Former U.S. ambassador is 'optimistic' on Griner, Whelan prisoner exchange

The saga of WNBA star Brittney Griner continued Monday after her attorneys filed an appeal over her conviction and nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug possession.

The move comes as U.S. officials continue to seek a prisoner transfer for her and fellow captive American Paul Whelan.

ABC News Live spoke with Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., who has been a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations through the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, about the latest developments.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Let's start with the news of Griner's team filing an appeal. I'm curious, does that have any impact, you think, on diplomatic talks for a prisoner exchange to bring Griner and fellow detained American Paul Whelan home?

RICHARDSON: Well, indirectly, it basically says the legal process is over except for the appeal, and it's reasonable to have this appeal [for a] nine-year sentence in a penal conflict. Now, there can be negotiations between the United States and Russia. Both seem disposed.

There's been a prisoner exchange about two months ago, Trevor Reed, that I was indirectly involved in. I think the legal team of Brittney Griner has been effective [in] showing contrition, acknowledgment of the mistake and now the appeal. And I think…this potential return date from the American side is very important to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. So I think both sides are moving in the right direction and I'm optimistic.

Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., speaks to ABC News Live about the latest developments in the cases of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, who are detained in Russia.

ABC News

ABC NEWS LIVE: All right. You've just described yourself as a catalyst in these talks that are taking place at a government-to-government level between the U.S. and Russia. We know you traveled to Russia ahead of the release, as you mentioned, of American Trevor Reed earlier this spring. Have you or can you say or will you be traveling to Russia ahead of any release, potential release of Griner and Whelan?

RICHARDSON: Well, no, I can't get into that information. But what I can tell you is that I talked to both sides. I talked to the White House. I talked to the Russians. I have contacts in the Russian government. When I was U.N. ambassador, for instance, the foreign minister [Sergey] Lavrov was my counterpart. I have others that I dealt with as secretary of energy. So I'm not a replacement for the negotiations, [or] some kind of an interlocutor indirectly.

So I don't want to get into too many of these facets, but I've had experience. And I think…both sides are moving in the right direction because they've done it before, despite the fact that the relationship between the United States and Russia is toxic. Totally toxic.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Yeah, we understand that, and of course, appreciate it and would not want to jeopardize any future release. But I am curious about this. Russian officials have criticized the U.S. for openly discussing the offers on the table, but they did confirm this weekend that detained Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is the name at the center of negotiations. You spoke to our George Stephanopoulos about this a little bit -- a week or so ago. [Is there] any concern here that these talks could break down for any reason, including the U.S. being too public with that information? In other words, would you [have] preferred that America didn't throw his name out there?

RICHARDSON: Well, I question that because I think private diplomacy is a lot better, but obviously the negotiations weren't going too well. So what the U.S. did was when things aren't going well, you kind of throw a little bit of a bomb. And so far, I think it's moved in the right direction. Now, eventually, I think it's not going to be a two-for-one deal. I think it's going to be a two-for-two.

The Russians obviously probably will want more, but you never know. Again, humanitarian issues like prisoner exchanges, like this agreement on grain and fertilizer that the U.N. broke…are steps in the right direction on the humanitarian front that eventually might help in a very toxic relationship between us and the Russians.

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner looks through bars as she listens to the verdict standing in a cage in a courtroom in Khimki, outside Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2022.

Evgenia Novozhenina, Pool via AP

ABC NEWS LIVE: So you just used the word optimistic. I'm going to see if I can push a little bit further. Are you confident that a deal can get done here? And if so, any idea about a timeline without giving anything away? Or are we talking weeks, months, [a] year?

RICHARDSON: Well, you don't want to get into a timeline. I know the families are suffering. I think it was a great effort to combine them. An American Marine, a basketball star. We want both, but I think the Russians will want parity. So I'm optimistic because it was done before.

And I think Brittney Griner's attorneys have handled this well. And lastly, I think both sides want it. Obviously, the president wants to get his prisoners back and Putin wants to get his prisoner back, especially Bout, who was politically very important. So there's [a] political reality here. So I'm optimistic.

ABC NEWS LIVE: You mentioned the families. Let's touch on that a little bit. I think when people talk about situations like this, they want to know what each government is doing. But I think sometimes lost in the translation are the families that have been dealing with this for however long they have been in each individual case. You've written books on it. Obviously, there's an empathy there that you have. How do you tell the families to have patience in any kind of meaningful way during these negotiations?

RICHARDSON: Well, first, Mickey Bergman, who specializes in dealing with the families, handles that for our foundation.

We worked for the families, my foundation. We don't work for the government. We don't take orders from the government, either. The families work closely with us. We help them. We advise them. We don't try to lift their spirits when there's little, but then we move in directly into negotiation.

