UK £2 www.thearabweekly.com Issue 160, Year 4 June 10, 2018 EU €2.50 Call for Russia’s Worsening water readmission crisis in MENA rattles G7 Page 18 Pages 5-6, 21 Jordanians end protests but discontent continues in region ► Jordan’s problems, with both its economy and public trust, are shared to varying degrees by other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Mamoon Alabbasi concerns of its citizens. Responding to the unrest, Jorda- nian officials blamed external fac- London tors, such the Syrian refugee crisis, the rise in energy prices and the he demonstrations that wider problems of the region. rocked Jordan for more “Jordan has been going through than a week ended after the a very difficult situation that is not T government gave in to pro- due to failure within the country. testers’ main demands but the fac- That is due to the fact that Jordan tors that drove the general discon- has been at the receiving end of tent are likely to remain concerns in every crisis in the region,” Jorda- Jordan and other Arab countries. nian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi Thousands of Jordanians re- told CNN. sponded to a call by leading un- Safadi urged the international ions for a general strike May 30 to community to share Jordan’s bur- protest legislation that would have den, a call that was echoed by the increased income tax. The unprec- International Monetary Fund (IMF). edented size of the demonstrations “Recent events underscore the and protesters’ promise for more need for the international commu- )AFP( strikes led to the resignation of nity, including regional donors, to Lingering woes. Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki, who shoulder more of the burdens of A sign held during a protest against austerity measures in Amman reads,“We are broke.” was replaced by Jordanian King Ab- Jordan’s hosting more than 1 mil- dullah II with Omar Razzaz. lion Syrian refugees and providing especially when parliament and op- countries in the Middle East and insulted the boycotters, calling The protesters were unmoved security in the region, all of which position parties are deemed weak. North Africa. them “morons” or “cattle.” by Mulki’s resignation and stuck to have placed extraordinary strains “A new government is needed Tunisians took to the streets in Algeria, too, has seen strikes in its their key demand that the tax hike on its public finances,” said Gerry to embark on consultation with January to protest a budget pro- health and education sectors over be scrapped, despite calls by some Rice, director of the IMF Communi- stakeholders on a new law. In other posal that included an increase in the past few months, with workers union leaders to give the new gov- cations Department. words, no government should im- fuel prices and additional taxes on citing poor working conditions and ernment a chance. It was only when Saudi Arabia announced plans for pose a law like this depending on a goods. The apparent lack of trust in low salaries. As rising prices begin Razzaz promised to shelve the leg- a summit with King Abdullah and spineless parliament,” wrote Has- the political class could explain why to pinch, many Algerians wonder islation that protesters ended their the leaders of the United Arab Emir- san A. Barari in an opinion article in a significant portion of the coun- if the revenues of their country’s marches and sit-ins. ates and Kuwait to discuss ways to the Jordan Times. try’s population abstained from oil resources are being pocketed by The proposed tax increase was support Jordan but Amman needs This could explain why Razzaz taking part in recent local elections. corrupt officials. viewed as the last straw by a popu- long-term solutions to its economic included the word “dialogue” in In Morocco, an online campaign lation that suffers from high un- problems. three of his first four tweets after to boycott leading consumer brands Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy employment, reduced subsidies Trust in the state appears to be being designated prime minister. for being too pricey has begun to Managing Editor and Online and increasing cost of living. The scarce on Jordan’s streets. Com- Jordan’s problems, with both show results. Companies and the Editor of The Arab Weekly. government is also widely regarded mentators stressed that the gov- its economy and public trust, are government urged an end to the as corrupt and unresponsive to the ernment must listen to its citizens, shared to varying degrees by other boycott. Some government officials Pages 2-3,6 Saudi women join the ranks of licensed drivers ahead of ban ending

Mohammed Alkhereiji was widely carried by Saudi news system, granting women inde- outlets. pendent access to government ser- Ultraconservatives argue that vices, jobs, education and health London women driving is immoral and care without the need for prior con- warned that women doing so sent. audi authorities have begun would be subject to sexual harass- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed preparations to remove the ment. Four years ago, the country’s bin Salman bin Abdulaziz empha- country’s ban on women top cleric, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz sised that point in an interview S driving, which is to end June al-Sheikh, warned that the ban with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” pro- 24. Saudi officials on June 4 issued “was in the best interest of society,” gramme in March, during which driver’s licences to ten women, as arguing that it protected women he stressed equality of the sexes. a precursor to removing one of the from dealing with the consequenc- “Absolutely,” he said. “We are all most divisive issues in Saudi soci- es of an accident. human beings and there is no dif- ety. Anticipating such concerns, Ri- ference.” “Ten Saudi women made history yadh recently passed a law crimi- The ban on women driving had on [June 4] when they were issued nalising sexual harassment, with been unofficially in place for dec- driver’s licences,” said the Informa- convictions carrying a prison term ades before it was codified into tion Ministry’s Centre for Interna- of up to five years and a fine of up law after 47 female Saudi activists tional Communication (CIC). “Ex- to $80,000. drove in Riyadh to protest the unof- pectations are that, next week, an Ending the women’s driving ban ficial ban in November 1990. They additional 2,000 women will join is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 were jailed for one day and had )Saudi Information Ministry( the ranks of licensed drivers in the programme, which is to reduce the their passports confiscated. kingdom.” A dream come true. kingdom’s dependence on the en- A royal decree by Saudi King “It’s a dream come true that I A Saudi woman displays her brand new driver’s licence at the ergy sector through diversifying its Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sig- am about to drive in the kingdom,” General Department of Traffic in Riyadh, on June 4. economy. nalled the reversal of the ban last Rema Jawdat, one of the licence re- Tied to economic changes are September. cipients, was quoted by CIC as say- various social reforms, in which ing. “#first_saudi_female_driving_licence” showing the first Saudi woman, women’s rights feature promi- Mohammed Alkhereiji is the News that women had been become the top trending hashtag Ahlam al-Thenayan, receiving nently. They include an easing of Gulf section editor of The Arab issued driver’s licences saw among Saudi Twitter users. A video her licence also went viral and the kingdom’s male guardianship Weekly. 2 June 10, 2018 Cover Story

Jordanian protesters call for ‘change in laws, not faces’

Roufan Nahhas “We need to know the position of the new government regarding the controversial income tax law,” Ali Amman Obous, president of Jordan’s Medi- cal Association and the head of ordan’s newly appointed Professional Associations Council, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz told demonstrators. “In response said the government would to the directives of King Abdullah J withdraw the controversial II, who called for an open dialogue, proposed income tax law, which we are giving the new government had fuelled rare nationwide dem- a chance until it is formed.” onstrations. Many protesters interrupted Razzaz’s announcement came a Obous’s call with boos. They called day after thousands of Jordanians for additional protests in front of participated in a second mass strike prime ministry’s headquarters. to protest the draft income tax law, “What we want is simple. We despite the resignation of Prime need the withdrawal of the in- Minister Hani Mulki and King Ab- come tax law and not the change in dullah II weighing in to resolve the faces. We are happy that our king crisis. listened to us and that he wants The announcement was followed the new government to open a kind by a statement by Senate President of dialogue. This is a big boost to Faisal al-Fayez calling for an end to all those who demonstrate every the strikes and demonstrations. night,” Ahmad Okaily, 33, an engi- neer said. “The situation cannot be delayed Newly appointed Prime and we want action from the new Minister Omar Razzaz government to solve the situation,” said the government he added. would withdraw the Rania Ershaid, 38, a teacher, said controversial proposed the protest was an act of duty to- income tax law. wards the country and people’s liv- New face. Jordan’s designated new Prime Minister Omar Razzaz meets with union leaders ing standards. in Amman, on June 7. (Reuters) More than 1,000 protesters took “Our union called for a strike to the streets June 6, in a demon- against the income tax law and we stration called by the Professional are here as one people and one na- ied very well. Instead of increasing full of hope for a better future for mands, some of which are difficult Associations Council, demanding tion to express our rejection of this prices, why not work on finding the country and, indeed, it was to achieve, particularly reducing “a change in laws and not faces.” law, which has brought us misery jobs for young people?” a chance to see the glass half full, electricity and fuel prices, scrap- The strike was preceded by protests and sadness. We hope that the new Jordan’s unemployment rate is to think of ways to turn challenges ping the income tax draft law and orchestrated by dozens of associa- government will find a solution,” 14.9%, sixth highest among Arab into opportunities. For the king, reinstating bread subsidies.” tions, unions and societies and at- she said. countries, the International Labour the protests were an opportunity The Professional Associations tended by thousands of protesters. “It is not enough that we have Organisation said. to correct whatever needs to be Council said it would continue to Having effectively brought one been suffering for many months Samir Barhoum, editor-in-chief corrected and to have a new begin- call for strikes until the tax law is government down, protest lead- from the increase in taxes on com- of the Jordan Times and who at- ning” behind Razzaz. withdrawn. ers said they were willing to give modities and hike in prices, now tended a meeting with King Ab- Barhoum said the government the new prime minister a chance to we have to deal with our income dullah and media leaders, said: would face “the more difficult chal- Roufan Nahhas is a journalist change course. tax law, which has not been stud- “The king’s talk was frank and lenge of meeting protesters’ de- based in Jordan.

Viewpoint Jordan is out of troubled waters, for now

ore than seven social classes. Jordan, admittedly years after the significantly less corrupt than “Arab spring,” Iraq and Syria, ranks as the 59th Mona Alami protests extended most corrupt out of 180 countries, to Jordan and according to Transparency demonstrations International’s Corruption Magainst austerity measures forced Perceptions Index 2017. Jordanian Prime Minister Hani The causes of the Jordanian Mulki to resign. Jordan is con- protests are very similar to those fronted with the conundrum of of the 2011 revolutions that shook reducing the country’s deficit by Jordan as well as Egypt, Syria, rewriting the social contract and and Tunisia. While in Jordan, facing local instability or doing demonstrations were contained, nothing and plunging the country the drivers that marked this phase in insolvency. — discontentment with quality of Demonstrators in Amman life, unemployment, corruption demanded the repeal of price and generally the perception by and tax hikes, which the the middle class of an erosion of its government eventually agreed resources — were used by experts to. “Protesters this time were such as Mohamad Abu Ruman or members of the middle class and Hassan Abu Haniya to explain the of economic syndicates, namely rise in jihadist activity and terror engineers,” said Wael Khateeb, an attacks across the country that anthropologist. marked the post-2011 phase. Reuters reported that the The replacement by Jordanian move would have raised taxes King Abdullah II of Mulki with on employees’ income 5% and Harvard graduate Omar Razzaz corporate taxes up to 40%, in and his decision to withdraw the line with the terms of a 2016 $723 controversial tax reform could million loan from the International momentarily calm the population. Monetary Fund. However, Jordan, like other Arab Years of wars in neighbouring countries, will eventually have to countries have weighed heavily on go forward with painful reforms Jordan’s economy. GDP growth has that will squeeze the middle and been less than 2% in the last few lower classes. years, a relatively low figure for a A time will come when cosmetic developing country. The calm after the storm. A young man sits on cardboard pieces in changes, such as replacing the Official unemployment figures Amman. (Reuters) prime minister, will no longer are at more than 18% and much pacify populations. Or will the higher among young people. In revenues and, to a lesser extent, highest percentages in the world. impoverished be thwarted by fear 2017, the World Bank predicted reduced spending on electricity In Jordan, and elsewhere in the of generalised instability, as many that one-third of the Jordanian subsidies. Increased taxes were Middle East, the social contract in Jordan experienced with the population would be living under essential to the grand bargain. has resulted in local populations onset of the Syria war? the poverty line within a year. Yet, like other Arab countries, largely surrendering political rights Jordanians, like other Arabs, The country has faced waves of Jordan is a welfare state that is to secure employment, education will no longer be satisfied to migration and is home to more at the core of society’s social and economic subsidies. With a finance economic changes to than 2 million refugees. contract. This puts a heavy burden paradigm shift triggered in 2011, fix their countries’ ills and will Like other Arab This resulted in a massive on countries that are supposed protests cannot but build up as demand greater transparency, countries, Jordan debt-to-GDP ratio of 93.4% in to provide free education and governments follow the path of accountability and greater political 2016, with an average increase medical care, subsidised fuel and economic reform. inclusion. is a welfare state of about 6 percentage points per electricity and public-sector jobs. However, social inequalities, that is at the core year, an analysis by Kirk Sowell Khateeb noted that civil service, lavish lifestyle of ruling elites Mona Alami is a French-Lebanese published in Sada Carnegie stated. security apparatus, municipalities and corruption, as well as instant analyst and a fellow at the Rafik of society’s social Sowell said Mulki’s policies slowed and government bodies employed modes of communication, have led Hariri Centre for the Middle East at contract. rising debt by increasing internal 55% of workers — one of the to a mobilisation of impoverished the Atlantic Council. June 10, 2018 3 Cover Story Social Tensions in MENA Egypt closely monitoring developments in Jordan amid Brotherhood fears

