English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 24/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.june24.21.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Circumcision of the child, John: Zacharias, was full
of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words: Praise be
to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free
Luke 01/57-80: Now it was time for Elisabeth to give birth, and she had a son.
And it came to the ears of her neighbours and relations that the Lord had been
very good to her, and they took part in her joy. And on the eighth day they came
to see to the circumcision of the child, and they would have given him the name
of Zacharias, his father’s name; But his mother made answer and said, No, his
name is John. And they said, Not one of your relations has that name. And they
made signs to his father, to say what name was to be given to him. And he sent
for writing materials and put down: His name is John; and they were all
surprised. And straight away his mouth was open and his tongue was free and he
gave praise to God. And fear came on all those who were living round about them:
and there was much talk about all these things in all the hill-country of
Judaea. And all who had word of them kept them in their minds and said, What
will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father,
Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said
these words: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his
people and made them free, Lifting up a horn of salvation for us in the house of
his servant David, (As he said, by the mouth of his holy prophets, from the
earliest times,) Salvation from those who are against us, and from the hands of
those who have hate for us; To do acts of mercy to our fathers and to keep in
mind his holy word, The oath which he made to Abraham, our father, That we,
being made free from the fear of those who are against us, might give him
worship, In righteousness and holy living before him all our days. And you,
child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face
of the Lord, to make ready his ways; To give knowledge of salvation to his
people, through the forgiveness of sins, Because of the loving mercies of our
God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us, To give light to those in
dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the
way of peace. And the child became tall, and strong in spirit; and he was living
in the waste land till the day when he came before the eyes of Israel.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on June 23-24/2021
Lebanon’s migrants working at petrol stations feel the pain of fuel
shortages
Australian parliament committee urges gov't to ban all of Hezbollah/Benjamin
Weinthal/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
MoPH: 167 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths
President Aoun contacts Health Minister
President Aoun: Parliamentary Committee’s approval of proposal for an
educational identity law represents important step in path of reforms
Araji: Lebanon on Verge of Serious Health Crisis
Report: Baabda Meeting to Approve Importing Fuel at LBP 3,900 Rate
Report: Hizbullah Contacts Bassil to Calm Rhetoric
Bassil Clings to His Stances but Talks with Safa to Continue
Judge Orders Release of 7 Detained over Beirut Port Blast
Protests as Generator Operators Warn over Diesel Shortage
U.S. Donates Personal Protective Equipment to ISF
Diab Slams Accusations His Government Relinquished Duties
Qatari Delegation Visits UNRWA School in Sidon
LCC: To a Rescue Transitional Phase, and a Pivotal Diaspora Role
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June
23-24/2021
Iran executed at least 95 people in the first half of 2021: UN report
Iran official says US has agreed to lift oil, shipping sanctions
Iran fails to launch satellite into orbit as Pentagon watches
Iran Foils 'Sabotage' Attack on Atomic Energy Agency Building
Iran claims sabotage of Iran Atomic Energy Organization failed
Iran Says U.S. Websites Seizure 'Not Constructive' for Nuclear Talks
Top US diplomat to meet with Israel’s new FM this weekend: Official
UN chief warns no Syria cross-border aid would be ‘devastating’
Jordan’s King Abdullah to be first Arab leader to visit US next month
Libya’s foreign minister cites progress on mercenaries pull out in Berlin talks
In Berlin, a Glimpse of Hope for Libya Mercenary Withdrawal
First Israeli Druze woman MK to be first Druze Jewish Agency emissary
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June
23-24/2021
Why is US seizing Iran Press TV, other websites? - analysis/Yonah Jeremy
Bob/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Biden Never Learns: He Still Wants to Talk to China/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone
Institute/June 23, 2021
Iranian oil revival will not add short-term bearishness/Faisal Faeq/Arab
News/June 23/2021
Raisi can help Iran by shunning hard-line stance/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/June
23/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 23-24/2021
Lebanon’s migrants working at petrol
stations feel the pain of fuel shortages
Timour Azhari, Thomson Reuters Foundation/24 June ,2021
Filling up cars at a petrol station in Lebanon was never Adel Mostafa’s dream
job, but it paid the 44-year-old Egyptian enough to feed his family and was
relatively trouble-free - at least until a devastating economic crisis took
hold. As shortages of basic goods force drivers to wait in line for small
amounts of rationed fuel, many of Lebanon’s mainly migrant petrol station
attendants have been threatened, attacked and even shot at by angry motorists in
recent months. “It’s become very difficult, truly unbearable. There are constant
insults, there have been beatings here and at many stations where my friends
work,” Mostafa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “It would be less of a
disaster if it was worth it, but at the same time my pay cheque is pretty much
worthless now. If the situation stays like this, we’re all going back to Egypt,”
Mostafa said. Lebanon’s roughly 2,700 fuel stations employ more than 10,000
people, almost all of whom are migrant workers from Egypt, Sudan, Syria and
Bangladesh, said Georges Brax, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s gas station owners’
association. Before the country’s economic crisis erupted in mid-2019, they
earned wages equivalent to about $400 per month - more than three-times the
minimum wage in Egypt, the home country of many of the migrant workers. But the
Lebanese pound has since lost more than 90 percent of its value against the US
dollar, and migrant workers’ buying power has been eroded. About 400,000 migrant
workers live in the nation of six million people, according to the International
Organization for Migration, making them a pillar of the local economy. Most work
as domestic helpers or in other low-skilled jobs such as janitors or rubbish
collectors, and they have been hard hit by Lebanon’s economic meltdown, a
massive port explosion in Beirut last August and fallout from COVID-19.
‘On the front line’
Employed at a gas station on the outskirts of Beirut, Mohammad, 23, said he had
been trying all year to save just over $100 to book a ticket to return to Egypt.
Skyrocketing food prices mean he still has not managed it. “We’re getting hit
from all sides, from customers and from the employers,” he said, asking not to
give his full name to protect his identity. Brax said everyone in the industry
was suffering due to the shortages that have forced gas stations to ration
sales. The son of a gas station owner in rural northern Akkar was shot dead
during a dispute with a driver last month, Brax said, and several videos showing
fistfights and gunfire at petrol pumps have circulated on social media in recent
weeks. “We’ve asked for help a lot, but police patrols come and go and it’s
difficult to protect everyone. The only solution is to solve the problem at its
core,” Brax said. An Internal Security Forces spokesperson did not immediately
respond to a request for comment. About 140 fuel stations have decided to close
for the meantime after staff were targeted by angry motorists, the head of the
country’s fuel distributors’ association, Fadi Abou Chakra, said this week.
Lebanon’s fuel shortages are tied to increased rationing of scarce foreign
currency by the central bank, which subsidizes fuel imports at an exchange rate
some 10-times below the current market rate. Widespread hoarding and smuggling
to neighboring Syria are also at the center of the problem, according to the
country’s caretaker Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar. He has called for a
crackdown on the illicit cross-border trade. “When that happens, the lines will
end and everyone will be relieved,” Brax said. That cannot come soon enough for
fuel pump workers like 27-year-old Abed, who left a job washing dishes in a
Cairo restaurant to work at a pump in Lebanon in 2017. “(It) feels like being
stationed on the front line,” said Abed, who also asked to give only his first
name. “The situation is bad for us, it’s very bad for the Lebanese. God help us
all,” he said as he took a short break from manning the pumps.
Australian parliament committee urges gov't to ban all of Hezbollah
Benjamin Weinthal/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
“This is a mighty step in the right direction for Australia and reflects the
seriousness with which the committee takes the deadly activities of Hezbollah,”
said AIJAC director Dr. Colin Rubenstein. The Australian Parliamentary Joint
Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) on Tuesday unanimously
recommended that the government’s Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrew
designate the Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah's entire organization a terrorist
entity. Australia has merely classified a so-called wing of Hezbollah’s
movement, the External Security Organization (ESO), as a terrorist organization.
“This is a mighty step in the right direction for Australia and reflects the
seriousness with which the committee takes the deadly activities of Hezbollah,”
said Dr. Colin Rubenstein, the executive director of the Australia/Israel &
Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), about the parliamentary committee
recommendation.
