English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 05/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.may05.21.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16/24-28:
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them
deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to
save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will
find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit
their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? ‘For the Son of Man
is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay
everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Titles For The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 04-
05/2021
MoPH: 748 new coronavirus cases, 23 deaths
Fifth round of border demarcation talks ends
Hassan Nasrallah ridiculed in social media video following Saudi drug bust
Canada Says Hizbullah, Iran Involved in Money Laundering
IDF says it downed two Hezbollah drones in recent weeks
Hoballah quoting Ambassador in Riyadh: No new Saudi ban on Lebanese products
Aoun Urges No 'Preconditions' in Border Talks with Israel
Lebanon 'Insists on Its Rights' in 5th Round of Border Talks with Israel
Strong Lebanon Bloc Says Govt. Formation Delay a 'National Crime'
Hbeish Confirms Hariri's Resignation is a Possibility
Adwan Threatens Salameh and Govt. with Lawsuits over Obligatory Reserve
Bitar Wants Satellite Images of Beirut Port Site
Salameh Targeted in French Legal Complaint
Protesters rally outside Military Court calling for release of activists
Fondation Diane & EcoSwitch Coalition launch 2nd edition of "Switchers Support
Programme" to foster green entrepreneurship
Wehbe, Canadian ambassador tackle bilateral relations
As Lebanese cry for justice, politics paralyzes the system/Bassam Mroue/AP/May
04/2021
Des casinos au Canada, suspectés de soutenir le Hezbollah, dans le collimateur
de la justice
Titles For The Latest English
LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 04-
05/2021
Pope Francis meets with Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
No US-Iran prisoner exchange agreement, nuclear deal talks separate: White House
US President Biden discusses Iran, Israel with UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Turkey’s Erdogan discuss bilateral ties
US condemns violence by both Palestinians & Jewish extremists
UN committee to examine Palestinian apartheid charges against Israel
Senior Swiss diplomat in Iran found dead after fall from high-rise
Rocket Attack, 3rd in 3 Days, Targets U.S. in Iraq
Israel's Netanyahu misses deadline to form government, political future in
question
Israel's Never-Ending Political Crisis
Egypt Buys 30 Rafale Jets from France
Macron Walks Tightrope with Napoleon Commemoration
Trump launches place to post ahead of Facebook board ruling on his ban
Titles For The Latest The
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 04-
05/2021
Iran sought nuclear weapons, technology for WMDs last year,
reports find/Benjamin Weinthal/Fox News/May 04/2021
The Retrenchment Syndrome ...A Response to “Come Home, America?”
LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster-CMPP Chairman/Defending Forward Monograph/December
15/2020
Iran says it wants peace with Saudis, but sends Houthi drones instead/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 04/2021
France: Generals Warn of Civil War Due to Creeping Islamism/Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/May 04/2021
Iran: Any Sanctions Relief Will be Used Against Americans/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/May 04/2021
Regional crises may require Egyptian foreign policy reset/Mohamed Abul Fadhl/The
Arab Weekly/May 04/2021
Iranian regime set to address deep internal divisions/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/May 04/2021
Jailed Iranian filmmaker could die if not released immediately, UN warns/Ephrem
Kossaify/Arab News/May 05/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 04- 05/2021
MoPH: 748 new coronavirus cases, 23 deaths
NNA/May 04/2021
Lebanon has recorded 748 new coronavirus cases and 23 deaths in the past 24
hours, as accounted by the Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday.
Fifth round of border demarcation talks ends
NNA
The fifth round of the indirect talks between Lebanon and the Israeli enemy held
in Naqoura to discuss the demarcation of maritime borders has just ended, our
correspondent reported Tuesday.
Hassan Nasrallah ridiculed in social media video following
Saudi drug bust
Al Arabiya English/04 May ,2021
Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was ridiculed on social media with a viral
fake video depicting Nasrallah rolling a marijuana cigarette.The video emerged
following news of a giant drug bust in Saudi Arabia of illicit narcotics
traveling from Lebanon to the Kingdom. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has
traditionally used violent methods to clamp down on any dissent, even resorting
to assassination – as in the case of Lebanese journalist Lokman Slim earlier
this year. The militia group’s power has waned recently, however, as the group
has been at the center of Lebanon’s ongoing economic and political crisis. In
addition, funding from Iran has dried up, while the Islamic Republic faces tough
sanctions from the US, causing its own economy to tumble. This has led to more
open dissention of Hezbollah, such as the recent social media video. In response
to the drug bust by Saudi authorities, that saw the seizure of over five million
Captagon pills, the Kingdom announced that it would ban the import of fruits and
vegetables from Lebanon to combat smuggling. Drugs are often hidden in fruits
and vegetables while being smuggled, as in the case of the latest bust with
Captagon concealed in pomegranate fruit. A source also told Independent Persian
that there was no doubt that Hezbollah had been behind the drug shipment. The
source confirmed Hezbollah’s links to narcotics, particularly Captagon pills
produced in Syria, and refuted claims by the group's affiliates that it is not
involved in the illegal drugs' trade. “Those pills were produced in Syria, and
then smuggled to Lebanon, where they were eventually smuggled to Saudi Arabia,”
the source said, according to Independent Persian.
Canada Says Hizbullah, Iran Involved in Money Laundering
Naharnet/May 04/2021
The Canadain federal government has tasked a committee with investigating money
laundering, gambling and drug smuggling operations through casinos in Vancouver,
in which a network reportedly affiliated with the Iranian regime and Hizbullah
are involved, al-Arabiya network revealed on Tuesday.
The committee provided Al-Arabiya channel with part of the investigation, which
was conducted last March, in which an officer revealed the involvement of Iran
and Hizbullah in the money laundering process. A former Canadian Royal Mounted
Police officer said:”We have seen their continuing affinity (Iranian regime
network and Hizbullah) with Chinese network active in illegal activities in
Canada,” he said, pointing out to “phone calls” between the two parties.
“If we look at the calls that we monitored and the recordings, we will
see that some of the calls came from a person officially known to be closely
associated with Hizbullah, which is linked to Iran and one of its proxies ...
and we will see gangs of Chinese origins and their networks receiving security
from Iranian networks,” he added. For his part, former Canadian Immigration
Minister Chris Alexander said: “Investigations into these matters are dangerous
and complex, but the Canadain authorities are trying to address them. This is a
complicated matter in dealing with Iran and its networks."Canada has listed the
Lebanese Hizbullah group as a terrorist organisation back in 2002.
IDF says it downed two Hezbollah drones in recent weeks
Joe Truzman/FDD's Long War Journal/May 04/2021
On Apr. 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it shot down a Hezbollah drone
that entered Israeli territory. It was the second drone claimed to be downed by
the IDF in recent weeks. “Our troops downed a Hezbollah drone that crossed from
Lebanon into Israel today. In addition, we located another Hezbollah drone that
we downed a few weeks ago,” the IDF tweeted. A Middle East military official
with knowledge of the incidents confirmed to FDD’s Long War Journal that both
Hezbollah drones downed by the IDF were unarmed. The confirmation suggests the
drones were likely launched in an attempt to observe activity in Israeli
territory or to probe IDF air defenses in northern Israel. Hezbollah made
multiple attempts to breach Israeli airspace using drones in recent months. In
January, a Hezbollah drone was monitored by the IDF and subsequently shot down
when it entered Israeli airspace.
Although the IDF has seemingly been able to defend its northern airspace,
Hezbollah has achieved some limited success. In Dec. 2020, Hezbollah-affiliated
al-Manar published a video of several IDF military bases that were reportedly
taken by a drone launched by Hezbollah. FDD’s Long War Journal could not confirm
if the drone had entered Israeli airspace. Additionally, Hezbollah has been able
to shoot down some IDF drones that entered Lebanese airspace. In February,
Hezbollah’s Central War Media outlet published a video of an IDF drone brought
down in the Marjeyoun district of southern Lebanon.
In a more serious incident, Hezbollah fired anti-aircraft missiles at an IDF
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) on Feb. 3. According to an IDF statement, the
missiles missed the UAV and it was able to continue on its mission. Israel
routinely uses Lebanese airspace to monitor Hezbollah activity and launch
airstrikes against Iranian weapon shipments in Syria. This policy is likely to
continue as it has shown to be successful at keeping Israeli jet fighters
relatively safe from Syrian air defense. Furthermore, Hezbollah will likely
continue its attempts to penetrate Israeli airspace as its own drone program
continues to develop.
*Joe Truzman is a contributor to FDD's Long War Journal.
Hoballah quoting Ambassador in Riyadh: No new Saudi ban on
Lebanese products
NNA/May 04/2021
Caretaker Minister of Industry, Imad Hoballah, indicated in a tweet on Tuesday,
that the Lebanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia had confirmed to him that the Saudi
Authorities did not rule any new ban on the import of food industries from
Lebanon, and that the only decision issued in this respect was that regarding
the ban on fruits and vegetables.
Aoun Urges No 'Preconditions' in Border Talks with Israel
Naharnet/May 04/2021
President Michel Aoun held a meeting Tuesday evening with the members of the
Lebanese delegation to the sea border talks with Israel, following the fifth
round of negotiations in Ras al-Naqoura. “The delegation’s members briefed
President Aoun on the deliberations of the meeting, which was held with the
participation of the U.S. delegation, whose head demanded that the negotiation
be limited to the Israeli and Lebanese lines submitted to the U.N., or within
the 860-square-kiolmeter area, contrary to the Lebanese stance and to the
principle of negotiations without preconditions,” the Presidency said in a
statement. “Accordingly, President Aoun instructed the delegation that the
continuation of the negotiations should not be confined to preconditions, but
rather to the international law, which remains the guarantee for the
continuation of the negotiations, in order to reach a just and fair solution,”
the Presidency added.
The Lebanese want such a solution in order to “preserve the higher national
interest and stability, and the right of the Lebanese to make use of their
resources,” the Presidency said. Talks were expected to resume Wednesday,
according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were not authorized to address the media. To modify the
2011 map, Lebanese authorities must notify the U.N. of their new coordinates,
but the president still has not signed the official decree on the changed border
points. A source at the Lebanese presidency told AFP earlier Tuesday that both
Israel and Lebanon had demanded a different demarcation line. "We don't accept
the line they've proposed, and they don't accept ours, so we'll see what the
mediator suggests," the source said. Lebanon has insisted that the discussions
with Israel are "technical" rather than political, and with the sides only
communicating via the mediator. Last month, Aoun demanded Israel halt all
exploration in Karish until the dispute was settled. In February 2018, Lebanon
signed its first contract for offshore drilling for oil and gas in blocks 4 and
9, with a consortium comprising energy giants Total, ENI and Novatek. Lebanon in
April said initial drilling in Block 4 had shown traces of gas but no
commercially viable reserves. Lebanese politicians hope commercially viable
hydrocarbon resources off the coast could help lift the debt-ridden country out
of its worst economic crisis in decades.
Lebanon 'Insists on Its Rights' in 5th Round of Border Talks with Israel
Naharnet/May 04/2021
After a nearly six-month pause, Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday resumed indirect
talks with U.S. mediation over their disputed maritime border.
The five-hour negotiations round was held "amid total secrecy and away from the
media spotlight," Lebanon's National News Agency said.
"The Lebanese side insisted on its right to its maritime border and to every
drop of water, according to the internationally-recognized law of the sea," NNA
added. The Lebanese and American delegations had arrived from Beirut's Rafik
Hariri International Airport aboard two military helicopters, as Naqoura and the
southern coast witnessed intensive patrols by the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL
peacekeepers. UNIFIL also staged maritime and aerial patrols and Israeli
aircraft intensively overflew Naqoura and the sea off it, NNA said.
Talks were expected to resume Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the
negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to address the media. The resumption of talks on Tuesday comes after
a nearly six-month pause. It also comes after a new U.S. administration took
over. Lebanon, witnessing the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern
history, is eager to resolve the border dispute with Israel, paving the way for
potential lucrative oil and gas deals. Local media said the talks were held at a
U.N. post along the border known as Ras Naqoura, on the edge of the Lebanese
border town of Naqoura. The Lebanese delegation spoke through U.N. and U.S.
officials to the Israelis.