Ahmed Megahid King Abdullah to assess the situa- tion in Jordan, including whether popular demonstrations could re- Cairo verberate in Egypt amid concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood. gyptian concerns over the “There are similarities between situation in Jordan were the situation in Jordan and the manifest in a phone con- situation in Egypt,” said Saad al- E versation between Egyp- Zunt, head of Egyptian think-tank tian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Political and Strategic Studies Cen- and Jordanian King Abdullah II. tre. “This was why Sisi wanted to In a statement following the call, check for himself.” the Egyptian presidency said talks Egypt’s economic reforms, ne- Inflationary pressures. A customer counts money as he prepares to buy fruit at a market in Cairo. (Reuters) between the two leaders concerned cessitated by a $12 billion IMF loan, developments in the Middle East resulted in major cuts to subsidies and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. and the flotation of the Egyp- to shield the poor and those with tween the 2011 revolution and Si- organisation has suffered a major However, those with knowledge tian pound, which resulted in the limited income against commodity si’s presidency. defeat in Egypt, many Egyptians about Egypt’s geostrategic inter- Egyptian currency losing half of price hikes.” Egypt, analysts said, is aware are concerned the group could ests said Cairo was closely watch- its value and increased commod- The Egyptian parliament ap- that the Muslim Brotherhood — re-emerge. ing the unrest in Jordan and politi- ity prices. While the short-term proved a 15% bonus for more than designated a terrorist group in While several Arab countries cal fallout, given parallels between effects have been difficult on mil- 6 million civil servants and mil- Egypt in December 2013 — often have designated the Muslim Broth- the two countries. lions of Egyptians, economists said lions of pensioners. The bonus will exploits popular and social unrest erhood a terrorist group, Jordan’s the reforms have put the country’s cost the state budget $225 million, to advance its interests. Brotherhood is part of the political economy on track. an expensive outlay as the govern- mainstream despite increasing le- Egypt is aware that the Foreign currency reserves at the ment is seeking to reduce its budg- gal curbs on its activities. Muslim Brotherhood — Central Bank of Egypt have jumped et deficit through cuts in energy High prices for There are fears that, should the designated a terrorist to $44.2 billion, the highest in his- and drinking water subsidies. commodities and subsidy Brotherhood take advantage of the group in 2013 — often tory, and exports are rising while Egyptians have met the reforms cuts mean that millions of political situation in Jordan, this exploits popular and social imports decrease. with muted anger. The bonus Egyptians are facing could signal a revival of the Islam- unrest to advance its However, high prices for com- package was part of Cairo’s efforts difficulty putting food on ist movement. interests. modities and subsidy cuts mean to stunt any protest movement. the table. “True, the Brotherhood is po- that millions of Egyptians are Egypt is highly susceptible to litically over in Egypt but there is Popular demonstrations in Jor- facing difficulty putting food on political contagion. When anti- “The Brotherhood usually waits belief that the group is still present dan against austerity measures the table. Some economists have regime demonstrations erupted in for an opportune moment to turn and waiting for a suitable moment recommended by the Interna- called for the government to take Tunisia in late 2010 and early 2011, the course of events in its own fa- to come back to the political stage,” tional Monetary Fund (IMF) led to urgent steps regarding food prices. Egypt was the first Arab country to vour,” said Sameh Eid, an expert on Eid said. “This makes Egypt very the resignation of one government “The reforms have increased in- show similar signs of unrest. the Islamist group. “It is the most sensitive to the potential political and the quick appointment of a flationary pressures on the public,” Reports in local media of a organised, which is why it ends up rise of the group anywhere in the replacement. Cairo has also imple- said Salah al-Guindy, an econom- Muslim Brotherhood presence in the most victorious after the po- region.” mented unpopular austerity meas- ics professor at Mansoura Univer- the Jordanian protests increased litical catastrophes that befall the ures at the behest of the IMF. sity. “These pressures make it nec- concerns in Egypt, which went states where it has presence.” Ahmed Megahid is an Egyptian Analysts in Cairo said Sisi called essary for the government to act through political instability be- While the Brotherhood as an reporter in Cairo. Morocco boycott campaign undermines Islamist party’s credibility

Saad Guerraoui The boycott, announced on Face- “During the ‘Arab spring,’ some book April 20 against the rising cost governments proposed reforms to of living, targeted Centrale laitiere meet protesters’ demands, think- Casablanca milk, Afriquia fuel stations (owned ing that it would be a transient by billionaire and Agriculture Min- cloud passing over. Some coun- he boycott of leading con- ister Aziz Akhannouch) and the Sidi tries, such as Tunisia, were fed up sumer brands in Morocco Ali mineral water brand (owned by with waiting for the situation to im- has claimed its first politi- Les Eaux Minerales d’Oulmes). prove,” said Aourraz. T cal casualty with the cred- “The analysis of such a move- Additional boycott campaigns ibility of the ruling Islamist party ment (the boycott) through the have sprouted in other Arab coun- “in tatters.” single price factor is necessarily re- tries. Tunisians called for a boy- Governance Minister Lahcen ductive. It is the whole governance cott of food products whose prices Daoudi, of the Islamist Justice and of an economy undermined by skyrocketed during Ramadan. The Development Party (PJD), resigned economic rent, corruption and the hashtag “Let it rot” trended on so- after being criticised by the PJD for interference of political power with cial media after an increase of fish taking part in a sit-in organised by that of money, which is targeted,” prices in Tunisia. dairy firm Centrale Danone work- anti-corruption group Transpar- ers in front of the parliament urg- ency Maroc said in a statement. ing consumers to end a boycott of Centrale Danone’s sales have PJD is experiencing one of Centrale laitiere milk. plummeted by half since the start its biggest internal crises “The participation of brother of the campaign, forcing the sub- since the Moroccan king’s Lahcen Daoudi in the sit-in in ques- sidiary of the French multinational dismissal of Benkirane as tion is unreasonable and inappro- Danone to issue a profit warning prime minister in April priate,” the PJD general secretariat despite a public relations campaign 2017. said in a statement. on Moroccan television to convince Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Moroccans to end the boycott. Algerians are boycotting cars Eddine El Othmani led the PJD Jobs at risk. Workers of the Centrale Danone company protest Centrale Danone said it would re- assembled in Algeria with the meeting that issued the reprimand. against the boycott of the brand in front of parliament in Rabat, duce the amount of milk collected hashtag “Let it rust,” because they His government had made a series on June 5. (AFP) from 120,000 Moroccan farmers deem the vehicles too expensive. of statements against the boycott by nearly one-third. Many workers Protests against price and tax that angered Moroccans. on short-term contracts could lose increases in Jordan forced Prime The result is that PJD is expe- Analyst Lotfi Abourizk said Abourizk said PJD’s credibility their jobs. Minister Hani Mulki to step down riencing one of its biggest inter- Daoudi’s conduct as a minister was was in tatters because its leaders The government voiced concern following the proposal of a contro- nal crises since Moroccan King unacceptable. “The government have been “speaking out of both that the boycott may put off foreign versial income tax bill. Mohammed VI’s dismissal of PJD should be working towards find- sides of their mouths.” investors and damage the domestic “Arabs are now more aware than member Abdelilah Benkirane as ing a solution to the boycott rather Rachid Aourraz, a researcher at dairy sector. anytime of the social and economic prime minister in April 2017. than threatening those behind the the Arab Centre for Scientific Re- The eastern and northern regions problems that they are facing in While on his way to a parliamen- campaign,” he said. search and Human Studies, said of Morocco have been gripped by their countries. They are calling for tary meeting, Lahcen joined pro- “The biggest trouble does not lie the Islamist party’s decline would protests over poverty, unemploy- real reforms that will improve their testers and chanted anti-boycott in Daoudi’s participation in the pro- be bad news for the country. ment, corruption and the rising standard of living, not government slogans: “It’s a shame. It’s an in- test, which is a big mistake. There “How many radical reforms have cost of living in the last two years, changes that bring no tangible famy. The economy is in danger!” is no doubt that the big trouble lies been passed by the government pressuring the government to quell changes,” said Aourraz. The act was widely criticised by in the absence of a vision and the under PJD’s rule?” asked Aourraz. the worst unrest since the “Arab PJD party members who blamed disintegration of the whole and Protesters blame the government spring” protests that led King Mo- Saad Guerraoui is a contributor him for hurting the party’s popu- unified bet,” said PJD MP Amina for a drop in purchasing power of hammed VI to devolve some of his to The Arab Weekly on Maghreb larity. Maelainaine on her Facebook page. Moroccans. powers. issues. 4 June 10, 2018 News & Analysis Gulf UAE, Saudi Arabia initiate two-nation council to boost cooperation

Mohammed Alkhereiji peoples,” Sheikh Mohammed was quoted as saying in an English-lan- guage report on Al Arabiya TV. London “We are the two largest Arab economies, forming the two most ulf Cooperation Coun- modern armed forces. The econo- cil (GCC) linchpins Saudi mies of Saudi Arabia and the UAE Arabia and the United represent a gross domestic product G Arab Emirates had the of $1 trillion, our joint exports rank first meeting of their joint council fourth globally and amount to $750 to strengthen relations outside the billion, ($40.8) billion annually in- six-country bloc. vested in infrastructure projects, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed which generates huge opportuni- bin Salman bin Abdulaziz hosted ties for bilateral cooperation,” he Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh added. Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan A total of 44 joint projects, fo- on June 6 for the first Saudi-Emi- cusing mostly on military and eco- rati Coordination Council meet- nomic ventures, were announced ing. They announced a joint vision at the Jeddah meeting. They are for economic, developmental and to be implemented in the next five military integration, a strategy that years. has been dubbed “Ala’Azm,” Arabic The new strategy includes “se- for “determination.” curity and military cooperation and integration, coordination of foreign military assistance and A total of 44 joint projects, standardisation in the military in- focusing mostly on dustry sector.” military and economic Security cooperation would in- ventures, were announced corporate initiatives, including at the Jeddah meeting. manufacturing of ammunition, light weapons, vehicles, electronic An official statement said the shooting systems and the coordi- council would “develop a joint vi- nation of foreign military assis- sion to deepen bilateral relations tance, cooperation in the main- in line with the objectives set by tenance of military systems and the Gulf Cooperation Council to standardisation of the military in- strengthen economic integration dustry. Tight bonds. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) attends a meeting with between the two sides.” It would The joint projects include in- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Jeddah. (Saudi Royal Palace) also work to strengthen coopera- vestments in the energy sector, tion on politics, security and de- unified food security projects and fence to improve “the global sover- a $1.4 billion agricultural invest- objective of enhancing “shared and coordination in many areas,” a and Egypt cut off diplomatic and eign standing of the two countries.” ment firm. Organisers plan to set religious, historical, social and statement by the UAE government economic ties with Qatar in June “We have a historic opportu- up a fund for nuclear energy and cultural ties between the UAE and said. 2017. The boycotting countries said nity to create an exceptional Arab a council to coordinate more than Saudi Arabia… out of keenness to There is a strong belief that dis- Doha’s support of Islamist militant model of cooperation. Our soli- $1.3 trillion in foreign investments. consolidate the fraternal relations putes with fellow GCC member groups, such as the Muslim Broth- darity and unity protect our in- The new council was established between them and their desire to Qatar was a catalyst in establishing erhood, as well as its ties with Iran terest, strengthen our economies under a May 2016 agreement be- intensify bilateral co-operation the council. was against the Arab region’s inter- and build a better future for our tween the two countries with the through continuous consultation Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain ests. Houthis lobby UN to stay in Hodeidah amid fears of looming assault