“I urge Minister Andrews to seriously consider the committee’s recommendations,"
Rubinstein said. "This committee, which reached its recommendations unanimously,
very rarely proposes a change to the minister’s decision when it comes to
terrorism listings. The fact that it has recommended a change to the current
listing needs to be respected.” The council said in a statement that “Over the
past 18 years, AIJAC has consistently advocated for Hezbollah to be listed under
Australia’s Criminal Code as a unitary organization. AIJAC has long argued that
listing the Hezbollah ESO is not effective to protect Australia’s national
security.”The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Liberal senator James Paterson
said the committee was “concerned by the decision to, at this stage, only
re-list Hezbollah’s ESO.”He added that “In its last review of the re-listing of
Hezbollah in 2018, the committee recommended that the government consider
extending the listing to include the military wing of Hezbollah. In this report,
the committee goes a step further.
We recommend the government consider listing Hezbollah in its entirety as a
terrorist organization.”Paterson termed the division of Hezbollah into military
and political wings ”an arbitrary one.”Australia’s Governor-General makes the
final decision based on government counsel on whether to classify Hezbollah's
full organization as a terrorist entity. Australia has listed Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab
and Islamic State as terrorist organizations.
Both AIJAC, as well as the Zionist Federation of Australia and Executive Council
of Australian Jewry, presented a written submission to the committee, stressing
that “expanding the listing would be in Australia’s national interest.”A full
proscription of Hezbollah by Australia would mean it would follow its allies the
US, UK and Canada, who are part of the Five-Eyes security alliance and have
previously banned Hezbollah's entire movement. AIJAC noted that, “three years
ago, the last time the listing of the Hezbollah’s ESO was reviewed, the PJCIS
recommended the Australian Government extend Australia’s terrorist listing to
the entirety of the Military Wing. That recommendation was not accepted by
then-Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton.”“It is now the right time for the
Australian Government to list Hezbollah in its entirety,” Rubenstein said,
adding that “During the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, we saw
Australians flying Hezbollah flags on Sydney streets and read vile comments from
Australians who support the murderous group on social media.”“Hezbollah is known
to be active in Australia, and a dual Australian-Lebanese Hezbollah operative
was sentenced in absentia to life in prison in Bulgaria in 2020 for his role in
a terrorist attack that killed six people, "AIJAC said. "Hezbollah, supported by
its Iranian puppet masters, is also sworn to the destruction of Israel.”Some 22
states, including the Arab League, have classified Hezbollah's entire entity as
a terrorist organization. “The distinction Australia makes between the ESO and
the rest of Hezbollah is arbitrary, wrong and repeatedly rejected by the
Hezbollah leadership," Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler
said. "The PJCIS recognizes this. We urge the minister to adopt the committee’s
recommendation and proscribe the entire organization.”
MoPH: 167 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths
NNA/June 23/2021
Lebanon has recorded 167 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths during the
past 24 hours, as reported by the Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday.
President Aoun contacts Health Minister
NNA/June 23/2021
President Michel Aoun on Wednesday contacted Caretaker Health Minister, Hamad
Hassan, who is currently on an official visit in Turkey, and asked him to
increase the number of healthcare crews conducting PCR tests at the Beirut
airport's arrivals hall.
President Aoun: Parliamentary Committee’s approval of proposal for an
educational identity law represents important step in path of reforms
NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, considered that the
approval of the Parliamentary Committee to propose the “Educational Identity”
law is “An important step in the path of reforms”. The President also pointed
out that “This approval by the Parliament General Assembly will have decisive
effects in stopping corruption in the educational sector and will financially
support education in both private and public sectors”. The President’s stances
came while receiving MP, Edgar Traboulsi, today at the Presidential Palace. MP
Traboulsi conveyed President Aoun’s positions, and briefed the President on the
speech he delivered on behalf of Lebanon at the International Union of
Parliamentarians for Education Conference. The Conference tackled the initiative
of former British Premier, Gordon Brown, to raise 5 billion US Dollars to
support the educational sectors in countries which suffered from Corona
pandemic, and the response came quickly with Lebanon placed on the list of
beneficiary countries. In addition, MP Traboulsi said that he informed President
Aoun that the Parliamentary Education Committee had approved the law proposal
which he had submitted with MP, Assaad Dergham, on “Educational Identity”.
The President praised this reform step, and considered that if this proposal is
approved and implemented in the General Assembly, it will have crucial effects
in stopping corruption in the educational sector and financially supporting
education in private and public sectors.
The meeting also tackled social conditions, humanitarian and medical work and
assistance in the restoration works which are being carried out in Beirut and
the region, in addition to current political affairs.
Choueifat Municipality Delegation:
The President met a delegation from the Municipality of Choueifat, which
included Mayor, Mr. Ziad Haidar, Vice-Mayor Mr. Chedid Hanna, and municipality
lawyer, Mr. Farhan Abou Hassan.
The deliberate delay in obtaining the fees due to the municipality of Choueifat
for years in the Duty Free Market of Rafic Hariri Airport, which were withheld
from the municipality despite the issued court decision, was discussed in the
meeting.
Statement of Mayor Haidar: “Today, we visited His Excellency, the President, to
inform him about some outstanding issues, especially in what is related to the
Duty Free Market at Rafic Hariri Airport. A ruling was issued concerning this
file, by the State Consultative Council, and it hasn’t been implemented until
today. There are fees owed to the Municipality of Choueifat on the rental value
of the auction which took place in the Duty Free Market, which amounts 111
billion Lebanese Liras. From this amount, there are municipal fees worth 9
billion Liras per year, knowing that there is an accumulation of fees for 4
years.
We have suffered damages resulting from the failure to implement the ruling a
year ago as a result of the change in the US Dollar exchange rate. We do not
know the real reason for not implementing this decision, nor do we know the
reason for the Public Works Ministry to intervene in a file related to an
investor. The Public Works Ministry is the guardian of the Airport. Its role is
to be in the middle between the investor and the municipality, and not to be a
party taking sides. However, at this stage, it was a clear and public party
taking sides. This can be confirmed by looking at the books issued by the Public
Works Minister and what was issued by the investing company. The Public Works
Ministry played a role in delaying the implementation of this ruling, and the
investor also enjoys great support, but we will go with this file to the last
until the judicial ruling is issued”. -- Presidency Press Office
Araji: Lebanon on Verge of Serious Health Crisis
Naharnet/June 23/2021
Head of the Parliamentary Health Committee MP Assem Araji on Wednesday warned
that Lebanon was on the verge of a serious health crisis as the country grapples
with an unprecedented economic crisis. “We endure a difficult health situation
that will worsen with time; Lebanon suffers the crisis of migrating doctors and
nurses, compounded with the severe medicine shortage — including essential
medicines for chronic diseases — in addition to medical supplies’ shortage in
hospitals,” he warned. Araji finally expressed belief that Lebanon’s health
security was in grave danger. “What is required today is to expedite the
formation of a government as approved by the international community to work on
reforms,” he said, warning that ration cards are still in a closed circle, “as
there are no resources for financing it so far, despite the fact that it is
being discussed by the parliament.”
Report: Baabda Meeting to Approve Importing Fuel at LBP
3,900 Rate
Naharnet/June 23/2021
President Michel Aoun will on Thursday preside over a meeting at the Baabda
Palace that will take a decision to approve importing subsidized fuel at a rate
of LBP 3,900 for the dollar, MTV reported on Wednesday. The meeting will be
attended by caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, caretaker Energy Minister
Raymond Ghajar and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.
Report: Hizbullah Contacts Bassil to Calm Rhetoric
Naharnet/June 23/2021
Hizbullah intensified its contacts with its ally, head of the Free Patriotic
Movement MP Jebran Bassil, in a bid to ease a worsening tension after Bassil’s
latest remarks that further complicated the cabinet formation efforts, the Saudi
Asharq el-Awsat newspaper reported on Wednesday. The daily said Hizbullah wants
to “calm the atmosphere,” and to find a solution for the government impasse
through Speaker Nabih Berri’s initiative. According to unnamed FPM sources,
contacts between Bassil and Hizbullah, through its top official Wafiq Safa, have
been ongoing since Bassil’s Sunday speech.
They said the contacts seek "to clarify the positions of the two parties, in
addition to searching for a new way out of the government's crisis within the
framework of Berri’s initiative."They also seek to calm the atmosphere "after
the strong positions" Bassil made last week. Akhbar el-Yawn news agency said the
two men are likely to meet “soon” to discuss the message conveyed by Bassil to
Hizbullah through his speech. Pro-Hizbullah al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday
said the two men held talks in the evening on Tuesday. Bassil on Sunday said
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.”“Hizbullah
has been able to calm the atmosphere between Berri and Bassil,” said the Agency.
