Rami Makhlouf Launches Counterattack after Syrian Regime Seizes his Assets
Arab World
Damascus - London - Asharq Al-Awsat
A combination photo of Bashar Assad and Rami Makhlouf
Rami Makhlouf, the cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad, launched a counter attack on measures taken by the Syrian authorities to seize his assets, stressing his involvement in “charitable works.” “After reports about a donation we planned to make during the holy month of Ramadan to assist our people, things went out of control. We received threats to stop our work, simply because we dared to publically offer assistance to the needy, and because we announced financing the Al-Bustan Association,” Makhlouf wrote on his Facebook page. He asked, “Why the more grants we offer, the more the curse we receive?” Last year, Makhlouf was linked to financing pro-regime forces and their militias, mainly through Al-Bustan Association. “Since many years we have made donations to support our people.” The Syrian regime has ordered a series of measures against Makhlouf’s companies, including the Association, and his shares in the state-owned Syrian Telecom Company (Syriatel), the country’s biggest mobile phone company. The government’s Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority informed two of Makhlouf’s companies, “Syriatel” and “MTN” mobile phone to pay about 234 billion Syrian pounds to the state treasury as a penalty. It set May 5 as a deadline for the two firms to comply with the decision. In case of failure of compliance within the specified time limit, the Authority said it would take all necessary legal measures to guarantee the rights of the public treasury. Official media quoted a Syrian economic researcher as saying that the amendment of the contracts with the two mobile companies has caused the loss of more than 338 billion pounds (482 million dollars) to the treasury. Last week, the Syrian Finance Ministry seized the assets of the “Abar Petroleum Service SAL offshore” company, which is registered in Beirut and manages the transfer of shipments of petroleum products, diesel, gasoline, and liquefied gas. Makhlouf is on the list of US sanctions for supporting the Damascus regime. The Syrian authorities accuse Makhlouf of violating the import rules by smuggling products worth 1.9 billion Syrian pounds without paying charges and fees. Makhlouf denies links to the company. The measures against Makhlouf come as part of a campaign launched last year by the Syrian regime to force entrepreneurs and businessmen to pay millions of dollars to the Central Bank to save the country from bankruptcy.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2262046/rami-makhlouf-launches-counterattack-after-syrian-regime-seizes-his-assets
Arab Foreign Ministers Call on Quartet to Salvage Peace
Arab World
Cairo - Sawsan Abu Hussein
A handout picture provided by the Arab League on April 30, 2020, shows Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit chairing an urgent virtual meeting, in the Egyptian capital Cairo, to discuss how to galvanize opposition to Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. (Photo by Arab League / AFP)
Arab foreign ministers called Thursday on the International Quartet to hold an urgent meeting to save peace chances and the two-state solution, and to take international action consistent with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. In the final communique released following an emergency meeting held through video conference to discuss Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank, the Arab foreign ministers urged the Israeli occupation government to stop implementing its colonial plans. “Israel's plan to annex any part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967, including the Jordan Valley, the northern Dead Sea, and the Israeli settlements and their surroundings, is considered a war crime,” they said. The ministers stressed that the Arab countries will support, by all political, diplomatic, legal and financial means, any decisions or steps taken by the State of Palestine to confront Israeli plans of annexation and colonial settlement expansion. They also demanded the US administration to abide by the United Nations Charter and resolutions, and the principles and provisions of international law. The ministers urged the United States to refrain from supporting the plans and maps of the Israeli occupation government that are being prepared under the cover of the so-called American-Israeli deal of the century that aims to annex and occupy occupied Palestinian lands by force. The final statement called on member states to make direct financial contributions to the budget of the State of Palestine and the Arab Financial Safety Net, in compliance with the decisions of successive Arab summits. The Arab foreign ministers stressed that a comprehensive and just peace based on international law, international legitimacy decisions and the Arab Peace Initiative, is an Arab strategic choice, and a necessity for regional and international security and peace. “We urge the international community and the United Nations, including the Security Council, to take responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, ensuring the enforcement of international law and international legitimacy decisions in the occupied Palestinian territory, and preventing the Israeli occupation government from implementing the annexation plans,” the ministers said. They have also called on European Union countries to exert pressure on the occupation government to stop its plans, and to urgently recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, in order to salvage the two-state solution. The Arab ministers agreed to call on the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross to exert pressure on the Occupation authorities to release Palestinian refugees. During the meeting, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that any Israeli decision to annex parts of the West Bank would not change the status of these lands, which will remain “occupied territories in accordance with international law.” He said the purpose of Thursday’s meeting was to warn about the “dangers of the Israeli schemes to annex parts of the West Bank and the possible repercussions on regional stability.” Aboul Gheit accused the Israeli government of exploiting the preoccupation of the world with the coronavirus pandemic to establish new facts on the ground.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261981/arab-foreign-ministers-call-quartet-salvage-peace
Amir Taheri
Amir Taheri - Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications, published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987