American Ambassador John Desrocher, who serves as the U.S. mediator, arrived in
Beirut Monday night to take part in the talks. The U.S. has been mediating the
issue for about a decade, but only late last year was a breakthrough reached on
an agreement for a framework for U.S.-mediated talks. The talks began in October
but stopped few weeks later. Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations and
are technically in a state of war. They each claim about 860 square kilometers
of the Mediterranean Sea as being within their own exclusive economic zones. In
the second round of talks, the Lebanese delegation -- a mix of army officers and
civilian experts -- offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square
kilometers for Lebanon. Lebanon's leadership is not united behind the Army
Command's decision regarding the extended area.
"There is weakness in the Lebanese stance and it is important for the Israelis
to join the talks when Lebanon is in a weak position," said Laury Haytayan, a
Lebanese oil and gas expert. Israel already has developed a natural gas industry
elsewhere in its economic waters, producing enough gas for domestic consumption
and to export to Egypt and Jordan. Lebanon, which began offshore drilling
earlier this year and hopes to start drilling for gas in the disputed area in
the coming months, has divided its expanse of waters into 10 blocs, of which
three are in the area under dispute with Israel. Ras Naqoura already hosts
monthly tripartite, indirect Israel-Lebanon meetings over violations along the
land border. Israel and Lebanon also held indirect negotiations in the 1990s,
when Arab states and Israel worked on peace agreements. The Palestinians and
Jordan signed agreements with Israel at the time but Lebanon and Syria did not.
Strong Lebanon Bloc Says Govt. Formation Delay a 'National
Crime'
Naharnet/May 04/2021
The Free Patriotic Movement-led Strong Lebanon bloc on Tuesday called on Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri to “immediately move to submit a complete cabinet
line-up.”In a statement issued after its weekly e-meeting, the bloc said such a
line-up should “clearly include the distribution of portfolios to sects” and
should specify “the authorities that should name the nonpartisan and specialist
ministers.” “It is a national crime that seven months have passed without
accomplishing this ordinary issue,” the bloc added. “The assistance of foreign
nations for Lebanon is an important thing, especially as to financial aid
programs and reforms, but the birth of the government should be the product of
real and honest dialogue among the Lebanese in this critical period,” Strong
Lebanon went on to say. It also said that the government’s formation requires an
“understanding” between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Hariri and “the
approval of the majority of parliamentary blocs.”“It is unjust to await the
foreign forces and their developments and changes to mature the government’s
line-up, whereas the pressing situations in Lebanon should have matured it from
the very first day of the PM-designate’s appointment,” the bloc added.
Hbeish Confirms Hariri's Resignation is a Possibility
Naharnet/May 04/2021
The choice of resignation is “one of PM-designate Saad Hariri’s choices” but he
“has not yet taken such a decision and he is still clinging to the French
initiative,” MP Hadi Hbeish of Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal bloc said on Tuesday.
“Should options be imposed on PM-designate Hariri that do not fit with
his choices, he will be inclined to step down,” Hbeish told al-Jadeed TV.
“PM-designate Hariri has never refused to meet with (former) Minister (Jebran)
Bassil and his residence is always open to Bassil and to everyone,” Hbeish
added. As for French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit to Lebanon and
the media reports that he will not meet with Hariri, the MP said: “So far, Le
Drian has not requested an appointment with Hariri, but the French reports
indicate that the French ambassador will visit him.” Moreover, the lawmaker said
Hariri is “not thinking of triumphing against Minister Bassil” but rather of
“pulling Lebanon out of its crisis.” “When he sees that the government’s path is
not open, he will step down, and Le Drian’s visit will have nothing to do with
resignation,” Hbeish added. Ex-minister Wiam Wahhab, who is close to Damascus
and Hizbullah, has advised Hariri to step down. “With all due good will and
without any political motives, I advise PM-designate Saad Hariri to step down
and make way for someone else to form a government, because there is a major
decision to exclude him,” Wahhab tweeted. He had earlier said that “major
developments in the Syrian-Gulf ties will leave their repercussions on the
region and Lebanon,” adding that “before Adha, there will be political victims
in Lebanon.”“There is a traffic jam on the Riyadh-Damascus-Abu Dhabi route,”
Wahhab added.
Adwan Threatens Salameh and Govt. with Lawsuits over Obligatory Reserve
Naharnet/May 04/2021
MP Georges Adwan of the Lebanese Forces on Tuesday warned Central Bank Governor
Riad Salameh and the caretaker government against using the central bank’s
obligatory reserve to finance ration cards for citizens who will be affected by
the looming lifting of subsidies. “The caretaker PM and every minister who
maintained the previous subsidization scheme as well as every trader who
benefited from the money of depositors and every border official who did not
perform his duty must be held accountable before the people,” Adwan said in a
statement from parliament. “The obligatory reserve is not freebie money; it
rather belongs to depositors who put their money in banks and these banks are
obliged to deposit 15% of this money at the Banque di Liban. Therefore you
cannot use it, and should you do there will be legal prosecution against the
central bank governor, the prime minister and the finance minister,” Adwan
warned. Calling on depositors to “rise against this
issue,” the lawmaker vowed that the Lebanese Forces will stand by them and noted
that it is “studying all the legal measures that should be taken.”
Bitar Wants Satellite Images of Beirut Port Site
Associated Press/May 04/2021
The lead investigator into Beirut’s port blast, Judge Tarek Bitar, requested the
satellite images of the port as part of his investigations into last year’s
massive explosion. Bitar issued 13 judicial orders to countries having
satellites over Lebanon, requesting images of the blast scene in order to carry
on with the probe into the colossal August 4 explosion. Moreover, he is
scheduled to hear the testimony of new witnesses into the case who have not
given their testimony before. Youssef Diab, a Lebanese journalist who closely
follows the investigation, said the request by Bitar is a formal legal
memorandum for which a response is obligatory, and it indicates that he has not
ruled out the possibility of an attack. Nearly 3,000
tons of ammonium nitrates, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that
had been improperly stored in the port for years, exploded on Aug. 4, killing
211 people, wounding more than 6,000 and damaging nearby neighborhoods. Judge
Tarek Bitar was named to lead the investigation in February after his
predecessor was removed following legal challenges by two former Cabinet
ministers he had accused of negligence.
Salameh Targeted in French Legal Complaint
Agence France Presse/May 04/2021
Two associations said on Monday they had filed a legal complaint against
Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh whom they accuse of fraudulently
amassing a large fortune in Europe. The Sherpa NGO, which specialises in
fighting financial crime, and the "Collective of victims of fraudulent and
criminal activities in Lebanon" said they were also targeting Salameh's brother
Raja, his son Nadi, his nephew as well as a close associate at the central bank,
Marianne Hoayek, in the case. Last month, Swiss media reported that prosecutors
there were tracking Salameh's suspected fund movements, and the Swiss attorney
general's office said in January it was investigating "aggravated money
laundering... in connection with possible embezzlement" to the detriment of the
Lebanese central bank. The French complaint, filed on April 30, calls for an
international probe of an alleged conspiracy to launder money, receive laundered
money, commit fraud and engage in fraudulent commercial practices, among other
accusations. Lebanon has been mired in deep crisis since 2019, marked by a steep
loss in value of its currency and banking restrictions banning money transfers
abroad. The associations are asking the judiciary to investigate Lebanese
capital flight since the start of the crisis, and how the people named in the
complaint could afford luxury real estate that was far beyond their official
income. They also want the probe to extend to
financial intermediaries using tax havens and front companies. According to the
complaint, Riad Salameh's fortune is in excess of two billion euros ($2.4
billion). Salameh himself, who owns a luxury seafront villa in Antibes on the
French Riviera, has rejected figures put forward by his accusers.
Protesters rally outside Military Court calling for release
of activists
NNA/May 04/2021
Dozens of protesters of the October 17 civil movement rallied outside the
Military Court in the Mathaf area in Beirut, calling for the release of detained
activists, NNA correspondent reported on Tuesday.
Fondation Diane & EcoSwitch Coalition launch 2nd edition of
"Switchers Support Programme" to foster green entrepreneurship
NNA/May 04/2021
In the framework of environmental, social, and sustainable development,
Fondation Diane and EcoSwitch Coalition are launching the 2nd edition of the
"Switchers Support Programme" to support green innovators who can bring a
positive change to the world.
The "Switchers Support Programme" 2021 comes as a response to the great success
of its 1st edition. It falls underSwitchMed, a programme funded by the European
Union,and facilitated by the Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable
Consumption and Production (SCP/RAC).
The “Switchers Support Programme” is calling for 120 innovators and green
entrepreneurs, at ideation or early-stage, who have a sustainable business idea
that can provide commercial solution to environmental challenges. Are you one of
these future green entrepreneurs?
The candidates will benefit from a workshop and coaching sessions to develop
their Green Business Model and eco-design their products/services, using the
“Switchers Online Toolbox”.
Once completed, 20 entrepreneurs will benefit from anincubation program to help
create and grow their businesses by providing them with necessary support and
technical services.
The “Call for Applicants” will be open starting 23 April targeting creative
thinkers and doers, especially women, who want to be green entrepreneurs,
innovators and change makers with a sustainable business idea and potential to
create ecological and social value.
The Programme is for you if:
• You are looking to boost your entrepreneurial spirit.
• You would like to be guided through your entrepreneurial journey, from
defining the idea to the commercialization of products and services.
• You wish to launch a sustainable business that is capable of generating added
value at all levels: economic, environmental and social.
• You are an ideation or early stage entrepreneur who wishes to discover
entrepreneurial solutions to their challenges.
• You wish to partner with like-minded organizations, share experiences and get
inspired by them.
To apply to the “Switchers Support Programme”, click on this link:
www.theswitchers.org/call-for-applications
If you are a registered user of TheSwitchers.org platform, Login:
https://toolbox.theswitchers.org/en/admin/login
If not yet, register to create an account:
https://toolbox.theswitchers.org/en/registration/greenenterpreneur
Steps to apply:
(1) Go to www.theswitchers.org/call-for-applications
(2) Scroll down and Sign up or Login if you have an account.
(3) On the left, click on “Calls for Applications” Register.--
(Fondation Diane)
Wehbe, Canadian ambassador tackle bilateral relations
NNA/May 04/2021
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Charbel Wehbe, discussed
bilateral relations with the Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon, Chantal Chastenay.
The meeting also touched on Wehbe possibly visiting his Canadian counterpart
after the Canadian authorities lift the ban on entry due to the Coronavirus
pandemic. Ambassador Chastenay expressed her thanks to the Ministry of Health
for facilitating the entry of a quantity of vaccines to be given to all Canadian
embassy staff.
As Lebanese cry for justice, politics paralyzes the system
Bassam Mroue/AP/May 04/2021
Even after she was taken off an investigation into alleged financial crimes by a
money transfer company, the defiant Lebanese prosecutor charged ahead. She
showed up at the company’s offices outside of Beirut with a group of supporters
and a metal worker, who broke open the locked gate.
Ghada Aoun obtained data from Mecattaf Holding Company that she contends will
reveal the identities of people who sneaked billions of dollars out of Lebanon
amid the financial meltdown that has hit the country.
The move was part of a public feud between Aoun and Lebanon’s state prosecutor
Ghassan Oueidat, who had dismissed her from the case, saying she’d overstepped
with two earlier raids. Their feud has turned into scuffles between their
supporters in the street.
Aoun, an investigating judge for the Mount Lebanon district, presents herself as
a crusader against corruption and accuses higher-ups of trying to stop her. But
to her critics, she’s a tool of her backer, Lebanon’s president, who they say
uses her to punish his political opponents and protect his allies.
That is the problem in Lebanon: The judiciary is so deeply politicized it
paralyzes the wheels of justice, mirroring how factional rivalries have
paralyzed politics.
Political interference in the judiciary has for years thwarted investigations
into corruption, violence and assassinations. But mistrust of the judiciary is
thrown into even starker relief now, when Lebanese are crying out for
politicians to be held accountable for the disastrous crises in their country —
not only the financial collapse but also last August’s massive explosion in
Beirut’s port that killed scores and wrecked much of the capital. The explosion
has been blamed on incompetence and neglect.