So that's different from other groups that do very excellent in hostage diplomacy. But we get right in there and try to make things happen. We're not replacing the government. Eventually, the U.S. government has to make the decision. The president, who I think [is] handling this well for a prisoner exchange. And as you know, prisoner exchanges have been criticized in the media and in the public.

In this June 15, 2020, file photo, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was detained and accused of espionage, holds a sign as he stands inside a defendants' cage during his verdict hearing in Moscow.

Maxim Shemetov/Reuters, FILE

ABC NEWS LIVE: You mentioned this a little earlier on that, of course, this is happening with the backdrop of this Russia-Ukraine war. How does that complicate negotiations? You've done this time and time again, but now there's a war involved in this one, [and] Russia is not happy with America for supplying aid and weapons to Ukraine. So how does that complicate this?

RICHARDSON: Well, it complicates things a lot because the relationship between our leaders or secretary of states or presidents is almost nonexistent. But there are channels like our private channels, like our embassy in Moscow. So there are ways that we talk, but it complicates things. But usually, governments before, they better the relationship.

In this case [it's] a very toxic relationship. Sometimes humanitarian efforts like a prisoner exchange, like the release of human rights prisoners, like the spring deal, the fertilizer deal between Russia [and] Ukraine brokered by the U.N., are steps that might lessen the tension and improve a very bad relationship.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/former-u-s-ambassador-is-optimistic-on-griner-whelan-prisoner-exchange/?feed_id=11868&_unique_id=62fc310a5fca3

Israel and Gaza militants exchange fire after deadly strikes

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli jets pounded militant targets in Gaza early Saturday as rockets rained on southern Israel, hours after a wave of Israeli airstrikes on the coastal enclave killed at least 11 people, including a senior militant and a 5-year-old girl.

The fighting that began Friday with Israel's dramatic targeted killing of a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad continued throughout the night, drawing the sides closer to an all-out war.

But the territory's Hamas rulers appeared to stay on the sidelines of the conflict, keeping its intensity somewhat contained, for now. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and several smaller battles over the last 15 years at a staggering cost to the territory’s 2 million Palestinian residents.

The latest round of Israel-Gaza violence was sparked by the arrest this week of a senior Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank, part of a monthlong Israeli military operation in the territory. Citing a security threat, Israel then sealed roads around the Gaza Strip and on Friday killed the militant leader in a targeted strike.

A blast was heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured from the seventh floor of a tall building. Video released by Israel’s military showed the strikes blowing up three guard towers with suspected militants in them.

In a nationally televised speech Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said his country launched the attacks based on “concrete threats.”

“This government has a zero-tolerance policy for any attempted attacks — of any kind — from Gaza towards Israeli territory,” Lapid said. “Israel will not sit idly by when there are those who are trying to harm its civilians.”

“Israel isn’t interested in a broader conflict in Gaza but will not shy away from one either.” he added.

The violence poses an early test for Lapid, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister ahead of elections in November, when he hopes to keep the position.

Lapid, a centrist former TV host and author, has experience in diplomacy having served as foreign minister in the outgoing government, but has thin security credentials. A conflict with Gaza could burnish his standing and give him a boost as he faces off against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a security hawk who led the country during three of its four wars with Hamas.

Hamas also faces a dilemma in deciding whether to join a new battle barely a year after the last war caused widespread devastation. There has been almost no reconstruction since then, and the isolated coastal territory is mired in poverty, with unemployment hovering around 50%.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 5-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman were among those killed in Gaza, without differentiating between civilian and militant casualties. The Israeli military said early estimates were that around 15 fighters were killed. Dozens were wounded.

Islamic Jihad said Taiseer al-Jabari, its commander for northern Gaza, was among the dead. He had succeeded another militant killed in an airstrike in 2019. That set off a heavy round of fighting between Israel and the militant group.

An Israeli military spokesman said the strikes were in response to an “imminent threat” from two militant squads armed with anti-tank missiles. The spokesman, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said al-Jabari was deliberately targeted and had been responsible for “multiple attacks” on Israel.

Hundreds marched in a funeral procession for him and others who were killed, with many mourners waving Palestinian and Islamic Jihad flags and calling for revenge.

Israeli media showed the skies above southern and central Israel lighting up with rockets and interceptors from Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system. It wasn’t immediately clear how many rockets were launched, and there were no immediate reports of casualties on the Israeli side.

Overnight, Israel struck rocket launchers, rocket building sites and Islamic Jihad positions. It also arrested 19 Islamic Jihad militants in the West Bank, the military said.

The U.N. special envoy to the region, Tor Wennesland, said: “The launching of rockets must cease immediately, and I call on all sides to avoid further escalation."

Following the initial Israeli strikes, a few hundred people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza City’s main Shifa hospital. Some went in to identify loved ones and emerged later in tears.