Berri’s proposal, was largely rejected by founder of the FPM President Michel
Aoun last week, is the only one on the table at present, it said. Sources close
to the Speaker assure that his initiative “still stands” as long as there are no
alternatives, pointing that it gains the consent of the “majority of Lebanese
parties” and the international community. Berri’s initiative suggests a
24-minister line-up based on the 8+8+8 formula which Bassil and his
father-in-law, Aoun, strongly reject.
Bassil Clings to His Stances but Talks with Safa to
Continue
Naharnet/June 23/2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil did not meet Hizbullah official
Wafiq Safa overnight Tuesday but rather Sunday evening, contrary to some media
reports in this regard, al-Jadeed TV reported on Wednesday. “Bassil is still
holding onto his stance regarding the 8-8-8 formula and concerning the naming of
the two Christian ministers,” al-Jadeed added. “Meetings between Bassil and Safa
are supposed continue to find an exit, prior to any speech by (Hizbullah chief)
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” the TV network said.Sources close to Baabda meanwhile
told al-Jadeed that reports that President Michel Aoun intends to withdraw the
designation of PM-designate Saad Hariri are baseless, stressing that “Baabda
realizes that this step is unconstitutional.”
Judge Orders Release of 7 Detained over Beirut Port Blast
Associated Press/June 23/2021
A Lebanese prosecutor Wednesday ordered the release of seven people who were
detained after last year's deadly massive blast at Beirut's port, state media
reported. The decision by Ghassan Khoury came a day after the Lebanese judge
leading the investigation into the explosion, Tarek al-Bitar, requested the
release of 13 people who were detained after the August catastrophe, one of the
largest non-nuclear blasts in history. The National News Agency said Khoury only
approved the release of seven persons, most of them junior port employees. It
added that the request to release senior employees was rejected. NNA did not say
when they will be released. Nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly
explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored in the
port for years, exploded on Aug. 4, killing 211 people, wounding more than 6,000
and damaging entire neighborhoods nearby.
A judicial official said six men and one woman will be released but he did not
say when. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The
official said the head of the customs department, his predecessor and the port's
director general at the time will remain in custody.
In April, six people including security officers who had been detained for
months, were released. They included an officer who had written a detailed
warning to top officials prior to the explosion about the dangers of the
material stored at the port.
After the blast, 25 people were detained but with those released in April and
the seven who will be set free, 12 will remain in detention. Lebanon's code of
criminal procedure gives the judicial investigator the authority to hold
suspects in pre-trial detention indefinitely. But this violates their due
process rights, said Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. She
added that under international law, anyone held in pre-trial detention has a
right to a speedy trial or release. "Those detained in connection with the
Beirut blast have spent almost a year in prison, without knowing the evidence or
the charges against them, and with no prospects of a trial in the near future,"
said Majzoub. "Their release addresses some of the due process concerns that HRW
had with regards to the investigation." Judge Tarek al-Bitar was named to lead
the investigation in February after his predecessor was removed following legal
challenges by two former Cabinet ministers he had accused of negligence. The
Beirut port explosion has been one of the most traumatic national experiences
the Lebanese have faced. Families of those killed are skeptical that any
investigation into the explosion can be transparent and independent in a country
where a culture of impunity has prevailed for decades.
Protests as Generator Operators Warn over Diesel Shortage
Naharnet/June 23/2021
The head of the Association of Generator Owners in Lebanon, Abdo Saade, warned
Wednesday that “the country’s situation has become dangerous with the
disappearance of the diesel substance from the market, which has started to
cause generator shutdowns.”“The owners of private generators in all Lebanese
regions are stressing their inability to continue operating the generators due
to the diesel shortage,” Saade said, criticizing the Energy Ministry for
“withholding the substance from the sons of the nation, in the corridors of
political interests and goals, without caring for the plight and pain of
citizens.”“It is as if we’re living on a planet and the government and the
Ministry are living on another,” Saade lamented. He cautioned that “this
alarming situation has started affecting all fields” and that “it might
sometimes have deadly consequences, when patients’ ventilators stop due to the
absence of the state power supply and also the electricity provided by private
generators.”Saade also gave an example about the difficult situation, noting
that the shutdown of the Foreign Ministry’s generators on Wednesday due to the
diesel shortage had led to the obstruction of citizens’ paperwork. Angry
protesters in Sidon meanwhile blocked several key roads to express their
frustration over power cuts and the shutdown of private generators in the city.
They also protested the economic and financial crises and the dire situations in
the country. The protests started after a private generator operator halted
power supply to subscribers at 3:00 am after he ran out of diesel. Power outages
have sharply increased in recent weeks in connection with the country’s
financial and economic crisis. Private generator operators, who typically have
made up for a patchy national power grid, had also started to ration their
services in recent weeks, leaving neighborhoods in total darkness for hours.
Officials have blamed the current fuel shortages on stockpiling by traders and a
surge of fuel smuggling into Syria. Several people have been arrested on
suspicion of smuggling in recent weeks, according to the Internal Security
Forces. The central bank has set up a mechanism to subsidize fuels by up to 85
percent, but fuel importers have accused it of failing to implement the program.
The head of public internet provider Ogero has warned that electricity cuts
could also threaten Lebanon's access to the web.
U.S. Donates Personal Protective Equipment to ISF
Naharnet/June 23/2021
In May and June 2021, the U.S. Government, through the Department of State’s
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), delivered
the first of several shipments of personal protective equipment to Lebanon’s
Internal Security Forces (ISF) in response to a request from the Ministry of
Interior. “This donation aims to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among
inmates and detainees of prisons and other holding facilities, as well as ISF
correctional staff,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. This first shipment
included individual masks and gloves, in addition to protective suits, hand
sanitizers, electrical sanitizing sprayers, and disinfecting equipment. Since
the outbreak of Covid-19 in Lebanon, the U.S. Government, through INL, has
provided the ISF with protective gear and equipment valued at more than
$400,000, part of nearly $55 million in Covid-19 preparation and response
assistance the U.S. Government provided to the Lebanese people in Fiscal Year
2020.
Diab Slams Accusations His Government Relinquished Duties
Naharnet/June 23/2021
The press office of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of caretaker
Prime Minister Hassan Diad lamented on Wednesday reports claiming his government
has relinquished its tasks since its resignation. The Presidency of the Council
of Ministers issued the following statement: It is definitely appalling to see
standards reversed, concepts altered, and facts obliterated. If we work quietly,
and are keen not to enter into futile debates with anyone, especially in light
of the severe crisis that the country is going through, this does not mean that
we tolerate swindling that attempts to throw responsibilities and let this
government bear the brunt of the political, malicious, personal and militia
practices that caused or contributed to this collapse whose price is being paid
by the Lebanese today. This government has fully performed its duties before its
resignation, and has set up scientific plans that were foiled by vested accounts
and interests, despite being praised by international financial authorities in
terms of importance, objectivity and correctness, and it could have put Lebanon
on the rescue track. Besides, this government continues to work diligently as a
caretaker government, and it is irrational to see the caretaker role assumed for
approximately 11 months now. We had hoped that theorisers would assume their
national responsibilities, but old habits die hard in political practice, which
is still controlled by the tropes of the past. Before and after the resignation,
the government has been picking up the rubble left by the financial policies
that you participated in for many years, and your attempts to repudiate such
financial policies now do not excuse your past involvement in these policies.
Accountability must include those who took part in this financial collapse, and
the Lebanese will not give you a clean slate with regard to tearing the country
and its people down in the past, then destroying the economy and livelihoods
today.