Lebanon’s political posts are split up in a power-sharing system among
sectarian-based factions. Judicial appointments are subject to the same
sectarian allotment and horse-trading.
Ghada Aoun is a Maronite Christian, like the country’s president, Michel Aoun,
and her supporters are mainly members of the president’s Free Patriotic
Movement. The two are not related. The state prosecutor, Oueidat, is a Sunni
Muslim, like the prime minister-designate, Saad Hariri. The country’s top
financial prosecutor is a Shiite Muslim, chosen by the country’s top Shiite
factions, Amal and Hezbollah. Positions all through the judicial hierarchy are
similarly divvied up.
“Those who hold on to power have set up a judiciary that is loyal to them in
order to fight their opponents and protect their interests,” retired state
prosecutor Hatem Madi told The Associated Press.
President Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Hariri have been locked in a power
struggle that has prevented the formation of a Cabinet for more than six months.
As a result, there is no leadership to carry out reforms to rescue the country
even as the currency collapses in value.
Lebanese watched in fury as their own savings and salaries plummet in value and
prices skyrocket. The central bank is struggling to gather enough hard currency
to ensure fuel for electricity or other key imports, much less maintain its
longtime peg of the currency to the dollar.
Even more galling for the public, the wealthy and politically connected
transferred billions of dollars to safety outside Lebanon even after banks
imposed informal capital controls at the beginning of the crisis. Most people
have been unable to access their dollars in bank accounts since late 2019.
Ghada Aoun, the judge, was probing Mecattaf Holding on suspicion it helped in
that flight of capital. Mecattaf, one of Lebanon’s largest money and
gold-trading companies, denied any links to suspicious transfers, saying all
business it does is legal.
Skeptics note that Mecattaf’s owner, Michel Mecattaf, is the publisher of Nidaa
al-Watan, a daily newspaper that is harshly critical of President Aoun and his
main ally, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Ghada Aoun has also pursued cases against Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and
former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, both of them opponents of the president.
In tweets, Aoun said she was being sidelined “because I dared to open a major
file and tried to establish the truth with evidence.” She accuses her opponents
of using “false accusations” against her to “politicize a case of justice, a
case where an oppressed people wants accountability.”
After her previous raids, Ouiedat ordered her taken off financial cases. Then on
April 20, both he and Aoun appeared at a session of Lebanon’s top judicial body,
where they upheld the order. Outside, supporters of the president and the prime
minister got into scuffles and nearly into fist-fights before the army separated
them. The next day, she carried out her third raid on the company.
Sami Kara, a Hariri supporter, said Aoun ruined her long reputation by breaking
into the company. “She was used for political purposes and now they threw her
away,” said the 61-year-old shop owner.
Lebanese are also closely watching the investigation into the Aug. 4 explosion
of nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates poorly stored at Beirut’s port. The
explosion killed 211, wounded more than 6,000 and devastated nearby
neighborhoods.
The first investigating judge accused two former Cabinet ministers of
negligence, but was then removed from the case after the former ministers raised
legal challenges against him. Many worry his replacement, Judge Tarek Bitar,
will be prevented by politicians from holding anyone accountable for the blast.
Judges know that if they want senior posts, they must be loyal to a political
leader, said Bushra al-Khalil, a prominent Lebanese lawyer.
Knowing this, some people go straight to politicians and ask for their help in
cases, rather than go through judicial authorities, she said. Others hire a
lawyer with strong political connections to intimidate judges.
Madi said the long-term solution is for the judiciary to be given independence
under the constitution. Currently, it comes under the authority of the
government.
Lebanon “is proving incapable of fighting corruption,” said outgoing Justice
Minister Marie-Claude Najm, pointing to the divisions demonstrated in the feud
between Aoun and Ouiedat.
“After all that has happened,” she said, “how can people feel they respect and
trust the judiciary?”
Des casinos au Canada, suspectés de soutenir le Hezbollah,
dans le collimateur de la justice
OLJ / le 04 mai 2021
"Nous avons vu un rapprochement (du réseau iranien et hezbollahi) constant avec
les réseaux chinois actifs dans le domaine des actions illicites", affirme un
ancien membre de la Gendarmerie royale canadienne à al-Arabiya.
Des casinos au Canada, suspectés de soutenir le Hezbollah, dans le collimateur
de la justice
Des casinos à Vancouver au Canada, suspectés d'opérations de blanchiment
d'argent au profit du Hezbollah et de l'Iran, seraient dans le collimateur de la
justice canadienne, croit savoir la chaîne saoudienne al-Arabiya.
Dans un article publié lundi, al-Arabiya affirme que le gouvernement fédéral
canadien a formé une commission d'enquête autour d'opérations de trafic de
drogues et de blanchiment d'argent via des casinos de Vancouver, dans lesquelles
serait impliqué un réseau affilié au régime iranien et à son allié libanais, le
Hezbollah. La chaîne souligne avoir obtenu de la part de la commission une
partie des documents liés à l'enquête lancée en mars dernier.
"Nous avons vu un rapprochement (du réseau iranien et hezbollahi)
constant avec les réseaux chinois actifs dans le domaine des actions illicites
au Canada", affirme un ancien membre de la Gendarmerie royale canadienne à al-Arabiya,
et qui fait état d'appels téléphoniques entre les deux parties. "Si nous
observons les appels téléphoniques et les discussions surveillées, nous
remarquons que certaines d'entre elles proviennent d'un individu connu
officiellement pour ses liens étroits avec le Hezbollah (...)", affirme encore
cet ancien officier. "J'ai pu observer l'évolution de ces groupes criminels. Le
plus important dans tout cela, c'est qu'ils coopèrent entre eux et se
rapprochent", déplore-t-il. Pour sa part,
l'ex-ministre canadien de l'Immigration, Chris Alexander, a rappelé à al-Arabiya
que "les enquêtes dans ce genre d'affaires qui impliquent l'Iran et ses réseaux
sont compliquées". "Mais les autorités canadiennes tentent d'y faire face",
assure-t-il. Le Canada, qui considère depuis 2002 le
Hezbollah comme une organisation terroriste, avait déjà ouvert en 2020 des
enquêtes portant sur des activités illicites du parti chiite libanais, notamment
le trafic de drogue.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 04- 05/2021
Pope Francis meets with Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
NNA/May
04/2021
Pope Francis met Monday with Mr. Fuad Hussein, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Iraq, according to Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office.
Responding to questions from journalists, Bruni said Pope Francis
recalled with gratitude the welcome he received during his recent journey to
Iraq, during the meeting which lasted around 30 minutes.
The Pope also “addressed an affectionate greeting to Iraq and to all its
people, reiterating his hope that all people may ‘grow in solidarity and in the
ability to acknowledge themselves as responsible for the vulnerabilities of
others’”. Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Iraq took
place from 5 – 8 March 2021. With the visit, he became
the first-ever Pope to visit the Middle Eastern nation. -- Vatican News
No US-Iran prisoner exchange agreement, nuclear deal talks separate: White House
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya
English/04 May ,2021
There is no agreement between the United States and Iran on an exchange of
prisoners and the ongoing indirect talks to revive the nuclear deal are separate
from any discussions about the potential release of hostages, the White House
said on Tuesday. “Discussions to bring home Americans who are held in Iran are
something that is raised at the highest level through indirect discussions, and
they are separate from the nuclear discussions in Vienna,” White House press
secretary Jen Psaki said. “Reports over the weekend than an agreement had been
reached to exchange prisoners was not true. We always raise this issue but there
is no agreement at this time on the release of these four Americans,” she added.
Iranian state media carried on Sunday a report citing Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen
as saying a deal was reached between Tehran and Washington to release four
American detained in Iran in exchange for releasing four Iranians detained in
the US and releasing $7 billion of Iran’s frozen funds under US sanctions.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh later denied on Monday
reports of the agreement. Iran and world powers are holding talks to revive the
2015 nuclear deal that the US abandoned in 2018 under Donald Trump’s presidency.
US President Biden discusses Iran, Israel with UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya
English/04 May ,2021
US President Joe Biden discussed Iran, Israel and the Middle East with Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed, the White House said on Tuesday.
Biden reaffirmed the US-UAE partnership and discussed “regional and global
challenges, including Afghanistan, the nuclear and regional dimensions of the
threat posed by Iran, as well as the common quest for de-escalation and peace in
the Middle Peace,” according to a readout of the phone call between the two
leaders. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the UAE, have
long said they need to part of any dialogue related to Iran’s nuclear deal.
The Gulf countries reiterated that call after world powers recently
launched talks with Iran to renew the 2015 nuclear deal, with the US
participating indirectly. Biden also “underlined the
strategic importance of the normalization of relations between the United Arab
Emirates and Israel” and “expressed his full support for strengthening and
expanding these arrangements,” the White House said.
The UAE signed the US-brokered Abraham Accord, agreeing to normalize relations
with Israel last September.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Turkey’s Erdogan
discuss bilateral ties
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/05 May ,2021
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan discussed bilateral relations in a phone call, Saudi state news agency
SPA reported on Tuesday. “During the call, relations between the two countries
were discussed. The Turkish President also congratulated the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques on the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Fitr,” SPA reported.
Ties between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been strained after killing of
journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
But Turkey has sought to improve ties with the Kingdom. Erdogan's
spokesman and adviser Ibrahim Kalin told Reuters in April: “We will seek ways to
repair the relationship with a more positive agenda with Saudi Arabia.”He also
welcomed the Khashoggi trial Saudi Arabia conducted last year which saw eight
people sentenced to jail. “They had a court. Trials have been held. They made a
decision so we respect that decision,” Kalin said. Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu had also said in March Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed to
“continue dialogue” after a “fruitful” meeting last November with his Saudi
counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, according to state-owned Anadolu news
agency. “For us, there’s no reason for not mending our
ties with Saudi Arabia. If they take a positive step, we will do so as well,”
Cavusoglu said. The minster added that Turkey “never blamed the Saudi Arabian
leadership” in the matter of Khashoggi’s killing.
US condemns violence by both Palestinians & Jewish extremists
Jerusalem Post/May 04/2021
It spoke out amid reports of Jewish extremist attacks against Palestinian homes
and fields in the West Bank village of Jalud in the aftermath of the shooting of
three Israeli teens. The United States condemned both Palestinian and Jewish
extremist violence on Monday as unrest rocked the West Bank in the aftermath of
a shooting attack Sunday at the Tapuah Junction that left two Israelis
19-year-old seminary students in serious condition at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson
Campus, Petah Tikva. "We condemn the shooting attack on innocent civilians in
the West Bank yesterday, as well as reported retaliatory attacks, and wish the
victims a quick recovery. Terror and violence solve nothing." It spoke out amid
reports of Jewish extremist attacks against Palestinian homes and fields in the
West Bank village of Jalud in the aftermath of the shooting of three Israeli
teens. The line is in keeping with the Biden administration's pattern of
statements that speak broadly of Israeli and Palestinian behavior without unduly
singling out either side. But it is a different tone from that set by the former
Trump administration, which solely condemned Palestinian terror. Former US
special envoy Jason Greenblatt, who served during the Trump administration,
tweeted about the difference in tone. "We issued full-throated condemnations of
terrorism & full-throated support of Israel’s right to defend itself without
ever using 'balancing language,'" Greenblatt wrote.
UN committee to examine Palestinian apartheid charges against Israel
Jerusalem Post/May 04/2021
The move comes as civil society allegations against the Jewish state on the
issue of apartheid by Israeli left-wing NGOs such as Yesh Din and B’Tselem and
by the US based Human Rights Watch have made headlines.
Israel’s mission to the UN in Geneva issued a sharp retort on the matter Monday,
after the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said
Friday it planned to advance the matter. CERD “has applied discriminatory
standards against Israel to justify its outrageous decision on the admissibility
of the politically motivated Palestinian complaint,” the mission said.
