English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 26/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.june26.21.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
The Parable of the Samaritan who helped a wounded
man who was attacked by thieves while a Priest & a Levite ignored him
Luke 10/25-37: “Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said,
‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’He said to him, ‘What is written in the
law? What do you read there?’He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all
your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given
the right answer; do this, and you will live.’But wanting to justify himself, he
asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat
him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down
that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a
Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But
a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved
with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on
them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of
him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said,
“Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you
spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell
into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus
said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on June 25-26/2021
Director Yussuf ElKhoury on behalf of the "Nouveau Cenacle Libanais (NCL):
Boycott Lebanon's parliamentary elections so as not to “legitimize”/Hezbollah.
Do not send Your Fresh Dollars In an attempt to keep Lebanon Safe/Elias Bejjani/June
25/2021
Ministry of Health: 163 new infections, 4 deaths
Pope to ROACO: I thank you for your efforts to support Lebanon in this grave
crisis
President Aoun: Lebanese are looking forward to July 1 meeting at Vatican,
appreciate role Pope plays in supporting Lebanon
Aoun looking forward with 'great hope' to Vatican meeting
Presidency Denies Report on Diab's 'Rejection' of Fuel Crisis Solution
Paris to 'Act Together' with U.S. to Press Lebanese Officials
Maenza from Bkerki affirms US still ready to support Lebanon
Diab Gives Extraordinary Approval for Importing Fuel at LBP 3,900
Bassil Tells Safa He's Not Seeking 'Inter-Shiite Dispute'
Lebanon caretaker PM approves financing fuel imports at weaker exchange rate
Hizbullah, FPM Meet to Rein in Social Media Wars
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says logistics ready for Iranian fuel imports
Nasrallah: We consider army institution the real guarantee for security
stability in Lebanon
Nasrallah Says Fulfilling Bassil's Request on Govt. but Can’t be 'Referee'
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June
25-26/2021
Bennett: Israel consulting allies on Iran, but we will protect ourselves
Iran deal return ‘very hard’ if talks drag on, warns Blinken during France visit
Iran says has no obligation to respond to IAEA request on monitoring deal
No reply’ from Iran over expired nuclear inspections agreement: UN watchdog IAEA
Biden meets Afghan leaders as US troops leave, fighting rages
US to keep 650 troops in Afghanistan after withdrawal
Russia launches Mediterranean drills amid tensions with Britain in Black Sea
Palestinians protest against President Abbas after activist Banat’s death
Brutal' Third Wave Hits Africa as Vaccination Slows
EU Leaders Reject Push for Putin Summit
Canada/Minister Garneau announces Special Envoy Dion mission to support Armenian
democracy
Press Release By The Foreign Affairs of Canada/Venezuela: Joint Statement by the
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Secretary of
State of the United States of America and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Canada
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June
25-26/2021
Audio Video From FDD addressing the "Raisi Rising"/Clifford D. May/Reuel
Marc Gerecht/Behnam Ben Taleblu/Ray Takeyh/June 25/2021
New Research Shows Extent of China’s Cover-Up of COVID-19’s Origins/Anthony
Ruggiero/FDD/June 25/2021
Biden Admin Walks Back U.S. Recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli
Territory/Adam Kredo/Washington Free Beacon/June 25/2021
How China Sees It/Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute/June 25/2021
Le régime iranien et les verrouillages croisés/Charles Elias Chartouni/June
25/2021
Bishops to Biden: There is no such thing as ‘private’ Catholicism/Matthew
Walther/New York Post/June 25/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on June 25-26/2021
Director Yussuf ElKhoury on behalf of
the "Nouveau Cenacle Libanais (NCL): Boycott Lebanon's parliamentary elections
so as not to “legitimize”
Hezbollah. Do not send Your Fresh Dollars In an attempt to keep Lebanon Safe
Elias Bejjani/June 25/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/100043/elias-bejjani-director-yussuf-el-khoury-on-behalf-of-the-nouveau-cenacle-libanais-ncl-boycott-lebanons-parliamentary-elections-so-as-not-to-legitimize-hezbollah-do-not-send-y/
Speaking on behalf of the "Nouveau Cenacle Libanais (NCL) at the “Shields for a
Unified Lebanon” conference on June 24/2021, director Youssef El Khoury outlined
a decisive position on vital fateful issues facing Lebanon, foremost of which is
the upcoming parliamentary elections and Hezbollah’s control of the reins of
power in the country. Al-Khoury presented the features of a clear road map to
get Lebanon out of its current dire crisis.
On the parliamentary elections issue, Al-Khoury stressed the fact that,
participation by candidacy and voting simply means a recognition of Hezbollah's
occupation that is boldly exhibited by its total hegemony over the country.
Meanwhile this participation in case it happens will give Hezbollah a
legal-constitutional instrument that this terrorist group can raise in the face
of the decision-making states that denounce such elections and the re-electing
of the same political class figures. While the boycotting is a public
condemnation of Hezbollah's occupation and a guarantee that the revolution
against its hegemony will continue.
Al-Khoury warned that Hezbollah and its crony puppets victory in these elections
is predetermined in light of a constitution that has been inoperative for more
than thirty years, a tailored electoral law that serves the agendas of those who
are in power, an experienced hostile electoral personnel who master all
electoral twisting games, and the availability of financing sources for the
candidates of the ruling system. While personal financing means (Cash Money) for
the revolutionary candidates are confined in the banking system .
He also indicated that the revolutionary figures (candidates) are not ready to
keep pace with the solid organization and commitment of the ruling parties .
As for the bet on the 52% of the Lebanese citizens who did not participate in
the last 2018 elections, Al-Khoury considered such a bet to be flimsy, since the
reasons that led these people not to participate are not clear, and at the same
time it is not certain that they actually support the revolution.
On the other hand, Al-Khoury pointed to the successes of boycotting the
parliamentary elections between 1992 and 2005:
The Issuing of UN Resolution 1559
The Forced withdrawal of the occupying Syrian army from Lebanon
The return of General Michel Aoun from exile
The release of Lebanese Forces President Samir Geagea from prison...
Meanwhile participation in the elections of 2005 and 2009, the renewal
parliamentary processes in 2013 and 2018, and the 2018 elections led to
Lebanon's bankruptcy and the explosion of its capital! (Beirut Post Explosion
In the context of correcting the image of the revolutionaries, Al-Khoury
considered that “the citizens who burn a tire and block a road” are the actual
revolutionary, and without them, the way would not have been paved for the thugs
who are currently calling for early elections.
Al-Khoury openly, loudly and harshly denounced the performance and stances of
some of the intellectuals and resigned members of the parliament who claim to be
in the core of the revolution, while in reality and actuality they are running
in the next elections.
Al-Khoury also expressed his full support to the slogan "All of them, means all
of them" in a bid to safeguard and preserve the revolution's permanence and
credibility, and he strongly condemned all attempts aiming to differentiate the
pillars of the ruling system based on political affiliations.
Al-Khoury called on the American- Lebanese in particular to stop sending Fresh
Dollars to Lebanon because this would extend the life of the crisis, while
investment is required to rebuild the nation's economy. He Pointed out that
Lebanon is not currently on the US Foreign countries list of priorities, and
called on the US administration to stop awarding Lebanon as a consolation prize
to regional parties .
In conclusion, Al-Khoury suggested a list of definite priorities for helping
Lebanon to get out of its ongoing dire crisis:
* Weakening of Hezbollah, putting an end for the Iranian occupation of Lebanon
and forcing both of Hezbollah and Iran to pay compensations to Lebanon for the
losses they have inflicted on it.
* Preventing the pillars of the ruling system from participating in any
prospective solution while making room for the elites of thinkers and
philosophers to be in a leading role.
* Forcing the Lebanese banks to pay interest to depositors in return for their
deposited funds, pending the appropriate time to recover these funds. In this
regard, banks must liquidate their assets whose value exceeds people's deposits
by $100 billion, and return the deposits to their owners.
*Presenting statesmen, not just politicians, to take over the reins of power
after the liberation and rise of Lebanon.
*Encouraging the Lebanese expatriates to actively contribute in the advancement
of Lebanon, through investment, not donations.
Ministry of Health: 163 new infections, 4 deaths
NNA/June. 25/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced 163 new coronavirus infection cases,
which raises the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 544,165.
Four deaths have been recorded.
Pope to ROACO: I thank you for your efforts to support
Lebanon in this grave crisis
NNA/June. 25/2021
The 94th plenary session of the agencies connected to the Reunion of Aid
Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO) wrapped up their 4-day meeting on
Thursday with a papal audience. Speaking to participants, Pope Francis touched
on the major topics and issues upon which the organization focused its
attention. The Pope opened his speech expressing satisfaction that the plenary
session could be held in-person, rather than online as occurred in 2020 due to
the pandemic, saying it is more helpful for ROACO’s work. “We need to encounter
one another,” he said, “to share ideas in fruitful dialogue and to hear the
questions and the cries for help coming to us from so many parts of the world,
particularly from the Churches in the countries where you carry out your work.”
