s headline on June 19 was that “hardliner Raisi will become president.”
CNN also called Raisi is the “hardliner” who will be the next president. However, CNN’s headline also calls him “ultraconservative.”
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Bennett: Iran ‘regime of executioners’ can’t get the bomb
The article noted that “From 2018 onwards, [former President Donald] Trump unleashed a torrent of sanctions that crippled Iran’s economy and emboldened hardliners. The tiny window of opportunity granted by the clerical class to the moderate government of President Rouhani to engage with the US and Europe began to quickly close. Trump had proven the hardliners’ skepticism about the West correct, Iran’s conservatives repeatedly said.”According to France24, Raisi is an “ultra-conservative” who is replacing a “reformist” in the current President Hassan Rouhani. Under Rouhani, women were persecuted for not covering their hair, for protesting, and for other minor offenses. A well-known wrestler was murdered under Rouhani’s supposed “reform” leadership. Foreign tourists were kidnapped and kept in prison. Journalists and dissidents were hunted down abroad. CBS also calls Raisi a hardliner, as does Turkey’s TRT.
With the term “hardliner” cemented as the only normative term that can be used to des
IRAN ALLOWS some diversity of thought. Its media has more interesting stories than the totally totalitarian media in Turkey, where only pro-AKP views are aired on state media and where criticism of the president can land people in prison.
Iran’s regime is more open than the regimes Iran supports in Damascus and the thugs it supports among Hezbollah and the Houthis, as well as militias in Iraq.
However, Raisi may be even worse than what Iran has seen in the past. On June 19, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said that “Ebrahim Raisi’s election as Iran’s new president was a blow for human rights and called for him to be investigated over his role in what Washington and rights groups have called the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988,” according to Reuters.
It looks like Raisi is not just a “hardliner” or “conservative” but was responsible for mass murder. That would put him on par with other murderous regime leaders. Accusations of crimes against humanity are not usual for a ruler of a country.
Amnesty noted that, “in 2018, our organization documented how Ebrahim Raisi had been a member of the ‘death commission’ which forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed in secret thousands of political dissidents in Evin and Gohardasht prisons near Tehran in 1988.” This sounds like a lot more than just “hardliner.”
THE REASON the term “hardliner” was invented was largely as a foil for narratives in the West. The Western countries needed the far-right extremist Iranian regime that hangs innocent people to have a good side, so “reformers” were conjured up.
Then “hardliners” were said to oppose them. But the reality was that Iran’s regime, run by Ayatollah Khamenei and the IRGC, was already one of the most extremist regimes in the world.
But Western governments wanted to make a deal with it in the run-up to the 2015 JCPOA. To do this, a narrative was created – through focus groups and various lobbying groups that were close to governments and media – to push narratives about the so-called “Iran Deal” and the need to “empower moderates.”
This created a narrative where anyone opposing the Iran deal was “empowering hardliners” by not giving Iran’s regime everything it wanted.
It didn’t matter if Iranwas imprisoning people and giving them “lashes” for music videos or kidnapping Western tourists and falsely accuse them of spying to use them as hostages – the regime had “moderates” and “hardliners.”
During the Trump era, the narrative worked to portray him as “empowering hardliners.” When the Biden administration came into office, there were attempts to argue that the administration should rush back to the Iran deal or the “hardliners” might win the June elections. Now we have seen the “elections” in which basically only “hardliners” were allowed to run.
It stands to reason that Iran has “hardliners” the way other countries do. Iran doesn’t exist on the moon; its politics are linked to those in Iraq, Lebanon and the rest of the region. It may be the only Shi’ite theocracy, but its version of political Islam is not so different from that of the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood who run Turkey’s AKP.
It is a “revolutionary” power, but largely in a reactionary way. This leaves many questions as to why it has “hardliners” while other countries often do not, at least consistently the way Iran’s politics is said to be divided.
This brings to mind how Western countries are often said to have a “far right,” much as Israel has a “far right” – while in Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan or Malaysia there are fewer references to the “far right.”
This is because Western media often lacks a lexicon to discuss non-Western political systems. In such cases, arbitrary terms like “hardliner” are used. This is in place of local terms.
When it comes to Raisi it’s not clear if the term “hardliner” is enough to describe a man now potentially wanted for crimes against humanity.