The Palestinian Authority in contrast welcomed the decision issued on
Friday as the committee wrapped up its April session. CERD’s action, it said,
proved that “Israel’s racism and discrimination against the Palestinian people
violate the basic tenets of international law and humanity as a whole.”The PA
had initially filed its complaint with CERD on April 23, 2018. The matter would
have been dealt with in 2020, but was delayed due to COVID-19. CERD is the
monitoring body of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
that went into effect in 1969. Its 18-member body examines all states for
compliance on a routine, rotating basis. It also evaluates complaints of
non-compliance. Both Israel and the PA are signatories to the convention, which
prohibits apartheid under Article 3. “States Parties particularly condemn racial
segregation and apartheid and undertake to prevent, prohibit and eradicate all
practices of this nature in territories under their jurisdiction,” the
convention states. The PA has complained to CERD that Israel is not in
compliance with Articles 2, 3 and 5 of the convention. At issue are Israeli
actions in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
CERD ROUTINELY examines Israeli compliance with the convention, as it does with
all signatories. Israel participates in all such reviews, the last of which was
held in 2019. The committee also reviewed Palestinian compliance in that same
year. Israel has taken CERD reviews seriously because the committee is composed
of a professional body and is largely presumed not to exhibit the same level of
anti-Israel bias as the UN organs that are composed of representatives of member
states.The arbitration procedure is not part of the normative review, with an ad
hoc, five-member panel, known as the conciliatory committee being appointed to
deal with the matter. On Friday, CERD said it had rejected Israel’s argument
that the PA claim should be dismissed and planned to appoint such a committee.
Already in 2019 CERD had dismissed an opinion in support of Israel by a UN legal
advisory body that the Palestinian claim was inadmissible. The former Trump
administration had also spoken out against the PA’s claim.
“After careful considerations, on 30 April 2021, the Committee had
decided with consensus, by the non-participation of four members, to reject the
exceptions raised by the respondent concerning the admissibility of the
inter-State communication [by the PA],” it stated. “Therefore, it requested its
Chair to appoint, in accordance with article 12 (1) of the Convention, the
members of an ad hoc Conciliation Commission, which shall make its good offices
available to the States concerned with a view to an amicable solution of the
matter on the basis of States parties’ compliance with the Convention,” CERD
said. Israel said in response that, “despite an
unequivocal finding of the UN Office of Legal Affairs that the Committee lacked
jurisdiction; despite the absence of treaty relations between Israel and the
Palestinians; and in stark contrast to its own past practice, the Committee
determined (December 2019) it had jurisdiction to consider this spurious
complaint. “Now the committee has decided that proceedings in this matter can
continue,” the Israeli mission stated. “The Committee has decided to apply an
operating standard to Israel and disregard both facts and law to reach a
predetermined and agenda-driven conclusion,” it said. CERD hinted that it would
not participate in the proceedings but did not make that statement outright.In
“light of the Committee’s shameless and biased decision, it is clear that Israel
cannot expect to receive fair and non-discriminatory treatment from this body,
and will conduct its relations with it accordingly,” the mission said.
Senior Swiss diplomat in Iran found dead after fall from high-rise
Reuters/May 04/2021
The diplomat was 51, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported. Other reports
put her age at 52. The first secretary at the Swiss embassy in Tehran was found
dead on Tuesday after falling from a high-rise building where she lived in the
north of the city, a spokesman for emergency services was quoted as saying by
Iranian news agencies. The Swiss foreign ministry (FDFA) said an employee at its
embassy in Iran had died of an accident, without identifying the victim. "The
FDFA and its head Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis are shocked by the tragic
death and express their deepest condolences to the family," it said.
Iranian emergency services spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi said the diplomat's
body was found by a gardener after an employee who arrived at her apartment
early on Tuesday noticed she was missing, the news agency Fars reported.
"This person was the first secretary of the Swiss embassy," Khaledi told
Mehr news agency. "The cause of her fall has yet to be determined," he told
Fars. The diplomat was 51, the semi-official news
agency ISNA reported. Other reports put her age at 52. Switzerland has
represented US diplomatic interests in Iran since Washington and Tehran cut ties
shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Rocket Attack, 3rd in 3 Days, Targets U.S. in Iraq
Agence France Presse/May 04/2021
The Iraqi army said two rockets were fired Tuesday at a base hosting Americans,
in the third such attack in three days and as a U.S. government delegation is
visiting the country. The two rockets fell on an unoccupied segment of the Ain-al-Assad
airbase, "without causing damage or casualties," the army said.
The latest rocket attack follows one against an airbase at Baghdad airport
housing U.S.-led coalition troops on Sunday night, and another against Balad
airbase, which hosts U.S. contractors, north of the capital on Monday night.
None of the attacks have so far been claimed, but Washington routinely
blames Iran-linked Iraqi factions for such attacks on its troops and
diplomats.Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have vowed to ramp up attacks to force out the
"occupying" U.S. forces in recent months, sometimes against Tehran's wishes,
according to some experts. Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, perceived
by pro-Iran factions as too close to Washington, on Tuesday discussed the
presence of 2,500 U.S. soldiers based in Iraq with U.S. envoy Brett McGurk.
The men know each other well -- Kadhemi, in his role as head of
intelligence, a position he retains to this day, worked closely with McGurk when
he was the U.S.-led coalition's representative. The military coalition was set
up to fight the Islamic State jihadist group, which seized control of a third of
Iraq in a lightning 2014 offensive. Iraq declared victory against the jihadists
in late 2017 and pressure from Shiite public opinion for the US to withdraw all
its troops has mounted in the years since. Kadhemi and McGurk are working on
drawing up a timetable for the "withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq,"
according to a statement by the prime minister's office. Around 30 rocket or
bomb attacks have targeted American interests in Iraq -- including troops, the
embassy or Iraqi supply convoys to foreign forces -- since President Joe Biden
took office in January. Two foreign contractors, one Iraqi contractor and eight
Iraqi civilians have been killed in the attacks. Last month, an
explosives-packed drone slammed into Iraq's Arbil airport in the first reported
use of such a weapon against a base used by U.S.-led coalition troops in the
country, according to officials. Dozens of other attacks were carried out in
Iraq from autumn 2019 during the administration of Biden's predecessor Donald
Trump. The operations are sometimes claimed by obscure groups that experts say
are smokescreens for Iran-backed organizations long present in Iraq. The rocket
attacks come at a sensitive time as Tehran is engaged in talks with world powers
aimed at bringing the US back into a 2015 nuclear deal. The agreement, which
curbs Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, has been on life
support since Trump withdrew in 2018.
Israel's Netanyahu misses deadline to form government,
political future in question
The Associated Press/05 May ,2021
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has missed a midnight deadline for
putting together a new coalition government. His failure to reach an agreement
late Tuesday raises the possibility that Netanyahu’s Likud party could be pushed
into the opposition for the first time in 12 years. The matter now bounces back
to Israel’s figurehead president, Reuven Rivlin, who is expected to consult with
leaders of the parties elected to parliament in March before deciding how to
proceed. The turmoil does not mean that Netanyahu will immediately be forced out
as prime minister. But he suddenly faces a serious threat to his lengthy rule.
His opponents already have been holding informal talks in recent weeks to lay
the groundwork for a power-sharing deal.
Israel's Never-Ending Political Crisis
Agence France Presse/May 04/2021
Israel's longest serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until midnight
Tuesday to form a new government if he is to hang onto power.
The new round of political horse trading comes after the fourth inconclusive
election in two years.
Deadlock-
In polls on April 9, 2019, the incumbent Netanyahu hopes to prevail again,
despite being dogged by corruption allegations. Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and
the centrist Blue and White alliance of ex-military chief Benny Gantz finish
neck-and-neck with 35 seats each. Parliament chooses Netanyahu, backed by
smaller right-wing parties, to try to form a majority government. But after
weeks of political bargaining, he is unable to command a majority in the
120-seat parliament. The deadline expires and parliament agrees to hold a new
election.
New impasse
The September 17 vote proves another tight race, with Gantz's party on 33 seats
against the Likud's 32. Netanyahu is charged with forming a government and
proposes a unity government, but Gantz refuses to join, citing his rival's
potential indictment on corruption charges. Neither can muster the 61 seats
needed for a majority. After Netanyahu tells President Reuven Rivlin he has
failed to form a government on October 20, Rivlin hands the task to Gantz, who
also throws in the towel a month later. Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud
and breach of trust on November 21. It is the first time a sitting premier faces
trial in Israel. Netanyahu rejects the charges, saying they are an attempt to
remove him.On December 11, as the deadline passes to form a government,
lawmakers call a new election for March 2, 2020.
Third election in a year
This time around the Likud wins the most seats -- 36 against 33 for Gantz's
party.
On March 16, Gantz, backed by 61 lawmakers, is nominated to try to form a
government, but fails. On April 20, with Israel in lockdown against the
coronavirus and facing economic crisis, Netanyahu and Gantz announce a deal to
form an emergency unity government. The three-year agreement will allow
Netanyahu to stay in office for 18 months. Gantz will then take over for 18
months, before Israel heads to an election. On May 6, Israel's Supreme Court
approves the coalition deal and lawmakers endorse the pact the next day. But
after lawmakers fail to adopt a budget, parliament is dissolved on December 23,
and a new election called for March 2021.
Fourth time unlucky
Israelis go to the polls for a fourth election on March 23. The Likud comes
first, winning 30 seats, but Netanyahu still has no clear path to power.The
president asks him to form the next government on April 6, giving him a May 4
deadline.
Horse trading -
On April 18, Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party proposes a unity
government of the right, center and left to oust Netanyahu. Netanyahu calls on
former senior Likud member Gideon Saar to join a government. Two days later, he
calls for Israel's next leader to be chosen by referendum.
Egypt Buys 30 Rafale Jets from France
Agence France Presse/May 04/2021
Egypt's military has confirmed it ordered 30 Rafale jets from French defence
firm Dassault Aviation to shore up "national security". The order, which follows
the 2015 purchase of 24 Rafale jets, will be financed through a 10-year loan,
the military said in a statement late Monday. Investigative site Disclose had
reported earlier Monday that the order was part of a secret mega-defence deal
worth almost four billion euros ($4.8 billion). Egypt is the world's third
biggest arms importer after Saudi Arabia and India, according to the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute. Its arms purchases grew by 136 percent
over the last decade and it has diversified its sourcing beyond the United
States, buying military equipment from France, Germany and Russia, the institute
said in a report released earlier this year. Cairo has positioned itself as a
bulwark of stability in the region as the conflict in its western neighbour
Libya grinds on. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and French counterpart Emmanuel
Macron enjoy a close relationship built on mutual security interests. At a joint
press conference with Sisi in Paris in December, Macron said: "I will not
condition defence and economic cooperation matters on these disagreements (over
human rights)
Macron Walks Tightrope with Napoleon Commemoration
Agence France Presse/May 04/2021
French President Emmanuel Macron is to lay a wreath at the tomb of Napoleon
Bonaparte to mark the 200th anniversary of his death on Wednesday after months
of debate about the legacy of the country's most famous autocrat.
Macron waited until the last minute to announce his plans for the tricky
bicentenary and is seeking to walk a middle path between those who wanted a
celebration, and others who called for a boycott. The famed Corsican is one of
the most divisive figures in French history, his huge contribution to the
creation of the modern state set against his imperialism and war-mongering. But
in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the emergence of a new
generation of vocal anti-racism campaigners in France, Napoleon's decision to
re-establish slavery in 1802 has been the focus of debate. "It will be a
commemoration, not a celebration," an aide to the French president told
reporters on Monday, adding that the day's ceremonies would include a
wreath-laying and a speech. Macron has criticized recent attempts to topple
statues of French figures involved in slavery, and he has condemned so-called
"cancel culture" as an attempt to "erase what we are". "Our approach is to look
at history in the face," the presidential aide said, adding that the approach
meant "neither denial, nor repentance". Macron believed it was wrong to judge
figures of the past by today's ethical standards, the aide added. "Someone at
the start of the 21st century does not think like someone at the start of the
19th century," he said. "Our history is our history and we accept it." But in a
speech at the Institut de France, one of many Napoleonic institutions, the
French president will condemn slavery as "an abomination, including in the
context of the era," the aide said. The 43-year-old president, elected as
France's youngest leader since Napoleon, will also dwell on his lasting impact
on the state bureaucracy, as well as the school and legal systems.