The Pope added that he recently experienced this fact first-hand as he traveled
to Iraq in early March. Pope Francis then turned his thoughts to Eritrea and
Lebanon, mentioning especially the pain caused by the Beirut port explosion on 4
August 2020, which left hundreds dead.“I thank you for your efforts to support
Lebanon in this grave crisis,” he said, “and I ask you to pray, and invite
others to pray, for our meeting on 1 July with the Heads of the Christian
Churches in Lebanon, that the Holy Spirit will enlighten and guide us.”—Vatican
News
President Aoun: Lebanese are looking forward to July 1
meeting at Vatican, appreciate role Pope plays in supporting Lebanon
NNA/June. 25/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that the “Lebanese are
looking forward with much hope to the meeting called by Pope Francis with the
Lebanese Christian spiritual leaders on the first of next July in the Vatican,
especially since Lebanon is living in difficult circumstances in which it needs
the support of brotherly and friendly countries, foremost of which is the
Vatican, given the great value it represents in the world and the role that Pope
Francis plays on multiple levels”.
The President’s positions came while meeting the Chargé d'Affairs of the Papal
Embassy in Lebanon, Monsignor Giuseppe Francone, today at Baabda Palace.
President Aoun handed Francone a written letter to Pope Francis thanking him for
his invitation to meet the heads of Lebanese Christian communities in the
Vatican on the first of next July.
In the letter, President Aoun also included a presentation of the current
Lebanese reality and his vision of the role of Lebanon and the Lebanese in their
surroundings and the world.
For his side, Monsignor Francone affirmed that Pope Francis pays special
attention to Lebanon, and that the upcoming meeting on July 1 will be an
opportunity to affirm the Holy See's stance towards Lebanon and the Lebanese.
Minister Akar:
President Aoun met Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Defense and
Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Zeina Akar, who briefed him on the difficulties facing
transportation between Lebanon and Syria.
Minister Akar also briefed the President on the meeting held at the Ministry of
National Defense in the presence of the Ministers of Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan
and Finance, Ghazi Wazny. The meeting was devoted to set tables of entitlements
belonging to guarantor bodies, including the National Social Security Fund.
The methods to address the issue of drug import were also discussed, in addition
to the meeting which will be held next week with the relevant ministers to
address this matter after collecting the necessary information and data.
MP Arslan:
The President received the Lebanese Democratic Party Chairman, MP Talal Arslan,
accompanied by Minister of Social Affairs Ramzi Musharrafieh and former Minister
Saleh Al-Gharib.
The meeting tackled current political and governmental developments.
Statement:
After the meeting, MP Arslan made the following statement to journalists:
“It is essential to visit His Excellency President General Michel Aoun,
especially in the difficult living, social, economic and financial conditions
that the country is going through, and from which the Lebanese people in all
categories, cities and villages suffer in a minimum standard of decent living,
and in approaching living, health, educational and humanitarian matters for all
people. All that in addition to the issue of diesel and gasoline and the queues
of cars at gas stations, and the absolute and rapid need to resolve this crisis
as soon as possible.
His Excellency the President yesterday took serious measures with the Prime
Minister to resolve this crisis between today and tomorrow, and he put us in an
atmosphere which indicated that things are heading to a resolution.
We also discussed the issue of the General Security Officer, Daoud Fayyad, who
is still unjustly detained in connection with the explosion of the Port of
Beirut, and he is an officer, according to the testimony of his chief, Major
General Abbas Ibrahim, who has performed all his professional duties, and Fayyad
is still detained to this day.
His Excellency the President put us in the atmosphere of injustice to which he
is subjected, and he promised to clarify this matter, so that we all know the
truth of what happened in the port of Beirut, and know the truth who is
responsible for this human crime. The crime of the age which ravaged Lebanon and
led to a national disaster and a major impact on Lebanon directly, as well as
all Lebanese families”.
Questions & Answers:
Asked about the atmosphere of the Khaldeh meeting tomorrow, Arslan replied:
“We briefed His Excellency on the meeting that will be held tomorrow in Khalde
at 6:00pm, and we are all welcome, open and supportive of dialogue between all
Lebanese groups, and within the Druze community.
There are numerous issues, problems, differences and discrepancies in the
internal Druze community which must be addressed in an open and positive spirit.
In addition, we informed the President that we are welcome, open and serious
about reaching radical solutions, especially since the Jabal region suffers, as
are all the Lebanese regions and categories of the Lebanese people, from real
living crises and economic-financial crises that should also be among the
priorities of the proposals tomorrow in Khalde, so that we all work to find
solutions, bringing a decent living fir people and supporting the citizens of
the mountain in this context.
His Excellency was encouraging, understanding and supportive of any meeting
which takes place to unite the views of the Lebanese in general, and us
together, in particular”. -- Presidency Press Office
Aoun looking forward with 'great hope' to Vatican meeting
The Daily Star/June. 25/2021
BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun said Friday the Lebanese are looking forward to
the meeting called for by Pope Francis with Lebanon’s Christian religious
leaders to address the country’s overlapping crises next week at the Vatican, a
statement from the president’s office said. "The Lebanese are looking forward to
the meeting with great hope," the statement quoted Aoun as telling Chargé
d'Affaires of the Pontifical Embassy Monsignor Giuseppe Francone during a
meeting at Baabda Palace. The president stressed the country’s need for the
support of the Vatican City State given the tough circumstances the country is
passing through and Pope Francis’ global influence. The president gave Francone
a letter to hand to the Pope in which he thanked him for his invitation to meet
with the heads of the religious leaders of the Christian communities at the
Vatican on July 1. Francone said that the Pope paid particular consideration to
Lebanon and his planned visit, of which no date has yet been specified, and
would be an opportunity to affirm the Holy See's ties with Lebanon and its
people. After the pope’s tour of Iraq in March and again at a meeting with Prime
minister-designate Saad Hariri at the Vatican, the pope confirmed his wish to
come to Lebanon. He described Lebanon as a “suffering” country and said that it
is imperative to visit Lebanon in light of the struggle its people are
undergoing. Due to Lebanon’s sectarian power sharing system the head of state
has to be a Christian, which means they have an enduring political role in the
country. Since late 2019, the country has been facing an economic crisis that
has left citizens struggling to afford everyday necessities which has
intensified following the government’s gradual lifting of subsidies.
Presidency Denies Report on Diab's 'Rejection' of Fuel Crisis Solution
Naharnet/June 25/2021
The Presidency’s press office on Thursday refuted a media report about caretaker
PM Hassan Diab’s stance on the solution that was reached at the Baabda meeting
for the fuel shortage crisis. “Cooperation between the President and PM Diab is
based on everything that can achieve the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese,
especially amid the difficult circumstances that Lebanon is going through,” the
press office said in a statement.
MTV had earlier reported that Aoun was dismayed after Diab “refrained” from
signing a decree for borrowing from the central bank in order to resolve the
fuel crisis.
The TV network added that the President held Diab responsible for “what will
happen on the streets.”In the evening, al-Jadeed TV reported that Diab had told
the conferees in Badbda that he would not sign the decree. "I will not sign and
I will remain consistent with my stance," al-Jadeed quoted Diab as telling the
officials, adding that the caretaker PM caved in and reversed his stance in the
evening. The TV network also said that Ghajar had tried to call Diab after the
meeting and that the caretaker PM "declined his call."
Paris to 'Act Together' with U.S. to Press Lebanese Officials
Agence France Presse/June 25/2021
France and the United States have agreed to act together to put pressure on
Lebanese officials responsible for the political and economic crisis gripping
the country, the French foreign minister said Friday. "We have decided to act
together to put pressure on those responsible. We know who they are," Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a news conference with U.S. counterpart Antony
Blinken in Paris.
"We need to see real leadership in Beirut," Blinken added.
Maenza from Bkerki affirms US still ready to support
Lebanon
NNA/June 25/2021
Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, on Friday welcomed in Bkerki
member of the “United States Commission on International Religious Freedom”,
Nadine Maenza, with whom he broached the multiple crises facing Lebanon, as well
as the role of the US and the international community supporting the country. In
the wake of the meeting, Maenza said that she had affirmed to the Maronite
Patriarch the US persistent will to support Lebanon. Regarding neutrality and
the International Conference in favor of Lebanon, she explained that the US
could help in this area through opening channels of dialogue. “I think
humanitarian aid is a necessity at this stage. The US will then endeavor to
ensure all that’s necessary for Lebanon to remain a country of coexistence,” she
added.
Diab Gives Extraordinary Approval for Importing Fuel at LBP 3,900
Naharnet/June 25/2021
Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Friday granted extraordinary approval
for a decision under which the central bank will subsidize fuel imports at a
rate of LBP 3,900 for the dollar instead of LBP 1,500, which will effectively
hike the prices of fuel in the market. Media reports had said that Diab had
shown reluctance to approve the move on Thursday, after the decision was taken
at a Baabda meeting chaired by President Michel Aoun. In a statement issued
Friday, Diab said his approval aims to “secure fuel for citizens for the three
coming months, especially that we are on the verge of a summer tourism season
that will lead to a surge in the foreign currencies that will enter Lebanon with
the arrival of expats and tourists.”He added that his approval comes after he
agreed with President Michel Aoun on a “new format.”The move is expected to ease
a major fuel shortage crisis that Lebanon witnessed in recent weeks.