With the Khomeinist regime once again in deep trouble, the usual suspects launch a campaign to portray the Islamic Republic as victim and US President Donald Trump as oppressor. Slowly the blame is shifting from the mullahs to the Trump administration as the debate is redirected to tackle the hypothetical question of US military action rather than the Islamic Republic's real misdeeds. "No War on Iran" placards are appearing where "No wars by Iran" would make more sense. The attempt at fabricating another "cause" with which to bash America is backed by the claim that the mullahs are behaving badly because Trump refuses to talk to them, although he has repeatedly said he is prepared to talk anywhere anytime. Eleven Democratic senators have written to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling for an end to “maximum pressure” which, with no evidence, they claim is the chief, if not the only, source of Islamic Republic’s sorry state today. For his part, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden has called for the US to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the witches’ brew that President Barack Obama dished out to bypass international law and the US Congress. Those calling for the lifting of sanctions offer four arguments. Some insist that Tehran deserves help because of the coronavirus crisis. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-California) says we cannot let people die by preventing Tehran from securing a $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) because of a US veto. The fact that Tehran’s application is still under study by IMF and that no US veto has been cast is ignored. The lobby supporting Tehran wants the mullahs to be exempt from even routine banking rules. Their message is: Give the mullahs cash and ask no questions! However, Khomeinist leaders say loud and clear that they don’t need any outside help to deal with the coronavirus and that, on the contrary, they are giving aid to anyone who asks for it. President Hassan Rouhani says that the Islamic Republic has already helped a dozen countries, among them the People’s Republic of China. Tehran has also given assistance to the Mayor of London Saddiq Khan, a Muslim, to cope with the coronavirus in a city where Muslims form a substantial portion of the population. Islamic Health Minister Sa’id Namaki says Tehran was never short of “whatever needed” to cope with the virus or cover other medical need. Surena Sattari, Rouhani’s aide for technology, says the Islamic Republic is producing “all equipment needed at a fraction of the cost in Western countries”. Fars News Agency, run by the Revolutionary Guards, reports that Iran is exporting coronavirus testing kits; masks and other equipment to a dozen countries. Rouhani throws in the tantalizing tale that Iran may be the first to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, ahead of the American “Great Stan” and the Israeli “little Satan.” Last March, Tehran arrested and expelled a team of Doctors without Borders form France who came to fight the coronavirus. In other words, the Islamic Republic doesn’t need medical and technical help; it needs crisp greenbacks that could be spent on Hezbollah; Bashar al-Assad, the Popular Mobilization Forces, the Houthis; Hamas and other members of the “Resistance Front”. And, then, not to forget the $100 million Tehran has allocated for lobbyists in the US. The second argument is that if Tehran is pressed too hard it may denounce the JCPOA and even exist from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). The answer to that is: So what? The JCPOA has already been violated by all participants. Tehran has officially suspended complying with some key parts. The US, under Obama, was committed to buy Iran’s stock of plutonium through Westinghouse, a company that went bust; but never did. Russia was committed to buying Iran’s stock of uranium enriched up to 20 percent but stopped doing so after only half was shipped out. China was committed to re-design and recommission the nuclear plant in Arak. But five years later it hasn’t, clinging to flimsy excuses. Britain, France and Germany, were committed to help Iran revive its foreign trade and gain access to capital markets. So far, however, they have only arranged a $7 million package for Iran to buy medical supplies it claims it doesn’t need. A “deal” that none of its participants respects seems to be more of a confidence-trick than genuine diplomacy. As for the Islamic Republic leaving, or with some shenanigans, half-leaving, the NPT, the “so what” mentioned above could be repeated more loudly. If the mullahs wish to develop a nuclear arsenal they would not be stopped by JCPOA and/or NPT. Nor would possession of a nuclear arsenal ultimately save their weird system. The old Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons to destroy planet earth 22 times over, and, yet, it collapsed under the weight of its contradictions without opponents firing a shot. The mullahs have used the nuclear blackmail to confuse adversaries. On the one hand they say they will never make a bomb because it is “haram” (forbidden). On the other they imply unless they are helped to pursue their misdeeds they would do just that. In other words, they say: Reward me for not doing what I never wanted to do anyway! The reward they want, and people like Senator Feinstein seem ready to provide, is to get a free hand in building an ideological empire as a springboard for “exporting” revolution. In the end either Iran must become like the rest of the Middle East or the rest of the Middle East must become like the Islamic Republic. The third argument is that the embargo imposed by the United Nations on sale of arms to Iran will end in October and, unless “maximum pressure” is eased; the mullahs may rush to buy weapons. That argument, too, is hollow. Who is going to sell them arms? Hopefully, not the US, or France and Britain. Russia may. But even then Russia has always looked for a weak Iran on its doorsteps. President Vladimir Putin sold Tehran an air defense system for $800 million but delivered the obsolete version of S-300, keeping the upgraded version for India and Turkey among others. Even then, where would Tehran find the money? Unable to sell oil even at current low prices, the mullahs won’t have much to spend on arms. China, of course, could, and because it sits on $22 billion of Iran’s frozen assets, it might not face payment problems. But switching to Chinese arms might require years of redesigning Iran’s Defense Doctrine when the current regime’s survival policy is internally challenged on a day to day basis. The fourth argument is that unless Trump yields, the mullahs might produce an “October Surprise”, just days before voting, to derail his re-election, by testing a nuclear device or capturing some American hostages or even seizing a US Navy vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Well, that is what a “think tank” in Brussels is peddling, with a nod and a wink from “The New York Boys” in Tehran.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261976/amir-taheri/mullahs-threaten-trump-october-surprise
Sinai Bomb Attack Causes at Least 10 Casualties Among Egyptian Troops
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: Damaged vehicles are seen after a bomb exploded at Al Rawdah mosque in Bir Al-Abed, Egypt November 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Soliman/File Photo