The Arab Weekly staff reservations concerning the pend- ing battle. “Apart from the avoidable hu- London manitarian consequences of such a battle, I am also very concerned emeni sources in the port about the impact (on) chances of a city of Hodeidah say mili- political settlement of this conflict,” tary force is the only option Griffiths was quoted in an Associ- Y to liberate the city from the ated Press report. Iran-allied Houthi militia. This as- Griffiths is trying to broker a sessment came as forces support- peace deal that stipulates the mi- ing the internationally recognised litia give up its ballistic missiles in government were reportedly with- return for the coalition ending its in 10km of the strategic port. aerial bombing campaign and the The Saudi-led coalition was mov- setting up of a transitional govern- ing slowly in its assault on Hodei- ment, Thomson Reuters reported. dah to limit the danger to the ci- The draft document, which is vilian population but securing the yet to be made public but has been city was deemed important to stem seen by Reuters, says that “heavy suspected weapons smuggling to and medium weapons, including the rebels. ballistic missiles, shall be handed The sources, speaking on the con- over by non-state military actors in dition of anonymity, said any other an orderly and planned fashion.” option would give the Houthis and “No armed groups shall be ex- their supporters a chance to use the empt from disarmament,” it says. Hodeidah port to receive arms and “The intention is to link security supplies. and political aspects starting with a Strategic city. An armoured vehicle of the Yemeni pro-government forces patrols on the main road to A Yemeni military official in the cessation of fighting… then to move Hodeidah. (AFP) battle said the Hodeidah airport, as towards a withdrawal of forces and well as the Red Sea port, was con- the formation of a national unity “Our dear brothers: The coalition leaflet said. ing Hodeidah “effectively means sidered a weapons drop-off point government. This last objective and Yemeni legitimacy [pro-gov- Hodeidah is believed to be the that [the Houthis] would lose the for the Houthi militia. could possibly be the hardest,” a ernment] forces call on you to rise Houthi militia’s main source of ability to receive Iranian weapons The military official said evidence source familiar with the proposal up in the face of the armed, crimi- weapons smuggled from Iran and and thus the beginning of the end of the Houthi militia’s reversal was told Thomson Reuters. nal Houthi militias as the legitima- has been instrumental in their up- of their grip on the country.” its interest in seeking a UN compro- The Saudi-led coalition dropped cy forces enter,” one of the leaflets graded military capabilities, evi- The Hodeidah offensive had been mise to stay in Hodeidah. leaflets over Hodeidah on June 5, read. dent by missile attacks on Saudi delayed over humanitarian con- UN Special Envoy for Yemen calling on residents to “rise up” “You must stand by and support Arabia. cerns. The Yemeni government and Martin Griffiths met with Houthi against the Houthi rebels, the the legitimacy forces by staying An editorial in the Dubai-based the Saudi-led coalition have called representatives in Sana’a on June southern separatist friendly Aden away from positions and gatherings Gulf News, stressing the strategic for the port to be put under interna- 4. Afterward, Griffiths expressed al-Ghad news website reported. of armed Houthi militias,” another importance of the city, said captur- tional monitors’ control. June 10, 2018 5 News & Analysis Iraq

Abadi reassures Iraqis over water Iraqi judges to supervise shortages but crisis likely to re-emerge manual recount Mamoon Alabbasi designated share of water for agri- culture. “It is totally unacceptable for provinces to take more than after election London their allocated share,” he said. Abadi rejected suggestions that fraud raqi Prime Minister Haider al- the country needed to build more Abadi sought to reassure a wor- dams, saying the rain shortage allegations ried public about rumours of meant that existing reservoirs had I water shortages but such crises not been refilled. are likely to resurface if Iraq does On the diplomatic front, Abadi The Arab Weekly staff not prepare for what is expected to vowed to have more talks with Tur- be drier and hotter years to come. key and Iran over dams that reduce “I would like to reassure our peo- the flow of water in Iraqi rivers. London ple that there are plans and sound He said he understood that water procedures to safeguard water re- scarcity means Ankara and Tehran raq’s top judicial author- sources. We are taking internal and would scramble to meet the needs ity has taken over the In- external measures for that. The is- of their citizens but that must not dependent High Electoral sue has not reached the level of a be at the expense of Iraq’s share. I Commission (IHEC) as stip- crisis,” Abadi said. Abadi said he was surprised by ulated by a law passed by parlia- “Water shortage is not new. It’s Turkey’s decision to start filling its ment in response to complaints old, especially since there has been dam at the beginning of June be- of widespread fraud in May 12 little rainfall this year… Drinking cause it had said it planned to do national elections. water is available to citizens and so at the end of the month. Turkey Under increasing threat. Lower water levels are seen on the Tigris Lawmakers approved amend- the government has plans to pro- has since suspended filling the res- River in Baghdad, on June 5. (AP) ments to the election law that vide water for farming,” he added. ervoir until July 1. include annulling results from Water levels in Iraq’s rivers have However, Iraqi Minister of Water voting abroad and camps for been visibly lower the past two Resources Hassan al-Janabi told means water won’t need to be re- Iraq and Syria, where war has dev- displaced people in four Sunni- months but a decision by Turkey Sharqiya TV that the initial Turk- placed should the dam be filled. astated infrastructure, will struggle dominated provinces and call to fill its Ilisu Dam led some Iraqis ish plan was to begin reservoir fill- “Enough water will be collected at to prepare for a hotter, drier future.” for a manual recount of all bal- to claim on social media that the ing work March 1 but Ankara post- the reservoirs in a year to enable There are few signs that serious lots. shortage was caused by Ankara. poned the plan to give Iraq time to electricity generation,” he said. preparations were taking place in Supreme Judicial Council Abadi said there was an “organ- increase water reserves. Concern over water shortages areas where water was ample. spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bay- ised and systematic” media cam- Janabi also said if rainfall in- prompted Mahmud Dhiyab al-Ah- “There is the issue of water rkdar said the group of leading paign to create panic by claiming creased next year, Iraq would not mad, who was a minister of irriga- management, not water scarcity,” jurists, who are appointed by there is an acute water crisis. He face water shortages despite the tion during the rule of Saddam Hus- Akram Ahmed, the head of the Di- parliament, were to select judg- warned that the “malicious cam- Turkish and Iranian dams. sein but is currently in self-exile in rectorate for Dams and Reservoirs es to run the commission and paign” sought “to take the country Turkish officials said they had in- Sudan, to send an audio recording in the Kurdistan Regional Govern- supervise the manual recount. backward” by causing confusion formed Iraq of the new dam years of how to deal with water short- ment, told Rudaw Media Network. Bayrkdar said the council would via fake news. ago but it appeared that Baghdad ages. “Use the reserves of Tharthar Despite heavy rains this spring act in a “fair and impartial way.” The prime minister, however, did not increase its water reserves. lake… it should have no less than 40 in the Kurdistan region, authorities acknowledged there had been a re- Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Fatih billion cubic centimetres,” he said. were unable to save some of that duction of water levels, although it Yildiz tried to assure Iraqi officials The water problem is unlikely to water because of lack of planning, The dispute over the was because of mismanagement in that the dam “doesn’t mean the wa- be resolved with quick fixes. he said. election could the Ministry of Electricity, which he ter supply will be cut off,” insisting “The Middle East and North Af- Ahmed made the same complaint prolong the process said had been resolved and those that “much of the water will con- rica have little [water] to begin with last year in the same media outlet. responsible dealt with. tinue to go to Iraq.” and rainfall is expected to decline Little appears to have changed ex- of forming a new Abadi warned provincial authori- The dam is intended for electrici- because of climate change,” warned cept that this year more blame is di- government. ties against using more than their ty production, not irrigation, which the Economist. “Countries such as rected beyond Iraq’s borders. The IHEC, in a statement, de- Viewpoint fended its procedures as “pro- fessional and transparent” and expressed readiness to cooper- ate with judicial authorities. Can Muqtada al-Sadr deliver on his ‘Iraq first’ promise? However, “[t]he commission’s board will use its constitutional ropagandist attempts against foreign forces occupying Communist Party and its allocation and legal right to appeal the to reinvent the image of the country, while simultaneously of seats in the new parliament will amendment to the election law populist leader Muqtada manoeuvring towards supreme be the true test of al-Sadr’s loyalty. because it contains violations Nazli Tarzi al-Sadr following his power by taking on other Shia As important is al-Sadr’s resolute and is not in harmony with the Islamist-Communist rivals. will in challenging the policy deci- constitution,” the IHEC board party alliance’s shock Al-Sadr’s refusal to accept a sions the United States and Iran said in a statement. Pelection victory selectively restitch junior position in politics came at a want to exercise at the expense of Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi history. The inconsistency cost. A seat in power required him the future stability of the country. Iraqis, mainly Sunnis, were of al-Sadr’s positions, alliance to divorce himself from Iraq’s re- Political opportunism and reac- driven from their homes dur- shifting, resorting to violence and sistance, putting Iraq second to the tionary politics may have helped ing the war against the Islamic antagonistic relations with non- whims of US decision makers. The secure al-Sadr’s Sairoon coalition State. Many have been unable Sadrist Shia political actors are im- violence and anti-American rheto- the majority of seats in this year’s to return because their homes portant features that received little ric he allegedly dialled down were parliamentary vote but Iran-backed were destroyed. It’s not known more than an anecdotal reference revived in subsequent years. Sunni actors may exclude or include how many of them voted in the in assessments of his “Iraq First” components of Iraq’s resistance Sadrist parliamentarians merely as election or what effect cancel- approach. movement that al-Sadr worked window dressing. ling their ballots could have on Viewed as politically illiterate, with to expel invading forces were As tempting as it is to view al- results. clumsy and suicidal and whose given little reason to trust its leader Sadr as the warrior able to defend Last month’s elections — the violence unnerved Iraq’s new elite, after entering the political process Iraq from the United States’ and fourth in 15 years — saw low post-2003, al-Sadr was never the managed by the same foreign pow- Iran’s mutual hegemonic aspira- turnout said to reflect wide- United States’ favoured political ers he vowed to destroy. tions, the past offers an interesting spread anger at the country’s maestro or an attractive ally. He After the bloody battle of Sadr script to learn from. The Sadrists political class. inherited and utilised his father’s City ended, al-Sadr found himself have long been obstructed from Supporters of influential Shia populist base and vision to let him up against powerful Iran-founded pursuing ripe political gains when cleric Muqtada al-Sadr emerged be known. and -funded parties and figures new opportunities are presented. with the most seats, followed by As far as the movement’s rein- that have long distrusted al-Sadr’s Old fissures are surfacing once a coalition of mostly Shia para- vention was concerned, religion domestic, Iraq-grown constituency. more, between groups that hatched military forces and another led ranked second to violence and, Rivalries have extended into the out of the Iran-founded Islamic by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider in certain instances, was circum- pre- and post-Islamic State phase, Supreme Council of Iraq, including al-Abadi. The dispute over the vented to ensure the survival of his while violence continued to be the Badr Corps and Ammar al- election could prolong the pro- support base. This was the case for used as a self-serving strategy. Hakim’s fledgling party, Al-Hikma cess of forming a new govern- Sadrist members who engaged in Ten years later, al-Sadr’s rela- movement. ment. looting, let off the hook in exchange tions with Baghdad, Washington Al-Sadr has few concessions A government committee set for paying Khums tax — a one-fifth and Tehran remain fraught. Being to exercise and has historically up to investigate the election of the value of spoils of war amount unable to wrestle the largest Iran- buckled under pressure exerted reported “unprecedented” vio- levied on Shia Muslims. backed coalitions — Fatah and Nuri by foreign powers and rivals. His lations by the IHEC, Abadi said. Al-Sadr’s surging popularity was al-Maliki’s State of Law — may force ability to abandon his position of He called for criminal investi- feared by occupying powers and changes to al-Sadr’s strategy. political ambiguity and honour his gations and banned election of- Washington’s favoured Shia candi- New alliances of convenience, “Iraq First” pledge will rest on his ficials from travelling abroad date, not for what he could achieve such as the latest Sadrist-Com- ability to exercise composure, po- without his approval. but for what he was capable of munist alliance, have seen al-Sadr litical consistency and act indepen- The IHEC had rejected past Al-Sadr has few destroying. Calling on his Shia reach out to communities beyond dently from the advisers, including calls for a manual recount or the clientele, al-Sadr responded to his his traditionalist base. Some have his nephew Ahmed al-Sadr, and cancellation of ballots. concessions to exclusion from Iraq’s new sectarian dissolved, while others are yet to to serve, above and beyond his It’s unclear whether a recount exercise and has political order with violence whose face the test of Iraq’s tumultuous constituency, Tehran, Washington would change the outcome of historically fires America could not quell. It political area. and Riyadh. the election. The winners of the also earned him points among the The ballot box contest that election have begun talks on buckled under ranks of Iraq’s resistance move- crowned Sairoon the winner of the Nazli Tarzi is an independent forming a new government. pressure exerted ment but it still placed Iraq second 2018 election will be very different journalist whose writings and to al-Sadr’s own aspirations. from the political ju-jitsu we should films focus on Iraq’s ancient (The Arab Weekly staff and by foreign powers The 60,000-strong militia he expect during the government- history and contemporary news agencies.) and rivals. raised fought unapologetically formation phase. The fate of Iraq’s political scene. 6 June 10, 2018 Opinion