Bassil Tells Safa He's Not Seeking 'Inter-Shiite Dispute'
Naharnet/June 25/2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil is not seeking an “inter-Shiite
dispute” between Hizbullah and the Amal Movement, a top Hizbullah official has
reportedly said.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan “Nasrallah's political aide, Husseen Khalil,
communicated Wednesday with Speaker Nabih Berri to brief him on the outcome of
Bassil’s meeting with (Hizbullah coordination official Wafiq) Safa,” al-Jadeed
TV reported Thursday evening. “Khalil relayed what Bassil emphasized, which is
that he is not targeting Speaker Berri nor seeking an inter-Shiite dispute but
rather only seeing that Berri has become a party in the governmental dispute and
is not taking the demands of the President’s camp into consideration,” the TV
network said. “After Khalil’s communication with Ain el-Tineh, Speaker Berri
accepted that Hizbullah continue its endeavor based on his initiative and in
order to consolidate its objectives,” al-Jadeed added. Bassil had on Sunday said
that Berri is not an “impartial mediator” in the cabinet formation process, days
after Nasrallah said that Hizbullah backs the Speaker’s initiative for resolving
the crisis. Nasrallah is scheduled to deliver a speech at 5:30 pm Friday
regarding the latest developments in the country.
Lebanon caretaker PM approves financing fuel imports at
weaker exchange rate
Reuters, Beirut/25 June ,2021
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister on Friday approved a proposal to finance fuel
imports at the rate of 3,900 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, instead of the
previous 1,500 pound rate, amidst worsening gasoline shortages. The weaker
exchange rate, which will effectively decrease the subsidy on fuel, is expected
to raise the price of gasoline for consumers but enable the government to supply
fuel for a longer period of time. Lebanon is in the throes of a financial crisis
described by the World Bank as one of the deepest depressions of modern history.
Fuel shortages in past weeks have forced motorists to queue for hours for
dribbles of gasoline. Lebanon’s subsidy program, introduced last year as the
country’s economic meltdown translated to harsher living conditions, covers
basic goods such as wheat, medicine and fuel and costs around $6 billion a year.
Half of that amount is spent on fuel. Lebanon’s central bank asked the
government on Thursday to provide it with a legal basis to lend it foreign
currency from its mandatory reserves to fund the subsidized fuel imports, an
indication that the bank has all but run out of reserves.Mandatory reserves -
hard currency deposits parked by local lenders at the central bank - represent a
percentage of customer deposits and are usually not drawn upon except in
exceptional circumstances, with the correct legal permission. Lebanon’s foreign
currency reserves stood at slightly more than $15 billion in March. The Central
Bank has not given an updated figure since then.
Hizbullah, FPM Meet to Rein in Social Media Wars
Naharnet/June 25/2021
Media officials from Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, in addition to
news directors and social media officers from both sides, held a coordinative
meeting Friday at the FPM’s headquarters in Sin el-Fil, a statement said. The
meeting was “very positive and it discussed means to boost media coordination
and cooperation in the coming period, especially amid the quantity of rumors
that are targeting the relation between the Mar Mikhail Understanding duo,” the
statement added, describing the “rumors” as “malicious” and having “known
objectives.” The two parties also agreed to “maintain communication, periodic
meetings and bilateral talks,” urging their members and supporters to “abide by
the highest levels of discipline, understanding and close ties” on social
networking websites. The meeting comes hours before a key speech by Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says logistics ready for Iranian fuel imports
Reuters/25 June ,2021
Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday repeated pledges to
import Iranian fuel should shortages across the country persist. Nasrallah, who
heads the Iranian-backed armed Lebanese group, said earlier in June Iran could
give fuel to Lebanon in local pounds, avoiding a foreign currency crunch. For
weeks worsening fuel shortages on the back of Lebanon’s deepening financial
crisis have forced motorists to queue for hours for very little gasoline. “I
want to stress that I promised and I’m still promising ... if we have to go to
Iran to get gasoline and fuel oil we will even if it causes a problem,”
Nasrallah said in a televised speech. Earlier on Friday caretaker prime minister
Hassan Diab approved a decision to import fuel at a weaker Lebanese pound to
dollar exchange rate, in effect decreasing the subsidy on gasoline. “Everything
is ready....all we need is permission to move,” Nasrallah said, adding that this
would not be done through the central bank in order to avoid sanctions.
Nasrallah: We consider army institution the real
guarantee for security stability in Lebanon
NNA/25 June ,2021
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on Friday pointed out in a
televised speech that “when the United States of America tries to justify the
reason for its logistical support for the Lebanese army, it says it is in order
to confront Hezbollah.” “We have always called for the strengthening of the
Lebanese army and demand that it will have real missile capabilities and air
defenses, and to be capable of defending Lebanon’s sovereignty, people, waters
and land in the face of Israeli threats,” Sayyid Nasrallah stressed. In his
speech, Nasrallah pointed out: “We sought some friendly countries, such as Iran,
to extend a helping hand to the Lebanese army, and a meeting was arranged for
the Lebanese Defense Minister in Iran, but political calculations prevented
that,” calling for supporting the army and backing it locally. “We regard the
Lebanese army institution as the real guarantee for security stability in
Lebanon,” Nasrallah underlined. Turning to the government dossier, Nasrallah
indicated that "some in Lebanon hold us and Iran responsible for the actual
disruption of the formation process to settle accounts and distort our image.
After Hariri’s resignation, we sought to secure consensus yet we did not
succeed, so we resorted to the ‘one-color’ government. We do not seek disruption
nor vacuum, and all these accusations are unfair, fraud and slander.”"We do not
await any outside help, and internal efforts must join together to come up with
an acceptable and effective government formula,” the Secretary General
maintained.
He continued: "I am the first to ask for the assistance of a friend to try to
resolve the government file, namely House Speaker Nabih Berri.. As such, we
reached an agreement on the number of government ministers, and it was agreed to
distribute the portfolios among the various parties."The Secretary General also
stressed that what Bassil has recently asked for has nothing to do with
authorization over Christian rights. Nasrallah indicated that Bassil did not
seek to create problems between Amal Movement and Hezbollah, but rather has
“asked for my help as a friend, as I had asked for Berri’s help as a friend, and
we will work to reach an acceptable formula for both the Prime Minister and the
President of the Republic.”Nasrallah went on to say that time is short and the
natural way to get out of the crisis is to form a government capable of
confronting all the problems of our people. "What we are witnessing on the issue
of gasoline, electricity, food and medicine should be a moral pressure on those
concerned to form a government." About importing gasoline and diesel from Iran,
he said: "It just needs permission to proceed. We have completed the
administrative and logistical preparations."He pointed out that the country is
heading towards lifting subsidies without any government decision, calling for
the formation of a committee from all the partners in the previous governments
to discuss rationalizing or lifting subsidy, because responsibility is
shouldered by everyone.
Nasrallah Says Fulfilling Bassil's Request on Govt. but Can’t be 'Referee'
Naharnet/June 25/2021
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday thanked Free Patriotic
Movement chief Jebran Bassil for the “confidence” that he placed in him in his
latest remarks, but he noted that he cannot act as a “referee” in the cabinet
formation process.
“We have started to fulfill the request of Minister Bassil,” said Nasrallah in
televised address dedicated to the domestic developments, referring to Bassil’s
request that he step in as a “friend” and “referee” to resolve the disagreements
related to the new cabinet.
“We have proposed new ideas that can satisfy President (Michel) Aoun and
PM-designate (Saad) Hariri,” Nasrallah added. “All efforts in the country must
come together to form a government and to pull the country out of this dilemma,”
he went on to say, reassuring that Hizbullah will “exert utmost effort regarding
the government's formation.”Noting that President Aoun should be a “partner” in the government's formation,
Nasrallah added that he agrees that no party should have a one-third-plus-one
share.
Also commenting on Bassil’s latest remarks, Nasrallah said being a “referee”
requires the “acceptance of both parties,” adding that this is not on the table
at the moment and that he does not intend to get involved in such a matter.
Commenting on remarks by some parties, Nasrallah said he did not “think for a
moment” that Bassil sought to drive a wedge between Hizbullah and the Amal
Movement in his latest speech.
“It is normal to seek the help of a friend,” he said, referring to Bassil’s
request.
“Minister Bassil did not say that he entrusts me with the rights of Christians,”
he added.
Also referring to remarks by Bassil, Nasrallah said: “We never called for
tripartite power-sharing and we never mentioned it. It was proposed to us but we
rejected it.”Separately, Nasrallah said that if the Lebanese state “fails to cover the fuel
shortage,” Hizbullah will “resort to Iran.”“We have accomplished all the
administrative and logistic preparations for importing gasoline and fuel from
Iran to Lebanon and this promise is still ongoing. The issue only requires a
movement permission,” he added.
As for the issue of the subsidization of essential goods, Nasrallah said “all
those who were in the previous governments must be part of a committee that
should be formed to discuss the issue of ending subsidization.”
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on June
25-26/2021
Bennett: Israel consulting allies on Iran, but we will protect ourselves
Jerusalem Post/June 25/2021
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the first time on Thursday publicly presented
the shift on Iran policy from the previous government, saying that Israel will
work closely with its allies on countering Tehran’s nuclear program, while
maintaining a credible military threat.
“We will continue to consult with our allies to convince, to talk, to share
information and understandings, through deep mutual respect,” Bennett said at
the graduation ceremony for new Israel Air Force pilots.
“But, in the end,” he added, “we will retain responsibility for our fate in our
own hands, and not in anyone else’s hands. We will behave responsibly and
seriously to protect the great legacy of which we are custodians.”Israel would prefer a world that understands that “this violent, fanatical
regime, that elected ‘the hangman of Tehran’ as its president, that is willing
to starve its nation for years in order to attain a military nuclear program, is
a regime with which one cannot do business,” Bennett said.