Turkey is radicalizing extremists to attack Kurdish women
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/June 20/2021
Women have become key targets of Turkey’s extremist government in recent years, videos increasingly showing violence against women in the streets of cities, including women being beaten by men.
Photos show Deniz Poyraz smiling and happy. But for Turkey’s far-right, she was a threat, a young woman activist who was not a supporter of the increasingly thuggish, Islamist and nationalist government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
She was murdered last week by a man who appears to be close to the Turkish state. The gunman had served in Syria and enjoyed posing with weapons and nationalist Turkish symbols. He walked into an opposition political party office in Izmir and murdered Poyraz. Women have become key targets of Turkey’s extremist government in recent years. Videos increasingly show violence against women in the streets of cities, including women being beaten by men. Turkey, once a candidate for European Union membership, now stands accused of sending assassins to target women activists from Syria to France.
Turkey’s pro-government media often portrays women as “terrorists” despite no evidence of them ever being armed or doing any “terrorist” activist. For the state and the ruling AKP party, women who struggle for LGBT rights, or student or environmental activists are “terrorists”; men who pose with weapons and support actual terrorists in Syria, are celebrated as heroes in Ankara.
This confusing Orwellian situation has turned unarmed women activists, often on the Left, into a threat, whereas men linked to ISIS are seen as relatable in far-right media.
The murder of Poyraz is similar to the murder of Hevrin Khalaf, another young, unarmed woman hunted down and murdered in Syria in 2019. Khalaf was the head of the Future Party in Syria.
In many countries, a woman like Khalaf or Poyraz would be celebrated: young women fighting for the future of their community and country. But not in Turkey, and not in the pages of the pro-government and tabloid media. For the media in Turkey, which is almost all controlled by the ruling AKP Party – and where media critics are imprisoned for tweets and critique – Khalaf was a “terrorist” to be “neutralized.”
When the US withdrew from a part of northeast Syria in October 2019, Turkey backed Syrian extremists it had recruited as mercenaries to locate her SUV and kill her. She was brutally killed by men shouting jihadist slogans.
In 2013 assassins also targeted three Kurdish women in Paris. France24 said one of the women was linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey labels a terrorist group. However, assassinating members of “terrorist groups” in European countries in extrajudicial murders is generally considered illegal, even if Turkey considers the women “terrorists.” There was no evidence they had engaged in any terror; reports called the killings an “execution-style” attack.
In June 2020, a Turkish drone also targeted women in Syria, killing three. The women were described as civilians by Kurdistan24. “’Zehra Berkel is one of the women who died during the Turkish attacks. She is a coordinating member of the Kongra Star women’s movement,’ read the official Twitter account of the women's rights organization, based in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava),” the report noted. Once again, the extrajudicial assassination of women was carried out by order of Turkey.
It is not a coincidence that these attacks target women, from Paris to Syria to Turkey. They are all part of a wider campaign against women in Turkey and in areas under Turkish occupation in Syria.
Wherever Ankara has expanded its influence, women’s rights have decreased, from Idlib to Afrin to Serekaniye and Jarabulus, from Libya to Qatar. This is in part because of the ruling AKP Party’s opposition to women’s rights and its links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a far-right religious extremist group that has eroded women’s rights across the Middle East.
Turkey generally targeted Kurdish women especially. This is because in Syria, Kurdish women played a key role in politics – and local councils linked to the People’s Protection Units and PYD political party generally have co-chairs that are women. Similarly in Turkey, the left-leaning HDP has women mayors and co-chairs. Turkey has rounded them up and imprisoned them on “terror” charges, despite there being no evidence of any “terrorism.”
In Afrin, an area Turkey invaded in January 2018, Turkish-backed extremist groups have kidnapped dozens of women and kept them in secret prisons, often subjecting them to abuses. This is similar to how ISIS targeted women for kidnapping; it is believed that many of the extremist groups Turkey backs in Syria share ideology with ISIS.
When the US tracked down ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, he was hiding in Idlib near the Turkish border. ISIS members have transited Turkey. Syrian Kurdish groups and human rights groups have called for an investigation into the targeted kidnapping and illegal disappearance of women in Turkish-occupied Afrin.
Ankara’s war on women has extended to withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention on gender-based violence. Turkey is signaling to men, especially religious extremists, that they have the backing of the government to attack women.
These attacks on women are increasing and pose a concern for those working with Turkey. For instance, if Turkey takes over the Kabul International Airport when the US leaves Afghanistan, will this lead to more abuses of women, or quiet support for the Taliban?
