Earlier in the week, the Biden administration published a document called the “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance”. It provides important insights into how the new team in the White House is thinking about the world. Washington, under President Joe Biden, will use the twin-pronged principles of democracy and diplomacy as a means of safeguarding its national security.
Also worth noting is its view of Iran. The new administration does not place Tehran at the same security threat level as the previous Trump administration did. The regime is still dangerous enough to merit Washington’s attention and the administration will move to deter Iran’s threats to the sovereignty and security of other countries in the region.
The security document, however, also makes clear the Biden administration’s unwillingness to view military force as “the answer to the region’s challenges”. This comes just weeks after the withdrawal of US support for the war in Yemen, primarily between government forces and Houthi rebels. Furthermore, even as it condemned the repeated assaults being mounted by the Houthis on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the administration has taken them off the US terror list. Importantly, the document is shorn of any leverage and barely mentions the instruments used by the Trump administration – sanctions and maximum pressure – against Tehran.
A screen grab from video released by Yemen's Houthi rebels shows Yemenis gathering at the purported crash site after a Saudi Tornado fighter jet crashed in Jawf province. AFP
People rummage through rubble after an air strike in Yemen's Jawf province Yemen in this still image taken from a video. Houthi Media Centre via Reuters
A destroyed vehicle is seen after an air strike in Jawf province. Houthi Media Centre via Reuters
A still from a video released by Houthi rebels shows the site said to be where the Tornado fighter crashed. AFP
A still from a Houthi rebel video shows Yemenis cheering at the site. AFP
Yemenis gather around what appears to be part of the crashed Tornado fighter. AFP
Purported plane wreckage is seen in a still image from a video a Houthi rebel video. Houthi Media Centre via Reuters
People inspect purported plane wreckage in Yemen's Jawf provoince. Houthi Media Centre via Reuters
Purported plane wreckage seen in a Houthi rebel video. Houthi Media Centre via Reuters
People inspect purported plane crash site in Jawf. Houthi Media Centre via Reuters
Apparently taking aim at China and Russia in the paper, the Biden administration has declared its willingness to use democracy as a weapon against what it views to be authoritarianism regimes. Democracy, according to Mr Biden, is America’s “fundamental advantage” and that Americans “must prove that our model isn’t a relic of history”. How he intends to carry out his agenda is a mystery. If, for example, the Biden administration wants to hold countries accountable for human rights violations, it must not paper over the record of some Middle Eastern states, such as Turkey and Iran. Indeed, upholding values selectively stated in the security document does way more harm than good.
Take Lebanon as another example.
If the political elite in Beirut is, by virtue of its corrupt practices and inefficiencies, denying its people access to international aid, then does that not count as a human rights violation? Could the Biden team not support the Lebanese people’s right to have a neutral foreign policy, as opposed to one that is favourable towards Iran? Could the US not call for an international investigation into possible crimes against humanity more than six months after explosions at Beirut Port destroyed parts of the capital, killing and injuring many of its residents?
Today the same politicians continue to rule Lebanon, mostly because the international community has done little to hold them accountable. The Biden administration surely has the clout to make a difference.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely to do so. Because, like in the case of the Europeans, America’s priority right now is to revive the nuclear deal it signed with Iran in 2015 or, better still, secure a new one. Tehran will not allow Washington or Brussels to get involved in the so-called internal affairs of Beirut, which is firmly in its grip. And this could count as a strong example as to why Iran rejects any attempt to discuss its malign regional behaviour even if the nuclear issue is addressed. This is what it did in 2015, after which it expanded its destabilising operations in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen; and this is what it intends to do again.
Lebanese firefighters stand on a ladder amid billowing smoke as they extinguish the remaining flames at the seaport of Beirut, a day after a huge fire erupted in warehouses. AFP
A Lebanese flag flutters amid billowing smoke. AFP
Firefighters stand on a ladder amid billowing smoke as they extinguish the remaining flames at the seaport of Beirut. AFP
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish the remaining flames at the seaport of Beirut. AFP
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish a fire in warehouses at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
Firefighters extinguish a fire in a warehouse at the port of Beirut. EPA
A man uses a water hose to put out the remains of a fire that broke out at Beirut's port yesterday. Reuters
If the US is serious about human rights, it could begin by looking at Lebanon
Interestingly, while the security document makes no mention of the US relying on Europe's influence to get tricky negotiations done, this is effectively its current approach to prospective talks with Iran. In their joint bid to get Iran to the table, there is concern that the West will avoid seeking major concessions from Tehran, instead allowing it to fulfil its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and nothing more. This way, the US will be able to fulfil Iranian demands in return, which could even include the lifting of some sanctions, using the European channel.
Europe’s gambit could be seen through a move to put forward, and then withdraw, a proposal to censure Iran at a global IAEA meeting. This will thereby allow the regime, in return, to supposedly backtrack on its refusal to talk to the US about reviving the 2015 deal. It all seems like theatre.
But an increasingly hardline regime in Tehran is convinced that the Biden administration is more desperate than it is for a deal. And until the sometimes contradictory statements and positions of American officials become clearer, the rest of the world will continue to hold its breath.
Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute and a columnist for The National
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany - At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people - Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed - Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest - He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania Publisher: EA Sports Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S Rating: 3.5/5
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Know before you go
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