“Unfortunately, that is not the case.”Bennett said there will be no compromise
in protecting Israel’s security and ensuring its existence. The graduation
ceremony also commemorated 40 years since Operation Opera, when the IAF bombed
and destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor, and Bennett said that “the years have
passed and our enemies changed and developed. Then, it was Iraq, now it is
Iran.” “The other side’s level of sophistication and determination has advanced,
but our enemies know – not from declarations, but from actions – that we are
many times more determined, many times more sophisticated and do not hesitate to
act when necessary. Then, and now as well,” Bennett said. Earlier this week, a
drone attacked one of the buildings of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, a site
at which Iran manufactured centrifuges. Intelligence sources said the strike
caused major damage, but Iran claimed it had been foiled. The site was on a list
of targets Israel presented to the Trump administration last year, The New York
Times reported.
Bennett’s speech indicates a change from former prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s policies days after the end of a sixth round of indirect
negotiations in Vienna between the US and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear
deal.
While both oppose the Iran deal, Netanyahu refused to discuss it with US
President Joe Biden and his administration, preferring previous president Donald
Trump’s policy of heavy sanctions and not wanting to bind Israel or grant
legitimacy to any version of the Iran deal by consulting with the US on its
details.
Bennett, however, has responded to the likely scenario of an American return to
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by trying to cooperate with the Americans
to reduce the possible damage to Israel’s security.
The prime minister has allowed Israeli sanctions experts to go to Washington to
discuss which sanctions Israel thinks should be kept in place if the US returns
to the deal. Israeli experts are also expected to discuss with the Biden
administration enforcement mechanisms to restrict Iran’s nuclear program.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to meet with US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken in Rome on Sunday, and Iran is one of the items on the agenda. Lapid
will also become the first Israeli minister to make a state visit to the United
Arab Emirates on Tuesday; Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi share security concerns about
Tehran. Bennett’s speech can also be viewed as a response to comments by
Netanyahu on Monday, in which the opposition leader claimed that Lapid saying
that he and Blinken agreed to “no surprises” is a sign of weakness.Netanyahu argued that by not surprising the Americans, Bennett and Lapid are
tying Israel’s hands.“I never, ever, agreed to tell them about all our
operations, because it would invite pressure not to carry them out, or leaks to
the press that would prevent the operation and take away our freedom to act
against Iran on existential matters,” he said.
Iran deal return ‘very hard’ if talks drag on, warns
Blinken during France visit
AFP, Reuters, Paris/25 June ,2021
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday warned Iran that the United States
could eventually give up on rejoining a nuclear deal if talks in Vienna drag on.
“There will come a point, yes, where it will be very hard to return back to the
standards set by the JCPOA,” Blinken told reporters in Paris, referring to the
2015 nuclear accord from which former US president Donald Trump withdrew in
2018. All sides have been negotiating in Vienna for six weeks to find a way to
resume compliance, but a sixth round of indirect talks adjourned on Sunday with
key issues still unresolved
“We still have significant differences with Iran,” Blinken said, adding that he
hoped a resumption of talks in the coming days could resolve them. Blinken, who
said talks would not last indefinitely, said the immediate priority was to put
the nuclear deal “back in the box,” but that the United States and its partners
would also have the tools if a deal was agreed to handle Iran's regional and
missile activities.
Lack of interim pact with IAEA
The lack of an interim agreement between the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran on the
monitoring of atomic activities is a serious concern that has been communicated
to Tehran, Blinken said. Struck on February 21, the interim monitoring deal was
valid for three months, then extended by a month on May 24. The International
Atomic Energy Agency has said it expired on Thursday. It is in talks with Iran
on another extension. “This remains a serious concern,” Blinken told reporters
in Paris alongside his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. “The concern has
been communicated to Iran and needs to be resolved.” A spokesman for the IAEA
said that Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi would inform the IAEA Board of
Governors on the matter during the course of Friday. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves
Le Drian echoed those comments saying the ball was in the court of Iran's
decision makers and that the negotiations had now entered their toughest stage.
“We’re waiting for Iranian authorities to take the final difficult decisions to
allow for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal,” he said.
Iran says has no obligation to respond to IAEA request
on monitoring deal
Reuters/25 June ,2021
Iran has no obligation to respond to the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA's request
regarding an extension of a monitoring deal, the Iranian envoy to the body was
quoted as saying on Friday, after the agency's head said an immediate response
from Iran was needed.
Iran's ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog Kazem Gharibabadi “said that Iran
was not required to comply” to the IAEA head's request, the semi-official news
agency Tasnim reported.
No reply’ from Iran over expired nuclear inspections agreement: UN watchdog IAEA
Agencies, Vienna/25 June ,2021
The UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had received no reply from Tehran over
the possible extension of a temporary agreement covering inspections at Iranian
nuclear facilities which expired on Thursday. In a statement, the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that its director Rafael Grossi had written to
Iranian authorities about the matter on 17 June but that “Iran had not replied
to his letter or indicated whether it intends to maintain the current
arrangement.”The IAEA said an immediate response from Iran is needed on
monitoring the deal. The UN nuclear watchdog said it stressed the vital
importance of continuing necessary verification and monitoring activities in
Iran, including uninterrupted collection and storage of data by its equipment.
Read more: Iran deal return ‘very hard’ if talks drag on, warns Blinken during
France visit.
Biden meets Afghan leaders as US troops leave, fighting
rages
Reuters/25 June ,2021
US President Joe Biden meets Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former
political foe, Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday to discuss Washington’s support for
Afghanistan as the last US troops pack up after 20 years of war and government
forces struggle to repel Taliban advances. The Oval Office meeting may be as
valuable to Ghani for its symbolism as for any new US help because it will be
seen as affirming Biden’s support for the beleaguered Afghan leader as he
confronts Taliban gains, bombings and assassinations, a surge in COVID-19 cases
and political infighting in Kabul. “At a time when morale is incredibly shaky
and things are going downhill, anything one can do to help shore up morale and
shore up the government is worth doing,” said Ronald Neumann, a former US
ambassador to Kabul. “Inviting Ghani here is a pretty strong sign that we’re
backing him.”Biden’s embrace, however, comes only months after US officials were
pressuring Ghani to step aside for a transitional government under a draft
political accord that they floated in a failed gambit to break a stalemate in
peace talks. Biden’s first meeting as president with Ghani and Abdullah,
chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, will focus on “our
ongoing commitment to the Afghan people” and security forces, said White House
deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden has asked Congress to approve
$3.3 billion in security assistance for Afghanistan next year and is sending 3
million doses of vaccines there to help it battle COVID-19.
Biden will urge Ghani and Abdullah, foes in Afghanistan’s two last presidential
elections, “to be a united front” and he will reaffirm US support for a
negotiated peace deal, Jean-Pierre said. US officials, however, have been clear
that Biden will not halt the American pullout – likely to be completed by late
July or early August – and he is unlikely to approve any US military support to
Kabul to halt the Taliban’s advances beyond advice, intelligence, and aircraft
maintenance. Before heading to the White House, Ghani held a second day of
meetings on Friday on Capitol Hill, where Biden’s withdrawal decision met
objections from many members of both parties. US House of Representatives
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, welcoming Ghani to a bipartisan leadership meeting, said
she looked forward to hearing about what more can be done with US humanitarian
aid, especially for women and girls. Many lawmakers and experts have expressed
deep concerns that the Taliban - if returned to power - will reverse progress
made on the rights of women and girls, who were harshly repressed and barred
from education and work during the insurgents’ 1996-2001 rule.
Worries about al Qaeda
The Ghani-Abdullah visit comes with the peace process stalled and violence
raging as Afghan security forces fight to stem a Taliban spring offensive that
threatens several provincial capitals and has triggered mobilizations of ethnic
militias to reinforce government troops. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
speaking during a visit on Friday to Paris, said Washington is “looking very
hard” at whether the Taliban are “serious about a peaceful resolution to the
conflict.”The crisis has fueled grave concerns that the Taliban could regain
power - two decades after the US-led invasion ended their harsh version of
Islamist rule – allowing a resurgence of al Qaeda. US and UN officials say the
extremists maintain close links with the Taliban. “The Pentagon and the
intelligence community are saying it is very likely that al Qaeda will come
roaring back. It is very likely that our soldiers and our troops may have to go
back into Afghanistan,” said US Representative Mike Waltz, a former Army officer
who commanded US Special Forces in Afghanistan. US officials respond that the
United States will be able to detect and thwart any new threats by al Qaeda or
other Islamists. The Taliban insist al Qaeda is no longer in Afghanistan. US
government sources familiar with US intelligence reporting describe the
situation as dire. Ghani, they said, has been urged to do more to step up
pressure on the insurgents while US-led coalition forces are still there. Biden,
who pledged to end America’s “forever wars,” announced in April that all US
forces would be out of Afghanistan by the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks by al Qaeda on the United States. He made the decision even though a
2020 US-Taliban deal forged under former President Donald Trump set May 1 as the
US pullout deadline.
US to keep 650 troops in Afghanistan after withdrawal
The Associated Press, Washington/25 June ,2021
Roughly 650 US troops are expected to remain in Afghanistan to provide security
for diplomats after the main American military force completes its withdrawal,
which is set to be largely done in the next two weeks, US officials told The
Associated Press.