An explosion hit a military armored convoy in the Sinai Peninsula Thursday, causing at least 10 casualties among soldiers who are participating in a campaign against extremists in the region, Egyptian authorities reported. Military spokesman Tamer Refai did not specify the number of soldiers killed by the improvised explosive device. But other officials said 10 soldiers died, including an officer, and three others suffered shrapnel wounds. The attack near the small Sinai town of Bir al-Abed occurred during Ramadan, after sundown when the faithful break their daily fast. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi gave his condolences in a statement posted on Facebook, praising the fallen soldiers as “heroes” and “martyrs.” There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. For years, Egypt has been fighting the Sinai affiliate of ISIS in the border region. The campaign escalated in 2013. Most extremist attacks have occurred in northern Sinai, but militants have also struck at police officers, troops and other high-profile targets in the mainland. On April 14, an Egyptian police officer and seven militants were killed in a firefight in the capital of Cairo after the ministry of interior received information about potential Easter attacks against Coptic Christians, the interior ministry said. Three other policemen had also been wounded.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261971/sinai-bomb-attack-causes-least-10-casualties-among-egyptian-troops
US to Exercise ‘All Diplomatic Options’ to Extend Iran Arms Embargo
Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat
US Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook. (Reuters)
The United States is “hopeful” the UN Security Council will extend an arms embargo on Iran before it expires in October, said US Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, on Thursday. He said the United States had drafted a Security Council resolution on the issue, which would need nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass. Russia’s Ambassador to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, told Russia’s Kommersant newspaper on Tuesday that Moscow was opposed to such a move. Some diplomats say the United States would likely struggle to get Iranian allies Russia and China to allow an arms embargo extension. But Hook repeatedly disagreed during a news conference, saying: “We are hopeful.” “Russia and China have great equities in a peaceful and stable Middle East, and Iran’s sectarian violence and its export of weapons is the principal driver of instability in the Middle East today,” Hook said. He also suggested that Washington did not plan to move ahead quickly with its push for the arms embargo extension. “Our focus is on engaging in thoughtful and measured diplomacy with all the relevant parties to successfully negotiate a renewal of the UN arms embargo,” he said. “We’re going to focus on that in the months ahead.” “They are well aware of our negative attitude towards this step and allegedly are working on a fall-back option,” said Ulyanov, whose previous job was head of the nonproliferation and arms controls department at Russia’s foreign ministry. The fall-back option is for Washington to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran if it fails to get the Security Council to extend the arms embargo - a strategy confirmed by a US official on Monday. Diplomats said Washington faces a messy battle if it carries out that threat, reported Reuters. Washington has shared the strategy and an arms embargo draft with Britain, France and Germany, the US official confirmed. Diplomats said the draft resolution has not been shared with the remaining 11 council members, including Russia and China. The United States believes it could trigger a so-called snapback of all UN sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo, using a process outlined in the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that prevents Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. It is a move likely to be challenged, diplomats said, because US President Donald Trump quit the nuclear agreement in 2018 and described the accord from Barack Obama’s presidency as “the worst deal ever.” Hook declined to elaborate on what other efforts Washington would deploy if the United States failed in its bid to get the arms embargo extended by the Security Council. “The arms embargo must be renewed and we will exercise all diplomatic options to accomplish that,” he said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261966/us-exercise-%E2%80%98all-diplomatic-options%E2%80%99-extend-iran-arms-embargo
Israel Strikes Militia Positions near Syria’s Quneitra
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli soldiers observe the Syrian side of the Quneitra border crossing between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, August 29, 2014. (Reuters)
Israel carried out a series of new strikes against militias in southern Syria, opposition sources said Friday. Israeli helicopters fired several from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights against militia posts near Quneitra. Reports said the attack caused only material damage. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army. Bases and convoys run by Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah party, which has a strong presence in the Syrian Golan Heights, have been hit by Israel in recent years. Israel was stepping up its raids in Syria at a time when world attention and the region, including Syria, was distracted with tackling coronavirus, a regional intelligence source said, according to Reuters. Two weeks ago, an Israeli drone attack targeted a car carrying forces from Hezbollah in southern Syria along the border with Lebanon without causing casualties. A few days later, Israel struck central Syria near the ancient city of Palmyra, in what regional intelligence sources said were Iranian-backed outposts and a command center. Israel has acknowledged in recent years it had conducted many raids inside Syria since the start of the war in 2011. After Syria announced last Monday it had intercepted airstrikes by Israel near the capital Damascus, Israeli defense minister Naftali Bennett told Israeli media that Israel would step up its campaign against Iran in Syria. Bennett appeared to confirm Israel was behind that airstrike on what Western intelligence sources said were Iranian bases. “We have moved from blocking Iran’s entrenchment in Syria to forcing it out of there, and we will not stop,” Bennett said in a statement. “We will not allow more strategic threats to grow just across our borders without taking action. We will continue to take the fight to the enemy’s territory,” Bennett said. The Syrian regime later said Monday’s strike killed three Syrian civilians and injured several others from shrapnel that hit their homes. Israel says Iran’s military presence in Syria, where its militias are fighting alongside Syrian regime forces, is a strategic threat and claims Tehran seeks a permanent presence along its northern borders. The threat of direct confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has long simmered in Syria, with Israel regarding Iran as its biggest threat. Regime leader Bashar Assad has said Iranian forces are welcome to stay in Syria after years of military victories in which Iran and Russian have played a key role in bringing back most of the country back under his control.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261956/israel-strikes-militia-positions-near-syria%E2%80%99s-quneitra
KSrelief Signs Deal with UNRWA to Fight Coronavirus in Gaza Strip
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah signs the agreement with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini during their virtual meeting. SPA