“May God take revenge against spies,” shouted one, referring to Palestinian informants who cooperate with Israel.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved an order to call up 25,000 reserve soldiers if needed while the military announced a “special situation” on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on activities in communities within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the border.

Israel closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a revenge attack after Monday’s arrest of Bassam al-Saadi, an Islamic Jihad leader, in a military raid in the occupied West Bank. A teenage member of the group was killed in a gunbattle between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants.

Hamas seized power in the coastal strip from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Its most recent war with Israel was in May 2021. Tensions soared again earlier this year following a wave of attacks inside Israel, near-daily military operations in the West Bank and tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site. Israel withdrew troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005.

Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking to the Al-Mayadeen TV network from Iran, said “fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression.” He said there would be “no red lines” and blamed the violence on Israel.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said “the Israeli enemy, which started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it.”

Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas but largely shares its ideology. Both groups oppose Israel’s existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, including the firing of rockets into Israel. It’s unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza.

Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight blockade over the territory since the Hamas takeover. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas from building up its military capabilities. Critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment.

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Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/israel-and-gaza-militants-exchange-fire-after-deadly-strikes/?feed_id=7304&_unique_id=62ee19085de68

Russia Says 'Ready' to Discuss Prisoner Exchange With U.S.

Russia is "ready" to discuss a prisoner swap with Washington at the presidential level, its foreign minister said on Friday, a day after the drug conviction of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner.

"We are ready to discuss this subject, but only within the framework of the [communication] channel established by presidents Putin and Biden," Sergei Lavrov told a press conference on a visit to Cambodia.

"There is a special channel established by the presidents and despite certain public declarations, it is still functional," he said.

"If the Americans again decide to engage in public diplomacy and make thundering declarations... that's their business and their problem," he said, adding that Washington "can't" work "in a professional and calm manner."

Lavrov spoke a day after a Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in a penal colony on a drug smuggling charge.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/russia-says-ready-to-discuss-prisoner-exchange-with-u-s/?feed_id=6868&_unique_id=62ecc4c875367

Parliament's agreement to reform foreign exchange policies in the field of pharmaceuticals/implementation of "Darvar Plan" is an inevitable necessity

According to IRNA's parliamentary reporter, in the public meeting today - Tuesday, August 11 - the Islamic Council of Ministers reported the report of the Health and Treatment Commission on the review of the performance of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education in the implementation of the "Darwar Project" in the presence of the Minister of Health, Bahram Ainullahi. Was investigated.

Zahra Sheikhi, the spokesperson of the Health Commission, in presenting the report of her respective commission and in introducing Darvar's plan, stated: Based on the fifth paragraph and the second part of the seventh paragraph of the general health policies (Communication of the Supreme Leader), efficient policy making and monitoring of production, consumption and the import of medicine as well as the management of health resources through the insurance system centered on the Ministry of Health, treatment and medical education are among the tasks of the government. Also, according to paragraph (Q) of note (1) of the budget law of 1401: "If the government intends to remove a product from the preferential currency basket, it must first make legal arrangements to compensate for the loss of consumer welfare for basic goods through the electronic goods list and medical matters from through insurances and reliable alternative methods, so that people can purchase these goods and services at the end of September price (1400) and within the set quota limit. Based on this, "Darwar Plan" has been implemented by the government since 23/04/1401.

Sheikhi stated: In this plan, the allocation of preferential currency has been transferred from the beginning of the health chain, i.e., importers and producers, to the end of the chain, and it has been allocated to the final consumer through insurances, and as a result, in accordance with the mandate of the budget law of 1401, out-of-pocket payment People will remain unchanged.

He added: Due to the removal of the government subsidy in the first stage of the implementation of the plan, domestically produced drugs have been subject to price increases, and the price of basic insurance obligations has been revised accordingly at the same time and in accordance with the announcement of the new prices. Therefore, after the currency reform Preferably, in the form of Darvar plan, the share paid by insurances will increase from the current 30% to 70%, and the share paid by the patient will decrease from the current 70% to 30%.

Referring to the increase in the number of drugs covered by insurance, the spokesperson of the health commission stated: the amount of insurance coverage for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs increased from zero to (119) and the number of drugs covered by insurance increased from (2,500) to (2,866) found. In the first phase of implementation of the Darvar project, the price of imported drugs, including special, rare and incurable imported drugs, did not increase and preferential currency allocation continued.

In the continuation of the report of the health commission on Daruvar plan was read, based on this report, it was announced that the health commission agreed with the reform of currency policies in the field of medicine and its implementation in the form of plans like "Darvar plan" is an inevitable necessity for the country. knows

The full text of this report Here read.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/parliaments-agreement-to-reform-foreign-exchange-policies-in-the-field-of-pharmaceuticals-implementation-of-darvar-plan-is-an-inevitable-necessity/?feed_id=5482&_unique_id=62e8c09ea2f01