Tyrant, genius or both?
Napoleon seized power in a coup in 1799, overthrowing France's first republic
that was established in the wake of the 1789 revolution that abolished the
monarchy. Renowned for his military prowess, he clocked up a series of
victories, including at the Battle of Austerlitz, which resulted in a French
empire dominating most of continental Europe. But as well as crowning himself
emperor and crushing the fledgling attempts at democracy at home, Napoleon also
reversed gains for women and the ban on slavery introduced under the first
republic. Slavery was re-established in French
colonies, a move seen by some as being motivated by a desire to dominate the
Caribbean sugar trade in the face of competition from arch-enemy England.
Mathilde Larrere, a French historian, believes there was a "racist dimension" to
the decision, however. Writing in The New York Times recently, American scholar
Marlene Daut called Napoleon "France’s biggest tyrant" and "an icon of white
supremacy" in a column that condemned planned commemorations in France.
Political divisions
In the build-up to the bicentenary of Napoleon's death on the island of Saint
Helena, some 160 French institutions from schools to museums have signed up for
events grouped under the "Annee Napoleon 2021" label. Though many of those
events have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, French TV schedules have been
saturated with new documentaries and libraries are stocked with new books
looking at every aspect of his life. "Why shouldn't we celebrate Napoleon?"
far-right nationalist leader Marine Le Pen told France Inter radio on Tuesday.
"He's a huge historical figure. I regret that the president is commemorating him
in a hurry. "He did so much for the country, and he gave so much to the world."
Left-wingers have urged Macron to avoid the occasion. "The Republic should not
pay an official homage to the person who buried the first republican experience
of our history by installing an authoritarian regime," left-winger Alexis
Corbiere wrote in Le Figaro newspaper in March. Other French leaders have also
had to contend with how to remember the man known as the "little corporal",
famed for his frock coat and "bicorne" (two-cornered) hat which he wore sideways
on the battlefield. In 2005, late president Jacques Chirac refused to attend the
200th anniversary of the Battle of Austerlitz, which saw Napoleon defeat larger
Russian and Austrian forces.
Trump launches place to post ahead of Facebook board ruling
on his ban
Reuters/05 May ,2021
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a space on his website where
he can post messages that can be shared by others to Twitter and Facebook, sites
where he remains banned. The launch comes a day before a decision from Facebook
Inc’s oversight board on whether to uphold Trump’s indefinite suspension from
the platform. Trump was barred due to concerns of further violent unrest
following the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol by his supporters. Trump,
who left office on Jan. 20, has falsely claimed he lost last year’s election to
Democrat Joe Biden because of widespread voter fraud.
The site, which was first reported by Fox News, is dubbed “From the Desk of
Donald J. Trump” and contains short posts from Trump that can be liked.
Trump’s senior adviser, Jason Miller, told Fox News in March that the
former president, who was banned from a slew of sites after the riot, had plans
to launch his own social media site. It is not clear if this is the same
platform. Trump representatives did not immediately
respond to requests for comment. The former president
has also been sending out short, emailed press releases.
Twitter Inc has said its ban on Trump is permanent, even if he runs for
office again. Alphabet Inc’s YouTube has said it will restore Trump’s channel
when it decides the risk of violence has decreased.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on May 04-
05/2021
Iran sought nuclear weapons, technology for WMDs last year,
reports find
Benjamin Weinthal/Fox News/May 04/2021
Findings likely to animate broader discussion about whether US should return to
Iran nuclear deal
The Islamic Republic of Iran made multiple attempts in 2020 to obtain technology
for its weapons of mass destruction program and has not stopped its drive to
develop atomic weapons, intelligence agencies from the Netherlands, Sweden and
Germany recently reported.
The Netherland’s General Intelligence and Security Service “investigated
networks that tried to obtain the knowledge and materials to develop weapons of
mass destruction. Multiple acquisition attempts have been frustrated by the
intervention of the services,” the agency wrote in its April report.
According to the Dutch report, “The joint Counter-proliferation Unit (UCP) of
the AIVD [the General Intelligence and Security Service] and the MIVD [the
country’s Military Intelligence and Security Service] is investigating how
countries try to obtain the knowledge and goods they need to make weapons of
mass destruction. Countries such as Syria, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea also
tried to acquire such goods and technology in Europe and the Netherlands last
year.”
Iran’s regime was listed under the document’s section on preventing “countries
from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.”
The intelligence agency did not provide details on the multiple attempts by the
rogue nations to secure weapons of mass destruction technology. The report also
did not state whether Iran’s regime illegally obtained technology and equipment
for its nuclear program.
The General Intelligence and Security Service under its mandate “conducts
investigations, provides information, and mobilizes third parties to safeguard
the democratic legal order and national security, to actively reduce risks, and
to contribute to foreign policy-making.”
The Netherlands’ MIVD and AIVD intelligence services, according to the report,
“conducted intensive research into several very active networks” that are
involved in proliferation and use various third parties in European countries.
“Consequently, export licenses were verified and acquisition attempts
frustrated,” the report said.
The damning findings from the fresh European intelligence are likely to animate
broader discussion about whether the U.S. should return to the much-criticized
2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Critics have long argued the atomic accord places what is at best a temporary
restriction on the Islamic Republic’s drive to join the club of nations with
nuclear weapons.
A spokesperson for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News, “The Iranian regime
has never stopped seeking weapons of mass destruction to use against America and
our allies. Nevertheless, the Biden administration, like the Obama
administration, is committed to dismantling all meaningful pressure against the
regime and flooding it with hundreds of billions of dollars.
“Sen. Cruz had fought for years to prevent that from happening, and continues to
emphasize that any deal with Iran not brought to the Senate as a treaty and
passed by the Senate can and will be reversed by a future administration,” the
spokesperson added.
The Biden administration is currently conducting indirect negotiations with
Iran’s regime in Vienna about the U.S. rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action, the formal name for the 2015 nuclear accord.
The Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear pact in 2018 because U.S.
officials believed the deal permitted Tehran’s rulers to build nuclear weapons.
The Swedish Security Service revealed in its intelligence report for 2020 that
Iran sought Swedish technology for its nuclear weapons program. According to the
document, “Iran also conducts industrial espionage, which is mainly targeted
against Swedish hi-tech industry and Swedish products, which can be used in
nuclear weapons programs. Iran is investing heavy resources in this area and
some of the resources are used in Sweden.”
Iran’s regime wages industrial espionage against the Scandinavian country and
targets its industry, the 88-page document notes.
In April, the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the
domestic intelligence agency of the southern German state, wrote in its report
for 2020: “Proliferation-relevant states like Iran, North Korea, Syria and
Pakistan are making efforts to expand on their conventional arsenal of weapons
through the production or constant modernization of weapons of mass
destruction.”
The German intelligence agency, the rough equivalent of the FBI, noted that “In
order to obtain the necessary know-how and corresponding components, these
states are trying to establish business contacts with companies in
high-technology countries like Germany.”
Jason M. Brodsky, senior Middle East analyst at Iran International, a
London-based news organization, told Fox News, “I think these findings
underscore the permissive environment that Europe affords for Iran to conduct
industrial espionage and a range of other intelligence activities. They also
highlight the need for the E3 [Britain, France, Germany] and the United States
to obtain credible explanations from Tehran over the uranium traces found at
undeclared sites throughout the country as a part of clarifying the outstanding
safeguards issues with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency].”
Brodsky continued, “The activities of the Organization of Defensive Innovation
and Research (SPND) merit continued scrutiny in light of these revelations. SPND
[a subsidiary organization of the Iranian Defense Ministry] inherited Iran’s
past nuclear weapons program – Project Amad – and in 2019, the U.S. government
found that the organization was functioning in a way so that the intellectual
wealth of that program was preserved.
“That is not to mention SPND’s work on chemical weapons research through the
Shahid Meisami Group, which the U.S. sanctioned in December 2020. These European
intelligence findings demonstrate the need for continued vigilance over this
entity and Iran’s ambitions for weapons of mass destruction,” Brodsky said.The
U.S. government – both Republicans and Democrats – have recognized Iran’s regime
as the leading state sponsor of international terrorism.
Fox News did not receive an immediate response from Iran’s U.N. mission, its
embassy in Berlin or its foreign ministry in Tehran.
*Benjamin Weinthal reports on human rights in the Middle East and is a fellow at
the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @BenWeinthal.
FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on
national security and foreign policy.
The Retrenchment Syndrome ...A Response to “Come Home,
America?”
LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster-CMPP Chairman/Defending Forward Monograph/December
15/2020
Editor’s note: This chapter originally appeared in the July/August 2020 edition
of Foreign Affairs.1
In the decades after the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, the simplistic but widely
held belief that the war had been unjustified and unwinnable gave way to “the
Vietnam syndrome”—a conviction that the United States should avoid all military
interventions abroad.2 The mantra of “no more Vietnams” dominated foreign
policy, muting more concrete discussions of what should be learned from that
experience. Instead, the analogy was applied indiscriminately; U.S. military
operations in the Balkans, the Horn of Africa, Latin America, and the Middle
East prompted assertions that the use of force would lead to “another Vietnam.”
It was not until the United States won a lopsided victory over the military of
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in the 1990–91 Gulf War that President George H.
W. Bush could declare that the United States had finally “kicked the Vietnam
syndrome.”
Nearly three decades later, however, a new mantra of “ending endless wars” has
emerged from frustrations over indecisive, protracted, and costly military
interventions abroad.3 These frustrations have reproduced the Vietnam syndrome
in a new guise: the Afghanistan-Iraq syndrome. Across the political spectrum,
many Americans have come to believe that retrenchment would not only avoid the
costs of military operations overseas but also improve U.S. security. They have
found support for this belief in analyses like those that appeared in this
magazine’s lead package for its March/April 2020 issue, titled “Come Home,
America?”4
The authors of the articles in that package offered different variations on the
retrenchment theme. But what some of the articles have in common is an appeal
that reflects strong emotions rather than an accurate understanding of what went
wrong in the wars that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Proponents of a U.S.
withdrawal from its military commitments play to visceral feelings of war
weariness and argue that the difficulties of those wars were the inevitable
consequence of the United States’ misguided pursuit of armed domination. Some
retrenchers depict U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War as a fool’s
errand, impelled by a naive crusade to remake the world in the United States’
image. And although advocates of retrenchment often identify as realists, they
subscribe to the romantic view that restraint abroad is almost always an
unmitigated good. In fact, disengagement from competitions overseas would
increase dangers to the United States; the paltry savings realized would be
dwarfed by the eventual cost of responding to unchecked and undeterred threats
to American security, prosperity, and influence.
Activist in lower Manhattan, New York, marches by military recruiters on March
19, 2019. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ALTERNATIVE HISTORY
In their critiques of the post-9/11 wars, retrenchers fail to acknowledge the
hidden costs of their recommendations. Although a majority of Americans now
agree that the decision to invade Iraq in 2003 was a mistake, retrenchment
advocates ignore the consequences of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in
2011 and of the broader disengagement from the Middle East that accompanied it.
Those steps ceded space to jihadi terrorists and Iranian proxies, thereby
creating an ideal environment for the return of sectarian violence and the
establishment of the self-declared caliphate of the Islamic State (or ISIS). The
Obama administration made similar mistakes in Libya earlier in 2011, after
pushing for a NATO air campaign that helped depose the dictator Muammar
al-Qaddafi.5 Although it was determined to avoid the mistakes of the George W.
Bush administration’s war in Iraq, the Obama administration paradoxically
exceeded them, failing to shape Libya’s political environment in the wake of
Qaddafi’s demise; nearly a decade later, the Libyan civil war rages on, and the
country remains a source and a transit point for millions seeking escape from
turmoil in northern Africa and the Sahel.
Retrenchers ignore the fact that the risks and costs of inaction are sometimes
higher than those of engagement. In August 2013, the Syrian regime used poison
gas to kill more than 1,400 innocent civilians, including hundreds of children.