In addition, several hundred additional American forces will remain at the Kabul
airport, potentially until September, to assist Turkish troops providing
security, as a temporary move until a more formal Turkey-led security operation
is in place, the officials said Thursday. Overall, officials said the US expects
to have American and coalition military command, its leadership and most troops
out by July Fourth, or shortly after that, meeting an aspirational deadline that
commanders developed months ago. The officials were not authorized to discuss
details of the withdrawal and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The departure of the bulk of the more than 4,000 troops that have been in the
country in recent months is unfolding well before President Joe Biden’s Sept. 11
deadline for withdrawal. And it comes amid accelerating Taliban battlefield
gains, fueling fears that the Afghan government and its military could collapse
in a matter of months.Officials have repeatedly stressed that security at the
Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is a critical requirement to keeping
any US diplomatic staff in Afghanistan. Still, the decision to keep additional
troops there for several more months makes it more complicated for the Biden
administration to declare a true end to America’s longest war until later this
fall. And it keeps the embattled country near the forefront of US national
security challenges, even as the White House tries to put the 20-year-old war
behind it and focus more on threats from China and Russia.
In a statement Thursday night, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that as
Biden has ordered, the US will complete the withdrawal by early September.
“Nothing has changed about that goal.” Kirby said. “The situation is dynamic,
and we review our progress daily. Speculation by unnamed sources about potential
changes to that timeline should not be construed as predictive.”On Friday,
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of the High Council
for National Reconciliation, are meeting with Biden at the White House. The two
Afghan leaders also are to meet at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin and possibly other administration officials, the Pentagon announced.
Getting most troops out by early July had been in doubt because of complications
including an outbreak of COVID-19 at the US Embassy and the push to get Afghan
interpreters and others who helped the US out of the country. Officials said US
commanders and NATO allies in Afghanistan have been able to overcome logistical
hurdles that might have prolonged the withdrawal process. But they also warned
that plans in place for the final stages of the US military withdrawal could
change if airport security agreements fall through or there are other major,
unforeseen developments.
As recently as last week, there was discussion of possibly extending the US
troop presence at Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, but officials said the US
presence at the base is expected to end in the next several days.
The roughly 650 US troops that are planned to be a more permanent force presence
in Afghanistan will provide security for the US Embassy and some ongoing support
at the airport. Officials said the US has agreed to leave a C-RAM — or
Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar system — at the airport, as well as troops to
operate it, as part of an agreement with Turkey. The US also plans to leave
aircrew for helicopter support at the airport. According to the officials,
Turkey has largely agreed to provide security at the airport as long as it
receives support from American forces. US and Turkish military officials are
meeting in Ankara this week to finalize arrangements. On Wednesday, Army Gen.
Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there is not yet a
written agreement with Turks on airport security. He said he did not want to
speak about specifics before there is a final agreement, but added, “I feel very
comfortable that security at the Kabul airport will be maintained and the Turks
will be a part of that.”The US troop departure, which began with Biden’s
announcement in April that he was ending US military involvement in Afghanistan,
is ramping up just as the administration moves ahead with plans to evacuate tens
of thousands of interpreters and others who worked with American forces during
the war and now fear for their safety.
A senior administration official said Thursday that planning has accelerated in
recent days to relocate the Afghans and their families to other countries or US
territories while their visa applications are processed. The official spoke on
the condition of anonymity to discuss unannounced plans. The administration
intends to carry out the evacuation later this summer, likely in August,
according to a second official familiar with the deliberations but not
authorized to discuss them publicly. The Pentagon has said the military is
prepared to assist the State Department as needed but indicated that charter
flights might be adequate to move the Afghan visa applicants, thus not
necessarily requiring a military airlift. Officials said that NATO allies, such
as Germany, are also very close to being completely out of the country. Senior
Pentagon leaders, including Austin, have been cautious in recent weeks when
asked about the troop withdrawal, and they have declined to provide any public
details on when the last troops would leave, citing security concerns.
Russia launches Mediterranean drills amid tensions with
Britain in Black Sea
The Associated Press, Moscow/25 June ,2021
The Russian military on Friday launched sweeping maneuvers in the Mediterranean
Sea featuring warplanes capable of carrying hypersonic missiles, a show of force
amid a surge in tensions following an incident with a British destroyer in the
Black Sea. Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane
dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender on Wednesday to force
her out of an area near Crimea that Russia claims as its territorial waters.
Britain denied that account, insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon and said she
was sailing in Ukrainian waters. The Russian drills that began on Friday in the
eastern Mediterranean come as a British carrier strike group is in the area.
Earlier this week, British and US F-35 fighters from HMS Queen Elizabeth flew
combat sorties against the ISIS group. Russia has waged a military campaign in
Syria since September 2015, allowing Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government
to reclaim control over most of the country after a devastating civil war. The
Russian Defense Ministry said that a pair of MiG-31 fighter jets capable of
carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles arrived at the Russian airbase in Syria for
the exercise. The Hemeimeem airbase, in the coastal province of Latakia, serves
as the main hub for Moscow’s operations in the country. It's the first time the
warplanes capable of carrying Kinzhal have been deployed outside Russia's
borders. The military says the Kinzhal flies at 10 times the speed of sound and
has a range of up to 2000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles).
The Defense Ministry said the maneuvers in the eastern Mediterranean involve
several warships, two submarines and long-range Tu-22M3 bombers along with other
combat aircraft. The supersonic, nuclear-capable Tu-22M3s were first deployed to
Syria last month in a demonstration of an increased Russian military foothold in
the Mediterranean.
The Russian military has modernized the runway at Hemeimeem to accommodate heavy
bombers and built a second one to expand the operations there. Russia also has
expanded and modified a naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus, the only such
facility that Russia currently has outside the former Soviet Union.
The Russian military has increased the number and scope of its drills amid a
bitter strain in relations with the West, which have sunk to post-Cold War lows
after Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. As part of
President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to beef up Russia’s military, the Russian
navy in recent years has revived the Soviet-era practice of constantly rotating
its warships in the Mediterranean. Speaking to reporters Sunday aboard HMS Queen
Elizabeth, Commodore Steve Moorhouse said the eastern Mediterranean has become
more “congested and contested” with the heavier Russian military presence in
Syria, resulting in regular encounters with Russian ships and warplanes. He
noted that a Russian warship has come within 10 kilometers (16 miles) of the
carrier.
Palestinians protest against President Abbas after
activist Banat’s death
The Associated Press, Jerusalem/25 June ,2021
Hundreds of Palestinians protested against President Mahmoud Abbas after Friday
prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem a day after an outspoken critic died
in the custody of Palestinian security forces. Nizar Banat had harshly
criticized the Palestinian Authority over its corruption and misrule in a series
of Facebook videos. His family says security forces raided the home where he was
staying early Thursday and beat him with batons before dragging him away.
Palestinians also chanted against the PA at his funeral in Hebron, in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, and masked gunmen fired shots into the air.
Calls had circulated for protests across the territory. Late Thursday,
demonstrators burned tires, blocked roads and clashed with riot police in the
West Bank city of Ramallah, where the PA is headquartered. The Palestinian
Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank under agreements reached
with Israel in the 1990s, faces a major crisis of legitimacy after Abbas called
off the first elections in 15 years in April. Abbas was sidelined during last
month’s Gaza war and his popularity has plummeted as support for Gaza’s militant
Hamas rulers has grown.
His forces coordinate security with Israeli troops, targeting Hamas and other
armed groups that threaten both. The policy is deeply unpopular with
Palestinians, many of whom view it as collaboration with an occupying power.
“From the police to the president, the whole authority are collaborators,” a
crowd of around 250 protesters chanted at Al-Aqsa after Friday prayers, as
thousands of worshippers looked on. The hilltop compound is the third holiest
site in Islam and a potent symbol of the Palestinian cause. It is also the
holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the
location of the biblical temples. It has long been the scene of
Israeli-Palestinian violence, including in the runup to the Gaza war. The US
State Department and the European Union’s representative to the Palestinians
each called for an investigation into Banat’s death and expressed concerns about
the PA’s restrictions on freedom of expression and harassment of activists. The
PA said it has formed a high-level committee to investigate Banat’s death. The
EU has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian
Authority over the years, and the US and other nations have trained and equipped
its security forces. The PA is seen internationally as a key partner in efforts
to revive the Middle East peace process, which ground to a halt more than a
decade ago.
Brutal' Third Wave Hits Africa as Vaccination Slows
Agence France Presse/June 25/2021
Africa is facing a vicious coronavirus resurgence, with unprecedented hospital
admissions and fatalities pushing health facilities to the brink as the
continent falls far behind in the global vaccination drive. With just under 5.3
million reported cases and around 139,000 deaths among its nearly 1.3 billion
people, Africa is still the world's least-affected continent after Oceania,
according to an AFP tally. So far African nations have been spared disasters
comparable to Brazil or India. But the pandemic is resurging at an alarming rate
in at least 12 countries, with continental cases expected to hit a record peak
in around three weeks. "The third wave is picking up speed, spreading faster,
hitting harder," World Health Organization Africa director Matshidiso Moeti
warned Thursday. "The latest surge threatens to be Africa's worst yet". Africa
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) director John Nkengasong
on Thursday described the third wave as "extremely brutal" and "very
devastating." And Liberia's President George Weah has warned the wave is "far
more alarming than a year ago" as hospitals overflow in his country. Compounding
Africa's third wave are immunization hitches, the spread of more transmissible
virus variants and winter temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere. The Delta
variant, first detected in India, has so far been reported in 14 African
countries, making up the bulk of new cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo
and Uganda, according to the WHO. Doctors in South Africa, which accounts for
more than 35 percent of all cases recorded on the continent, are struggling with
an unprecedented influx of patients. Unlike past waves, this time "the hospital
system is not coping," said doctors' association chief Angelique Coetzee. South
Africa's average new daily infections have increased 15-fold since early April,
with hospital admissions rising around 60 percent.