Editorial One year after the blockade, Qatar has lost on many fronts ne year ago, a coalition of Arab countries made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with and imposed a historic land, air and sea blockade on Qatar. The measures were Odesigned to contain Doha’s interference in the Arab region and dissuade it from supporting extremist groups. A year on, Qatar, despite desperate measures to present itself as strong and independent, has lost much of its regional clout and soft power. Doha’s gradual decline is evident throughout the Middle East: from Gaza, where its influence is overshadowed by Egypt’s; to Yemen, where its participation in the Arab coalition has been suspended. Qatar is in no better shape at home, where an opposition movement is challenging govern- ment policy, which Doha has responded to with harsh punitive measures. Indeed, Qataris have grown increasingly frustrated with their country’s fall from grace in the region and are unhappy with their alignment with Iran and Turkey. A survey released last October by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy indicated that 81% of Qatari nationals who were asked said they hoped the dispute © Yaser Ahmed for The Arab Weekly with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain would be settled in an amicable fashion. Unfortunately, the chasm between Doha and the four Arab countries is growing and the crisis Why Jordan is set to survive is unlikely to end soon. This is largely due to Qatar’s aggressive posture and unwillingness to engage in con- structive dialogue. Instead of seeking to repair its worst crisis in years ties through the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Qatar resorted to poorly crafted public relations Khairallah Khairallah stunts and risky confrontations with its Arab neighbours. Iran is always ready to exploit any weakness in the region to Doha’s biggest setback has been its failure to divert public opinion from its internal problems. regain the trust of its neighbours and, critically, the United States. ordan is going through its Arab nationalism spearheaded by popular grumble to institute the This is in no small part due to Qatar’s deepen- worst crisis in 50 years. former Egyptian President Gamal painful reforms required. ing alliance with Iran at a time the United States and its Arab allies are trying to increase pressure The causes are essentially Abdel Nasser in 1958 overthrew the Jordanian King Abdullah II did on Tehran. What signal does this send? economic but unfavourable monarchy in Iraq, it could do noth- his best to explain the country’s Another sign of the Arab world’s growing regional conditions have ing against King Hussein in Jordan. delicate economic situation to his mistrust of Qatar is Al Jazeera’s loss of credibil- deepened it. There are Nasser’s ideology was disastrous subjects. The government was not ity. The tenth ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Jmore than 1 million Syrian refugees to all Arab regimes and, ironically, of great help, so the king dismissed Youth Survey said Arab youth ranked Al Jazeera in Jordan and the attention of the served only the interests of Israel, it. as the least credible news source in the region. Gulf countries is taken up by their the very entity it sought to destroy. Surely there were parties who There is good reason for this. The Qatar-owned own internal issues. Nasser and his ideology are gone had worked hard to place obsta- network has long been accused of fomenting Jordan has also suffered greatly but Jordan is still standing. cles in the government’s path. It unrest and peddling hate. After the 2010-11 from the disintegration of Iraq. King Hussein created something is hard to believe that the Muslim series of protests, the channel was considered a During the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, out of nothing. He founded a real Brotherhood is not guilty of that; tool to prop up the Muslim Brotherhood and Jordan supported Iraq and stood state on lands with no resources. it had a score to settle with Jordan. other extremist groups and frequently took aim by its side. Iraq returned the favour Jordan has always suffered from The Brotherhood used to have ties at Arab countries. and provided Jordan with a great lack of water and the regional to the Jordanian regime but when Qatar needs to realise that the only way out of deal of economic aid, including oil context was always unconducive King Abdullah contained the “Arab the crisis is through the GCC. To prove it is supplies. Whenever things turned for multilateral cooperation. With spring” in Jordan, the Brotherhood serious about joining the fight against terror, it needs to change its policies, including those sour for Jordan, Iraq was always the presence of the Syrian guests, turned into an enemy of his regime. specified in the quartet’s list last June. there. That Iraq is gone. the water crisis and all other crises We also can’t eliminate Iran’s in- In the meantime, Qatar will face growing Iraq was the biggest market for have been made worse in a country volvement in recent events. In 2011 hostility and risk further punitive action or even Jordanian products and Jordan’s in constant need of aid. The king- and 2012, it became apparent that military escalation, for which it is woefully biggest money lender. Since that dom had to provide all necessary Iran had its own proxy groups in under-equipped. Iraq is gone and the current Iraq is services to the newcomers and Jordan and that it cooperated with bankrupt, Jordan finds itself shoul- Jordanians had to foot the bill. the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan dering the human problems of the Here is what makes the situation to create instability. We know that Water supplies under region alone. The international aid in Jordan particularly dangerous. Iran is always ready to exploit any it receives for hosting Syrian refu- First, there is the regional context weakness in the region to divert threat in MENA gees is insufficient by any measure. in Iraq and the Gulf. To offset the public opinion from its internal Throughout its history, Jordan expenditures caused by the pres- problems. ater, the most basic natural has taken advantage of its strategic ence of Syrian refugee camps on its Iran has always considered Jor- resource that is central to position in the region. Thanks to soil and to balance its budget, Jor- dan the weakest link in the eastern countries’ economies and the role it had carved for itself, Jor- dan needed outside financing but zone of the Arab world and has public health, has become a dan was able during the 1950s, ‘60s conditions imposed by the Inter- wanted to use it to get to the West growing source of dispute and ‘70s to ward off all attempts national Monetary Fund and other Bank in a move like using the Sinai in the Middle East and to destroy it, including the failed international financial institutions Desert to get to Gaza Strip. The North Africa, one of the Palestinian coup of 1970. would have made it impossible for Iranian presence in Gaza is ensured most water-stressed regions in the world. W Jordan is truly a survivor. When any government facing generalised by its faithful proxies, Hamas and Worsening pollution, irregular rainfall and Islamic Jihad. soaring populations have severely limited The crisis in Jordan is compli- access to clean water, leading to tensions cated and is made more so by the between neighbouring countries. fast disappearance of any prospect In the Levant, Jordan, the Palestinian territo- for an acceptable settlement of the ries and Israel have long butted heads over Palestinian cause. Israel is defiant access to the Jordan River basin, which they beyond belief and the current US each share as their primary water source. administration could not care less In Egypt, concerns that the Grand Ethiopian about the disastrous consequences Renaissance Dam project will reduce its share of that a lightly taken decision, such water from the Nile have led to a longstanding as moving the US Embassy to Jeru- diplomatic rift. salem, could cause in the region. In Iraq, irregular rainfall and Turkey’s deci- Add to that that the Palestinian sion to soon begin filling its Ilisu Dam reservoir Authority in the West Bank is busy threatens to reduce the water level in the Tigris arranging for the post-Mahmoud and Euphrates rivers. Abbas era. With clean water supplies dwindling, water is Yes, Jordan is going through a no longer simply a natural resource but a serious crisis, which is different in valuable asset that has been referred to as the character from previous ones. Let’s region’s “next oil.” If strategic measures are not hope King Abdullah surrounds taken to safeguard existing resources, this “next himself with capable people to oil” could set off a wave of conflicts. steer the country away from the To steer clear of this, the region must urgently storm. work to harness scientific advances to effec- tively utilise water supplies, protect the envi- A cry from the street. Jordanian protesters chant slogans during an Khairallah Khairallah is a ronment and equitably share resources. anti-austerity rally in Amman, on June 6. (AFP) Lebanese writer. June 10, 2018 7 Opinion Contact editor at: [email protected] Iran and Russia’s chess moves in Syria www.thearabweekly.com Khattar Abou Diab Published by Al Arab History teaches us that two foreign occupying forces cannot Publishing House coexist in the same occupied territory. Publisher ussian President militias leave the designated zone, and Group Executive Editor Vladimir Putin said giving further doubts over Russia’s Haitham El-Zobaidi, PhD Russian troops sta- readiness to curb Iran’s actions in tioned in Syria since Syria. Editor-in-Chief 2015 “will stay there, The Trump administration for as long as it is in had hoped that its cooperation Oussama Romdhani RRussia’s interest for them to do with Russia in Syria would lead s o .” to breaking Moscow’s strategic Managing Editor It seems Russia’s new tsar is ties with Iran. Instead, Russia Iman Zayat rather satisfied with Moscow’s experienced further embarrass- success in managing the conflict ment when an Israeli F-16 was shot Deputy Managing Editor in Syria. Russia has controlled the down over Syrian territory last and Online Editor situation through coordinated February. Mamoon Alabbasi strategies with its allies in Syria, As Tehran sought to build its Iran, Turkey and Israel. presence along the Syrian-Israeli Senior Editor Now that the Syrian wars are border, it did so on the assumption John Hendel winding down, Russia is caught that it could count on Russian air between Iran and Israel. It must defence for protection. However, Chief Copy Editor double its efforts to prevent a di- without the Russian umbrella the Richard Pretorius rect confrontation between them mullahs had gambled on, Iran and on Syrian territory, which risks Players without a board. Iranian President Hassan Rohani (L) its allies will find it impossible to Copy Editor compromising its gains there. meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines remain in the zone. Stephen Quillen The stakes are more complex and of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in China, Underscoring Russia’s bias higher than previously thought June 9. (Reuters) towards Tel Aviv has been the lack Analysis Section Editor and can affect the balance of of any response from the Kremlin Ed Blanche power in the region. to Israeli air strikes in Syria, as well After seven years of armed time, Russia’s relations with Israel siders in Moscow say it was Israel as Netanyahu’s presence at Rus- East/West Section Editor conflict in Syria, the expected are too important to risk jeopard- that pushed for Russia’s interven- sia’s hugely symbolic Victory Day Mark Habeeb outcomes are crucial in deciding ising them. tion in Syria and subsequently parade in May. on the proportionate sizes and Israel is Russia’s fourth lead- blessed Kremlin action. They cite History teaches us that two Gulf Section Editor interests of the regional and inter- ing economic partner in the Russia’s silence regarding the foreign occupying forces cannot Mohammed Alkhereiji national parties involved. Middle East, with bilateral trade dozens of Israeli air and missile coexist in the same occupied ter- In this context, Iran and Israel estimated at $2.5 billion in 2017, strikes inside Syria as evidence ritory. Therefore, Russia and Iran Society and Travel have diametrically opposed inter- compared to $1.7 billion with Iran. of the tight connection between will soon have to part. Sections Editor ests. For Iran, Syria and Lebanon Agreements between Putin and both countries. It is curious that Russia’s sudden Samar Kadi are key to its influence and pres- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Another telling factor is Israel’s change of heart towards Tehran ence in the Middle East. That, Netanyahu and Soviet-born Israeli role in opening communication coincided with Trump’s decision Syria and Lebanon of course, does not sit well with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieber- channels between Washington to ditch the Iran nuclear agree- Section Editor Israel’s security concerns. man have reinforced bilateral and Moscow via US President ment and constrain Iran’s med- Simon Speakman Cordall For Israel, it is out of the ques- cooperation in intelligence and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared dling in Arab affairs. Among the tion that Syria becomes an Iranian security domains. Kushner. many draconian conditions im- Contributing Editor base. Even though both countries Russia’s interest in Syria and its Both within the framework of posed on Iran by the United States Rashmee Roshan Lall are important to Russia’s plans for military presence there are not Russia’s Astana talks and the spe- was withdrawing from Syria. Syria, Moscow has, from the be- new; they go back to the Soviet cific tripartite relations between However, within Syria, while Senior Correspondents ginning, been mindful of Israel’s and the Cold War eras. Syria is the United States, Russia and the Russian tsar remains master of Mahmud el-Shafey (London) security concerns. strategically located in the Arab Israel, it was decided in 2017 to the chess game, he will find it hard Lamine Ghanmi (Tunis) As tension between Iran and world and has access to the Medi- establish a fourth de-escalation to drive Iran away from its Syrian Israel builds, Russia seems unable terranean. zone in south-western Syria next prey. Regular Columnists to do more than call for restraint. Observers have linked Russia’s to the borders with Israel and Jor- Claude Salhani Without Iran’s cooperation, Rus- massive 2015 intervention to a dan. Despite the personal blessing Khattar Abou Diab is a professor Yavuz Baydar sia’s successes in Syria would not request made by Iranian Major- of both Putin and Trump, Moscow of geopolitical sciences at the Paris have been possible. At the same General Qassem Soleimani but in- failed to make Iran and its proxy Centre for Geopolitics. Correspondents Saad Guerraoui (Casablanca) Dunia El-Zobaidi (London) Roua Khlifi (Tunis) Capsized Tunisian boat not just Thomas Seibert (Washington) Chief Designer a tragedy but a template Marwen el-Hmedi