Despite U.S. President Barack Obama’s declaration in 2012 that the use of these
heinous weapons to murder civilians would cross a redline, the United States did
not respond with military force. U.S. inaction enabled the regime’s brutality,
emboldening Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Iranian and Russian
supporters to intensify their mass homicide. In 2017–18, U.S. President Donald
Trump finally enforced the Obama administration’s redline, retaliating against
the use of chemical weapons by Assad with strikes against the Syrian military.
But Trump’s decision in 2019 to withdraw U.S. forces from eastern Syria
complicated efforts to eliminate ISIS and bolstered the influence of Assad and
his sponsors in an area whose control would give them a significant advantage in
the war.6 Almost nine years since the Syrian civil war began, a humanitarian
catastrophe continues in Idlib Province, which, at the end of 2019, generated
over a million more refugees, many of whom succumbed to extreme cold or the
novel coronavirus.
Despite evidence that U.S. disengagement can make a bad situation worse,
retrenchers have pushed for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The
agreement signed between the United States and the Taliban in February 2020 will
allow the Taliban, al Qaeda, and various other jihadi terrorists to claim
victory, recruit more young people to their cause, gain control of more
territory, and inflict suffering through the imposition of draconian sharia.7
Just as the Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIS generated a refugee crisis
that reached into Europe, the establishment of an Islamic emirate in a large
portion of Afghanistan would generate another wave of refugees and further
destabilize Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of over 220 million people.
Terrorist organizations that already enjoy safe haven in the Afghan-Pakistani
border region will increase their profits from illicit activities such as the
narcotics trade and apply those resources to intensify and expand their
murderous campaigns. Retrenchers do not acknowledge that U.S. withdrawal often
leaves a vacuum that enemies and adversaries are eager to fill.
Retrenchment advocates are relatively unconcerned about enemies gaining strength
overseas because they assume that the United States’ geographic
blessings—including its natural resources and the vast oceans that separate it
from the rest of the world—will keep Americans safe. But in today’s
interconnected world, threats from transnational terrorists (or viruses, for
that matter) do not remain confined to particular regions. The humanitarian,
security, and political consequences of the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Libya, Syria, and Yemen have reached well beyond the Middle East and South Asia.
Just as China’s concealment of the coronavirus forestalled actions that might
have prevented a global catastrophe, the United States’ withdrawal of support
for its partners on the frontlines against jihadi terrorists could generate
staggering costs if the terrorists succeed in penetrating U.S. borders as they
did on September 11, 2001. And a reduction of U.S. support for allies and
partners along the frontiers of hostile states, such as Iran and North Korea, or
revisionist powers, such as China and Russia, could result in a shift in the
balance of power and influence away from the United States. Retrenchment could
also result in a failure to deter aggression and prevent a disastrous war.
Retrenchers also overlook the trend that the security associated with the United
States’ geographic advantages has been diminishing. In 1960, the historian C.
Vann Woodward observed that technologies such as the conventional aircraft, jet
propulsion, the ballistic missile, and the atomic-powered submarine marked “the
end of the era of free security.” Those technologies overtook “Americans so
suddenly and swiftly that they have not brought themselves to face its practical
implications.” Retrenchers are out of step with history and way behind the
times.
FALSE PROPHECIES
Even the most compelling arguments for sustained engagement overseas are
unlikely to convince hardcore retrenchers, because they believe that an overly
powerful United States is the principal cause of the world’s problems. Their
pleas for disengagement are profoundly narcissistic, as they perceive
geopolitical actors only in relation to the United States. In their view, other
actors—whether friends or foes—possess no aspirations and no agency, except in
reaction to U.S. policies and actions. Retrenchers ignore the fact that
sometimes wars choose you rather than the other way around: only after the most
devastating terrorist attack in history did the United States invade
Afghanistan.
In the “Come Home, America?” package, Jennifer Lind and Daryl Press argue in
“Reality Check” that abandoning what they describe as Washington’s pursuit of
primacy would quell China and Russia while providing opportunities for
cooperation on issues of climate change, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.8
And in “The Price of Primacy,” Stephen Wertheim asserts that a less threatening
United States could “transform globalization into a governable and sustainable
force” and bring about a reduction in jihadi terrorism, a less aggressive China,
a curtailment of Russian interference, the termination of North Korea’s threat
to U.S. and regional security and human rights, and even progress against the
threat from climate change.9
If these promises seem too good to be true, it’s because they are. Retrenchment
hard-liners are confident in such claims because they assume that the United
States has preponderant control over future global security and prosperity. In
reality, adversaries have the power to act based on their own aspirations and
goals: American behavior did not cause jihadi terrorism, Chinese economic
aggression, Russian political subversion, or the hostility of Iran and North
Korea. And U.S. disengagement would not attenuate those challenges or make them
easier to overcome.
STRATEGIC EMPATHY
The movement in favor of retrenchment is in part a reaction to the overoptimism
that animated U.S. foreign policy in the 1990s. When the Soviet Union collapsed
and the Cold War ended, some thinkers and policymakers assumed that the process
of democratization that was unfolding in eastern Europe would be replicable in
Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. But they failed to give due consideration to
local contexts and to political, social, cultural, and religious dynamics that
make liberal democracy and the rule of law hard to reach. Similarly, after the
United States’ lopsided military victory in the Gulf War, some assumed that
future wars could be won quickly and decisively because U.S. technology had
produced a “revolution in military affairs.” But this presumption ignored
continuities in the nature of war, such as the enemy’s say in a war’s course of
events and its political, human, and psychological complexities. Excessive
optimism soon grew into hubris, setting the United States up for unanticipated
difficulties in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The best antidote to such overconfidence, however, is not the excessive
pessimism offered by retrenchers. Policymakers should instead adopt what the
historian Zachary Shore calls “strategic empathy”: an understanding of the
ideology, emotions, and aspirations that drive and constrain other actors.10
Strategic empathy might help at least some advocates of retrenchment qualify
their adamant opposition to democracy promotion and human rights advocacy abroad
and might allow them to accept that the United States cannot determine, but can
influence, the evolution of a world in which free and open societies flourish.
In recent years, protests against authoritarian rule and corruption have flared
up all over the world. In Baghdad, Beirut, Caracas, Hong Kong, Khartoum, Moscow,
and Tehran, people have made clear that they want a say in how they are
governed.11 Support for those who strive for freedom is in the United States’
interest, because a world in which liberty, democracy, and the rule of law are
strengthened will be safer and more prosperous. Disengagement from competitions
overseas would cede influence to others, such as the Chinese Communist Party,
which is already redoubling efforts to promote its authoritarian model.
Retrenchment may hold emotional appeal for Americans tired of protracted
military commitments abroad, but blind adherence to an orthodoxy based on
emotion rather than reason would make Americans less safe and put the United
States further in the red.
(c) 2020 Council on Foreign Relations, publisher of Foreign Affairs.
All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Iran says it wants peace with Saudis, but sends Houthi drones instead
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 04/2021
سيس فرنتزمان/جيرالزوم بوست: تدعي إيران أنها تسعى للسلام
مع السعودية وفي نفس الوقت تقصفها بالصواريخ الحوثية
So what does Turkey think about Saudi Arabia’s possible détente with Iran?
What is Iran’s strategy now that discussions of an Iran-Saudi Arabia warming of
relations have become well known?
First, it is interesting that while Turkey’s regime has been pretending it wants
reconciliation with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the real substantive discussion may
involve the kingdom and Iran. That is because Turkey can be more of a threat to
Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in the region, while Iran is an antagonist that
might be quieted by discussions.
Second, what is important to know is that Iran has acknowledged the discussions
with Saudi Arabia – at the same time that Iran’s media brags of more Houthi
attacks on Saudi Arabia using drones.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif even met with the Houthis. He is
on a regional “Ramadan trip” to shore up support for the Islamic Republic. His
other goal is ostensibly to make it seem like Iran is pushing stability and a
kind of “Pax Irana” in the region.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh has illustrated Tehran’s
interest in a new era of interaction and cooperation. These discussions, which
were at first more secret, go back at least to January. They coincide with US
President Joe Biden taking office.
After former US president Donald Trump left office, Turkey and Saudi Arabia
understood that things would change in the region. For Riyadh, that means a
concern that the US will not be as supportive; for Turkey, a similar problem
exists.
This week, Khatibzadeh was asked about the Saudi ties.
“Changing the tone and discourse will help reduce tensions but will not lead to
a serious practical result until the behavior changes,” he said. “We have always
been ready for talks at any level and in any form with our neighbors, including
Saudi Arabia.”
“We think that the countries of the region and the people of the two countries
will see the result of such talks, which are more peace, stability and
progress,” Khatibzadeh said. “Undoubtedly, the two countries have no doubts
about this.”
While the Foreign Ministry was talking about stability, the Iranian-backed
Houthis launched drones at Najran and King Khalid military base in Saudi Arabia,
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported. Houthi drone attacks have also increased
since the new US administration came into office. The Houthi rebels in Yemen,
who control a third of the country, have launched an offensive on the city of
Marib.
The Saudis have dealt with drone and ballistic-missile attacks for years.
However, the question for Riyadh is whether US support will continue. The
kingdom may have calculated that discussions with Iran could reduce Houthi
attacks.
This is a tacit admission that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may
control Houthi decision-making about targeting Saudi Arabia. It appears
coordinated because in 2019, a series of escalating attacks on Iran, including
an apparent attack from Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq and an attack on Shaybah and
then on Abqaiq from Iran, showed that the IRGC was coordinating with the Houthis
in Yemen and the PMU (Popular Mobilization Units, a mostly Shi’ite militia) in
Iraq against the kingdom.
From Riyadh’s point of view, this is a major threat. It has sought to repair
relations with Iraq over the past four years and has achieved some success on
that front. Of course, this matters because Saudi Arabia in 1990 was threatened
by an aggressive Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. After Iraq was crushed by the US-led
coalition, it became a weakened state, no longer capable of threatening
neighbors.
Iraq has now been taken over in part by Iranian-backed militias. For Riyadh,
this turn of events is not helpful; weakening Saddam may have been necessary,
but turning Iraq into an Iranian front line is a major threat.
Having Iran in Yemen is another threat. Securing some kind of deal with Iran to
reduce tensions in Iraq and Yemen, as well as stopping another Abqaiq, is in
Saudi Arabia’s interests, especially in the absence of a clear US commitment.
These are the aftershocks of US policy as well as Iran’s aggression and changes
in the region. In some ways, these changes have brought Saudi Arabia and Israel
closer since 2015. But Riyadh must balance that with realpolitik as well.
Of interest is not only Iran’s Janus-faced behavior, where it talks stability
with Riyadh but tells the Houthis to step up the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Turkey also sees a changing region. During the Trump years, Ankara used its
Washington lobbyists to get a blank check from the US to not only erode freedoms
at home but to launch ethnic-cleansing invasions of Afrin and Tel Abyad in Syria
and to export mercenaries to Libya and Azerbaijan.
Ankara realizes that Washington’s blank check is over. The US has recognized the
Armenian Genocide, a symbolic standing-up to Turkish authoritarian leader Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan’s endless threats.
So what does Turkey think about Saudi Arabia’s possible détente with Iran?
“It is no secret that the Saudis, who the Biden administration abandoned in
Yemen, wish to come out of isolation,” columnist Burhanettin Duran wrote Monday
in Daily Sabah, a Turkish pro-government daily. “The [Saudi Arabia] crown
prince’s decision to abandon building an anti-Iran bloc has many dimensions to
it.”Turkish media is almost completely controlled by Erdogan’s AK Party or
answers to the government, a fact revealed by human-rights organizations that
say Ankara is one of the largest jailers of journalists. This means that what
appears in Daily Sabah indicates a stamp of approval from the government.
So this is Ankara’s possible view of what Riyadh is doing. Turkey thinks Saudi
Arabia is isolated.