While there are still vibrant women’s movements in Turkey that are challenging the new trend, the level of violence and targeted killings spanning borders is a phenomenon that has grown in recent years. The war on women in Turkey is also part of an increasing crackdown on civil and human rights. For instance, LGBT activists have been targeted, as well as Kurds, minorities and opposition parties.
Turkey is also the world’s largest jailer of journalists. A recent report by Reports Without Borders noted Turkey’s crackdown in Northern Cyprus, which it occupies.
“Deniz Abidin, Kazim Denizci and Esengul Aykac, who work for the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeni Bakış, are facing possible six-year prison sentences for publishing a recording of a phone call in which an interior ministry official asked a man to find people willing to pay the equivalent of 1,250 euros for Turkish Cypriot passports. The prosecutor-general’s office has since charged her with corruption.”
Activists concerned about Turkey’s attacks on women and journalists have also expressed wonder at why the attacks don’t get international attention.
The murder of Deniz Poyraz was not condemned by officials in Ankara. A targeted terror attack on a political party in a NATO member country and a democracy would usually be unprecedented, conjuring up the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France. Other democracies would usually express concern, as they do when journalists are targeted in other countries such as Egypt.
But when it comes to Turkey, there tends to be silence. This is also true among some major Western media outlets that publish stories supporting Ankara’s occupation of Afrin, without any critique. On the one hand, major Western media tend to celebrate causes such as “Me Too” and “Believe Women” and even host special editions such as the “51 percent” which has been celebrated at France24 and elsewhere.
However, when it comes to caring about Kurdish women and women in Turkey being targeted, some of these slogans don’t appear to live up to their claims. It remains to be seen if the murder of Poyraz will lead to more recognition of attacks on journalists, opposition members, women and minorities in Turkey.

The Iranian election does not change the fact the West is in a catch-22 situation
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/June 21/2021
Regardless of the outcome of Friday’s presidential election in Iran, most Iranians were already resigned to a familiar fate. Disillusionment and voter apathy have chastened the fervor and passion for reforms seen throughout the conservative Ahmadinejad era, which facilitated the rise of the moderates headed by the departing President Hassan Rouhani.
However, despite a changing of the guard eight years ago that was accompanied by promises to implement a platform curated by a disaffected Iranian public, the Rouhani years failed to result in any substantial improvements in the daily lives of most Iranians.
While some modest changes encouraged personal liberties, and a conciliatory Tehran experienced an improvement in diplomatic relations, Iran’s flirtation with tamped-down conservatism proved to be short lived.
Yet in that same period the Iranian “shadow government” has only grown in size, influence and complexity. This “deep state,” composed of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and elements loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has become the tool of last resort to quell a seemingly growing protest movement and tighten the regime’s grip on the Islamic Republic, where general strikes and civil disobedience have become annual occurrences.
Neither hardliner conservatism nor piecemeal moderate policies have managed to absorb the shocks from a free-falling, sanctions-riddled economy, or prevent the Iranian rial losing as much as 80 percent of its value, let alone reduce unemployment that is at record highs. It is unsurprising that for most Iranians the foremost priority is the restoration of the economy, which has not recorded any growth in the past four years.
Such a transformation will only be possible if US sanctions on the oil and banking sectors are lifted. This would be conditional on Tehran returning to full compliance with the terms of 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. Khamenei’s deep state is eager to secure a deal by August, before the new president takes office, possibly to link the achievement of sanctions relief and expected improvements in economic conditions to what will likely be a conservative presidency under the Guardian Council’s favored candidate, Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s chief justice and a close associate of Khamenei.
Of the more than 500 people seeking candidacy in the presidential election, only two notable figures were clear stand-outs in an election that most observers derisively labeled a mere selection process by a panel of unelected jurists and scholars.
At first glance, the election appears to have been engineered to guarantee victory for Raisi, given that the other approved candidates had considerably less name recognition and public support than a front-runner who enjoys close ties to the IRGC and is widely considered a potential successor to the supreme leader.
However, Iranian elections can be unpredictable. A record turnout would certainly help Abdolnaser Hemmati, a former governor of the central bank and the leading reformist candidate, especially if moderates defy expectations and the calls to boycott the election.