'Unprecedented' deaths in Zambia
Namibia and Zambia are also seeing steep infection curves. Zambia's health
ministry has reported an "unprecedented" number of Covid-19 deaths piling
pressure on mortuaries while Africa CDC said the country was "overwhelmed". With
similar trends in Uganda, Health Minister Jane Ruth Acheng blamed highly
infectious variants for the new spread, "different from the second wave" with a
large number of young people hospitalized. Uganda is one of the countries facing
reported oxygen shortages, although Acheng denied civil society groups' claim
that the shortfall amounts to 24.5 million liters per day.
Governments are again tightening restrictions, including a new nationwide
lockdown in Uganda and a tougher curfew in 13 Kenyan counties. At the same time
the pace of vaccinations is struggling to get off the ground. According to the
WHO, about one percent of the continent's population is fully vaccinated -- the
lowest ratio globally -- and 90 percent of African nations will miss a target to
inoculate a tenth of their populations by September. "We are running a race
behind time, the pandemic is ahead of us. We are not winning in Africa this
battle against the virus," said Africa CDC's Nkengasong.
"It's frightening what is going on on the continent," he added. A recent pledge
by Western leaders to donate one billion vaccine doses to poorer countries has
been widely criticized for being too slow. Cases are "outpacing vaccinations",
Moeti said. "Africa urgently needs a million more vaccines. We need a sprint".
'Waiting to die'
Several countries have failed to administer jabs from the U.N.-backed Covax
scheme before their use-by date because of logistical failures and vaccine
hesitancy. Malawi destroyed almost 20,000 expired AstraZeneca doses in May,
while the DRC and South Sudan have returned more than two million shots to the
UN to avoid a similar scenario. Authorities in Congo-Brazzaville are concerned
over the slow take-up of almost 100,000 Chinese-made vaccines expiring in July.
A surge in coronavirus cases in India, the world's main AstraZeneca supplier,
has delayed Covax deliveries to Africa. Malawi exhausted its stocks last week,
just as thousands were due for their second shot. And hundreds of frustrated
Zimbabweans protested last month after Harare's main vaccination center ran out
of jabs. South Africa says it has secured enough Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer/BioNTech
vaccines to immunize 67 percent of its 59 million inhabitants. But the rollout
has been hit by setbacks and only 2.2 million people -- healthcare workers and
over 60s -- have received a jab so far. "The lack of vaccines in a region with
high levels of poverty and inequality means many people feel they are just
waiting to die," said Amnesty International's regional director Deprose Muchena.
EU Leaders Reject Push for Putin Summit
Agence France Presse/June 25/2021
European Union leaders have rejected a push from Germany and France to restart
meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel
said Friday. "It was not possible to agree today that we should meet immediately
at the top level," Merkel said after talks between the bloc's leaders at an EU
summit in Brussels. Merkel said that leaders had agreed to maintain and develop
a "dialogue format" with Russia. "I would have liked to see a bolder step here,
but it is also good this way and we will continue to work on it," she said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said "there will be no meetings at the
European Union leaders' level with Russia.""We see that the situation of our
relations with Russia is deteriorating and we see new aggressive forms in
behavior of Russia," he said. Berlin and Paris had blindsided their EU
counterparts by putting forward a last-minute proposal for the bloc to resume
meetings with Putin in the wake of US President Joe Biden's sit-down with him in
Geneva last week. There was opposition from numerous member states -- especially
in eastern Europe -- who remain deeply wary of rewarding the Kremlin with talks
before it changes course. Moscow said Thursday that Putin was a "supporter" of
the proposal, which would have potentially revived a regular fixture frozen in
2014 after the takeover of Crimea by Russia. The last summit between EU chiefs
and Putin took place in early 2014, but the Kremlin strongman has always
preferred to deal bilaterally with individual nations. The EU is looking to
revamp its strategy on keeping its vast eastern neighbor in check as Brussels
admits that relations with the Kremlin look set to deteriorate further despite
having already reached their "lowest level".Moscow has been at loggerheads with
a number of Western capitals recently after a Russian troop build-up on
Ukraine's borders and a series of espionage scandals that have resulted in
diplomatic expulsions.
Canada/Minister Garneau announces Special Envoy Dion
mission to support Armenian democracy
June 25, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that
the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Ambassador to Germany and Special Envoy to the
European Union and Europe, will undertake a mission to explore options for
Canada to better support Armenian democracy.
Building on the joint work of recent years and long-standing people-to-people
ties between our countries, Canada is committed to cooperating with Armenia to
further its democratic progress, which is of critical importance not only for
Armenian society but for the region.
Special Envoy Dion will examine options as to how Canada can encourage the
ongoing efforts of Armenian civil society, strengthen democratic institutions,
grow Armenia’s engagement with multilateral institutions, and promote inclusive
economic growth. The goal is that as a result of this mission, the support of
Canadian society for the benefit of Armenian democracy is durably consolidated.
His work will take several months and will include virtual consultations with a
range of stakeholders in Canada and partners in Armenia. COVID-19 travel
permitting, he will also travel to Armenia to meet with senior members of
Armenia’s government and key departments, as well as with partner embassies,
civil society groups, international organizations, private sector
representatives and local media. He will also meet with Members of Parliament
and civil servants involved with the Canadian-funded Parliamentary Centre
project.
This mission underscores the importance Canada attaches to the success of
Armenian democracy. The Special Envoy will report his findings to Minister
Garneau following the mission. This will include recommendations to guide
Canada’s future engagement with Armenia toward further realizing its democratic
ambitions.
Quotes
“A strong democracy in Armenia is one of the building blocks for stability in
the region. Special Envoy Dion has always shown a great interest in the
democratic success of Armenia, and his profound grasp of democratic development
will ensure that he will serve Canadians well in this mission.”
- Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
Diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Armenia were formally
established in 1992.
Canada is host to a vibrant and engaged Armenian community of over 60,000.
Associated links
Special Envoy Dion’s biography
Canada-Armenia relations
Press Release By The Foreign Affairs of Canada/Venezuela:
Joint Statement by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy, the Secretary of State of the United States of America and the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Canada
June 25, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The following statement was released by the EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, United States Secretary of State
Antony J. Blinken, and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau.
“We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis in Venezuela and its
regional and global impact.
“The peaceful solution to that deep political, social and economic crisis has to
come from the Venezuelan people themselves through Venezuelan-led, comprehensive
negotiations with participation from all stakeholders. A time-bound and
comprehensive negotiation process should restore the country’s institutions and
allow for all Venezuelans to express themselves politically through credible,
inclusive and transparent local, parliamentary, and presidential elections.
“We call for the unconditional release of all those unjustly detained for
political reasons, the independence of political parties, freedom of expression
including for members of the press, and an end to human rights abuses.
“We welcome substantive, credible advancements to restore core democratic
processes and institutions in Venezuela and are willing to review sanctions
policies based on meaningful progress in a comprehensive negotiation.
“We call for electoral conditions that abide by international standards for
democracy beginning with the local and regional elections scheduled for November
2021.
“We remain committed to addressing the dire humanitarian crisis inside Venezuela
and welcome further agreement among all political actors in Venezuela to allow
for unfettered access to humanitarian assistance, to include food, medicine, and
critical COVID-19 relief supplies.”
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June
25-26/2021
Audio Video From FDD addressing the "Raisi
Rising"
Clifford D. May/Reuel Marc Gerecht/Behnam Ben Taleblu/Ray Takeyh/June 25/2021
فيديو حلقة نقاش وتحليل من موقع مؤسسة الدفاع عن الديموقراطية عنوانها: صعود الرئيس
الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي"
https://www.fdd.org/podcasts/2021/06/21/raisi-rising/
About
An election – of sorts – was held in the Islamic Republic of Iran last week. The
victor: Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline theocrat who has been sanctioned by the US for
his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners.
Voter turnout was reportedly low.
To discuss these developments, and how the Biden administration – among others –
may respond, host Cliff May is joined by Ray Takeyh, formerly a senior advisor
on Iran at the Department of State, currently a senior fellow at the Council on
Foreign Relations; Reuel Marc Gerecht, formerly a Middle Eastern specialist at
the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, currently a senior fellow at FDD; and
Benham Ben Taleblu, also a senior fellow at FDD where he focuses on Iranian
security and political issues.
New Research Shows Extent of China’s Cover-Up of COVID-19’s Origins
Anthony Ruggiero/FDD/June 25/2021
An American research scientist reported on Tuesday that Chinese researchers
deleted genetic sequencing data for COVID-19 samples from a U.S. National
Institutes of Health (NIH) database. The deletions highlight the extent of
China’s efforts to stymie research into the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jesse Bloom, a virologist from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in
Seattle, posted his findings this week on a public server for preprints, or
scientific papers awaiting peer review. Bloom discovered that a data set
containing SARS-COV-2 genetic sequences from early in the Wuhan outbreak was
deleted from the NIH’s Sequence Read Archive, a permanent archive of sequencing
data. While the data is no longer available in the NIH database, Bloom was able
to reconstruct partial sequences from deleted files still available in Google
Cloud.
The NIH issued a statement explaining that Chinese researchers submitted the
data in March 2020 and asked for the deletion in June 2020 because the sequences
had been updated and would be submitted to an unspecified database. “Submitting
investigators hold the rights to their data and can request withdrawal of the
data,” NIH explained. Bloom noted on Twitter that the sequences are not included
in China’s own sequence database.