Rashmee Roshan Lall Designers The reality of refugees and of economic migrants will be with us for Ibrahim Ben Bechir Hanen Jebali as long as there are wars as well as badly governed countries.

he Tunisian boat They lock up, segregate, de- of the International Migration consideration and most people Al Arab Publishing House that sank on monise or actively seek to keep Institute of Oxford University, who set off from North Africa for Quadrant Building June 2 as it set off out people who fall within the puts international migration at Europe are economic migrants. 177-179 Hammersmith Road for Europe with convention’s remit because a steady 3% of the world popu- So, what is to be done? The ap- London W6 8BS a load of unin- they left their countries due to lation for nearly 60 years. propriate response would ideally Tel: (+44) 20 7602 3999 vited mainly North “a well-founded fear of being What’s changed, however, be for Europe to offer a limited Fax: (+44) 20 8846 9520 TAfrican migrants is a tragic persecuted for reasons of race, and this is where the ill-fated number of temporary work visas reminder of the fixed poles religion, nationality, mem- Tunisian boat comes in, is the in various sectors to facilitate of a twisting debate. These bership of a particular social origin and direction of inter- legitimate economic migration. are as follows: Recrimina- group or political opinion.” continental migrant flows. A That would cut the supply lines Contributions tion and hand-wringing are As for economic migrants paper by de Haas and Mathias to people traffickers and damage and Editorial Queries almost as useless as the flimsy such as those on the Tuni- Czaika states: “[M]igrants their business model. [email protected] vessels used to traffic people sian boat bound for Europe, from an increasingly diverse In 2015, the United Nations’ across the Mediterranean and they are considered beyond array of non-European-origin special rapporteur on migration migration to Europe is not a the scope of compassion or countries (are) concentrating proposed exactly that. It didn’t crisis with a clear start and end reasonable regard. Economic in a shrinking pool of prime happen then nor is it likely any Tunis Office point but a continuing flow of migrants are deemed to be destination countries.” In time soon. European govern- Tel: (+ 216) 71 669 174 people seeking refuge from dangerously presumptuous other words, more people are ments can hardly justify even Tel: (+216) 71 669 175 persecution, or as with the un- bottom feeders who would leaving poorer, non-European short-term imports of dark- fortunate Tunisian boat load, scavenge off Europe and countries for richer ones in skinned culturally alien workers chasing dreams of a better life. enervate it economically and Europe. for manual, low-skilled tasks, The issue simply must be culturally. In a sense, that capsized Tu- especially when the far right is seen for what it is if any ap- Even so, the reality of refu- nisian boat is not just a tragedy pushing a xenophobic agenda propriate response is ever to gees and of economic migrants but a template. Its suffering attractive to voters. be formulated. will be with us for as long as cargo included Tunisians, Mo- A second option is for the rich US Publisher: Baldly put, the issue is no there are wars as well as badly roccans and Ivorians, as well world to help poorer countries Ibrahim Zobeidi longer about the deserving and governed countries unable to as at least one Libyan, one Ma- create opportunities at home. undeserving, refugees versus offer jobs and opportunities to lian and one Cameroonian. In That’s a complicated, long-term (248) 803 1946 economic migrants. Is there their people. setting their sights on Europe, process with no guarantee of even an observable distinction It’s worth noting, however, which de Haas and Czaika call success. anymore in the real or rhe- that the hype about floods of “a global migration magnet,” The problem of migration, of torical treatment of these two migrants doesn’t square with those ill-starred voyagers were course, is not Europe’s alone to categories? statistics. First, African migra- making a pitch to share in its solve. In the absence of a solu- Uninvited foreigners, espe- tion overwhelmingly occurs accrued power and wealth. By tion, flimsy boats full of dream- Subscription & Advertising: cially Muslims and Africans, within Africa. An estimated what right, one might ask. ing hopefuls will fatefully set Mohamed Al Mufti are increasingly unwelcome 90% of migration to Europe Economic migration is not sail. [email protected] in Europe no matter their life takes place legally. The total dishonourable or illegal but Tel: (+44) 20 8742 9262 story or motivation for leaving number of international mi- neither is it a right. While one Rashmee Roshan Lall is a col- home. Even countries that grants — refugees and others might hope for a humanitarian umnist for The Arab Weekly. Her signed the non-binding 1951 — has remained approximately response to asylum seekers, blog can be found at UN Refugee Convention are the same since 1960. Sociolo- economic migrants cannot www.rashmee.com and she hostile to those seeking refuge. gist Hein de Haas, co-director expect or demand the same is on Twitter: @rashmeerl. 8 June 10, 2018 News & Analysis Maghreb Migrant boat disaster leaves more than 100 dead off Tunisian coast

Lamine Ghanmi equipment. “We took all the required se- curity measures to remedy the Tunis security situation but nothing ap- pears to have changed. That means ore than 100 people such tragedy could happen again,” drowned after a boat Chahed said. carrying migrants cap- The International Organisation M sized near the Tunisian for Migration said the death toll island of Kerkennah in what is be- from the June 3 sinking was the ( Reuters) ing called the worst migrant catas- single biggest incident of dead and Leading nowhere. Boats are seen at a harbour in the southern island of Kerkennah, on June 3. trophe of the year. missing this year in the Mediterra- The shipwreck, the second in nean. grants from the Maghreb and sub- failing to improve job opportuni- Many of those who died during Tunisian waters in eight months, The Tunisian Coast Guard said Saharan Africa. ties and living conditions. the recent boat wreck were from prompted the government to re- 68 people were rescued and more Francesco Rocca, president of “We recognise our share of re- the southern region of Tataouine evaluate security conditions and than 50 bodies recovered. Coast the International Federation of Red sponsibility in the failure of the po- and nearby areas, where liveli- raised concerns over growing dis- guard officials estimated that 180 Cross and Red Crescent Societies litical class to restore hope to many hoods of much of the population illusionment among young Tuni- people were on the ship, more than (IFRC) said there was “an urgent quarters of the population who lost are dependent on the informal sians. A migrant boat sunk in the 100 of whom were Tunisian. need for global answers to protect confidence in their country,” said economy, which is closely linked same maritime area last October, An international dispute broke the lives and basic human dignity Hafedh Caid Essebsi, executive di- to illicit cross-border trade with killing at least 46 people. out when Italy’s newly installed of people on the move.” rector of the leading Nidaa Tounes Libya. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, “We cannot keep silent as the party. Unemployment is widespread in Chahed fired Interior Minister Lotfi head of the right-wing Northern massacre on the sea continues,” he south Tunisia, particularly among Brahem and ten security officials, League, said Tunisia was “export- said. “The situation on the ground Tunisian Prime Minister young people, and a growing num- ber of university graduates are un- including two intelligence officers ing convicted criminals” to Europe. is not changing. On the contrary, it Youssef Chahed fired responsible for security in Kerken- The Tunisian Foreign Ministry ex- is worsening.” employed. nah, following the June 3 accident. pressed “great surprise” at the The IFRC called on governments Interior Minister Lotfi While most Tunisians who work He promised to tighten security in comments and summoned the Ital- to give priority to efforts to save Brahem and ten security in illicit trade or seek to migrate the area and crack down on people ian ambassador in protest. lives and to ensure the agreement officials following the June 3 illegally are young with no perma- smugglers. Tunisia said Salvini’s remarks protects all migrants at all stages of accident. nent jobs, an increasing number of “do not reflect the cooperation their journeys from violence, abuse professionals with good positions between the two countries in the and other rights violations. Abdelhamid Jelassi, a leading fig- are seeking to leave the country. The number of migrants management of immigration and The number of migrants leaving ure in the Islamist Ennahda Move- Since 2011, 4,200 university leaving Tunisia for Italy indicate an incomplete knowledge Tunisia for Italy expanded consid- ment, the other main party in the teachers have left Tunisia, a study expanded considerably, of the various mechanisms of coor- erably, with 4,500 reaching Italy coalition government, said: “The by the presidency-run Tunisian In- with 4,500 reaching Italy dination that exist between the Tu- from Tunisia in 2017, a fourfold rise political class has failed the youth, stitute for Strategic Studies think- from Tunisia in 2017, a nisian and Italian authorities.” on 2016. with the education system failing tank stated, and 78% of their col- Analysts said Tunisia and Italy The growing numbers of Tuni- to provide them good education leagues expressed a desire to leave fourfold rise on 2016. have one of the most functional sians attempting to make risky sea and training that permit them to if conditions permit. agreements on the readmission of crossings have prompted ques- find jobs.” “We went from 9% of the doctors “How is it that 180 people could undocumented migrants into the tions over why “a free and demo- Parliament member Samia Ab- leaving in 2012 to 45% in 2017 with reach, gather and leave the isle? European Union, noting that Tuni- cratic country” is seeing its youth, bou, from the centre-left Demo- a decrease in the number in 2014,” Where was the police? That is a se- sians made up 35% of all repatria- including doctors and engineers, cratic Current, said: “What’s re- said Nezih Zghal, secretary-general curity failure,” Chahed told a local tions by Italian authorities in 2015 leave the country. sponsible for the drowning of the of the National Order of Physicians. police chief while visiting Kerken- and 43% in 2016. Leading political figures blamed migrants is the policy of ruin that nah. The police chief responded Tunisia’s location at the tip of Af- Chahed’s unity government and wreaked havoc on the country and Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly that the area lacked manpower and rica makes it a springboard for mi- the political class more broadly for destroyed the hope among youth.” correspondent in Tunis. Derna battle enters decisive stage, raising fears of civilian casualties