“Turkey’s normalization attempts with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
along with its rumored pursuit of de-escalation with Saudi Arabia and Israel,
are directly related to this reality,” Daily Sabah reported. Turkey seems to
think a regional “reset” is in order. Iran also seems to think so. The question
facing Riyadh is whether its discussions with Tehran can bring the fruits of
de-escalation in Yemen. One of the cards Iran has is that its proxies terrorize
the region and give it leverage. That is why it has escalated rocket attacks on
US facilities in Iraq in recent months. It uses these attacks to give countries
a mafia-like offer: “We can reduce the attacks if you give us a deal.” From
Vienna to the talks with Riyadh, Tehran plays the same game. And no country has
decided to do to Iran what it does to others, such as launch drone strikes
inside the Islamic Republic and claim that some nameless group did it.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it wants stability. It even pitches some oddly
named agreement called “HOPE” to reduce tensions in the Gulf, tensions that rose
because of Iran’s actions.
The problem is that its Foreign Ministry doesn’t speak for Iran. The IRGC does,
and the IRGC continues the attacks.
France: Generals Warn of Civil War Due to Creeping Islamism
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/May 04/2021
سورين كارن/معهد كايتستون: جنرالات فرنسا يحذرون من حرب أهلية بسبب الإسلاموية
الزاحفة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/98537/soeren-kern-gatestone-institute-france-generals-warn-of-civil-war-due-to-creeping-islamism-%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%aa/
The warning comes amid a wave of jihadist attacks — including the beheading of a
schoolteacher — committed by young men, none of whom were previously known to
French intelligence services. The letter also comes after widespread public
indignation over a French justice system compromised by political correctness —
as evidenced by the refusal to prosecute an African immigrant from Mali who,
while shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is the Greatest”), killed an elderly
Jewish woman by breaking into her home and pushing her off her balcony.
“Every Frenchman, whatever his belief or non-belief, should everywhere be at
home in continental France [l’Hexagone]; there cannot and must not exist any
city or district where the laws of the Republic do not apply.” — From an open
letter signed by 20 retired generals, a hundred senior officers more than a
thousand other members of the French military, April 21, 2021.
“What is written in this letter is a reality. When you have a country plagued by
urban guerrilla warfare, when you have a very regular and very high terrorist
threat, when you have more and more glaring and flagrant inequalities, when you
have a part of our patriots who are breaking up from society, we cannot say that
the country is doing well.” — Rachida Dati, mayor of the 7th arrondissement of
Paris and former Justice Minister .
“These harmful drifts do not result from a moment of distraction but from a
political direction driven by fundamentally corrupting ideological
considerations.” — Marine Le Pen, French presidential candidate.
The open letter and Le Pen’s response come amid a spate of at least nine
consecutive jihadist attacks in France, all of which were carried out by
individuals who were unknown to French intelligence services, and who therefore
were not suspected of being radicalized and consequently were not on a jihadist
watchlist. The attacks suggest that French authorities have lost control of
monitoring Islamic radicals in the country.
A group of retired generals has warned in an open letter that France is sliding
toward a civil war due to the government’s failure to control mass migration and
creeping Islamism in the country. The letter, which has broad public support,
according to polls, also warns against cultural Marxism, runaway
multiculturalism and the expansion of no-go zones in France.
The warning comes amid a wave of jihadist attacks — including the beheading of a
schoolteacher — committed by young men, none of whom were previously known to
French intelligence services. The letter also comes after widespread public
indignation over a French justice system compromised by political correctness —
as evidenced by the refusal to prosecute an African immigrant from Mali who,
while shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is the Greatest”), killed an elderly
Jewish woman by breaking into her home and pushing her off her balcony.
The breakdown in security, and the government’s apparent inability or
unwillingness to do anything about it, has catapulted the leader of the
conservative National Rally [Rassemblement National] party, Marine Le Pen, to
first place, ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron, in polls before
presidential elections set for April 2022.
The open letter, published by the French magazine Valeurs Actuelles [Current
Values] on April 21 and addressed to the French political establishment, was
signed by 20 retired generals, a hundred senior officers more than a thousand
other members of the military. A translation of the letter, which calls for a
return to French patriotism, reads as follows:
“Mr. President,
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Government,
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of Parliament,
“The hour is grave. France is in peril. She is threatened by several mortal
dangers. We who, even in retirement, remain soldiers of France, cannot, under
the present circumstances, remain indifferent to the fate of our beautiful
country.
“Our tricolor flags are not just pieces of cloth. They symbolize the tradition
of those who, throughout the ages, whatever their skin color or religion, served
France and gave their lives for her. On these flags, we find, in golden letters,
the words, ‘Honor and Fatherland.’ Today, our honor rests on denouncing the
disintegration of our country.
“Disintegration which, through a certain type of anti-racism, has a single goal:
to create division, even hatred, between communities on our soil. Today, some
speak of racialism, indigenism and decolonial theories, but by using these
terms, hateful and fanatic partisans are trying to spark a racial war. They
despise our country, her traditions, and her culture, and, by attempting to
erase her past and her history, want to see her relegated to the dustbin of
history. With this objective, they destroy statues and twist centuries-old words
and phrases, all to overturn our past military and civilian glories.
“Disintegration which, with Islamism and the suburban hordes [hordes de banlieue],
leads to the detachment of large parts of our nation to transform them into
territories that are subject to dogmas contrary to our Constitution. Every
Frenchman, whatever his belief or non-belief, should everywhere be at home in
continental France [l’Hexagone]; there cannot and must not exist any city or
district where the laws of the Republic do not apply.
“Disintegration which, when hatred takes precedence over fraternity during the
[anti-government] Yellow Vest [gilets jaunes] demonstrations, where the
government uses the police as proxy agents and scapegoats against French
citizens expressing their despair and hopelessness. All this while masked
individuals infiltrate the protests and ransack businesses and threaten these
same police. Yet, the police only follow the directives, often contradictory,
established by you, the political ruling class.
“Perils are mounting, violence is increasing day by day. Who could have
predicted, ten years ago, that a teacher would one day be beheaded as he was
leaving his school? We, servants of the Nation, who have always been prepared to
pay the ultimate price for our country, cannot be passive spectators in the face
of such actions.
“It is imperative that the leaders of our country find the courage required to
eradicate these dangers. To do this, it is often sufficient to enforce, with
determination, existing laws. Do not forget that, like us, a large majority of
our fellow citizens is exasperated by your cowardice and guilty silence.
“As Cardinal Mercier, Primate of Belgium, once said: ‘When prudence is
everywhere, courage is nowhere.’ Ladies and gentlemen, stop equivocating. The
situation is serious, the work ahead is daunting; do not waste time and know
that we are ready to support policies to safeguard the nation.
“On the other hand, if nothing is done, laxity will continue to spread,
inexorably, through our society. Ultimately, there will be an explosion, and our
comrades on active duty will be forced to intervene and carry out a perilous
mission of protecting our civilizational values and safeguarding the lives of
our fellow citizens.
“As we can see, the time for procrastination is over. Otherwise, tomorrow, civil
war will put an end to this growing chaos, and there will be thousands of
deaths, for which you will bear responsibility.”
Reactions in France
The letter — published on the 60th anniversary of a failed coup against the
government of Charles de Gaulle — sparked an angry rebuke from the French
government.
Prime Minister Jean Castex said that the letter by military figures was
“contrary to all of our republican principles, to the honor and the duty of the
army.”
Iran: Any Sanctions Relief Will be Used Against Americans
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 04/2021
مجيد رافيزادا/معهد كايتستون: أي رفع للعقوبات عن إيران سيستغل ضد الأميركيين
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Iran’s economy is state-led. Significant parts of the economy are controlled by
just two major entities: the Office of the Supreme Leader, led by Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)…. The IRGC and its
front companies have a stake in almost every sector of Iran’s economy such as
construction, transportation, telecommunication, banking and insurance….
The Supreme Leader and the IRGC will be the first beneficiaries of any extra
revenues; they will most likely use additional cash first to strengthen their
military apparatuses and guarantee the survival of the Islamic Republic and
their positions in it. Increased revenues would also allow the IRGC and the
Supreme Leader to crack down more easily on any domestic unrest against their
government.
The other priority of the regime is to export its revolutionary ideals to other
countries….promoting the regime’s interests and ideology — including
anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.
The billions of dollars that Iran will gain from the Biden Administration’s
potential sanctions relief will be directed towards sponsoring terrorism,
funding and arming militia and terror groups across the Middle East, harming US
national and security interests, undermining US allies, particularly in the
Middle East, further advancing the regime’s clandestine nuclear program to
obtain nuclear weapons, and suppressing the Iranian people by squashing their
hopes of establishing a democracy there.
Is this what the Biden Administration really wants as its legacy?
The extent to which the Biden administration is willing to go to appease the
Iranian regime to revive the 2015 nuclear deal boggles the mind. During the
current nuclear negotiations, the Biden administration has reportedly been
offering increasing concessions and sanctions relief to the Iranian leaders.
“Any return to the JCPOA would require sanctions relief…” said State Department
spokesman Ned Price recently.
The extent to which the Biden administration is willing to go to appease the
Iranian regime to revive the 2015 nuclear deal boggles the mind. During the
current nuclear negotiations, the Biden administration has reportedly been
offering increasing concessions and sanctions relief to the Iranian leaders.
Not only has the current US administration seemingly been planning a major
rollback of nuclear and economic sanctions on Iran, it is also reportedly eyeing
lifting non-nuclear sanctions, for instance those linked to terrorism, missile
development and human rights. According to the Associated Press:
“American officials… have said they are open to lifting any sanctions that are
inconsistent with the nuclear deal or that deny Iran the relief it would be
entitled to should it return to compliance with the accord. Because of the
complex nature of the sanctions architecture, that could include non-nuclear
sanctions, such as those tied to terrorism, missile development and human
rights.”
Through sanctions relief, the regime would be able to breathe a sigh of relief:
it would be capable of increasing its oil exports, doing business with more
countries and corporations particularly companies in Europe, and bringing in
foreign investment.
What will the Iranian authorities do with increased revenues — potentially
billions of dollars? Will they be grateful of the Biden administration and alter
their anti-American policies? Who will be the beneficiary of this windfall?
Iran’s economy is state-led. Significant parts of the economy are controlled by
just two major entities: the Office of the Supreme Leader, led by Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Washington
office of the Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of
Iran (NCRI), as far back as in 2017, released a 175-page book, “The Rise of the
Revolutionary Guards Corps Financial Empire,” in which it showed how the IRGC
controls more than half of Iran’s GDP and owns several major economic
powerhouses and religious endowments. The IRGC and its front companies have a
stake in almost every sector of Iran’s economy such as construction,
transportation, telecommunication, banking and insurance, to name a few.
As a result, the Supreme Leader and the IRGC will be the first beneficiaries of
any extra revenues and they will most likely use additional cash first to
strengthen their military apparatuses and guarantee the survival of the Islamic
Republic and their positions in it. Increased revenues would also allow the IRGC
and the Supreme Leader to crack down more easily on any domestic unrest against
their government.
The other priority of the regime is to export its revolutionary ideals to other
countries, both to advance its hegemony in the region and to secure the
empowerment of its militia and terror groups, all mandated to promote the
regime’s interests and ideology — including anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.
A core pillar in Khomeini and Khamenei’s ideology is, in fact, exporting their
revolution. This doctrine is emphasized in Iran’s constitution. Article 11
states that the constitution “provides the necessary basis for ensuring the
continuation of the Revolution at home and abroad” and “will strive with other
Islamic and popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single
world community.”
Iran’s constitution further notes, in Article 144, that fulfilling these goals
is delegated to its military:
“The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran must be an Islamic Army, i.e.,
committed to Islamic ideology and the people … It will be responsible not only
for guarding and preserving the frontiers of the country, but also for
fulfilling the ideological mission of jihad in God’s way; that is, extending the
sovereignty of God’s law throughout the world.”
This means that state and non-state actors such as the Houthis, Hezbollah, Shia
militias in Iraq, and the Syrian Alawite-state of Bashar Al Assad will be the
other beneficiaries of any sanctions relief. Sadly, as corruption is rampant
within the Iranian government, corrupt government officials in Iran will also be
benefiting from any sanctions reliefs and increased trade with other countries.
