The National Interest Foundation Newsletter

Issue 58, August 14, 2020

Welcome to our NIF Newsletter. In this week’s headlines: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selects Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, Lebanon’s government resigns in the aftermath of last week’s explosion in Beirut, a U.S. court issues a summons for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding a lawsuit filed by a former Saudi intelligence official, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar defeats an opponent with millions of dollars from questionable PACs as 5 more states hold primaries, and disputed election results spark mass protests against autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.

---

Biden Selects Running Mate

Democratic Presidential Nominee Biden Selects Senator Harris as His Running Mate

Earlier this week, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that U.S. Senator Kamala Harris would be his running mate for the upcoming November election. With the historic selection, Harris becomes the first African-American woman and first Asian-American woman on a major political party’s presidential ticket. She ran for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination herself and is currently serving as one of the two U.S. senators from the state of California. Prior to that, Harris got her start in public office as the District Attorney of San Francisco and later the Attorney General of California. Senator Harris was chosen from a list of candidates that included other prominent figures such as Congresswoman Karen Bass and former national security adviser Susan Rice.

Lebanese Government Resigns

Lebanese Government Resigns in the Aftermath of Last Week’s Explosion in Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his government’s resignation following public outrage and protests over last week’s deadly Beirut port explosion. After addressing the nation, Diab visited the presidential palace where the move was formally accepted by President Michel Aoun. In the meantime, until new elections are held, Diab’s government will stay on in a caretaker capacity. The administration’s resignation was prompted by widespread protests calling for regime change and criticism of its negligent handling of the over 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate which resulted in the catastrophic explosion. The massive blast destroyed much of Beirut’s port, one of the country’s main economic hubs, and caused largescale devastation across the capital city.

Summons for Saudi Crown Prince

U.S. Court Issues a Summons for the Saudi Crown Prince

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a summons this week for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in relation to a court case brought against him by a former Saudi intelligence official. Saad al-Jabri filed a lawsuit against bin Salman, commonly referred to by his initials MBS, accusing the crown prince of sending a hit squad to assassinate him. Al-Jabri’s complaint alleges that in the days after the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, bin Salman dispatched another Saudi hit squad to either assassinate him at home in Canada, or coerce him into returning to Saudi Arabia where he would be summarily killed. Al-Jabri believes that his wealth of knowledge of bin Salman’s activities and close ties to members of American intelligence made him a prime target for the Saudi authorities.

5 More States Hold Primaries

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Defeats an Opponent with Millions of Dollars from Questionable PACs as 5 More States Hold Primaries

Freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar defeated challenger and political novice Antone Melton-Meaux, an opponent with millions of dollars from questionable political action committees (PACs), in Minnesota’s 5th district, as five more states held primaries on Tuesday. Melton-Meaux drew criticism over large campaign donations from out of state, in addition to dark money from various anonymous donors and PACs, raising questions about why he was being supported and by whom. He drew over 65% of his campaign funds from anonymous corporations, and was heavily backed by various pro-Israel groups like NORPAC and Pro-Israel America PAC. Melton-Meaux raised nearly seven times what incumbent Omar did in the second quarter of 2020, bringing in $3.2 million compared to the $471,000 she raised in the same time period. Furthermore, adding to the suspicious nature of his financing, is the fact that about 75% of Melton-Meaux’s donations were large contributions over $200 in relation to less than 1% for Omar. Melton-Meaux is a political newcomer with no legislative track record, leading observers to note that his campaign fundraising was more to do with vitriol toward Omar and her criticism of Israeli government policies and the pro-Israel lobby, than any prowess of his. Despite the fundraising, voters overwhelmingly elected to re-nominate Omar, with her receiving over 30,000 more votes than her primary challenger. Omar is now expected to return to Congress during the 2020 general election, with her district being heavily Democratic. Elsewhere, retiring Georgia Republican Rep. Tom Graves will be replaced as the GOP nominee for Georgia’s 14th district by conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene has trumpeted bigoted and debunked conspiracy theories, and has made outrageous statements about Jews, Muslims, and African-Americans.

Unrest in Belarus

Disputed Election Results Spark Mass Protests in Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko declared victory in the country’s elections this week, despite widespread reports of vote rigging and corruption. His competitor, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, fled to neighboring Lithuania amid suggestions her life was in danger from the Belarusian authorities. Lukashenko, often referred to as Europe’s last dictator, claimed victory with over 80% of the vote according to state-run exit polls. When it became clear that Lukashenko would be continuing in office, thousands of Belarusians took to the streets in the capital of Minsk and around the country to protest against the government. The authorities have vowed to crush the demonstrations, and Lukashenko himself said the security forces would not allow the country to be “torn apart” by protesters demanding greater governmental accountability.