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed on Thursday an agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to provide supplies and medical equipment for UNRWA to fight the new coronavirus in the Gaza Strip. The agreement was signed by Advisor at the Royal Court and KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah and UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini during a virtual meeting held between them. In a press statement, Al Rabeeah said that the agreement will benefit two million people. He said the deal includes providing all necessary medical equipment and protective supplies including ultrasound machines, patient monitors, infusion pumps, pulse oximeters, beds for patient transfers, N95 masks, medications and antibiotics, which will meet the needs of medical teams to confront the pandemic in the impoverished Palestinian territory. Al Rabeeah added that this agreement affirms Saudi Arabia’s leading role in alleviating the sufferings of all peoples around the world. It also reflects the Kingdom’s keenness to harness potentials and resources to serve humanitarian cases in cooperation with UN agencies and organizations and the international community. Al Rabeeah noted that the agreement comes upon the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to stand with all friendly countries in confronting the pandemic.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261271/ksrelief-signs-deal-unrwa-fight-coronavirus-gaza-strip
1,351 New Virus Cases in Saudi Arabia as 3,163 Patients Recover
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Abdelali. SPA
The Saudi Health Ministry said Thursday that the total number of diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus in the Kingdom has reached 22,753 after 1,351 tested positive in the past 24 hours. Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Abdelali said in his weekly briefing that 3,163 people have so far recovered. He also announced that the death toll from the COVID-19 disease increased by five in the past 24 hours to 162. Saudi Arabia will allow entry into and exit from Qatif province starting Thursday, the state news agency reported citing a source within the interior ministry. The source added that this comes as the result of Saudi Arabia's efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Qatif was under lockdown since March 8 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261216/1351-new-virus-cases-saudi-arabia-3163-patients-recover
Asharq Al-Awsat
Libyan National Army (LNA) chief Khalifa Haftar. AFP file photo
The Government of National Accord (GNA) head by Fayez al-Sarraj said on Thursday that its forces would keep fighting after a unilateral ceasefire declaration by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA). "We confirm our fixed position that we will continue with our legitimate self-defense and strike the source of threat wherever it is," the GNA said in a statement. It said it did not trust the LNA after previous failed ceasefires. LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said late on Wednesday that the Army was adopting a ceasefire during Ramadan in response to requests by the international community and "friendly countries". Mismari warned violations by the GNA would be met with an "immediate and harsh response."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261206/libya-gna-rejects-national-army%E2%80%99s-ramadan-truce
Turkey: Deployment of Russian S-400 Defenses Will Happen Despite Delay
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Russian S-300 anti-missile rocket systems move along a central street during a rehearsal for a military parade in Moscow May 4, 2009. REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin
Turkey's planned deployment of Russian S-400 missile defenses has been delayed by the coronavirus outbreak but will ultimately go ahead, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Thursday. "There has been a delay because of the coronavirus but it will move forward as it was planned," Ibrahim Kalin told an online meeting hosted by the Atlantic Council. He said Erdogan had told US President Donald Trump several times that he was also interested in purchasing Patriot missiles. The United States has said that Turkey risks US sanctions if it deploys the Russian-made S-400s. Washington has offered to sell Turkey its Patriot missile defense system if Ankara promises not to operate the rival Russian system, Erdogan said last month.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2261196/turkey-deployment-russian-s-400-defenses-will-happen-despite-delay
Asharq Al-Awsat
In this photo released by the Lebanese Government, President Michel Aoun, center, Prime Minister Hassan Diab, third left, and other government ministers wear masks to help protect themselves from the coronavirus, while attending the cabinet meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 19, 2020. (Dalati Nohra/Lebanese Government via AP)
The Lebanese government has approved an economic reform plan to save the country from its grave crisis, an official source said on Thursday. The source added that the cabinet approved the plan after "minor amendments", noting that the question of the exchange rate was not decided on. The pound is still pegged at a rate of 1,507.5 to the dollar, even as it has slumped below 4,000 on a parallel market since October. The current situation is seen as the biggest threat to the country's stability since the 1975-90 civil war. The plan drawn up by Prime Minister Hassan Diab's government comes as mounting hardship fuels a new wave of unrest during which a protester was killed earlier this week. An early draft of the plan called it a "good basis" for any negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), widely seen as Lebanon's only way to secure desperately-needed financing. Another official source stressed that, now Lebanon has a plan, it must officially ask for IMF help, Reuters reported. The finalized document was not immediately available. The early draft of the plan set out vast losses in the financial system, including a projected $83 billion of losses in the banking system that has helped finance the state. The currency has shed more than half its value and savers have been shut out of their deposits since October, when countrywide protests erupted against ruling politicians. The early draft also called for an exceptional contribution from large depositors, leading to fierce criticism from opponents of the Diab government, notably former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260896/lebanon-govt-approves-economic-reform-plan
29 KSrelief Aid Trucks Head to Yemeni Governorates
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
KSrelief Trucks Travel through Al-Wadiah Crossing Point - SPA
As many as 29 relief trucks affiliated to King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) have crossed Al-Wadiah border point last week carrying food aid to Yemeni governorates. The packages included 1,500 food baskets weighing 165 tons, 39,375 cartons of dates weighing 315 tons and shelter materials containing 240 tents, 1,200 rugs and 3,600 blankets. This aid will be distributed in Taiz, Marib, Aden and Hadhramaut. This comes as an extension of relief and humanitarian efforts that the Riyadh-based center provides to Yemenis.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260886/29-ksrelief-aid-trucks-head-yemeni-governorates