The billions of dollars that Iran will gain from the Biden Administration’s
potential sanctions relief will be directed towards sponsoring terrorism,
funding and arming militia and terror groups across the Middle East, harming US
national and security interests, undermining US allies, particularly in the
Middle East, further advancing the regime’s clandestine nuclear program to
obtain nuclear weapons, and suppressing the Iranian people by squashing their
hopes of establishing a democracy there.
Is this what the Biden Administration really wants as its legacy?
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US foreign policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 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.
Regional crises may require Egyptian foreign policy reset
Mohamed Abul Fadhl/The Arab Weekly/May 04/2021
It has to be appreciated that Washington is no longer the support base on which
Cairo has relied since the 1979 signing of the peace agreement with Israel.
The regional crises facing Egypt demonstrate that Cairo needs a new foreign
policy. Though it has succeeded in weaving a large network of relations with
various powers, this has not helped Egypt solve the regional problems it faces.
Most of them are still unresolved or in limbo.
Regional and international transformations have had their impact on Egypt and
other countries who have found that disputes have limited the strength of their
traditional foreign policies. There are many changes in the region that have
affected Egypt’s foreign policy balance. But there are two salient factors upon
which Cairo should be less dependent in future.
The first is the fluctuation of US-Egyptian relations. The second is the
patently-flawed Arab system, both from collective and individual perspectives .
Each factor contains many implications for Egyptian foreign policy and dictates
a new set of strategic requirements that are at variance with the status quo
that has lasted over five decades.
In assessing the first determinants, it has to be appreciated that Washington is
no longer the support base on which Cairo has relied since the 1979 signing of
the peace agreement with Israel.
President Joe Biden’s administration seems intent on keeping its distance from
Egypt, even if acknowledging the military constants. This means that there are
differences between the two countries on both domestic and foreign policies.
Regardless of the hesitation of the US administration in taking a position on
most issues, Washington does not see eye to eye with Egypt on a number of
questions. More specifically, it is not willing to stand with Cairo on the most
contentious issues. It seemed for instance to hold views that were similar to
those of Egypt on the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli problem.
But it did not back its words with deeds.
Cairo also suffered an ordeal in Libya during the Donald Trump administration.
The former president was supposed to be the biggest supporter of Egypt during
his tenure. Egypt had to reach out and coordinate with various forces besides
Washington. The wavering on issues continues. And US position may evolve
negatively if Washington sees the need to poke Egypt.
The same situation has repeated itself in the Renaissance Dam crisis. Although
Cairo is aware of the strength of the US role and its ability to exert pressure
on Ethiopia, the Biden administration is reluctant to help solve an intractable
crisis that may impact Egypt and its ties to other countries.
What concerns Cairo is that if it opts for hard power, it may find itself in an
extensive showdown with Washington.
Cairo realises its Western partners are not generally all that dependable in
terms of support or contributions to solving the external crises that Egypt
faces, including those with existential implications.
This leads it to pivot towards other powers such as Russia and China, because
the majority of influential European countries is committed to staying within
the US orbit. The small margin they keep outside alignment with Washington will
be of no benefit to Cairo. The problem however is that any major political shift
towards Russia and China could lead to changes in the balance of power in the
region. Cairo’s success in opening up militarily to rival powers from the East
and the West, as in the context of the arms trade, is tenable only to a certain
extent.
In fact, if it goes beyond a tolerable limit in terms of the types of arms and
equipment it acquires, it will bring pressures upon itself. This was illustrated
by the warnings that were addressed to Cairo after the agreements it signed with
Moscow to acquire advanced Sukhoi planes.
Foreign policy no longer conforms to old postures and alliances. Other countries
taking a position in favour of Egypt have often to pay a high price.
No country offers free support as they are all keen to keep their freedom of
manoeuvre in any direction. Total and decisive support on an ideological basis
is now virtually non-existent in the world. Concessions are dictated by the
perspective of mutual interests.
This is what Egypt faces if it wishes to choose Russia, for example, and bear
the consequences of leaving the US circle of influence.
Moscow, which sees the benefits of the external pressures on Cairo, can find in
them an opportunity to recalibrate its relations with Egypt by bringing them
closer to the Russian approach towards Iranian and Syrian models, or even the
Turkish one, which has achieved success for both countries. As for the Arab
circle, it is noticeable that the Gulf states, which once provided one of the
safety nets for Cairo and were one of the central constants in Egyptian
politics, have begun to change, especially both Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.
Divergences appeared in managing the crises with Qatar and Turkey. Egypt
maintained a calm relationship with Tehran and its proxies in the region.
The intensification of the pace of rapprochement between Gulf states and Israel,
without coordination with Egypt, has contributed greatly to the current gap and
made Cairo rethink the common safety net. Every advance that Israel makes on the
level of normalisation has repercussions for Cairo’s regional balance. Egypt
must accordingly search for new frameworks that enable it to compensate for the
fraying of the safety net in the future.
The crisis increased with the disappointment incurred by Egypt in its counting
on Saudi Arabia and the UAE to put pressure on Ethiopia to lower the threshold
of its stubbornness in the Renaissance Dam crisis, as the two countries had made
huge investments to benefit from the development resulting from the project.
The two Gulf countries seemed at ease with the dilemma facing Egypt. This
prompts Cairo to think about a great pivot, if the situation continues to stand
as it is now. The compass of Egyptian thinking is moving towards overtures to
Iraq, strengthening relations with Jordan, consolidating ties with Sudan and
looking at the countries of the Arab Maghreb, to strengthen the pillars of
Egypt’s foreign policy. But these countries have their own deep problems that
will not allow them to help Cairo. Rather, they seem to be expecting material
and moral support which Egypt may not be able to provide. The natural result of
these complications leads to a gradual dissolution of Arab commitments, which
means a retreat inward, to the detriment of Egyptian interests. For Egypt,
setbacks expand with each retreat. Therefore the country must search for
productive frameworks that can represent new foreign policy support bases.
Iranian regime set to address deep internal divisions
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 04/2021
When the Iranian regime assumed power following the events of 1979, the
theocratic establishment was mainly governed by one political faction: The
Islamic Republican Party, ruled by the founder of the regime, Ayatollah
Khomeini. Almost all political leaders were united under the leadership of the
supreme leader at the time.However, after the death of Khomeini, new political
parties began emerging and labels such as “reformists,” “moderates,”
“pragmatists” and “principlists” began circulating in media outlets. These
became a popular way to characterize Iranian politicians domestically and
internationally.
This new phenomenon assisted the regime for a while. First of all, the
establishment was able to give ordinary people false hope that the reformists or
moderates could bring about the political, social and economic change that they,
particularly the youth, desired. This increased voter turnout as millions went
to the ballot box to elect political figures such as Mohammed Khatami and Hassan
Rouhani. In return, the regime could also use the high voter turnout to project
the idea that it enjoys legitimacy.
Secondly, the new political factions enabled the government to falsely project
to the rest of the world the image of a vibrant and functioning democracy.
Finally, the new factions and labels became instrumental in the supreme leader
and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) achieving their revolutionary
objectives. One prominent example was the important role the moderates played in
lifting sanctions against Iran in 2015 by negotiating the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action nuclear deal. The different factions also allowed Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei to evade accountability and responsibility, as he could blame the
moderates or the reformists for all the country’s economic, social and political
failures.
The reality is that Iran’s so-called moderates have long been a critical part of
the regime’s political establishment. Many of them, including current President
Rouhani, were robust supporters or founding fathers of the regime’s Shiite
theocracy. These moderates, such as the late former President Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani, were once called “hard-liners.”
To be a politician in Iran, your loyalty to the core pillars of the political
establishment should be firmly proven. Vilayat-e Faqih is the foundation of the
political thought expounded by Khomeini — it forces a guardianship-based
political system on the people, requiring that a Shiite religious figure be the
leader of the nation.
Political factions in Iran share the common interest of ensuring the survival of
the regime. The only difference between the hard-liners, reformists and
moderates is the methods they prefer to employ. In other words, the means to
ensure the end are different, but the end is the same for all of them.
The moderates now want more power and a bigger stake in the political
establishment.
Nevertheless, while these different political factions were previously
successfully managed by the regime, their differences are now spiraling out of
control, deepening internal division and endangering the hold on power of the
regime. For example, the state-controlled newspapers, which used to publish the
same argument across the board, are now daily filled with criticisms and attacks
against different political factions.
The moderates have long acted as puppets for the IRGC and the supreme leader and
held ceremonial positions with no power, but they now want more power and a
bigger stake in the political establishment.
A key example is the leaked recording of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
He said in the leaked tape: “I have sacrificed diplomacy for the military field,
rather than the field servicing diplomacy.” And he complained: “In the Islamic
Republic, the military field rules.” Zarif and his ostensibly moderate political
party might even have selfishly orchestrated this whole incident in order to
distance the foreign minister from the regime, as they are sensing that the
regime is at the end of its power and a potential revolution could overthrow it.
In governments that are unpopular and close to being toppled, many opportunistic
politicians will attempt to distance themselves from the regime in order to
advance their political and financial interests in the post-revolution era and
to evade prosecution.
Those who have the final say over Iran’s foreign and domestic policies —
Khamenei and the senior cadre of the IRGC and its elite branch the Quds Force —
will most likely act to eliminate this division, which has served them well for
a long time but is now threatening the regime’s control. The supreme leader, the
IRGC and the Quds Force will most likely try to fill all branches of the
government with hard-liners and military leaders. If they place such a figure as
the next president, they will have succeeded at controlling all the governmental
branches.
Internal division has become a real danger to the Iranian regime, but the
supreme leader and the IRGC’s senior cadre will most likely act quickly, crack
down on such divisions, and attempt to fill the presidential role with a
hard-liner.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Jailed Iranian filmmaker could die if not released
immediately, UN warns
Ephrem Kossaify/Arab News/May 05/2021
Organization’s human rights experts say that denying Mohammed Nourizad proper
medical care may amount to torture
The 68-year-old was jailed after co-signing a letter calling for constitutional
change and resignation of Iran’s supreme leader
NEW YORK: UN human rights experts on Tuesday called on Iranian authorities to
immediately release filmmaker and political activist Mohammed Nourizad.
They warned that his health, and life, is at risk if he is not given access to
proper medical treatment, and said his case is emblematic of the situation many
political activists face in detention in Iran.
“It is clear that Mohammad Nourizad is not in a medical state to remain in
prison,” the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, and
other experts said in a joint statement.
They cited the findings of the Iranian judiciary’s own Legal Medical
Organization and other medical professionals that Nourizad’s health has
deteriorated to the extent that denial of adequate medical care may amount to
“torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”
“We are seriously concerned at the mistreatment of Mohammad Nourizad and his
continued imprisonment for expressing his opinion,” they added.
The 68-year-old filmmaker was convicted in February 2020 on charges relating to
an open letter he and 14 other activists signed in June the previous year
calling for constitutional change and the resignation of supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. All of the signatories were arrested.
Nourizad received several sentences, including seven and a half years in prison
for “membership in an illegal group with the intention to disrupt national
security,” and one and a half years for engaging with opposition groups in a
“propaganda campaign” against the state.
While in detention, Nourizad has gone on hunger strikes and has also refused to
take medications, most recently beginning on March 10 this year, to protest
against his incarceration and the mistreatment of his family by the authorities.
He has also reportedly attempted suicide while detained, and in February began
to self-harm as a form of protest. The UN experts said
Nourizad has a diagnosed heart condition and has repeatedly lost consciousness
in prison. Last month, after one such incident, he regained consciousness to
find he was being injected with an unidentified substance without his consent.
Officials have failed to respond to his request for an investigation into those
injections and information about the substance.
The UN experts said that many people are detained in Iran merely for exercising
their right of freedom of expression. They reminded the Iranian government that
such detentions are clear violations of several of its human rights obligations
under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“We remain extremely disturbed by continued reports of detainees, including
those imprisoned for exercising their human rights, being denied or
unnecessarily obstructed from receiving adequate medical treatment or care,” the
experts said.
“In extreme cases the denial of adequate treatment has resulted in death. The
Iranian government and judiciary has an obligation to ensure that all detainees
receive proper treatment as prescribed not only under domestic law, but also
under its international human rights obligations and the Mandela Rules on the
minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.”