It is unclear if Bloom’s research will provide insight into whether the virus
spread because of human contact with an infected animal or from a lab accident.
Bloom argues that the deleted sequences show that samples from patients linked
to the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan are not representative of early cases of
the virus.
Bloom notes that there “is no scientific reason for the deletion” of the NIH
data set, and it “therefore seems likely the sequences were deleted to obscure
their existence” as part of an effort by Beijing to limit evidence of the early
spread of the pandemic — evidence essential to understanding its origins.
President Joe Biden said following the G7 summit that Beijing has not allowed
access to Chinese laboratories to assist with the COVID-19 origins
investigation. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan highlighted the
importance of additional data to understanding the origins of COVID-19.
Accordingly, the G7 countries “pledged that they would have their national
systems try to share analysis and information … both with [the] international
investigation and with each other,” Sullivan said. He noted that China — which
is not part of the G7 — has withheld “original data” from the World Health
Organization (WHO).
In light of Bloom’s findings, the Biden administration should swiftly order an
investigation to determine whether additional content was removed from the NIH
database and whether the agency followed all appropriate procedures.
Bloom’s research also shows that Beijing does not control all of the scientific
data related to COVID-19’s origins, so there may be creative ways to circumvent
Chinese interference.
Some information is already available about what Beijing is hiding. The March
2021 WHO-China joint report on the pandemic’s origins noted that China is not
providing access to more than 76,000 records from patients who had illnesses
similar to COVID-19 in the earliest phase of the pandemic. Likewise, Beijing has
not allowed sampling of blood donations from that period, which could help
determine whether the virus was circulating in the fall of 2019.
The State Department also issued a fact sheet just before Biden took office,
explaining that Wuhan Institute of Virology researchers were sick with seasonal
illnesses or COVID-19 in autumn 2019. That information has not been disputed by
the Biden administration.
So far, the administration has not explained how it will increase the pressure
on China to share the critical scientific data Beijing is now withholding. But
the recovery of deleted records from the NIH database shows there may be
information beyond the reach of the Chinese Communist Party that could help
pinpoint the origins of the pandemic.
*Anthony Ruggiero is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), where he contributes to FDD’s China Program and International
Organizations Program. He previously served in the U.S. government for more than
19 years, most recently as senior director for counterproliferation and
biodefense at the National Security Council. For more analysis from Anthony, the
China Program, and the International Organizations Program, please subscribe
HERE. Follow Anthony on Twitter @NatSecAnthony. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD. FDD
is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national
security and foreign policy.
Biden Admin Walks Back U.S. Recognition of Golan Heights as
Israeli Territory
Adam Kredo/Washington Free Beacon/June 25/2021
State Department pushes back on signature Trump admin foreign policy decision
The Biden administration is walking back the United States' historic recognition
of Israeli sovereignty over the contested Golan Heights region along Israel's
northern border, a significant blow to the Jewish state and one of the Trump
administration's signature foreign policy decisions.
The Trump administration declared the territory—seized by Israel from Syria in
1967 and later annexed by the country—to be wholly part of the Jewish state in
2019. Then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo took a trip to the area in 2020 and
reaffirmed that America formally abandoned a decades-long policy of considering
the area occupied.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken first raised questions about the Biden
administration's view on the matter in February, when he would not say if his
State Department continues to abide by the former administration's decision. At
the time, Blinken would only say the Golan Heights "remains of real importance
to Israel's security," but that its formal status remains unclear. Pressed on
the issue by the Washington Free Beacon, a State Department official said the
territory belongs to no one and control could change depending on the region's
ever-shifting dynamics.
The shift in policy is already causing outrage among Republican lawmakers who
backed the Trump administration's decision and hoped to see it continue. It is
also likely to rankle Israeli leaders of all political stripes, the plurality of
whom say the Golan Heights is absolutely vital to Israel's security in light of
persistent threats from the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon and
other militant forces stationed in war-torn Syria.
"The secretary was clear that, as a practical matter, the Golan is very
important to Israel's security," a State Department official told the Free
Beacon. "As long as [Bashar al-Assad] is in power in Syria, as long as Iran is
present in Syria, militia groups backed by Iran, the Assad regime itself—all of
these pose a significant security threat to Israel, and as a practical matter,
the control of the Golan remains of real importance to Israel's security."
Recognizing Israel's control as a "practical matter," however, falls far short
of the formal policy change ordered by the Trump administration, which became
the first government to recognize Israel's complete control over the territory.
As it stands now, U.S. policy on the matter is unclear, at best.
Pompeo, who was central to formulating and advancing the Trump administration's
decision on the Golan Heights, told the Free Beacon that the current
administration is jeopardizing Israel's security at a time when Iran-backed
militants continue to plot attacks on the country's northern cities.
"The Golan Heights are not occupied by Israel, they are a part of it. The
Israelis have a right to it as sovereign land," Pompeo told the Free Beacon. "To
suggest that these lands should be returned to Syria, even if conditioned on
changes in the Syrian regime, is inconsistent with both Israeli security and the
international law."
The State Department's "suggestion that if Assad falls and the Iranians leave
Syria, the Golan Heights should be given to Syria misreads history and misreads
the eternal security needs of the state of Israel," Pompeo said.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.), who introduced a bill earlier this year to lock
in the U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, told the
Free Beacon that it is now incumbent on GOP leaders in Congress to stop the
Biden administration from reversing the recognition.
"These comments [from the State Department] should serve as a call to action,"
Gallagher said. "It's time to pass legislation I've introduced with Senator
[Ted] Cruz [(R., Texas)] that ensures that the U.S. will continue to recognize
Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, regardless of who is in the White
House."
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.), who pressed United Nations Ambassador Linda
Thomas-Greenfield on the Golan issue during a congressional hearing on June 16,
said the Biden administration is being intentionally vague about its policy,
generating pressing questions on the international stage.
"I pressed UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a House Foreign Affairs
Committee hearing about the administration’s position on recognizing Israeli
sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and she acknowledged that the Trump
administration policy recognizing Israeli sovereignty is unchanged as of now,"
Zeldin said after reviewing the State Department's most recent comments on the
matter. "However, Secretary Blinken and the Biden Administration need to stop
beating around the bush, and unambiguously commit to maintain recognition of
Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights permanently."
Former U.S. diplomats who worked on the Golan Heights issue also expressed
concern over the Biden administration's comments to the Free Beacon. David
Milstein, former special assistant to the U.S. ambassador to Israel under Trump,
said walking back U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the area signals
"an unconscionable betrayal of our close ally Israel."
"Our allies depend upon the United States keeping its commitments," Milstein
told the Free Beacon. "But now Secretary Blinken has re-injected the dangerous
and delusional idea the U.S. could support pressuring Israel to give up the
Golan Heights in the future."
"In one of the most dangerous regions that can go from bad to worse in an
instant, the Golan Heights is crucial for Israel's security, providing a
strategically necessary defensible border to help Israel counter threats to its
north," Milstein said. "This is why there is clear support across Israel's
political spectrum for Israel forever maintaining sovereignty over the Golan
Heights."
How China Sees It
Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute/June 25/2021
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has much to lose, both domestically and
internationally, if the truth comes out. A muddled debate about the origins of
the virus serves China just fine. Evading accountability -- and suffering no
little negative fallout -- for unleashing a pandemic on the world that killed
millions of people is not a bad outcome. And the economic results may even be
better for China than for the rest of the world, thereby strengthening the CCP
further.
And now, in response to China's obfuscation, the international community seems
unable to go beyond the empty threat of calling for the World Health
Organization (WHO) to follow up its original investigation, which was abysmal,
with another probe.
For the West to maintain the WHO as the agency of record is embarrassing. It was
a puppet of China the first time around and will be again.
China has been soundly condemned by the U.S. and others for practicing genocide
against the Uyghurs. No consequences. China has been cheating ever since it was
invited to join the World Trade Organization in 2001. No consequences. See a
pattern? If you don't, you can bet that the Chinese do. They expect that
spreading misinformation and hiding the facts about the pandemic will lead to
the same fate, no consequences.
From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, China has been totally uncooperative.
It has evaded accountability and responsibility for its actions. It has gone
beyond just hiding the facts and conducted a massive disinformation campaign.
This strategy has been successful. Pictured: China's President Xi Jinping.
It seems that the European Union and the United States are now calling for a
renewed investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. They are "urging"
China to cooperate fully and provide "complete access." Them's fightin' words!
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must be quaking in its boots -- especially
after President Joe Biden's national security advisor stated that the
consequences of not cooperating would be international "isolation." This
half-hearted approach will not get the job done. It's long past the time to get
serious with China, and we all know it.
Why will this "powerful" unified initiative by the U.S. and its allies fail?
From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, China has been totally uncooperative.
It has evaded accountability and responsibility for its actions. It has gone
beyond just hiding the facts and conducted a massive disinformation campaign.
This strategy has been successful. Regardless of increasing doubts about the
origin of the virus, there is no reason for China to change its cover-up
strategy and reverse course. Why mess with success?
In fact, China has prepared for the day when it might come under more pressure
and scrutiny. By April 2020, reports forwarded to me from European sources
indicated that the Chinese intelligence apparatus had already successfully
purged all traces of evidence of the Wuhan Institute of Virology's connection to
a bio-weapons division operating at the facility. It had also eliminated any
evidence about its connections to the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Information that the virus was a result of a lab leak had been eliminated.