Qatari Delegation Visits UNRWA School in Sidon
Naharnet /June 23/2021
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East (UNRWA) on June 15 hosted a high-level Qatari delegation headed by Qatari
Ambassador Lebanon Mohammed Hassan al-Jaber and Director General of Qatar Fund
for Development Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, at the UNRWA Nablus School in
Sidon, Lebanon. A statement issued by UNRWA on Wednesday said they were received
by the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Claudio Cordone, along with a number
of Lebanese officials and representatives of the Palestine refugee community in
Lebanon. The Qatari delegation’s visit to one of three UNRWA schools it supports
in Lebanon was organized as a show of Agency gratitude for contributions made by
Qatar through the Qatar Fund for Development, especially its education program,
the statement said. On the occasion, Ambassador al-Jaber said: "We praise the
role played by UNRWA in alleviating the suffering of the refugee and we
appreciate the close cooperation between Qatar and UNRWA in order to guarantee
the right of Palestinian refugees and their access to education opportunities
and a decent life." For his part, al-Kuwari said: "Here at Qatar Fund for
Development, we believe that education is the key to peace, stability and
security. Investing in education is the key that will provide children and youth
with the tools they need to be positive members of their society. For this
reason, Qatar Fund for Development is proud to contribute to the development of
Education to empower students with the skills and knowledge that will support
them in their future to become active members of society.”Cordone meanwhile
expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s support for Palestine refugees and UNRWA and
said: “I would like to thank Qatar for its generous contribution to support
Palestine refugees. This assistance is essential to ensuring that Palestine
refugees continue to benefit from education services in light of Lebanon’s
growing social, economic and health challenges.”At the end of the reception,
prizes were distributed to a number of students who won an online art
competition organized by UNRWA and sponsored by the Qatar Fund for Development
for sixth-grade students, who produced artworks and selfie videos in which they
shared their opinions and advice on successful learning during the Corona
pandemic. “The partnership between UNRWA and the State of Qatar has been
established with a primary focus on quality education. Over the past 10 years,
Qatar Fund for Development contributed more than US$ 100 million in support of
the Agency. This funding has enabled UNRWA to continue to provide quality and
inclusive education to Palestine refugee students and has contributed to basic
health care and relief and social services in the area,” the statement said.
LCC: To a Rescue Transitional Phase, and a Pivotal
Diaspora Role
21 Jun 2021 10:33
LCC: To a Rescue Transitional Phase, and a Pivotal Diaspora Role
The Lebanese Civic Coalition board (LCC) formed by CNF, Pyramid and Our New
Lebanon, held its periodic meeting, and discussed the progress work of the
follow-up committees and organizational issues, as well as the developments at
the political, financial, economic, social, health, and diplomatic crisis. The
members emphasize the following:
1-The corrupt and murderous ruling regime that is committing a cold-blooded
genocide against the Lebanese people, must realize that its fall is inevitable,
and it will be resounding. The revolution's transition to an institutionalized
opposition and civic resistance with a clear sovereign vision, and an integrated
national rescue program indicates that an alternative exists, and that the
consolidation of its popular and constitutional legitimacy, is an irreversible
path.
2-The cumulative failures in all vital financial, economic, social and health
sectors, stand as a proof to the systematic destruction of the institutions in
charge of with these sectors. The widening nepotism-based strategies require
from the Lebanese people to show human solidarity and increase steadfastness to
liberate themselves from the bondage inflicted upon them by the corrupt and
murderous ruling regime.
3-The invitation of His Holiness Pope Francis to a day of contemplation and
prayer for Lebanon in the Vatican on the 1st of July, indicates that the Holy
See is sensitive to the threat surrounding the identity and entity of Lebanon,
and requires from the Lebanese people to continue their struggle relentlessly,
to achieve the desired historical change, where no place for the minorities
alliances but a solid policies towards establishing a Civil State in which the
inclusive Citizenship will prevail.
4-The support of the military and security forces, as pledged by the
International Support Group for Lebanon (ISGL) and expressed during a public
conference held last Thursday, together with the mobilization of humanitarian
aid to support the steadfastness of the Lebanese people, prove that the friends
of Lebanon in the free world refuse to destroy the entity of Lebanon, or to
change its civilized identity; they accompany the October 17 revolution in its
struggle to restore sovereignty and liberate the national decision, build a
civil state, implement structural reforms towards a good governance, and bring
Lebanon back to Arab and international legitimacy, and he is a founding member
of the League of Arab States and the United Nations.
5-The mock-protest of the ruling regime, and its puppet trade union and economic
platforms demonstration express a resounding bankruptcy, and require a
revolution to reconfigure the legitimacy of these platforms.
6-The Lebanese diaspora international weight, is fundamental to liberate Lebanon
from the criminal, corrupt and murderous ruling regime, and therefore it must be
met with a systematic internal work and with the widest alliance to the
opposition, to earn credibility and effectiveness among the decision makers in
the world.
The Lebanese Civic Coalition(LCC), as it aspires to achieve structural change in
all national joints, calls on the Lebanese people to show steadfastness despite
all the difficulties; there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it features
an inevitable rescue transitional period.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on June
23-24/2021
Iran executed at least 95 people in the first half of 2021: UN report
Al Arabiya English/23 June ,2021
Iran executed at least 95 people, including six women, so far this year, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Tuesday. Last year, Iran
executed at least 267 people, including nine women, she added.
Speaking at a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva where she was
presenting a report on human rights in Iran, she stated: “Over 80 child
offenders are on death row, with at least four at risk of imminent
execution.”“The secretary-general continues to be deeply concerned by widespread
use of the death penalty and its arbitrary imposition for a range of acts that
under international law do not constitute ‘most serious crimes’,” she said.
Death sentences were frequently imposed, “based on forced confessions extracted
through torture or after serious violations of the right to a fair trial,” she
added.The report found that prisoners were also subjected to mistreatment and
intimidation, as well as the extended use of solitary confinement as punishment
and to prevent information from spreading to the outside world.“Protesters,
human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and civil society actors continue
to be subjected to intimidation, arbitrary detention and criminal prosecution,
including the death penalty,” she said. (With AFP)
Iran official says US has agreed to lift oil, shipping
sanctions
Reuters/June 23/2021
The new US administration of President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but
the sides disagree on which steps need to be taken and when. Iran said on
Wednesday that Washington had agreed to remove all sanctions on Iran's oil and
shipping, and take some senior figures off a blacklist, at talks to revive
Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with global powers which are now on a pause. The
remarks, by outgoing president Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff, were consistent
with previous assertions by officials in Rouhani's pragmatist camp that
Washington is prepared to make major concessions at the talks, under way since
April in Vienna. The talks adjourned on Sunday for a break, two days after Iran
held a presidential election won by hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, the head of Iran's
judiciary who is on the US blacklist. Raisi is due to replace Rouhani in August.
"An agreement has been reached to remove all insurance, oil and shipping
sanctions that were imposed by (former US President Donald) Trump," presidential
chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi was quoted as saying by Iran's state media. "About
1,040 Trump-era sanctions will be lifted under the agreement. It was also agreed
to lift some sanctions on individuals and members of the supreme leader's inner
circle." US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday there was
still “a fair distance to travel”, including on sanctions and on the nuclear
commitments that Iran has to make. Other Western and Iranian officials have also
said the talks are a long way from a conclusion. Iran agreed in 2015 to curbs on
its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Trump
abandoned the agreement three years later and reimposed sanctions, and Tehran
responded by violating some nuclear limits. The new US administration of
President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but the sides disagree on which
steps need to be taken and when. Iranian and Western officials alike say Raisi’s
rise is unlikely to alter Iran’s negotiating position, as Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei already has final say on all major policy.However, some
Iranian officials have suggested Tehran may prefer an agreement before Raisi
takes office to give the new president a clean slate.
Iran fails to launch satellite into orbit as Pentagon watches
Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
The details surrounding the failed launches, and causes of its failure were
unclear, however, the report stated.
Iran failed to launch another satellite in space in mid-June, according to CNN
citing US defense officials. The Pentagon and defense officials were observing
the launch and stated that while the June launch failed, the Islamic Republic is
preparing for another attempt within the coming months, according to satellite
imagery. The assumption is working off the presence of fuel containers,
platforms and vehicles that could be seen around the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in
Iran, as well as increased activity in and around the site. "US Space Command is
aware of the Iranian rocket launch failure which occurred early June 12th,"
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland told CNN.The details surrounding the
failed launches, and causes of its failure were unclear, however, the report
stated. Citing a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies,
Jeffrey Lewis, CNN notes that the rocket used to launch the satellite is the
same it uses for intercontinental ballistic missiles, purportedly the Simorgh
rocket. "The failed launch attempt is the fourth consecutive failure of the
Simorgh launcher," Lewis told CNN. "Iran seems to be struggling with this
specific system. Other Iranian rockets of different designs have been more
successful."