Asharq Al-Awsat
Emergency medical staff wearing protective suits, transfer a patient with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to Masih Daneshvari Hospital, in Tehran, Iran March 30, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Ali Khara via Reuters
Iran's health ministry said on Thursday that 71 new deaths from the new coronavirus outbreak took the country's overall toll past the 6,000 mark. "The number of deaths from this disease effectively crossed 6,000 today," ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in televised remarks. "Considering that we lost 71 of our countrymen in the past 24 hours, a total of 6,028 of those infected with COVID-19 have passed away to date," he added. He added that another 983 people tested positive for the virus during the same period, bringing the total of diagnosed cases to 94,640. More than 75,100 of those infected had already been released from hospital after recovering. Of those still being treated for the disease, 2,976 were in critical condition. Doubts have been cast over Iran's coronavirus casualty figures by experts and officials both at home and abroad. Health Minister Saeed Namaki criticized some Iranians for not taking the outbreak seriously. "I have a complaint about some citizens; you are considering the situation to be too normal," Namaki said in televised remarks. "It is true that we had very good results at the height of economic distress, that deaths dropped to double digits and hospitalizations reached minimum, but this does not mean the coronavirus is done with." Namaki also warned that Iran must prepare itself for a "simultaneous heavy wave of COVID-19 and the flu" in the coming autumn and winter. Iran has shut schools, universities, cinemas and stadiums among other public spaces since March to contain the spread of the virus. But since April 11, it has allowed a phased reopening of its economy and lifted restrictions on intercity travel. Mosques remain closed even as Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan. According to Namaki, his ministry is devising health protocols to allow Friday and group prayers to recommence in cities that have been given the all clear.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260846/iran-covid-19-death-toll-surges-past-6000
Jebril Elabidi
Jebril Elabidi - Libyan writer and researcher
The Libyan people responded positively to Commander of the Libyan National Army Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s call for tasking the army with ruling the country and dissolving the Presidential Council after the Sukheirat Agreement had failed. After large protests broke out in major Libyan cities, the statements released by the tribes, including the Ashraf and Murabitin tribes, were bold in demanding that the army be allowed to run the country's affairs. Libyan cities and tribes also mandated the army to lead the country by organizing protests and releasing statements, while activists launched the hashtag about the matter a moment after Haftar’s televised speech ended. Mandating is the assignment of authority or responsibility, which means a transition and handing over of power, and insofar as the mandate is popular, it is as legitimate as a referendum, especially after the so-called Sukheirat Agreement and its outcomes failed, including the State and Presidential Councils. Both of these institutions failed to represent Libyans after turning into a front for pro-political Islam groups. All of this pushed many to mandate the military institution to maintain the security of the country after losing hope in politicians. Haftar, said: “This tragic situation that has taken the people’s suffering to its peak leaves no choice in front of the honorable Libyan people but to declare the dissolution of the so-called political agreement and the gang that is the Presidential Council. You need to immediately decide to mandate the institution that you find competent to lead in the coming phase, under a constitutional announcement that sets the stage for the construction of a civil state and armed forces that guarantee the safety of your choices”. After corruption and looting of public funds reigned, described by the former UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, as unprecedented, and after governments failed, especially the Government of National Accord that the Commander of the Libyan Army described as “a treacherous Presidential Council and a mercenary for bringing the Turkish army”, Libya, which lacks a clear and mature political leadership, is awaiting the success of a democratic project under democratic illiteracy. It accepts outcomes with the presence of opportunistic and ideological militias and the dominion of extremist groups affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda, and even remnants of ISIS; the situation has become surreal. What is most pressing now is taking back the sovereignty of the Libyan state from terrorist groups. After that, talk about a viable democratic project under national sovereignty achieved by the National Army becomes plausible. The Libyan crisis is essentially a security crisis, so continuing to address it with a political process is schizophrenic, and a form of political futility and luxury. This is why all political solutions have ended with failure, and perhaps Sukheirat is the most recent. All current political bodies have offended the state and the Libyan people through inadequate policies, some of which amounted to treason, such as bringing foreign mercenaries and paying them with the money of the Libyan people to fight the Libyan people, or conjuring agreements that undermine Libyan borders and resources like the unconstitutional Government of National Accord. All of these ignited the popular movement in Libya and pushed for mandating the Libyan army to run the country for a transitory period until the atmosphere is suited for a free election without the terrorism and dominion of militias. Mandating the Libyan army will not lead to fear of military rule, the Libyan army’s message is clear and honest: There is no authority over the army except an elected authority, and the Government of National Accord is not elected, it is a product of a fait accompli and is therefore rejected by the people themselves, before the army. The Libyan people are not afraid of mandating the army, it is a disciplined military institution that believes in the civil state and not stratocracy. It is a national military institution that will protect civil elections and ensure the rebirth of a Libyan state.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260826/jebril-elabidi/libya-and-armys-popular-mandate
Palestinian Health Minister: Coronavirus Brought under Full Control
Arab World
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat
A man walks past closed shops as preventive measures are taken against the coronavirus, in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