Michel Cousins how densely built-up the downtown area is. Eye to the “Now the real battle starts,” said future. Libyan Tunis one Derna observer. “The fighting Field-Marshal will be street-to-street, house-to- Khalifa n June 13, 2015, forces of house. There will be snipers on the Haftar (L) the Shura Council of Mu- rooftops. It is not going to end this attends jahideen in Derna crushed week, not even this month. It could a military parade in the Islamic State (ISIS) and take much longer than people imag- O Benghazi, expelled it from the eastern Libya ine.” (FPA ) town. Since then, the mujahideen, Comparisons are being made with on May 7. ideologically closer to al-Qaeda, the LNA’s bitter battle to take Beng- have run the town with an iron fist, hazi, which lasted more than three despite efforts by the Libyan Na- years and destroyed the centre of the tional Army (LNA), headed by Field- city. However, Benghazi was a much Marshal Khalifa Haftar, to take it. bigger battle. It is well more than ten While the rest of the east fell un- times the size of Derna. der Haftar’s control, Derna stub- A better comparison might be the bornly remained outside his reach. It battle that freed Sirte from ISIS in was held out against the LNA’s siege 2016. It took six months, while the thanks to the highly defensible ter- forces of the Tripoli-based Presiden- rain and the delivery of boatloads of cy Council that carried out the op- arms and supplies from supporters, eration — mostly from Misrata — had mainly in the western Libyan city of the advantage of air support from Misrata. the United States, plus a relative ab- However, that era is coming to an sence of civilians. end. The battle for Derna has en- The United States is still targeting tered a decisive stage. It is no longer terrorists in Libya. On June 6, a US a question of if the LNA will take it air strike south of Bani Walid killed be protected. Nonetheless, civilians shells. Many have tried to flee but in Derna. but when. It is also a question of how an ISIS commander and three of his are being killed. the mujahideen have been accused There are deep divisions over the many civilians will die in the fighting relatives. However, the Americans The UN Support Mission in Libya of preventing people from doing so battle for Derna in Libya. The anti- and how much suffering others will are keeping well away from the Der- (UNSMIL) said at least 17 civilians because they want to use them as Haftar camp, led largely by State have to endure before the town falls. na conflict. were killed in the last two weeks of human shields. Council President Khalid al-Mishri, In early May, LNA forces, which The LNA has its own air force but May. Since then, there have been The international community angrily condemned it. The LNA had occupied the high ground it is notoriously inaccurate. It can, reports of civilian deaths although has given up calling for a ceasefire. speaks excitedly of “liberation just around Derna, entered the town. By however, call on support from the they are difficult to confirm. Such a plan never made it into last around the corner.” June 5, the LNA claimed to control Egyptians and probably the Emira- The number of civilians left in the month’s Paris agreement between Between them, though, the vast 75% of Derna, including the port. tis. Air strikes have continued since centre of Derna is unknown. Pro- the country’s rival leaders. The calls majority of Libyans, most of whom Previous LNA claims about victo- the LNA made its way into Derna Haftar sources in the town put the are now for “restraint.” have little sympathy for the Mujahi- ries or territorial gains have been no- but its numbers are significantly re- number at between 5,000-10,000. Expressing its concern about Der- deen, accept the inevitable but feel toriously inaccurate and the mujahi- duced. Others say it is much higher. na, the UN Security Council remind- deeply for the suffering of the ordi- deen, who renamed themselves the Hitting civilians in Derna is politi- Those still there and the popula- ed the LNA and the mujahideen nary people of Derna. They want the Derna Protection Force, said they cally dangerous for the LNA leader- tion in areas under LNA control face of their obligations under interna- battle to end as quickly as possible. had retaken some areas. ship. It could lead to an indictment a massive humanitarian crisis. Food tional law to protect civilians. Ear- However, there is no question the for war crimes by the International and other supplies are not getting lier, the UNSMIL called for a pause Michel Cousins is a contributor LNA is winning. Getting the final Criminal Court. Aware of this, Haftar in and the town’s only remaining in the fighting to allow humanitar- to The Arab Weekly on 25%, though, will not be easy given has constantly called for civilians to hospital closed after being hit by ian organisations to reach civilians Libyan issues. June 10, 2018 9 News & Analysis Egypt After second inauguration, Sisi faces big challenges

Amr Emam close to wiping some of the coun- tries of the region off the map.” Egypt has been fighting a branch Cairo of ISIS, based in the Sinai Peninsula, for almost five years, resulting in the ringing the war against the death of hundreds of police officers Islamic State (ISIS) in Sinai and army troops. ISIS has carried out to an end, getting runaway attacks across the country, often tar- B commodity prices under geting churches and mosques. control while maintaining economic In February, the army deployed reforms and protecting Egypt’s share nearly 40,000 troops and an equal of Nile waters will be some of the number of police along with heavy biggest challenges facing Egyptian weaponry into the Sinai Peninsula President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during for an all-out offensive against ISIS his second term, experts said. militants. Addressing parliament June 2 af- Operation Sinai 2018 was to last ter being sworn in to begin a second three months; however, just days af- 4-year term in office, Sisi vowed to ter it started, Armed Forces Chief of fix a creaky health system, reform Staff Mohamed Hegazy demanded education and allow more political more time to root out terror groups. freedoms. “Egypt can fit us all with He warned that ISIS, al-Qaeda and all our differences. Accepting others other jihadist groups had been op- and creating common ground will be erating in Sinai for many years and important for us to create political have developed a sophisticated net- developments,” he said. work of underground infrastructure that it would take time to uncover and dismantle. Addressing the threat of Okasha said that since Operation terrorism remains Sisi’s Sinai 2018 began, the army has ac- priority. quired valuable information about militant hideouts, arms caches and Sisi asked one of the youngest supply routes. members of his outgoing govern- “This information means that the Old and new challenges. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks at his swearing-in at the ( Egyptian Presidency) ment, former Housing Minister army is better prepared to end the House of Representatives in Cairo, on June 2. Mostafa Madbouli, to form the new presence of the terrorists in Sinai cabinet on June 8. Few had expected but it must be noted that finishing Canal, analysts said. drove the price of drinking water up remain unresolved. Sherif Ismail to return as prime min- terrorism off can drag on for years,” Compounding the ISIS threat is 45%. The government is also target- Sisi invited Ethiopian Prime Minis- ister because of health issues. Okasha said. the need for Sisi to keep commodity ing energy subsidies while the price ter Abiy Ahmed to Cairo to capitalise The president depended heav- One of the biggest challenges prices under control as he puts the of oil is fluctuating on international on the consensus on the preliminary ily on Madbouli, 52, during his first facing the army is the militants’ economy on track following years of markets. This, economists said, will technical report. term, especially in initiating his na- ability to change tactics and avoid unrest, economists said. push food prices up further and The dam will significantly trim tional housing plan. Madbouli has decisive defeat, including going un- Sisi started an economic reform cause more suffering among Egypt’s Egypt’s annual share of Nile water of been the president’s personal emis- derground. process in his first term, including poorest. 55.5 billion cubic metres. Egypt suf- sary, overseeing implementation of This is not an easy war. Many ISIS major subsidy cuts, a $12 billion loan Sisi promised to move ahead with fers an annual water deficit of more a number of large projects that cre- fighters, including some in leader- from the International Monetary reforms but economists expressed than 30 billion cubic metres and the ated hundreds of thousands of jobs ship positions, have reportedly ar- Fund and the flotation of the Egyp- fears that food prices could spiral out filling of the dam reservoir, which for Egyptian workers. rived from Iraq and Syria. Veterans tian pound. The process has, how- of control. should start soon, would likely in- Sisi’s administration came under of the fighting in Iraq and Syria are ever, pushed food prices up dramati- Sisi is also facing the major threat crease the deficit, imperilling vital fire in recent months for showing lit- likely to be battle-hardened, with cally, causing hardship for millions to Egypt’s share of Nile water posed agricultural expansion projects and tle tolerance for free speech rights. significant knowledge in small-scale of Egyptians. by a hydroelectric dam being built in forcing spending on sewage treat- Egypt’s health system is facing ma- warfare and explosives. Egyptian “Millions of people cannot keep Ethiopia. ment and desalination projects. jor challenges despite repeated calls Army spokesman Colonel Tamer going as food prices keep going up,” Seven years of negotiations among “Water is a matter of life or death for reform. al-Rifae has told of foreign fighters said Yumn al-Hamaqi, an economics Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia failed to for Egypt,” said Nader Noureddine, However, addressing the threat of among ISIS members in Sinai and professor at Cairo University. “More produce an agreement regarding the a professor of irrigation at Cairo terrorism remains Sisi’s priority, ana- the danger they represent to Egypt. people are expected to become poor Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. University. “I expect this issue to be lysts said. Finishing off ISIS is particularly if the prices keep rising.” There was hope that progress had Egypt’s most important in the com- “This is by far the most serious important for Cairo as it seeks to at- The national poverty rate of 27.8% been achieved following the approv- ing few years.” challenge facing this country in the tract investment, draw tourists back is expected to rise after more sub- al of a preliminary technical report days to come,” said security ana- and encourage international mari- sidy cuts are enacted in the coming highlighting the effects of the dam Amr Emam is a Cairo-based lyst Khaled Okasha. “Terrorism was time trade to make use of the Suez weeks. Subsidy reductions recently on Egypt and Sudan but many issues contributor to The Arab Weekly. For Egyptians, ‘Two children are enough’ amid overpopulation fears

Amr Emam “We will also send dozens of mo- bile health clinics to remote areas in these provinces and villages de- Cairo prived of health services,” Abdel Meguid said. “Specialists in these gypt has begun a family clinics will offer tailored family planning campaign to re- planning services to women, all for duce a skyrocketing birth free.” E rate and control rampant The need to control population population growth. Called “Two growth dominates discussions in children are enough,” the cam- many places in Egypt. There was paign is to initially be implement- a proposal in parliament recently ed in the ten southern provinces to deprive parents with more than that have the highest population two children of subsidies and free growth and poverty rates. education. However, the measure Changing local cultures that em- did not win approval in parliament. phasise the importance of large The population explosion is families will be at the heart of the stoked by religious figures who new campaign, said the Ministry view family planning campaigns of Social Solidarity, which is imple- negatively. Egypt has tried to in- menting it. “There will be a series volve the religious establishment. of activities aiming at spreading Social Solidarity Minister Ghada awareness about the benefits of Wali said the government would having small families,” said Amr not punish parents who have more Osman, the assistant to the so- than two children, either by de- cial solidarity minister. “They will priving them of benefits or by lev- mainly focus on links between ying fines against them. The aim population growth and poverty.” of the campaign is to introduce a The campaign is the latest bid by Overcrowded capital. An elevated view of al-Attaba district on the edge of downtown Cairo. FP(A ) grass-roots change in the culture, Egypt to control runaway popula- not force a change through a top- tion growth of more than 2% annu- down policy decision. ally. Egypt’s population — estimat- and the Nile Delta. to limit family size to two children, lives of Egyptians better had they However, experts said, owing to ed at more than 97 million in 2017 In the southern provinces, where the campaign will show direct been distributed to a smaller num- the overpopulation problems fac- — is predicted to more than double the first phase of the campaign is links between large families and ber of people. ing Egypt, the government should within 50 years. Egyptian Presi- being implemented, the popula- poverty. To bring the number of births do more to encourage compliance. dent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi once de- tion is growing at 2.6% per year. “Parents need to understand down, the Health Ministry is mak- “Our country’s resources are scribed the baby boom as the most Small families are rare in the prov- that they will lead better lives if ing birth control and family plan- very limited and the population serious threat facing the country inces, with some of the parents they distribute their income to a ning tools and medication avail- growth keeps dwarfing these re- other than terrorism. having more than ten children. smaller number of children,” Os- able at thousands of clinics. The sources,” said Said Sadek, a po- Egypt’s population problem is Polygamy is rife in southern Egypt man said. ministry is sending medical spe- litical sociology professor at the exacerbated by a lack of natural and traditional culture values the Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif cialists to the provinces to explain American University in Cairo. resources and habitable space. Al- birth of boys over girls. Ismail in May said subsidies take the need for married women to use “There is a need for reining in the though Egypt is 1 million sq.km in This is a long-entrenched culture up one-third of the Egyptian birth control, said Soaad Abdel Me- growth or all the efforts made now size, Egyptians live on just 7% of the family planning campaign will budget and that the same amount guid, the head of the Family Plan- to push the economy forward will the country, mainly along the Nile try to change. To convince parents of subsidies could have made the ning Section at the Health Ministry. not be felt by anybody.” 10 June 10, 2018 News & Analysis Syria