"The Simorgh is huge and uses engines that are basically super-sized Scud
engines, which are pretty inefficient," Lewis told CNN, explaining the design
flaws in Iran's mission. "If Iran wanted to build an ICBM, it would follow North
Korea's path and build an ICBM with a better engine or motor and small enough to
be transported by a truck."
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said they successfully launched
the country’s first “military satellite” into an orbit around earth in April of
last year - the NOUR-1 satellite. This came after Iran announced new anti-ship
missiles with a range of 700km and drones that have a range of 1,500km and may
be armed with anti-tank missiles. Iran has been on steroids in its attempt to
show off its military capabilities at sea, in the air and in space. At the time,
Israel strongly condemned Iran’s attempt to launch the military satellite,
noting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a Foreign Terror
Organization, designated by the US. “Today’s attempt at launching a satellite is
just a facade for Iran’s continued development of advanced missile technology.
Both Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's) and missiles that can carry a
nuclear warhead,” a statement by the Foreign Ministry said. The head of the IRGC
lauded the mission as a complete success. "We have made a leap in the field of
expanding territory and strategic intelligence.... Today, we can see the world
from space, and this means expanding the strategic intelligence of the powerful
defense force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," said IRGC head Hossein
Salami in April of last year. "The deployment of this multi-purpose satellite in
space, both in the field of information technology and intelligence battles, can
produce strategic added value for us, and in intelligence warfare, it creates
powerful grounds for us."
While Iran boasted about having imaging capabilities in space, experts like the
commander of US Space Command, Gen. Jay Raymond, have purported that it is
closer to a "tumbling webcam in space; unlikely providing intel."
"Iran's last space launch took place in April 2020, and placed a simple
microsatellite (NOUR-1) in orbit which US Space Command continues to track.
However our persistent observations of this object demonstrate it is
uncontrolled and not operational," said Orland in his statement to CNN.
That Iran specified that this is a “military satellite” clearly would have
ramifications for the Middle East, if the satellite actually works as Iran says
it does and can send images or provide other information for Iran’s IRGC and it
would certainly threaten Israel's security and qualitative edge in the region.
The IRGC has sought to create long-distance military capabilities to challenge
the US and Israel in recent years. It has proved successful in some attacks,
such as the one on Saudi Arabia using 25 drones and cruise missiles in September
2019.
*Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.
Iran Foils 'Sabotage' Attack on Atomic Energy Agency
Building
Agence France Presse/June 23/2021
Iran foiled a sabotage attack Wednesday on a building belonging to the country's
atomic energy agency, state television said, adding there were no casualties or
damage. "On Wednesday morning, a sabotage operation against one of the (Atomic
Energy Organization of Iran) buildings was foiled," the broadcaster said, adding
that the attack "did not cause any damage in financial or human terms." It gave
no further details on the building or the nature of the sabotage that had been
averted. The incident comes as Tehran and world powers attempt to revive a
hobbled 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear programme in Vienna talks, which an EU
negotiator said Sunday were moving "closer to a deal".That agreement is
staunchly opposed by arch-foe Israel, which Iran accused of being behind a
"small explosion" that hit its Natanz uranium enrichment plant in April. Israel
neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but public radio said it was a
sabotage operation by the Mossad spy agency, citing unnamed intelligence
sources. At the time, Iran's foreign ministry indirectly accused Israel of
attempting to scuttle the Vienna nuclear talks. Wednesday's sabotage attack also
comes two days after Iran said it temporarily shut down its only nuclear power
plant at Bushehr on the country's Gulf coast. Officials gave conflicting
accounts on an apparent regular maintenance operation at the Bushehr plant on
Monday. The Bushehr plant and its 1,000-megawatt reactor, on Iran's southern
coast, were built by Russia and officially handed over in September 2013,
despite concerns over its location in an earthquake-prone area. The 2015 nuclear
deal promised Iran sanctions relief in return for limits on its nuclear
programme. The deal was torpedoed in 2018 when then US president Donald Trump
unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed punishing sanctions on Iran. Trump's
successor Joe Biden favours rejoining the accord and the remaining parties are
engaged in negotiations in Vienna to try to salvage it.
Iran claims sabotage of Iran Atomic Energy Organization
failed
Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Despite Iranian claims, both in July 2020 and April 2021, the Islamic Republic
initially lied to the global media in trying to downplay sabotage operations.
A sabotage operation against one of the buildings of Iran's Atomic Energy
Organization (IAEO) failed and caused no damage or casualties, Iranian media
reported on Wednesday. The incident is under investigation by Iranian
authorities.
Despite Iranian claims, both in July 2020 and April 2021, the Islamic Republic
initially lied to the global media in trying to downplay sabotage operations of
key nuclear facilities at Natanz.In both cases, Iranian officials initially
claimed that the damage was minor and a routine accident. These officials only
admitted that Iran’s centrifuge program for enriching uranium was massively set
back several days after the two Natanz incidents when The Jerusalem Post and
others reported the real full extent of the damage.
Both operations were attributed by foreign sources to the Mossad, which the Post
was able to verify. The update regarding the IAEO facility comes at a sensitive
time for Tehran. On one hand, the US, Iran and the world powers recently
finished a sixth round of negotiations in Vienna to resolve the nuclear
standoff, with no new meetings yet scheduled. Leaks from all parties to the
negotiations suggest that the sides could reach a deal between now and
mid-August when a new Iranian administration takes power.However, there are clearly still differences between them, and this latest
incident could either undermine Iran’s negotiating position or undermine trust
between the parties – regardless of who might be responsible. In addition,
Ebrahim Raisi was just declared the winner of Iran’s presidential race on
Saturday and he has been giving speeches and trying to project a powerful image
on the world stage. This latest incident could undermine his efforts to roll out
his aura of strength – or could empower him to clean out political rivals from
the outgoing administration. The incident also comes just days after Iran's
Bushehr nuclear power plant underwent an emergency shutdown. The IAEO reported
that a technical defect led to the power plant being temporarily shut down and
disconnected from the national electricity grid, according to the Iranian Fars
News Agency.
The organization stated that the plant would be reconnected to the electricity
grid in a matter of days. As of Tuesday, repairs at the Bushehr power plant were
still ongoing.
Iran Says U.S. Websites Seizure 'Not Constructive' for Nuclear Talks
Agence France Presse
Tehran warned Wednesday that the US seizure of websites run by Iran-linked media
was "not constructive" for ongoing talks on bringing Washington back into a
landmark nuclear deal. "We are using all international and legal means to...
condemn... this mistaken policy of the United States," the director of the
president's office, Mahmoud Vaezi, told reporters."It appears not constructive
when talks for a deal on the nuclear issue are under way."
Top US diplomat to meet with Israel’s new FM this
weekend: Official
AFP/23 June ,2021
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will on Sunday hold his first meeting with
Israel’s new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid since he took office, a US official
said. Lapid, a centrist who engineered a coalition that brought down veteran
leader Benjamin Netanyahu, will fly to Rome to meet Blinken on an ongoing trip
to Europe, the official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity. The two are
likely to discuss US hopes to solidify a fragile ceasefire reached last month
between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which attacked the
Jewish state with rockets in response to what it saw as provocations in the holy
city of Jerusalem. President Joe Biden’s administration has quickly moved to
shore up ties with the new Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett, a nationalist. Biden’s Democratic Party had rocky relations with
Netanyahu, who campaigned against former president Barack Obama’s nuclear deal
with Iran and has drawn fury from the US left over his embrace of far-right
elements. Blinken is also likely to speak to Lapid about ongoing negotiations in
Vienna to return to the nuclear deal.
UN chief warns no Syria cross-border aid would be
‘devastating’
Reuters/23 June ,2021
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Security Council on
Wednesday to renew a cross-border aid operation into Syria for another year,
warning that a failure to do so would be devastating for millions of people.
Guterres addressed the 15-member body ahead of a likely showdown next month
between Western members and Russia and China over the renewal of the mandate for
the long-running aid operation, which expires on July 10. “A failure to extend
the council’s authorization would have devastating consequences,” Guterres said.
The Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation into Syria in
2014 at four points. Last year, it reduced that access to one crossing point
from Turkey that leads into a rebel-held area in northwestern Syria due to
opposition from Russia and China over renewing all four. Council veto-power
Russia, which is allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has questioned
the importance of the cross-border aid operation, arguing that aid can be
delivered to northern Syria from the capital Damascus. China’s UN Ambassador
Zhang Jun also raised the issue of unilateral sanctions on Syria, telling
reporters ahead of the meeting: “Some people say, okay, we are concerned about
the humanitarian situation, but meanwhile, they are continuing to impose
unilateral sanctions. So that’s really hypocritical.” The United Nations and aid
groups have warned there is no substitute for the delivery of cross-border aid
into Syria. “A failure to extend the authorization will have stark consequences.