On the other hand, a Raisi victory with a low voter turnout of 40 percent or less would be disastrous for the Khamenei deep state, since it derives much of its legitimacy from a popular mandate.
This is perhaps why there is some measure of impatience in Vienna, where talks have been taking place between Washington and Tehran on reviving the nuclear deal, because sanctions relief and an improving economy under a conservative presidency will stifle some of the proposals from moderates for populist reforms and reduce the grievances that could spark renewed protests.
The Iranian president may nominally be the head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which determines overall government strategy, but control rests firmly in the hands of the supreme leader, through his two representatives among the council’s 12 permanent members.
This sort of calculus and long-term planning is emblematic of Iran’s quixotic power structure, where presidents do not materially influence foreign or domestic policies despite the ambitions outlined by candidates every four years. Such policy deliberations and determinations are the purview of an unaccountable internal system that is mostly dominated by hardliners, IRGC stalwarts and Khamenei loyalists whose priorities rarely coincide with those of the public.
The Iranian president may nominally be the head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which determines overall government strategy, but control rests firmly in the hands of the supreme leader, through his two representatives among the council’s 12 permanent members. This structure ensures that the final decisions of the SNSC can sometimes conflict with the president’s policy preferences and campaign pledges. The departing Rouhani attempted to circumvent such hurdles, and seemed to have succeeded, when the JCPOA was signed six years ago. However comments made by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif this year seemingly exposed the realities of the long reach of the IRGC. For now, though, it appears as though the SNSC is in the driving seat in terms of Iranian foreign policy, so it is likely the new president will abide by any agreement reached in Vienna. This would be a win for the Biden administration but in no way an indication of improving relations between Tehran and Washington. If anything, the relationship is likely to become more tense. The US will be keen to ensure Iranian compliance with a revived deal, while Tehran will look east to steadily develop ties with Russia and China in an effort to boost its military and secure backing for vetoes should its continued support of malign forces in the region attract the attention of the UN Security Council.
For an Iranian public desperate for jobs that would be created in an improving economy, and possibly an end to their country’s status as an international pariah, there was little motivation to head to the polls to choose a president with such limited power.
However, low turnout and disenchanted citizenry only incentivize malign interests to supersede the national will. As a result, rather than dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritizing domestic issues, the regime has instead focused on accelerating its nuclear-enrichment programs in defiance of global nuclear non-proliferation treaties, escalating regional tensions through its proxies in Iraq, Yemen, Syria and the Gaza Strip, and continuing its long-range missile-development program.
Furthermore, the Vienna talks on the nuclear deal ultimately will only deal with one aspect of Iran’s troubling behavior. Meanwhile the sanctions and related restrictions that target its missile-development program and regional destabilization activities simply do not go far enough. The result is a Catch-22 scenario: Success in the Vienna negotiations and the re-emergence of Iran on the world stage will effectively rubber-stamp for the next eight-to-12 years the continued leadership of an IRGC-dominated, hardliner government that will resist any efforts to extend the JCPOA or negotiate follow-on agreements targeting Tehran’s malign and destabilizing influence in the region.
However, failure to agree a return to compliance with the nuclear deal will result in acceleration of the Iranian nuclear program, which some experts estimate could produce highly enriched uranium on an industrial scale within weeks for military purposes.
There is therefore no alternative but to ensure the talks in Vienna succeed, and so US allies in the Gulf must continue to press Washington to develop a coherent strategy for addressing Tehran’s other troubling activities. In seeking to curb Iran’s nuclear program, the P5+1 nations (the UK, the US, China, France and Russia, plus Germany) must not inadvertently underwrite its malign influence in other countries or the Lebanization of the region’s Shiite Crescent.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Institute at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell

Biden, Erdogan agree to disagree at peaceable summit
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/June 21, 2021
The long-awaited meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his American counterpart Joe Biden finally took place on the margins of the NATO summit in Brussels last week.
The encounter lasted for an hour and a half, divided between a one-on-one and a meeting of full delegations. The length of the summit was determined by Washington, so we can presume that Biden adjusted it according to what he had to tell Erdogan. Furthermore, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, during a visit to Turkey three weeks before the summit, conveyed to Turkey all that the US expected from it. Biden must have repeated to Erdogan the message that Sherman had conveyed beforehand. This scenario suggests that, rather than a genuine exchange of views, the encounter unfolded as a rehearsed monologue in both directions.