The coronavirus pandemic in Palestine has been brought under control, Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh said on Wednesday. She affirmed that only 501 cases of infections have been recorded. In her statement to the official “Voice of Palestine” radio station, Kaileh said all epidemiological monitoring procedures related to screening, quarantine and treatment are being followed up in all areas under Palestinian control, especially in occupied Jerusalem. The Health Ministry and competent authorities will conduct an epidemiological survey of areas adjacent to the apartheid wall, as well as official and unofficial crossing points, she noted. The Minister explained that 3,000 tests were made out of 5,000 from Jenin in northern Palestine to Dhahiriya in the south. While the situation seems stable and under control throughout the West Bank, doctors have raised concerns about health conditions in Jerusalem, where the Palestinian Authority (PA) is banned from operating. Based on health assessments, the PA is heading towards further gradual easing of the measures. “A meeting will be held with the epidemiological and crisis control committees to raise their recommendations to Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who is set to have a final say,” Kaileh explained. Member of the Silwan Doctors Committee Hazem al-Ruwaidi said the total number of people infected with the new coronavirus in occupied Jerusalem is 165. “There’s a discrepancy in the data of the Israeli Ministry of Health and the occupation municipality on the number of infections in occupied Jerusalem,” he stressed. Ruwaidi pointed out that the municipality relies in its survey on the patients registered with clear addresses and residing within its parameters, while the Health Ministry counts those with insurance and who conduct tests at a center affiliated with it. He warned citizens against returning to normal life, saying the virus is still spreading, and urged them to avoid gatherings, especially in Ramadan.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260791/palestinian-health-minister-coronavirus-brought-under-full-control
London - Kamil Tawil
ISIS lost its last stronghold last year. Can al-Qaeda benefit from the absence of its rival ? AFP
Who remembers the last operation that al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for? For many people, the answer will need some thought. This question aims to shed light on what appears to be a clear decline of Qaeda’s role in planning and carrying out terrorist attacks around the world. Qaeda’s activity began to recede during the leadership of Osama bin Laden. But its waning became more evident in the nine years that followed the man’s killing by the US commando raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan on the first of May, 2011 (US time). A review conducted by Asharq Al-Awsat on the press publications, which were issued by Qaeda under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, showed that the “general leadership” of the “jihad base” has turned from a direct base for attacks around the world to a promoter of operations in the areas of the group’s deployment. It also appears, based on these publications, that al-Zawahiri leads the organization with the help of another Egyptian leader named Hossam Abdel-Raouf, also known as Abu Mohsen, who is in charge of the media activities. A report by a US research center mentioned that there was another leader in the organization’s leadership assisting al-Zawahiri. It is his son-in-law, Abdul-Rahman al-Maghribi, who was reportedly killed in Waziristan in 2006. The current reports by Qaeda leadership do not include any indication that al-Maghribi is still alive. In addition to Al-Zawahiri and Abu Mohsen, Qaeda's publications highlight a series of audiotapes of Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s son, who in turn called for carrying out attacks in revenge for his father’s death. He also urged the organization’s supporters to launch “lone-wolves” attacks in western and Arab countries. Back then, Hamza was assuming an increasingly important position in the organization, which reinforced reports that he was preparing to be a potential successor to al-Zawahiri. In a statement issued by the White House in September 2019, US President Donald Trump announced that Hamza bin Laden was killed in a US counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. His killing was part of US efforts to combat Qaeda’s activity and to deprive the group of a long succession of leaders, who were killed by raids often launched by drones on their hideouts in Waziristan on the Pakistani border with Afghanistan. Many thought that the Arab world’s revolutions, known as “the Arab Spring” would constitute an opportunity for Qaeda’s revival. However, the organization’s new leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, seemed unable to reap the “fruits of the spring”, not only as a result of US pressure, but also because of the emergence of a fierce competitor from within its environment: ISIS. Al-Baghdadi…The Decline of al-Qaeda The emergence of ISIS, led by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, reflected the waning of al-Qaeda stars under Al-Zawahiri. In the years that saw the movement’s rise, precisely in 2012, Baghdadi refused to submit to al-Zawahiri’s orders, specifically regarding al-Nusra Front, and went as far as to destroy the organization and eliminate its presence in large areas of Syria, in addition to competing with Qaeda in its strongholds around the world. ISIS gained further strength through the field victories achieved by its fighters in Iraq and Syria. They took control of an area equivalent to the size of Britain, and established a “state”, which they called the “caliphate” in 2014. These successes attracted thousands of people from around the world, who flocked to Syria and Iraq. Many of them brought their families along to live in the purported “confines of the caliphate”. Also, Baghdadi has resorted to a series of massive attacks in Western countries, some of which were carried out directly, as happened in the Paris and Brussels attacks of 2015 and 2016; while others were perpetrated indirectly, through a long series of “lone-wolves” attacks, carried out by ISIS supporters, who were unable to join in Syria and Iraq, due to the launching of operations of the international coalition against the organization. Through these attacks, ISIS became the world’s first terrorist organization in the eyes of the Americans, who had previously honored Qaeda with that title. However, Qaeda was severely battered by ISIS in Syria, where al-Zawahiri was betting on reviving his organization’s activity through al-Nusra Front, which was led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. Qaeda, as it turned out, sent a number of its most distinguished veteran leaders and well-known figures (some of whom were residing in Iran) to Syria to empower al-Nusra against ISIS, on the one hand, and allow it to attract other groups that were also fighting the Syrian regime under Islamic slogans. But the Americans knew that al-Nusra was nothing but a branch of Qaeda. The leader of the group, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, was forced to reject his allegiance to al-Zawahiri. This disagreement prompted some of the Font’s senior members to declare their separation from al-Jolani and form another organization openly linked to Qaeda, under the name of “Guardians of the Religion”. It was clear that the Syrian issue and