It would disrupt life-saving aid to 3.4 million people in need across the
northwest, millions of whom are among the most vulnerable in Syria,” acting UN
aid chief Ramesh Rajasingham told the council on Wednesday. Ireland and Norway
plan to circulate a draft resolution in the coming days that “will renew and
expand the humanitarian aid delivery mechanism in response to the pressing
humanitarian needs,” Ireland’s UN Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said. A
resolution to extend council approval needs nine votes in favor and no veto from
any of the five permanent members Russia, China, the United States, France and
Britain. In the past decade, the council has been divided over how to handle
Syria, with Syrian ally Russia and China pitted against Western members. Russia
has vetoed 16 resolutions related to Syria and was backed by China for many of
those votes.
Jordan’s King Abdullah to be first Arab leader to visit US next month
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/June 23/2021
Jordan’s King Abdullah II is expected to visit the White House next month and be
the first Arab leader to visit the United States since President Joe Biden took
office, sources familiar with the trip said Wednesday. Jordan was rattled in
April after reports surfaced of attempts to mobilize local officials and tribes
intended “to harm the security” of the country. As a result, several people were
arrested, including former royal envoy Sharif Hassan bin Zaid and Bassem Ibrahim
Awadallah, a long-time confidant of the king. Washington stood firm in its
support for the Jordanian king during the turmoil, with the White House and
State Department releasing multiple statements backing the king. Now, Abdullah
will be the first Arab leader to visit the White House under the Biden
administration. His trip is scheduled for July 19-20, according to a political
source based in Washington. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi visited
Washington in May amid the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Jordan’s top diplomat
was resolute in stating that Jerusalem was a “red line.” Amman has the custodial
role in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound. On May 26, Secretary of State Antony
Blinken met with King Abdullah during a visit to Jordan. According to the State
Department, the US is the biggest provider of assistance to Jordan, and the
Pentagon continues to provide Amman with military support. Over $1.5 billion in
funds were provided to Jordan in 2020. This included military and humanitarian
assistance.
Libya’s foreign minister cites progress on
mercenaries pull out in Berlin talks
AFP/23 June ,2021
Libya’s foreign minister voiced hopes that foreign mercenaries will pull out of
the North African country in the next days, after “progress” was made at a new
round of peace talks in Berlin on Wednesday. “We have a progress in terms of
mercenaries, so you know hopefully within coming days, mercenaries from both
sides (are) going to be withdrawing and I think this is going to be
encouraging,” said Najla al-Mangoush following talks gathering world powers.
According to the UN, more than 20,000 foreign mercenaries and military personnel
are still in Libya. They include Turkish, Russian, Sudanese and Chadian
mercenaries. Unlike the Russian mercenaries who supported the authorities in the
east of the country, Turkey says its troops sent to Tripoli were sent under a
bilateral agreement with the government, implying that they are not affected by
a request for foreign troops to leave. The fear that armed groups will leave
Libya to deploy in the region was again raised by several Security Council
members, who recalled the recent destabilization in Chad that led to the death
of its president Idriss Deby.
In Berlin, a Glimpse of Hope for Libya Mercenary
Withdrawal
Agence France Presse/June 23/2021
Hopes grew Wednesday for Libya's stability following a decade of bloodshed as
Russia and Turkey reached a tentative plan in talks in Berlin to start
withdrawing foreign mercenaries, officials said. The U.N.-sponsored conference
-- the second held in the German capital -- renewed commitments to holding
elections on December 24, a watershed for the North African nation where foreign
powers have violently jostled for influence. Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush
voiced hope that there would finally be progress on a key pledge from the first
conference in January 2020 -- to pull foreign fighters out. "We have a progress
in terms of mercenaries, so you know hopefully within coming days, mercenaries
from both sides (are) going to be withdrawing and I think this is going to be
encouraging," she told reporters. U.S. officials said that Turkey and Russia --
on opposite sides both in Libya and Syria -- were discussing a plan for each to
pull out 300 Syrians fighting on opposite sides, a number that is small but
would signal the start of a process. They said details were still being worked
out and "deep suspicions" remained but that the withdrawal plan came up on a
trip last week by President Joe Biden, who met both his Russian and Turkish
counterparts. "There is a recognition even by some of these outside parties that
if you could do some confidence-building measures that don't undermine the
status quo militarily, they don't expose one side to an attack, let's try that,”
a senior US official said. "Our typically American pragmatic approach is 'let's
go for the low-hanging fruit'."The United Nations has estimated that 20,000
foreign fighters and mercenaries are still on Libyan territory. And that
presence is seen as a threat to the UN-backed transition leading to the
elections. Clouding the talks, Turkey refuses to withdraw its military, saying
its presence is different as it has an agreement with the internationally
recognized government. The previous conference drew heads of state but the
latest meeting also gathered heavy hitters, with US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken flying in as well as the foreign ministers of France, Turkey and Egypt.
Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah promised to go ahead with the
December 24 elections, although diplomats said he warned of logistical hurdles.
No one's interest
The oil-rich country descended into chaos after dictator Moammar Gadhafi was
toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, resulting in multiple forces
vying for power.In recent years Libya has been split between two rival
administrations backed by foreign forces and countless militias. In October,
after Turkey-backed forces of the Government of National Accord based in Tripoli
routed those of eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar, the two camps agreed
a ceasefire in Geneva. The security situation in Libya has been slowly improving
since then. But Russian mercenaries supporting Haftar's side in the east of the
country are still in place. Any withdrawal is also a delicate balancing act,
said Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. He noted that there is an
understanding between the Turkish and Russian side that "when withdrawal begins,
it will not be a short period of time when everyone will immediately pull
back... but that it will be a step-by-step approach". The fear is that an uneven
and sudden withdrawal could leave a military imbalance that could be exploited
by the other side for a sudden offensive. The United Nations
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo also noted that
the whole process "will take some time." Nevertheless, Maas pledged that Germany
and the U.N. will keep up efforts to ensure the departure of foreign militants.
"We will not rest until the last foreign force -- the soldiers and mercenaries,
no matter where they come from... have left the country."
First Israeli Druze woman MK to be first Druze Jewish
Agency emissary
Gabrielle Abrams/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Kamal-Mreeh will represent the Jewish Agency, in its efforts to connect with
North American college campuses on Israel.
Former Blue and White and Yesh Atid MK Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, the first female
Druze Knesset member, will become the Jewish Agency’s first Druze emissary in
Washington, where she will serve as a senior shlucha.
Kamal-Mreeh will represent the Jewish Agency in its efforts to connect with
North American college students. The Jewish Agency for Israel, which was created
in 1929, has been instrumental in connecting Jews abroad with the State of
Israel as well as facilitating aliyah. In Washington, Kamal-Mreeh will work
collaboratively with Hillel International and the Jewish Agency’s Israel Campus
Fellows. Her work will involve prioritizing community building among young Jews,
aged 18-35, across local Jewish Community Centers (JCCs), Jewish Federations and
the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The Jewish Federation of Greater
Washington said it was looking forward to welcoming Kamal-Mreeh to its group of
10 shluchim in the area.
“We are proud to support the continued innovation of the shlichut [mission]
program by bringing new voices like Kamal-Mreeh’s to our community and to
further strengthen our long-standing partnership with the Jewish Agency through
launching this initiative,” it said.
Kamal-Mreeh earned her degree from Bar-Ilan University in medical imaging and
social sciences, as well as an MA from the University of Haifa in international
relations. She served as an MK from 2019-2021 and chaired the Israel-Switzerland
parliamentary friendship group, co-chaired the Israel-Germany friendship group
and was a member of the Interior and Environment Committee and the Advancement
of Women’s Status and Gender Equality Committee. “I am proud and excited to be a
partner in bringing about this precedent-setting step, which will enable another
Israeli voice to be heard, conveying the multifaceted reality of Israel to both
Jewish and non-Jewish audiences throughout North America,” Kamal-Mreeh said.