Biden gave the impression that he did not care much about how the Turkish side would reflect the outcome of the encounter to the media. He said: “I’ll let the Turks tell you about it.” Erdogan briefed the media in line with this agenda. He explained why the US had to stop its support for the Kurdish fighters in the north of Syria. Apparently the US remained unmoved on this subject. If Biden had offered even the slightest hope, Erdogan would have announced it jubilantly.
Another critical issue was the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. This subject was brought up at both the NATO summit and during the bilateral talks between Erdogan and Biden. No firm decision has been made in NATO, though Turkey was mentioned as a potential party to assume responsibility for Kabul airport’s security. In his address to the press, Erdogan said that if diplomatic, economic and logistic support could be provided, Turkey might consider assuming this responsibility. He said that Ankara could do it along with Pakistan and Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has a reputation as the least-democratic leader among the NATO countries and it is unclear whether Erdogan’s choice of such a potential partner is a mere coincidence.
Turkey has a relatively good chance of success in protecting Kabul airport because the Turks may establish better communications with the Afghans than other NATO countries. However, there are risks because the Taliban controls about two-thirds of Afghanistan’s territory, so Turkey may be sucked into a conflict that might be difficult to disentangle from. The most important outcome of the meeting was that it did not lead to the collapse of relations.
Several weeks ago, Washington had proposed shifting the venue of its meetings with the Taliban from Qatar to Istanbul. The US probably hoped that Istanbul would be a more suitable venue for such meetings and Erdogan may have thought this idea could help gain Biden’s favor. However, the Taliban at first dragged its feet and later canceled the Istanbul meetings altogether. An anecdotal detail regarding Erdogan’s press briefing saw him stumble into confusion. Before his departure for Brussels, Erdogan said he would definitely express his disappointment at Biden’s use of the word “genocide” to describe the resettlement of Armenians by the Ottoman state in 1915. After the meeting with Biden, a journalist asked whether he had raised this question. Erdogan responded: “Thank God, this question was not raised.” The words “thank God” must have slipped out of his mouth, as they made it look as if Erdogan was grateful that the question was not raised in the talks, even though he was supposed to do so.
Turkey believes there are opportunities for cooperation with the US in Syria, Libya, Ukraine and the Black Sea, but these areas are also places where Russia and the US have conflicting interests. After the NATO summit, Erdogan flew from Brussels to Azerbaijan. He emphatically announced this trip during his press conference, probably to re-emphasize the notion that Turkey may be helpful to the US in counterbalancing Russia’s preponderance in the Caucasus.
The most important outcome of the Erdogan-Biden meeting was that it did not lead to the collapse of relations. What impact this conciliatory attitude toward the US on Turkey-Russia relations will have is another critical issue.
Despite the lack of agreement on the discussed subjects, it appears that the atmosphere during the meeting was not combative. The two leaders exchanged views on the issues on their agenda without trying to persuade each other. It looked more like a stock-taking exercise for the conflicting issues between the two countries. They thus avoided unnecessary confrontation and maintained the general atmosphere of cooperation and mutual understanding. One may say that they agreed to disagree on almost all issues on the agenda and referred them to their ministers, who will continue to look for areas of cooperation and potential solutions. The chessboard looks like a draw, with little hope for Turkey emerging as a winner in the long run.
• Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar

Renaissance Dam crisis in danger of exploding
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/June 21, 2021
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis has escalated significantly recently. During a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Doha last week, Egypt called on Arab nations to adopt a serious position on the project in international forums. Meanwhile, Ethiopian authorities continued their policy of evasion.
At times, Ethiopia has said that the second phase of filling of the dam’s reservoir might fail, which would secure the water rights of downstream countries Egypt and Sudan; at others, it has said it plans to build dozens of dams.
Negotiations between the three countries have failed to find a solution. Rather, they continue on a winding path with no clear end in sight. The ideal solution would satisfy the desire of Addis Ababa for the development of Ethopia, while also affirming the historical access rights of Cairo and Khartoum to the waters of the Nile, which will undoubtedly be affected if the Ethiopian government unilaterally decides to continue with the second phase of filling.
Cairo has made some significant concessions but Ethiopia continues to be intransigent, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said recently. He stressed the right of the Ethiopian people to develop their country, but said it must not harm downstream nations. He pointed out that Egypt has been trying for 10 years to reach an agreement on Nile waters that takes into account co-ownership rights.