Iran and Hezbollah too entrenched within Syria to step back now

Nicholas Blanford invested too much in that area.” “There is no way they can back down,” the official, who is Leba- Beirut nese, said. He added that the Syrian Army is too weak to single-hand- he confusion regarding edly deploy to Daraa and Quneitra whether or not Iran and its and fight rebel forces without the allies are to withdraw from assistance of Hezbollah and other T southern Syria illustrates Iran-led forces. that the alliance that has bound Iran has bestowed billions of dol- Russia and Iran in a shared goal of lars to prop up the Syrian economy preserving the President Bashar As- and has committed tens of thou- sad regime may be unravelling. sands of fighters from Iran, Leba- Numerous reports suggested that non, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan Russia and Israel are discussing a to Syrian battlefields to ensure that deal that would see regular Syrian Assad remains in power. Iran has forces deploy in the south-western had a strategic alliance with Syria provinces of Daraa and Quneitra, since 1980, one of the most endur- close to the border with Jordan ing of the Middle East. The alliance and to the Israeli-occupied Golan has deepened since 2000 when As- Heights. sad succeeded his father, Hafez As- However, no such confirmation sad, as president. has come from Iran and it is diffi- Hafez Assad controlled how cult to see why Tehran would agree much influence Iran could exert to a deal that benefits Israel. Iranian in Lebanon but Bashar Assad had Brigadier-General Massoud Jazay- a warmer attitude towards Iran eri, a senior officer in the Islamic and especially to Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The on June 3 said Iranian forces are in floodgates opened in 2000 and Syria at the request of the Syrian Hezbollah began to acquire ever government and dismissed reports greater quantities of weaponry, they were leaving. much of which was of a quality that Hafez Assad would never have per- Iran is looking to establish mitted. Complex web of conflicting agendas. Syrians wave Iranian, Russian and Syrian flags during a protest Bashar Assad’s cooperation against US-led air strikes in Damascus, last April. ( Reuters) a long-term military helped turn Hezbollah into the presence in Syria, where it most formidable non-state military would have basing rights actor in the world with an army An IRGC general and several sen- the United States. Given Iran’s difficulties in Syria and possibly control numbering in the tens of thousands ior ranking Hezbollah officers were Iran is looking to establish a long- it is possible that a temporary ar- thousands of militias. and an arsenal that would not em- touring the facilities in January term military presence in Syria, rangement could be reached in barrass a medium-sized European 2015 when they were attacked by a where it would have basing rights which Iran-led forces are seen to “The biggest fear of the Zion- country. missile-firing Israeli drone, killing and possibly control thousands pull back from the Golan Heights ist regime is to have a border with Little wonder, then, that Iran was the general and six Hezbollah men. of Iran-guided Shia militias. That front and from the Jordan border. the fighters of Islam,” said Jazayeri. quick to go to Assad’s aid in 2012 The Russian intervention in 2015, would allow it to project power However, the war in Syria is not “Right now, this has happened. The when the rebellion against his rule providing air support to Iran-led across the Middle East. over and Russia needs the assis- United States and Israel will knock came close to unseating the Assad ground forces, helped swing the The Russian and Iranian strategic tance of Iranian forces to finish off on any door to change this situation dynasty. conflict firmly in Assad’s favour. goals in Syria are not necessarily what is left of the armed opposi- but they must know that this will The intervention of Hezbollah Despite the military cooperation incompatible if left alone but Israel tion, so Moscow’s leverage against not change.” and Iran-led Shia militias from Iraq, between Russia and Iran, there long has made it clear that it will not tol- Tehran has its limits. Hezbollah has remained quiet on Afghanistan and Pakistan helped has been a view that their interests erate an Iranian military entrench- Ultimately, it is inconceivable, the matter but Lebanese parliamen- stave off defeat. By the latter half of in Syria would diverge. ment in Syria, especially close to its given the investment it has made in tary Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of 2014, Iran and Hezbollah were suf- Russia is looking for stability in occupied Golan Heights. Syria, what one Iranian official once the Iran-backed party, said Hezbol- ficiently comfortable to turn part Syria, a commencement of a mean- The Netanyahu government has described as “Iran’s 35th province,” lah would not withdraw from Syria of the northern Golan Heights into ingful process that would end the shown an uncharacteristic bold- to simply accede to an Israeli de- until the country is “liberated” and a potential zone of confrontation conflict. It established a military ness in attacking Iranian bases mand and leave. its “territorial integrity” is restored. with Israel. toehold along the western coast across Syria, causing considerable A senior member of a pro-Assad Bunkers and tunnels were con- of Syria, is eyeing contracts once a damage and casualties and leaving Nicholas Blanford is the author militia that works closely with Rus- structed in what was intended to reconstruction process takes hold the Iranians with the unpalatable of “Warriors of God: Inside sian forces in Syria was adamant replicate the formidable defensive and, perhaps most important, has choice of retaliating and risking an Hezbollah’s Thirty-Year that Hezbollah would not pull out infrastructure Hezbollah built in become the indispensable external escalation or doing nothing and in- Struggle Against Israel” of southern Syria because “it has southern Lebanon from 2000-06. influence in Syria at the expense of viting further attacks. (Random House 2011). Damascus spies opportunity in Turkish-American Manbij deal

Sami Moubayed months ago. sians into Jarabulus, Azaz, al-Bab, Erdogan cannot do it alone, how- Afrin and, now, Manbij as well. ever. Marching on either Manbij or There is certainly a price for that Beirut Tal Rifaat requires meticulous co- the Turks would have to pay, if all ordination with the Russian Army. goes well with the Manbij operation. he Manbij agreement be- Both cities are deep within Russia’s The Russians and Syrians would tween the Americans and sphere of influence. love to see them dismantle their 13 the Turks is being seen as Manbij is particularly delicate, be- checkpoints in Idlib, in north-west- T a winning scenario by all cause all players in the Syrian con- ern Syria, which they had entered sides, Damascus included. It termi- flict are based there, standing face- via the Astana process in late 2017. nates the Kurdish presence in the to-face while armed to the teeth. Most of the militants in Idlib are strategic city, makes room for the The city is packed with Kurdish Turkish proxies and, if the Russians relocation of Arab rebels from the separatists, sleeper cells of Islamic are to be accommodated, Erdogan Damascus countryside and pres- State affiliates, Syrian government would stand by and watch as the sures the Turks to let go of Idlib. troops, Russian soldiers, Iranian Russian Army finishes them off or Before being fired last March, for- special units and nearly 200 Ameri- relocates those who join the rec- mer US Secretary of State Rex Tiller- can military advisers. onciliation process to Turkey-held son reached a deal with Ankara over Jennifer Cafarella, the director of towns along the border. the strategic Syrian town of Manbij, intelligence planning at the Institute A window of opportunity. Syrian soldiers talk next to Russian and Although close to the Turkish bor- agreeing to co-administer it with the for the Study of War in Washington, Syrian leaders’ portraits at the Abu al-Duhur crossing in Idlib. (FPA ) der, Idlib cannot be included in the Turkish Army, once freed of Kurdish said this was a “tactical develop- Turkish buffer zone for geographic presence. ment, despite the fact that the Turks reasons. That zone needs to keep That deal was frozen until Mike are claiming this as a larger victory.” Manbij deal was announced. Turk- their backside as well, considered both the Kurds and the Islamic State Pompeo became secretary of state “The Russians do not seem to be ish sources told The Arab Weekly an extension of American influence away from the border area, giving in April, meeting with his Turkish concerned, perhaps because it re- that this military presence is not a in the Middle East. the Turks enough room to relocate counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on mains to be seen whether and how it long-term occupation but it aims Since entering the Syrian battle- thousands of Syrian refugees living June 4 and agreeing to jump-start is actually implemented,” she said. solely at reorganising demographics field in September 2015, the crux in Turkey since 2011. the Manbij deal. It basically stipu- The Russians looked the other of northern Syria, expelling Kurds of Russia’s policy has been its will- Erdogan had once hoped to in- lates that the US-backed Kurdish way, however, when Turkish troops and injecting their cities and towns ingness to share influence with all clude Raqqa as well, begging US People’s Protection Units (YPG), overran Afrin in February and did with large numbers of Arabs, mainly stakeholders concerned, based on President Barack Obama to let him which have been controlling Manbij the same when they took the bor- refugees and fighters recently evict- one condition: “We don’t trespass march on it but those honours went for two years, will surrender their der cities of Jarabulus and Azaz, and ed from East Ghouta or the Homs on your territory and you don’t tres- to the US-backed Syrian Democratic light arms and cross the Euphrates, the inland one of al-Bab. Apart from countryside. pass on ours.” Forces. Now, his foreign minister towards Kurdish towns and cities strong condemnation, Syrian troops “When they outnumber the Kurds In no place has this been more is saying that the Manbij operation east of the river. have not marched north to stop by 10-1, the Turks can safely with- evident than in all Russian-Turkish can serve as a road map for similar “This does not mean we accept them, with this summer marking draw, assured that Kurdish separa- dealings over Syria. When the Rus- deals in other Kurdish-controlled that they stay there” said Cavusog- the second anniversary of the Turk- tism on the border will be mute for sians wanted to retake Aleppo in De- cities, such as Kobane and Raqqa lu, who considers the YPG a terrorist ish occupation of Jarabulus. a century to come,” the source said. cember 2016, the Turks looked the itself but that remains highly con- organisation. Turkish President Re- “The timetable seems to be six By no means would this solve other way, not lifting a finger to save ditional on whether the Russians cep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to months,” added Cafarella, “during the problem, only delay it. Moscow their Syrian proxies. Likewise, the allow the Manbij co-sharing to suc- hunt down Kurdish militants across which much could change, includ- and Damascus would certainly not Russians did nothing when Turkish ceed. the region, saying that, after Manbij, ing a deal between the YPG and the mind, because this would rid them troops overran the three border cit- his next step will be Tal Rifaat, north regime.” of any military threat near the Syr- ies earlier that summer. Since then, Sami Moubayed is a Syrian of Aleppo, where Kurdish warri- Nothing came out of the Krem- ian capital and crush Kurdish sepa- neither the Turks have tried to push historian and author of “Under the ors fled after the fall of Afrin four lin, Damascus or Tehran when the ratism, which has been a thorn in back into Aleppo nor have the Rus- Black Flag” (IB Tauris, 2015). June 10, 2018 11 Spotlight Private Soldiers Russian mercenaries are wild card in the Syrian conflict

bars working as a private military The deployment contractor in another country. In of contractors in reality, Russian citizens have par- John C.K. Daly Syria could ticipated in wars across the former become a Soviet Union in the 27 years since problem it broke up. Thus, there is a ready pool of battle-hardened potential because rising recruits for private contractor he Syrian conflict is numbers of companies. negatively affecting casualties are It’s not just in Syria that merce- US President Donald increasingly naries are proving useful to the Trump’s public regard getting Putin regime. Many Wagner Group for Russian President attention in the mercenaries fought alongside Vladimir Putin, who Russian media. Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Thas made intervention in Syria a eastern Donbass. cornerstone of Russia’s revived However, it is in Syria that the Middle East policy. mercenaries complicate an extraor- On September 30, 2015, Rus- dinarily complex battlefield situa- sia formally launched military tion. Russia threatened the United operations in Syria and, ever since, States and Western powers with Moscow’s military investment in the “gravest consequences” if they Syria has not been insignificant. undertake military action against Elements of the Russian Air Force, Open secret. A portrait of a Russian contractor who was killed in the Syrian regime in response to Navy and ground forces operate combat in Syria is seen at his grave in his home town of Togliatti the alleged chemical weapons at- in Syria. The murkiest element of in Russia. ( Reuters) tack in Douma. Russian military support for the Trump, along with French Presi- embattled Assad regime, how- are increasingly getting attention Group mercenaries killed in battle dent Emmanuel Macron and British ever, has been the deployment of in the Russian media and the dead know their grieving families will Prime Minister Theresa May, un- “private military contractors” — mercenaries’ families are speaking receive 5 million roubles — about leashed a volley of “nice and new “mercenaries” in more common out. $80,000. and smart” missiles in an attack parlance. Even before the heightened at- The deployments have not been April 14 on Syria’s chemical sites. The most notorious contractor tention, the mercenaries were an casualty-free. On the night of No Russians were injured in the as- is the Wagner Group, which has open secret. Consider the Decem- February 7, a Kurdish-held oil field sault and the Syrian media report- played a central role in military ber 14, 2016, interview on Estonian in north-eastern Syria came under ed that two largely intact US cruise operations in Syria and Ukraine. TV with “Oleg,” a Russian merce- attack by forces allied with Syrian missiles were sent to Moscow. The Wagner Group has been Rus- nary in Syria. His monthly sal- President Bashar Assad. Heavy If the United States continues sia’s pre-eminent military contrac- ary was 300,000 roubles — about US air strikes and artillery fire re- its attacks on Syria, it is likely that tor since 2013. Russia has been us- $4,700 — plus bonuses, at a time pelled the assault over the course Russian mercenaries will figure ing contractors to collaborate with the average Russian monthly wage of three hours, killing dozens. in the body count, as the Kremlin the military in ways like those was $600. Reports emerged that many of seems increasingly to be embrac- pioneered by the United States in Recently returned from the those killed were Russian merce- ing the further use of private Afghanistan and Iraq. battlefield, Oleg observed: “I went naries and that they worked with military contractors. Russian The deployment of contractors there for money. Could it really be Wagner Group, which has close media reported that mercenaries in Syria may provide Putin with simpler?” Oleg described how well- ties to the Putin regime. Russian- had been sent to South Sudan to plausible deniability and lower equipped Wagner’s men were: “We language sources estimated support Sudanese President Omar military body counts. It could, had a range of equipment: mortars, Wagner casualties at 200-600 in al-Bashir’s assault against “rebels” however, become a problem be- howitzers, tanks, infantry fighting the incident. and there were increased numbers cause rising numbers of casualties vehicles and armoured personnel Two months later, US Secretary of Russians ready to join private carriers.” of Defence James Mattis told the military contractors swelling the What blurs the lines is the way US Senate Armed Services Com- ranks of the Wagner Group to Technically, the contractors the contractors get to Syria and mittee: “The Russian high com- 4,840. In that context, peace for their treatment if injured or killed. mand in Syria assured us it was the Syrian people seems farther are violating Russian law, They fly on Russian military air- not their people and my direction away than ever. which bars working as a craft, which land at Russian bases. to the chairman was for the force, private military contractor They are treated at hospitals re- then, to be annihilated and it was.” John C.K. Daly is a Washington- served for the Russian military and Technically, the contractors based specialist on Russian and in another country. they receive state medals. Wagner are violating Russian law, which post-Soviet affairs. Sahel attracts ‘private armies’