“I believe the time has come for all segments of Israeli society to be active
partners in shaping global consciousness and that my unique identity as a woman
from the Druze community will greatly contribute to my service, resulting in
meaningful and innovative activities that will challenge and change
perceptions,” she said. “In the name of pluralism and diversity, we will work to
connect, bridge and emphasize what we have in common, for our country and for
our future.”
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June
23-24/2021
Why is US seizing Iran Press TV, other websites? - analysis
Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Iranian news agencies said that the US government had seized several Iranian
media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran
Notices appeared on Tuesday on a number of Iran-affiliated websites saying they
had been seized by the United States government as part of law enforcement
action.
Iranian news agencies said that the US government had seized several Iranian
media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran such as
Yemen's Houthi movement.
What is this campaign about and could it blow up nuclear negotiations between
Washington and Tehran?
In short, it is a long overdue move by the Biden administration to use some of
the tools America has in hosting much of the internet to fight back against
rogue countries who abuse the internet to try to tear the US apart with
misinformation campaigns.
This has nothing to do with free speech. A US government announcement made it
clear that the websites which were seized are fronts for the Iranian government
to “subvert US democratic processes.”
The US could do far more and hack wide swaths of Iran’s internet-based services
and infrastructure.
All it did on Tuesday was to tell Iran that it could no longer abuse American
internet property to try to tear down the US without consequences.
For years, at least since Russia’s success in using social media to influence
aspects of the 2016 US presidential elections, Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and
Tehran have all used varying levels of social media to try to systematically
impact US public opinion.
In Iran’s case, the ayatollahs have been getting away with the equivalent of
cyber “murder” for years with practically no public consequences.
Whether under the Trump or Biden administrations and whether confronted by
aggression or engagement, one thing that has stayed consistent has been Iranian
attempts to interfere with US public opinion and to try to turn different
American ethnic sectors against each other.
Sometimes the goal has been to get Americans to be more positive about Iran or
to fear war with Iran. Sometimes to cause ethnic strife to generally weaken the
US and helped provoke embarrassing incidents which the Islamic Republic can then
point to in rejecting American criticism of its authoritarian system.
The US also hit back at some of Iran’s proxies online.
The website of Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis Yemen group, reads:
"The domain almasirah.net has been seized by the United States Government in
accordance with a seizure warrant...as part of a law enforcement action by the
Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau
of Investigation."
Websites tied to Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah, which regularly fires rockets on
Americans in Iraq, were also targeted.
Iran's Arabic language Alalam TV said on its Telegram channel: "US authorities
shut down Al-Alam TV's website."
Notices have also appeared on websites of Iran's Press TV and Lualua TV, a
Bahraini independent channel which broadcasts from Britain.
Last October, US prosecutors seized a network of web domains which they said
were used in a campaign by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread
political disinformation around the world.
The US Justice Department said then that it had taken control of 92 domains used
by the IRGC to pose as independent media outlets targeting audiences in the
United States, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia.
This is the next step, though seizing a high profile website like Iran’s Press
TV will create unpredictable ripples.
Will this negatively impact nuclear negotiations?
Probably not.
Tehran may make threats and demand the US not take such actions going forward if
there is a nuclear deal.
But the US will likely respond that it doesn’t take such actions against any
normal countries – only nations which abuse the internet to try to destabilize
America.
At the end of the day, the ayatollahs need the nuclear deal.
Their economy never recovered fully even after the 2015 nuclear deal and since
Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018, their economy has been in shambles.
Further, long before these website seizures, the Biden administration has made
it clear that it will maintain all non-nuclear sanctions on Iran related to its
terrorist behavior, just as the Obama administration did.
And Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signed the 2015 deal not because
he liked giving up enough enriched uranium for around 10 nuclear bombs, but
because of the economic pressure. With all of his threats and hatred for the
"big Satan" US long before the website seizures, all signs are he will make the
same business-like calculation this time.
So there will still likely be a nuclear deal by, before or not long after the
new Ebrahim Raisi administration takes over Iran in August.
Whether the timing of the websites’ seizure was meant to send a message to Raisi,
to get it in under the wire before the deal is signed or whether this was just
when the Biden administration got around to lining up all of its cards to obtain
warrants in court to do so, is a separate and interesting question.
This does not end free speech and it will not end Iran or other foreign
countries interference with the US or Israel’s democratic processes or social
fault-lines.
But it is a new show that the Biden administration has started to act with more
intolerance for cyber and social media interference from the Islamic Republic
and others.
*Reuters contributed to this report.
Biden Never Learns: He Still Wants to Talk to China
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/June 23, 2021
Call this another Biden debacle in the making.
China, it is evident, is now in no mood for substantive discussions, other than,
of course, for the purpose of accepting America's surrender.
American leaders, administration in and administration out, think it is
important to meet face-to-face with adversaries, that they can somehow reason
with them. That view is naïve, arrogant, and almost always incorrect. Chinese
leaders of the communist variety often talk of "friendship" but are ruthlessly
pragmatic, and often just ruthless. For them, personal feelings have no value in
relations with other states.
Personal diplomacy with Beijing is counterproductive: Americans chase after the
Chinese and the Chinese take advantage of this eagerness. The incessant pursuit
of Beijing makes America, in the eyes of the Chinese regime, an easy mark.
If the reports about Dong are accurate, Biden should be now talking about
imposing the most severe costs on China, not chasing after Xi Jinping to begin a
conversation. America should, among other things, cut trade, end investment,
prohibit technical cooperation, perhaps stop all travel altogether. Biden
definitely should close China's remaining four consulates in the U.S. and send
virtually all Chinese embassy officials home. The President should announce it
is the policy of the United States to end communist rule in China.
Chinese officials took Canadian hostages, known as "the two Michaels," in
December 2018 and have held them since because they knew Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau would do nothing about it. The Chinese believed Trudeau would do nothing
because he had spent his career desperately trying to court China. — Charles
Burton of the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
So, President Biden, stop turning the other cheek and start performing your most
fundamental constitutional duty: Protecting America from foreign enemies.
President Joe Biden, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, wants
to begin a new round of "engaging" China. The incessant pursuit of Beijing makes
America, in the eyes of the Chinese regime, an easy mark. China, it is evident,
is now in no mood for substantive discussions, other than, of course, for the
purpose of accepting America's surrender. Pictured: Sullivan (right) and
Secretary of State Antony Blinken address the media following US-China talks in
Anchorage, Alaska on March 19, 2021.
President Joe Biden, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, wants
to begin a new round of "engaging" China.
Call this another Biden debacle in the making.
On June 17, after the troubled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Geneva, Sullivan told reporters that Biden "will look for opportunities to
engage with President Xi going forward."
"Soon enough, we will sit down to work out the right modality for the two
presidents to engage," Sullivan said. "It's now just a question of when and
how."
How about never?
The U.S. and China have already engaged each other. Sullivan and Secretary of
State Antony Blinken sat down with China's top two diplomats, Politburo member
Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Anchorage in the middle of March.
Yang and Yi did not come to Alaska to talk to the Biden administration; they
came to rant, lecture, and humiliate. Blinken and Sullivan should have sent the
Chinese "diplomats" packing as soon as they went on a bender for the benefit of
the cameras.
China, it is evident, is now in no mood for substantive discussions, other than,
of course, for the purpose of accepting America's surrender.
Ned Price, State Department spokesman, on the same day said the President
believes "there is no substitute for personal diplomacy."
A better formulation is that, when it comes to the People's Republic of China,
there is no place for personal diplomacy. American leaders, administration in
and administration out, think it is important to meet face-to-face with
adversaries, that they can somehow reason with them.
That view is naïve, arrogant, and almost always incorrect. Chinese leaders of
the communist variety often talk of "friendship" but are ruthlessly pragmatic,
and often just ruthless. For them, personal feelings have no value in relations
with other states.
Personal diplomacy with Beijing is counterproductive: Americans chase after the
Chinese and the Chinese take advantage of this eagerness.
The incessant pursuit of Beijing makes America, in the eyes of the Chinese
regime, an easy mark. There is no need to speculate how regime figures treat
those trying to please and accommodate them.
As Charles Burton of the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute tells
Gatestone, Beijing always presses the advantage with the feeble-looking. After
all, he says, Chinese officials took Canadian hostages, known as "the two
Michaels," in December 2018 and have held them since because they knew Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau would do nothing about it. The Chinese believed Trudeau
would do nothing because he had spent his career desperately trying to court
China.