By making concessions, Cairo’s intention is to show flexibility and provide an opportunity for the people of Ethiopia to improve their standard of living. Shoukry noted, however, that so far there has been no political will on the part of Addis Ababa to sign an agreement on the issue that was drafted in Washington last year. He added that Ethiopia continues to repudiate all agreements established through mediation by the US, the African Union and Europe.
During the meeting of Arab League foreign ministers, he said that the negotiations cannot continue indefinitely and hinted that the time available to reach a diplomatic solution is running out, despite Egypt’s clear desire for a mutually acceptable agreement.
The anger among the Egyptian people over the dam is understandable, since for them the Nile represents life, sustenance and shelter. It is the key artery that has provided them with food and tranquility since the times of the pharaohs. Outrage grew in the past few days, when it was suggested that Addis Ababa wants to sell water to Egypt.
However, Alaa Al-Zawahiri, a member of the GERD technical committee, denied that Ethiopia had raised the idea of selling water. He said that Cairo had offered to compensate Ethiopia by building a unified power network between the two countries to fill any deficit in the event of an electricity shortage.
The anger among the Egyptian people is understandable, since for them the Nile represents life, sustenance and shelter.
The idea of selling water is unacceptable, Al-Zawahiri added, stressing that Ethiopia could not impose this on Egypt in any way. He said that the negotiating committee had set a number of principles, including that: The dam will not compromise or diminish water quotas; the damage will be minimal; and Ethiopia cannot use the dam as a political tool to impose its will. The possibility of reaching a binding legal agreement on the dam is currently less than 50 percent, Al-Zawahiri conceded. He added that, while there could still be a breakthrough, the issue is no longer confined to negotiations between the three countries affected by it, but has become an international matter as a result of recent developments.
The crisis has escalated into a legal and diplomatic conflict at the highest levels, with many other nations intervening, leading to Egyptian negotiators holding more than 50 meetings with international decision-makers to present their case.
The international interventions are increasing because many countries and institutions fear the situation is about to explode. They believe there is no way to defuse the crisis except by reaching an agreement that satisfies all parties — preserving Ethiopia’s development rights while guaranteeing water security for Egypt and Sudan. The latter is “an integral part of Arab national security,” as affirmed by the Arab foreign ministers who met in Doha last week. However, the Ethiopian authorities continue to reject diplomatic solutions, as if they do not care whether the crisis rapidly deteriorates. The country’s foreign ministry rejected the Arab League’s position on the dam, saying that the organization had missed an opportunity to play a constructive role in resolving the dispute. Cooperation and dialogue are the way to achieve water security for all Nile Basin countries, it added.
Addis Ababa has grown increasingly stubborn, insisting that the second phase of filling the dam’s reservoir, which began in May, will continue as scheduled in the months ahead.
This came after Ethiopia set impossible conditions during recent negotiations. In an attempt to appease Sudan, Addis Ababa made an offer to Khartoum that included the exchange of information and data about the dam, including storage capacity and the dispersal of water. This offer was rejected because Egypt and Sudan have stipulated that there must be an overall agreement reached first before any arrangement is agreed about the exchange of data and information. Other impossible conditions set by Ethiopia related to the sharing of water and future projects, which Cairo and Khartoum will not accept.
Addis Ababa is trying to exploit this crisis. The aim of its negotiations is to win permission to act unilaterally in building dams and implementing other projects on the river without any coordination with downstream countries and in violation of international river-management laws. Perhaps the Ethiopian authorities realize that Egypt and Sudan will not accept or negotiate these conditions or link them to the central issue of the dam, but insist on setting them as an obstacle to an agreement.
To reiterate, there is no solution that will satisfy Egypt and Sudan unless it includes a binding agreement that guarantees their water rights. In the absence of this, there is — as many close to the negotiations have stated — uncertainty and concern about what might happen next. We can only hope that there will be a diplomatic breakthrough before it is too late. Many believe the crisis is more likely to explode. But there is still a chance for a peaceful resolution if the international pressure on Ethiopia increases, especially from countries that have been generally supportive of the construction of the dam or helped to fund it. Like many others, I hope we do not reach the point where the chance of a diplomatic solution has been squandered — but if nothing changes, there can be no guarantees.
• Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy is a critically acclaimed multimedia journalist, writer and columnist who has covered war zones and conflicts worldwide. Twitter: @ALMenawy