the Islamists’ differences worried Zawahiri since the rise of Baghdadi in 2013. In September 2015, Zawahiri called on his supporters to cooperate with ISIS in Syria and Iraq to counter the campaign launched by the international coalition against the organization. However, this did not lead to an improvement in relations between the two parties, but rather to its further deterioration. Qaeda Branches Apart from the Syrian defeat, Qaeda branch in East Africa, represented by the Somali al-Shabab movement, maintained the momentum of its activity, carrying out a series of attacks in the disintegrated Somalia and its neighbor, Kenya. The US Command in Africa (AFRICOM) plays a pivotal role in facing al-Shabab, through a series of raids targeting the locations of the movement’s militants. Since the beginning of 2020, AFRICOM has carried out more than 33 raids against al-Shabab, and has managed to kill many elements, including one of its founders, Yusuf Jiis, in April this year. The Qaeda branch in the African Sahel region, represented by the Islamic and Muslim Front, was able to maintain the pace of its activities in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali - countries, where central governments suffer disintegration and their security forces, are unable to control large areas of their vast territories. These countries also witness the activity of the ISIS branch, which has claimed responsibility huge operations in Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and the region surrounding Lake Chad. The future relationship between the two terrorist movements is still unclear, given that they are currently coexisting. In Yemen, Qaeda lost its leader, Qasim Al-Rimi (Abu Hurairah Al-Sanani), in a US raid early this year. In February, Trump announced the killing of al-Rimi, who had taken over the leadership of Qaeda there since 2015. He was succeeded by Khaled Bin Omar Batarfi. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Qaeda welcomed the US agreement with the Taliban movement, although this agreement clearly states the Taliban will not allow any activity launched from its territory against external parties, including the US Qaeda Leadership After The Killing of Hamza Bin Ladan Not much is currently known about those helping Zawahiri lead the organization, especially after the killing of Hamza bin Laden. But Qaeda’s publications sometimes refer to another Egyptian figure, who appears to be playing an important role in the hierarchy of the organization: Hossam Abdel-Raouf, who is presented as Qaeda’s media official. Last year, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added him to the lists of most wanted people, noting that he was nicknamed “Abu Mohsen al-Masri,” born in Egypt in 1957. In 2018, a US court charged him with conspiracy to provide material support and resources for a foreign terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the relationship between Qaeda and ISIS is still mired in ambiguity in the wake of the US success in defeating the latter in Syria and the killing of Zawahri’s first rival, Baghdadi, in Idlib in October last year. ISIS chose a new leader, Amir Muhammad Saeed Abdul Rahman al-Mawla (known as Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, Hajji Abdullah and Abu Omar al-Turkmani), who previously assumed a religious role in the ranks of Qaeda in Iraq. Thus, Zawahiri will find himself now in confrontation with a new leader of ISIS, who emerged from the heart of Qaeda.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260781/al-qaeda-under-zawahiri-and-challenge-isis
Traffic Returns to Jordan’s Streets, No New Virus Cases
Arab World
Amman - Mohammed Khair al-Rawashdeh
A man distributes breakfast to families in Russeifa, Jordan. Reuters file photo
Life has returned in the cities and roads of Jordan, with the streets of the Jordanian capital Amman filled with vehicles, the movement of which is organized by the day of the week according to an even-odd license plate policy, while around 50 percent of public vehicles are back on the roads. The country has been in lockdown since March, but restrictions are now being relaxed. Shoppers returned to various shops and establishments, while Asharq Al-Awsat noticed that the largest crowds were outside fast-food restaurants after photos of a queue of cars outside one of them were widely shared on social media. The services of barbershops and laundries were also in noticeably high demand. Criticism of the performance of the government's economic team, however, has been pointed. The Former Minister of State for Media Affairs, Muhammad al-Momani, wrote an article in the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad in which he criticized the government’s measures, arguing that it failed to create a healthy balance between "the need to preserve public health and to maintain the operations of economic sectors that are the lifeblood of Jordanians". Another former Minister of State for Media Affairs, Samih Al-Maaytah, says that the Defense Law, which King Abdullah II issued by decree on March 17, remains in effect after the number of cases stabilized. Life had already returned to normal in new governorates such as Madaba, Jerash and Ajloun, after the government's previous decision to close them off and allow life to go back to normal there. Restrictions are also gradually being lifted in Mafraq in the east and Irbid in the north; the latter was considered the first coronavirus hotbed in the country. No cases have been recorded since Tuesday, but the government decided to have a total lockdown implemented on Friday, as per Epidemiological Committee recommendations that sparked a debate about the "uselessness of the total lockdown for confronting the spread of the virus." Around 89 out of the 499 of those infected with the virus lie on the beds of government hospitals equipped to treat the virus in Amman after the first symptomatic patient was diagnosed in early March. While the number of deaths increased to 8 after a 40-year-old man died on Tuesday. With the gradual return to normal life, some social media activists began demanding that mosques be allowed open during Ramadan, which prompted the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Holy Places to issue a statement confirming its commitment to complying with the recommendations of the Epidemiology Committee regarding the ban on gatherings, even in places of worship. Moreover, the announcement of a plan to allow the return of Jordanian students from abroad is expected after it had been decided that the first batch, which includes about 4,000 students residing in several European capitals, would arrive at the beginning of May. More than 23,000 requests to return from abroad have been made to date; however, the returnees are required by the authorities to isolate themselves in hotels in the Dead Sea region at their own expense. Concerning the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi), the ministry's director of the examinations department, Nawaf Al-Ajarma, said that the exams would be taken in early August and that university semesters would begin next fall. The Jordanian government announced that the public sector, schools and universities would have their activities suspended until the end of Ramadan. The private sector, on the other hand, has been invigorated since restaurants and retail stores have reopened as work on building materials and industry also resumed.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260741/traffic-returns-jordan%E2%80%99s-streets-no-new-virus-cases