"The more Canada has shown weakness by appeasing and making concessions to
China's integrated party-state-military-security-industrial complex, the more
emboldened Chinese leaders have become in dealing with Ottawa," Burton, a former
Canadian diplomat posted to Beijing, points out.
There is another fundamental objection. Price, when talking about a Biden-Xi
meeting, referred to "our principled diplomacy."
"Principled diplomacy"? How can any country with principles engage in diplomacy
with a government that is, according to Amnesty International, "the world's most
prolific executioner."
Or a ruling group committing genocide and other crimes against humanity
including mass murder, institutionalized rape, and enslavement of racial
minorities?
And a regime that deliberately spread a virus beyond its borders and killed, at
last count, 3.9 million people worldwide, including 602,000 Americans?
There are reports that Dong Jingwei, a vice minister of State Security, defected
to the U.S. in mid-February with his daughter. Dong, China's counterintelligence
chief, is said to have given to the Defense Intelligence Agency evidence that
the Chinese military is conducting research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,
which many now suspect is the source of the pathogen causing COVID-19. This
information, Yahoo! News reports, changed the Biden administration's view of the
origins of the pandemic.
If the reports about Dong are accurate, Biden should be now talking about
imposing the most severe costs on China, not chasing after Xi Jinping to begin a
conversation. America should, among other things, cut trade, end investment,
prohibit technical cooperation, perhaps stop all travel altogether. Biden
definitely should close China's remaining four consulates in the U.S. and send
virtually all Chinese embassy officials home. The President should announce it
is the policy of the United States to end communist rule in China.
Harsh? No, especially if China released an engineered pathogen to kill
Americans, as increasingly appears to be the case.
So, President Biden, stop turning the other cheek and start performing your most
fundamental constitutional duty: Protecting America from foreign enemies.
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of The Coming Collapse of China, a Gatestone
Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board.
© 2021 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Iranian oil revival will not add short-term bearishness
Faisal Faeq/Arab News/June 23/2021
The possibility of a quick Iranian oil revival is not something any oil company
or producer should worry about as the market has already factored this into the
price.
According to S&P Global Platts, if the US removes sanctions on Iranian oil,
there could be a possible return to pre-sanctions oil production of about 3.9
million barrels per day (bpd) next year. However, total Iranian crude production
has been unchanged in the last three months at around 2.4 million bpd.
S&P Global Platts forecasts that the removal of sanctions on Iranian oil,
petrochemical, shipping and other sectors could result in Iran being able to
boost crude oil and condensate exports to 1.5 million bpd by the end of this
year, from 600,000 bpd in May. Even with the sanctions, a big part was already
exported to Asia. With signs the market will already be undersupplied in the
second half of 2021, the addition of Iranian supplies will not rock the physical
oil market and oil prices might continue the upward momentum.
The start of the sanctions on Iran by the previous US administration in June
2019 did not lead to surging oil prices.
Therefore, lifting the sanctions will not push down prices, since these barrels
are already factored in the supply and demand balance and overwhelmed by demand
outpacing supply. Hence, additional barrels will be absorbed by the market
swiftly, and lifting the sanctions will not change the state of the global
supply and demand balance.
With global oil demand growth projected to be healthy for the balance of this
year and in 2022, OPEC+ is in a relatively comfortable position to deal with the
possibility of increasing Iranian output without undermining the oil
rebalancing.
OPEC+ is planning to return 2.1 million bpd to the market next month, and its
output cuts are set to reach 5.8 million bpd from July to April 2022, which is
already factored into oil prices.
OPEC+ producers have effectively managed the output cuts and that does not seem
to change, but surprises are expected. The physical oil market for spot barrels
is becoming more constrained with traders willing to pay premiums to secure
prompt barrels.
OPEC+ output cuts do not seem to be influenced by the possible increase in
Iranian supplies, still some market analysts seem so concerned that Iranian oil
might flood the market. Iranian barrels are not at the magnitude to even add a
short-term bearishness. It is small enough to be absorbed by the summer demand
surge, where oil market spreads are suggesting a very tight supply outlook ahead
as the global oil market tightens in the coming months, as a demand-driven
rebound from the pandemic will offset any other bearish news or developments.
• Faisal Faeq is an energy adviser and columnist. He formerly worked with Saudi
Aramco and OPEC Secretariat. Twitter: @FaisalFaeq.
Raisi can help Iran by shunning hard-line stance
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/June 23/2021
A few months ago, not many people outside Iran had heard of Ebrahim Raisi, the
winner of Friday’s presidential election. But a flood of media profiles and
background information had poured out even before his election victory was seen
as a foregone conclusion. He was the hand-picked candidate of Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei and his path to the helm was made easier when the Guardian Council —
Iran’s election watchdog — eliminated a number of so-called reformist and
moderate candidates, including former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
who had criticized the election process.
The election saw a record low voter turnout, as a majority of Iranians, mostly
youths, stayed at home in protest. Raisi, 60, has a notorious reputation, having
been associated with the so-called “death committee” in the late 1980s that was
responsible for the torture and execution of thousands of anti-regime activists.
Since then, he has spent most of his professional life in the judiciary, and was
appointed chief justice in 2019. Unlike his predecessor, outgoing President
Hassan Rouhani, who is an academic, a politician, a diplomat and a former member
of the Assembly of Experts and the Supreme National Security Council, as well as
an elected member of parliament, Raisi’s public resume is modest.
But Raisi’s loyalty to Khamenei and his close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC) made him a safe choice — to the extent that he is now seen as
a probable successor to the supreme leader. Describing him as a hard-liner is
not enough. He is an extremist when it comes to his politics, especially
vis-a-vis the US and Israel, but he is also a manipulator who has worked hard to
accumulate power. With direct access to Khamenei, the IRGC and parliament, the
conservative Raisi will emerge as one of the strongest presidents in recent
Iranian history.
But what does Raisi’s election — he takes over in early August — mean for
Iranians, the region and the world? As chief justice, Raisi tried to erase his
reputation as a bloodthirsty jurist, issuing clemencies and pardoning indebted
citizens. He has also presented himself as a fighter against corruption. His
mission to improve the lives of Iranians will not be easy. The country is
suffering as a result of US economic sanctions, and many are likely to remain
even if the nuclear deal is revived. In fact, one of the main stumbling blocks
in the Vienna talks has to do with sanctions against Khamenei himself.
Ironically, Raisi too is under US and EU sanctions for his grave human rights
violations.
While Raisi has committed himself to the nuclear deal, external critics accuse
him of supporting the extremists’ goal of enabling Iran to develop nuclear
weapons. Israel was quick to reiterate its objection to a nuclear deal with the
“hangman’s regime.” The US was less critical; focusing instead on the
dysfunctional Iranian democracy rather than on the man who won the election. In
essence, Washington and its European allies want to conclude an agreement with
Tehran before the swearing in of Raisi.
One reason for this has to do with Raisi’s choice for foreign minister,
replacing the charismatic and competent Javad Zarif, who has been able to
justify and defend Iran’s position on the nuclear deal ever since the Trump
administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
In his first press conference on Monday, Raisi tried to downplay the importance
of the nuclear deal, saying that Iran’s foreign policy does not start or end
with the agreement. He also said that Iran’s ballistic missile program was
non-negotiable. But improving people’s lives and normalizing relations with
Iran’s Gulf neighbors depends on reviving the nuclear deal in so many ways.
Under Raisi, the region will witness important geopolitical shifts, signaled by
America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the limiting of its military presence
in the Middle East.
With direct access to Khamenei, the IRGC and parliament, the conservative Raisi
will emerge as one of the strongest presidents in recent Iranian history.
Under Rouhani and led by Zarif, Iran had begun a slow process of mending its
ties with its neighbors. It remains to be seen if Raisi and his foreign policy
chief will continue that process. Iran’s controversial regional agenda remains a
major source of instability in the Middle East. Reviving the nuclear deal in
Vienna must provide guarantees that Iran will respect the sovereignty and
stability of its neighbors.
While Raisi’s special connection to the supreme leader, the IRGC and parliament
puts him in a strong position to implement policy — unlike his predecessor — it
remains to be seen if that will prove to be a liability or an asset. Iran’s
regional and international isolation can end if the new leader in Tehran
initiates a fresh phase in his country’s foreign policy agenda; one that
presents Iran as a normal nation willing to coexist with its neighbors.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman.
Twitter: @plato010