Not only has China been deceitful, it has also been operating a massive global
disinformation/influence operation. Beginning in roughly March 2020, sources
indicated that the Chinese Communist Party had organized an operation of more
than 2,000 people with at least $3 billion in financing to control the
narrative. Key messaging included ensuring that the theory that the virus had
developed naturally would prevail, and that the lab leak theory would be totally
debunked. A second primary message was that China had effectively controlled the
virus inside of China and was a leading player in minimizing the impact
globally. Finally, it sought to portray the U.S. -- and especially President
Donald Trump -- as bumbling and ineffectual in responding to the threat.
None of this should surprise us. The CCP has much to lose, both domestically and
internationally, if the truth comes out. A muddled debate about the origins of
the virus serves China just fine. Evading accountability -- and suffering no
little negative fallout -- for unleashing a pandemic on the world that killed
millions of people is not a bad outcome. And the economic results may even be
better for China than for the rest of the world, thereby strengthening the CCP
further.
And now, in response to China's obfuscation, the international community seems
unable to go beyond the empty threat of calling for the World Health
Organization (WHO) to follow up its original investigation, which was abysmal,
with another probe. For the West to maintain the WHO as the agency of record is
embarrassing. It was a puppet of China the first time around and will be again.
On June 20, President Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan,
indicated that if the CCP doesn't fully cooperate they'll see real consequences,
like maybe they'll be isolated. Remember that China has been soundly condemned
by the U.S. and others for practicing genocide against the Uyghurs. No
consequences. China has been cheating ever since it was invited to join the
World Trade Organization in 2001. No consequences. See a pattern? If you don't,
you can bet that the Chinese do. They expect that spreading misinformation and
hiding the facts about the pandemic will lead to the same fate, no consequences.
The international community is a paper tiger. It may not be long before we see a
replay of Michelle Obama"s #bringbackourgirls as the most forceful international
response to the behavior of the CCP. It didn't work. Count me as skeptic that
the current policy will be any more effective.
*Pete Hoekstra is a former Representative in Congress from Michigan. He served
as the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. More recently he was the
U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
© 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.
Le régime iranien et les verrouillages croisés
Charles Elias Chartouni/June 25/2021
شارل الياس شرتوني: مؤتمر فيينا، النظاتم الإيراني والإقفالات المتقاطعة/25 حزيران/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/100032/charles-elias-chartouni-le-regime-iranien-et-les-verrouillages-croises-%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-%d9%85%d8%a4%d8%aa%d9%85/
négociations sur le nucléaire iranien ne cessent de buter sur des
obstacles qui se reproduisent inévitablement parce que le régime iranien est
loin de se départir de son ancrage totalitaire, ses visées impériales, les
délires d’un contre-ordre international, sa politique de répression, et son
rejet des règles de la vie internationale et ses voies diplomatiques. L’élection
d’Ibrahim Raisi, le juge tortionnaire dont la carrière se réduit à l’assassinat
des opposants au régime, est hautement symptomatique de la dérive extrémiste et
meurtrière d’un régime aux abois et entièrement de-legitimé auprès d’une société
civile iranienne qui se définit en opposition au régime islamique et ses
référentiels. Les impasses diplomatiques ne font, en réalité, que répercuter les
apories d’une idéologie religieuse creuse et carrément rejetée par une
population, qui développe des mécanismes de défense et des modes de vie
alternatifs qui contredisent de manière systématique l’emprise du totalitarisme
islamique et ses modulations mutantes.
Les stratégies de la militarisation outrée (conventionnelle et nucléaire), les
équipées impérialistes au niveau du Moyen Orient, et la politique de répression
systématique à l’endroit des acteurs de la société civile, ne font que valider
les incertitudes d’un régime qui n’a plus que la violence et la supercherie
idéologique comme remède à une légitimité défaillante. Les déclarations
prémonitoires d’Ibrahim Raisi à l’égard des pourparlers de Vienne ne font
qu’illustrer les équivoques des négociations en cours, et les conditions
rédhibitoires d’une démarche auto-invalidante de par son unilatéralisme, ses
manœuvres dilatoires et son imposture: le régime iranien exige la levée des
sanctions de manière préjudicielle tout en maintenant les zones d’ombre quant au
contrôle des régimes de production sur les sites nucléaires et balistiques, et
la politique de déstabilisation sur un arc de crise s’étendant de l’Afghanistan
jusqu’en Turquie.
Le régime iranien qui ne cesse de générer des aléas stratégique et sécuritaire
en tous genres, n’arrive pas au bout de 42 ans de parcours à normaliser son
statut au sein de la communauté internationale, gérer ses problèmes de sécurité
dans le cadre des arbitrages offerts par la société des nations, et renoncer aux
délires messianiques qui sous-tendent sa politique expansionniste et de
déstabilisation. l’État iranien n’étant qu’un artifice idéologique qui
contredit,à tous égards, l’idée d’un État de droit, ses attributs souverainistes
et ses registres normatif et relationnel. C’est le modèle du "Führerstaat" qui
excipe d’une légitimité religieuse qui sert de plateforme à une politique de
conquête discrétionnaire et réfractaire aux règles de fonctionnement de l’État
westphalien, son architecture relationnelle et ses modes d’arbitrage. La
récapitulation des négociations en cours nous laisse perplexes quant à la
volonté de normalisation de ce régime, ses velléités réformistes, et la
possibilité d’arrêter un cadre d’échanges opérationnel. Ceci nous laisse avec
l’hypothèse d’un échec répété, la poursuite de la politique de sabotage à
géométrie variable, et l’inévitabilité d’une politique d’endiguement ferme afin
de contenir les effets délétères d’une "idéocratie" totalitaire et belliqueuse.
Le régime iranien avec ses lests idéologiques, ses échecs désastreux de
gouvernance, ses verrouillages oligarchiques et mafieux, et son bellicisme de
principe, laisse peu de choix en dehors des régimes de sanction, de dissuasion
et de défaite à terme.
Bishops to Biden: There is no such thing as ‘private’
Catholicism
Matthew Walther/New York Post/June 25/2021
When Joe Biden was sworn in as America’s 46th president, he laid his hand on an
ancient Douay-Rheims family Bible, a translation made by Catholics in France,
where they’d taken refuge from the Reformation across the Channel. In doing so,
the new president reminded some 40 million viewers of a truth he may now prefer
to forget: namely, that the Catholic Church is inherently political, and faith
in her teachings is never a merely private matter.
For decades, American Catholic politicians insisted the opposite was the case.
For generations of Democrats, especially, the faith meant dated jokes about
stern nuns and sentimentality about Notre Dame football. Catholicism was a
cultural institution, quaint but lovable, like a bowling league. The Roman
church, in this view, required little of its members, certainly not serious
adherence to her moral precepts — about the sanctity of unborn human life, for
example.
This was always an untenable position — a fact that became undeniable last week,
when a routine meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops made
national headlines. Secular and religious media alike reported that American
prelates were on the verge of drawing up a document that would formally prevent
Biden and other pro-abortion-rights politicians from receiving Holy Communion.
Predictably, the reports occasioned a ponderous open letter from 60 nominally
Catholic Democrats objecting to what they described as the “weaponization” of
the sacrament by a coterie of sinister right-wing bishops.
The letter did draw attention to an elephant in the room, but that elephant
wasn’t the GOP. It was the church’s unchangeable teaching, which demands
fidelity without exception from members, regardless of their station in life.
Simply put, the Catholic Church doesn’t permit its members in public office to
hold fast to one set of beliefs in private, only to turn around and govern
according to a different set of beliefs.
In the old days of “safe, rare and legal,” when Catholic liberals treated
abortion as an unfortunate social reality they could do very little to
extricate, it was just about possible to imagine such a compromise. Indeed,
until 2020, Biden himself was at least nominally opposed to abortion: Throughout
his long Senate career, he supported the Hyde Amendment and the so-called Mexico
City agreement, which prohibited federal funding for abortion within the in the
United States and abroad, respectively. For no doubt mysterious reasons, he
changed his mind last year.
Which brings us back to the US bishops and the proposed document that has been
the subject of so much fear-mongering. It’s true that Biden and other Catholic
supporters of abortion are barred from receiving Communion, but not because of a
new document that will almost certainly restate what already appears in the Code
of Canon Law.
Biden could have learned as much by opening his old Bible to the plain words of
Saint Paul: “Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of
the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.”
Attending Mass, confessing one’s sins and receiving Communion aren’t acts that
take place in a vacuum. The Catholic Church makes public demands. Liberal
Catholic politicos surely recognize this when they glad-hand with the bishops on
convenient occasions or when trying to justify their positions on certain issues
with reference to Catholic social teaching. But when it comes to abortion and
other questions where their positions are incompatible with Catholic orthodoxy,
they start insisting that they can’t allow a lot of mystical notions, such as
the prohibition against killing unborn children, to interfere with their
political careers.
Next month, on July 9, the church celebrates the feast of Saint Thomas More, who
was martyred after refusing to accept Henry VIII’s claim that the crown was the
final arbiter of religious authority in England. Saint Thomas knew that this
wasn’t true and that public acquiescence, however politically expedient, would
be a grave sin. Biden and his Catholic allies would do well to look to his
example.
As it is, their conduct is rather more reminiscent of a certain Roman governor
in ancient Judea who washed his hands and soothed his conscience, asking, “What
is truth?”
*Matthew Walther is editor of The Lamp magazine.