Israel Extends Shin Bet’s Authority to Monitor Coronavirus Patients
World
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat
People get their hair cut in a barber shop in Jerusalem as workers wear face masks as a protection against coronavirus (File photo: Reuters)
The Israeli government decided to extend the authorities of the Shin Bet to use information on citizens to track coronavirus patients and the people they were in contact with. Earlier, the Supreme Court of Justice granted the government the right to approve an extension of the tracking for the coming weeks, on condition that it begins the legislative process. The internal security agency has been working with the Health Ministry to retrace the movements of coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced that for the first time coronavirus recoveries exceeded the number of those infected. The Ministry indicated that 7,929 persons have recovered, while 7,641 still suffer from the disease. It hoped this difference will be an indication that they will overcome the pandemic. Official data indicate that the cases among Arab citizens in Israel are less than those among Jews. However, there are several Arab towns where infections are increasing dramatically, such as Deir al-Assad, which has 146 cases, at a rate of 100 infected persons for every 10,000. The ultra-Orthodox Jewish city of Bnei Brak also has a high rate with 2,813 cases, at a rate of 74 for every 10,000 people. Two other Arab towns are considered to be among the towns strongly-hit by the virus: Hura in the Negev with 66 cases, and Biina with 34 cases. The National Authorities of the Arab citizens decided to support the parent’s decision in rejecting the reopening of schools. The heads of Arab municipalities said that schools won’t resume operation in the next two weeks, amid parental objection over the matter and concerns that the coronavirus rate will continue growing within Arab society. Last week, Israeli authorities allowed some businesses to reopen and said it was considering allowing children to return to school as part of efforts to ease coronavirus restrictions.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2260736/israel-extends-shin-bet%E2%80%99s-authority-monitor-coronavirus-patients
KSA: Lifting Curfew Contributes to 30% of Private Sector Economic Revival
Business
Jeddah- Saeed al-Abyad
Commercial activities gradually resume with the partial lifting of the curfew (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi economists estimated that the partial lifting of the curfew starting this week would contribute to returning at least 30 percent of the private sector’s economic strength, as a number of sectors have not yet resumed operation, including transport, tourism, housing, and entertainment. They noted that the full revival of the private sector would not take long, in light of the precautions taken by the relevant Saudi agencies to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in all cities. The gradual return of economic life in the Saudi market will push for a comprehensive or specific restructuring and a financial plan that would help institutions face any future problems. Specialists have identified four main points that must be dealt with in the next stage: addressing the excess in some commercial activities by medium and small enterprises, developing long-term plans to face emergencies and exceptional situations, searching for trained workers to meet needs of the local market, and finding development solutions for facility operations. Mohamed Al-Mojil, Vice-Chairman of the Tourism Committee at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh and member of the Riyadh Center for Small and Medium Business Development, said that lifting the curfew would have significant economic returns for many medium and small enterprises that depend on traditional commercial activities. “There are two main factors in the economic activity that any establishment depends on; jobs and cash. The government rushed to support enterprises generously. Therefore, the activity of small and medium enterprises must be complementary to the need of the Saudi market,” he noted. Economic expert Dr. Louai Al-Tayyar told Asharq Al-Awsat that the gradual return would reduce the size of losses incurred by the private sector during this period, and would gradually revive the economic life. He added that the partial lifting of the curfew would restore 30 percent of the economic sector’s activity.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2258821/ksa-lifting-curfew-contributes-30-private-sector-economic-revival
Scientists Test Usefulness of Ancient Swords in Simulated Historic Battles
Varieties
Cairo- Hazem Badr
Battle of Poitiers, in October 732, oil on canvas by Charles de Steuben, 1834–37; in the Versailles Museum, France. Photos.com/Getty Images
Bronze swords made from copper and tin aren't the most robust of weapons, and cannot be repaired easily. This has led to some uncertainty about whether weapons like swords, shields, and arrows made from these materials can survive battles. Some even claim that these weapons were used in celebrations, not in clashes. An international team including researchers from the UK, Germany, and China has put an end to this uncertainty by creating seven middle to late Bronze Age swords using traditional methods, then tested them out in a simulated historic battle in which ancient bronze swords were used. By analyzing the marks and indents left on the weapons by the mock battles, and comparing them with a study of 110 ancient Bronze Age swords (3000 BC – 1200 BC) found across Great Britain and Italy, the team was able to show that these weapons weren't just ceremonial items. The team announced their findings in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. This isn't the first study to explore the use of such weapons in wars, but it is the first to support its hypothesis with mock battles in which the researchers highlighted how combat marks got left on weapons, how swords would've been held in battle, and even the sorts of body areas that fighters would've aimed for. What's more, by looking at differences between sword wear and tear across the centuries, the researchers were able to map out evolution in sword fighting, an early battling method across Britain and Italy. In a report published on the Science Alert website, Archaeologist and Senior Author Barry Molloy from City University College Dublin in Ireland said: "One limitation of the study is the fact that we still know so little about how people fought in the Bronze Age. For the battle experiments, we recreated medieval (5th to 15th century CE) battles, as these are the techniques best described in the literature." "It's hard to know whether the tests performed were accurate representations of how the blades would have been used, but at least we were able to demonstrate that bronze weapons were skillfully used in wars," he added.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2258806/scientists-test-usefulness-ancient-swords-simulated-historic-battles