Conventions. The South African in Kosovo, train Haitian police and their local franchises, cocaine government outlawed mercenar- and eradicate coca plants as part The activities trans-shipments in West Africa ies in 1998 but the end of the Cold of Plan Colombia. Mission creep of private US ten years ago amounted to 60-250 Francis Ghilès War produced market conditions was given a boost by live coverage security tonnes, yielding revenues of $3 that forged a new private military on CNN of US troops being killed companies are billion-$14 billion. European industry. in Somalia, which led to Western inspiring and Asian investors are keen to As the world became unstable, governments committing to for- protect their mining operations the United States was downsiz- eign conflicts. others. involving uranium and other rivate security compa- ing its massive military by 40% Private security companies metals. nies are spreading their to reap a peace dividend. When prospered because NGOs, such Into all these steps the US wings in the Sahel belt it entered office, in 1993, the as Save the Children and Caritas, military, whose remit it is to fight of Africa. Mercenaries Clinton administration reduced hired them as did multilateral terrorism in Africa. A botched are not new to Africa. the armed forces from 2.2 million corporations. In 1960, these num- US military operation in western During the Congo to 1.4 million and lessened troops bered 3,500 with a stock value of Niger on October 17, 2017, led to Pcrisis of 1960-68, which began stationed overseas from approxi- $68 billion. By 2000 there were a Pentagon investigation. This with national independence from mately 600,000 to 250,000. 64,000, worth $7.1 trillion, ac- report, Algerian security expert Belgium and ended with Joseph The US Army conducted ten counting for 33% of world output Akram Kharieff said, revealed the Mobutu seizing power, the Irish- operational events outside normal and 80% of the international names of three private Ameri- man “Mad” Mike Hoare and the alliance commitments from 1960- investment. can security companies active Frenchman Bob Denard were 91 and 26 from 1991-98. Mission In the Sahel, state actors, be in Niger, including Erickson recruited by the private company creep led the US State Department they African or European, are Incorporated and Berry Aviation Union Miniere, to defend its inter- to contract DynCorp Interna- faced with international terrorist Incorporation. He said 21 private ests and the secession from Congo tional to provide peace verifiers organisations such as al-Qaeda American security companies are of the province of Katanga. Their working in the Sahel. exploits informed movies such This militarisation of US foreign as the “The Wild Geese” (1978) policy is not new and is increas- and the “The Dogs of War,” (1980) ing by the day. The activities of based on Frederick Forsyth’s private US security companies novel. are inspiring others. It is hardly Denard fought in many African surprising that the Russians and countries, including Angola, Zim- Ukrainians have latched onto the babwe, Gabon and the Comoros game. Islands where he participated in The Wagner Group, which is four coups. active in the Donbass region of In the 1970s, the United Nations eastern Ukraine and in Syria, formally proscribed mercenaries recently took a lease on the resi- in the Third and Fourth Geneva dence of the former head of state of the Central African Republic, Jean-Bedel Bokassa. Wagner, it Private security companies appears, is protecting the main diamond mine in the country prospered because NGOs, and its activities appear to have such as Save the Children spread to Sudan. Scouting for threats. A French soldier of and Caritas, hired them as an anti-insurgent operation in the Sahel Francis Ghilès is an associate stands guard at the Paskal camp at did multilateral fellow at the Barcelona Centre for Timbuktu’s airport, last March. (AFP) corporations. International Affairs. 12 June 10, 2018 News & Analysis Palestine Israel

Interview In Jerusalem, the old American-led order has ended

TAW: “How do you view the spaces. In the 19th century, it was significance of the US Embassy over the Holy Sepulchre [church], move to Jerusalem?” in the 20th century over the Sharmila Devi Seidemann: “I would connect Temple Mount [Haram al-Sharif]. the developments as follows: The “I tend to think there will not be message sent by the move of the convulsive violence [in Jerusalem] London embassy is that the United States but, on the other hand, were you is buying into [Israeli Prime to come to me and say things in aniel Seidemann Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu’s Jerusalem are too calm, the flames is the founder of strategy and Netanyahu’s strategy are dying down, what can we Terrestrial was never de jure annexation [of possibly do to cause an eruption, I Jerusalem, an land]. He believes de jure annexa- would say have you considered NGO that tracks tion will jeopardise the fact of opening the US Embassy on Nakba Israeli policies annexation. [Netanyahu in effect day, which is also the beginning of and settlement says] give me time, the world will Ramadan, when you have violence growth in the acquiesce and the Palestinians will boiling over in Gaza, that might Dcity. He has spent more than 20 submit. just do it. I am more concerned years monitoring and mapping “After Trump’s election, we’re than I have been in the past. Jerusalem, which Israel claims in seeing a doubling down on “You have this confluence of the its totality and the Palestinians occupation in ways that we have broader diplomatic constellation seek the eastern part of for their not seen in the past — more and despair on the ground. The future capital. aggressive, less apologetic. This is move of the embassy is a very Terrestrial Jerusalem monitors becoming more emphasised as destabilising move but it’s not the and tracks Israeli settlement Netanyahu’s legal woes increase destabilisation that’s measured in activity in and around the Old City [because of corruption investiga- days and weeks, it’s the destabili- area and examines its effect in tions]. So you have this diplo- sation that’s measured in months geopolitical contexts and on matic, geopolitical level of the and years, namely caused by there potential future agreements. It has world acquiescing and then you is no prospect of our lives getting been focusing on the US Embas- have the doubling down of better and that is seeping in.” sy’s move from Tel Aviv to occupation, which very much TAW: “Is Israel increasing the Jerusalem and the potential for dovetail together. pace of settlements?” Beyond the two-state solution. Founder of Terrestrial Jerusalem violence. “The other two messages that Seidemann: “It’s hard to say. Daniel Seidemann. (Courtesy of Daniel Seidemann) (Reuters) A US-born lawyer who moved to have been sent to the Palestinians You have seen an uptick in Israel in 1973, Seidemann is by this [US Embassy] move are: announcements and a decline in considered an authority on Number one, you don’t count; and building starts but that’s cyclical abroad.” to end the Israel-Palestinian Jerusalem. In 2013, Newsweek number two, there is a significant because Netanyahu froze TAW: “What can the Palestinian conflict?” magazine described him as “a risk of East Jerusalem being lost to announcements in the last two Authority (PA) do?” Seidemann: “Nobody knows. one-man, early warning system the Palestinians and the Arab years not to piss off the [UN] Seidemann: “They have very Maybe four people know and for any changes that will under- world. It’s a variation of Dante: Security Council. We are definitely few assets to put in play. It’s very that’s stretching it because it’s mine a two-state solution.” Abandon all hope. seeing an increase in settler- easy to condemn them. I’ve been questionable whether Trump is However, the situation may “It is not generally the geopoliti- related activities in settlement having discussions with the capable of knowing. Some of the have gone beyond the point of a cal issues, settlements or even enclaves in and around the Old French, the British [and] the people I met with know a little bit two-state solution. The Arab home demolitions that trigger or City, including things like cable Germans and they don’t know but they’re not going to tell me if Weekly (TAW) spoke to Seidemann detonate violence in Jerusalem. cars 150 metres from al-Aqsa what to do. They don’t know what it’s going to be published or when via Skype to discuss what might It’s almost invariably sacred [mosque]. And a very significant to do because the old order of it’s going to be published. One said happen next. uptick in evictions and displace- American stewardship of the there’s only a 5% chance there TAW: “Do you see any hope for ment, of legal proceedings for political process is over and the would be a plan altogether and peace in the current situation?” “After Trump’s evictions, so that is definitely new order is not in place and there another said it’s about 50%. Seidemann: “No. We will be in election, we’re seeing happening. are other things happening in the “I think the chance of them the trenches for years. The “Netanyahu has all but erased world. coming up with something that Americans are gone [as a broker for a doubling down on the Green Line to legitimise “Everybody is asking the same will give us something to work peace], they are not coming back occupation in ways settlements and occupation. questions. We are approaching the with is the equivalent of the anytime soon. There is no immedi- Increasing numbers in the end of the Abu Mazen [Palestinian infinite monkey where if you put a ate replacement. The optimum we that we have not seen international community are Authority President Mahmoud monkey in a front of a typewriter, can talk about is life support, in the past.” saying that, since Netanyahu has Abbas] era, Palestinian unity is then ultimately it will type the full holding the line, knowing full well erased the line, it is no longer further away than ever, and works of Shakespeare.” that whatever steps are available sufficient to challenge the succession is going to be a mess so are inadequate and the forces Daniel Seidemann, settlements. It is necessary to if things were not messy enough, Sharmila Devi is a former British conspiring against anything decent founder of Terrestrial engage all those actively complicit just add that to the mix.” correspondent in the Middle East are huge. The sooner we under- in settlement expansion and TAW: “Will the Trump adminis- and writes on political and social stand that, the better we’ll be.” Jerusalem occupation, in pre-1967 Israel and tration present its promised plan issues in the region. Viewpoint Britain must not reward Israel for its abuse of Palestinians

rince William’s visit to condemn Israel for the use of Last year’s sales included targeting such companies. to Israel this month, live ammunition fired by highly equipment, small arms ammuni- Israel is on a list of ten countries the first official Brit- trained snipers, when less lethal tion, missiles, weapon sights and the United Kingdom is targeting Kamel Hawwash ish royal visit to the force could have been used. There sniper rifles. This makes it possible for trade deals post Brexit and the country, could not come were no reports of injuries either that snipers were using British United Kingdom appears to be at a more inappropriate to Israeli army personnel or nearby rifles to kill and maim civilian pro- exercising caution in taking any Ptime. settlers. testers at the Gaza fence. action against Israel that may put More than 100 Palestinians have Britain called for an independ- Britain appears to be develop- such a deal in jeopardy. been killed by Israeli gunfire since ent inquiry into Israel’s killings of ing closer relations with Israel on Prince William’s visit to the March 30, when mass protests near Palestinians only to abstain in the many fronts. region is to include stops in Jordan the Gaza-Israel border broke out to UN Human Rights Council when a Britain’s Royal Air Force took and the occupied West Bank. The highlight the plight of the besieged resolution setting up the required part in a flyover to mark Israel’s Palestinian Authority welcomed enclave and the rights of refugees. inquiry was tabled. Independence Day last month, the visit, however, it is likely to be More than 10,000 people have Criticism of Britain’s U-turn on even though it coincided with the a only courtesy call in Ramallah, been reportedly injured. an independent inquiry grew when Palestinians’ commemoration of 70 rather than a “meet the people” af- Among the fatalities was Razan Burt said he could not verify how years of their Nakba. fair. The pomp and pageantry will Al-Najar, a 21-year old volunteer British weapons would be used Last December, HMS Ocean, a be with the Israelis. Significantly, medic who was shot in the back once delivered to Israel. This raised flagship of the British Royal Navy, the prince will not visit Gaza to see while tending to injured protesters concerns that British weapons may docked in Haifa. It took part in first-hand the effect of the siege near the Israeli fence. Her death have been used by the Israeli mili- exercises with the Israeli Navy and — imposed by the leaders whose caused international outrage. tary to kill Palestinian protesters, Air Force. To encourage British- hands he will shake and whose Nicolai Miladinov, UN special which is in contravention of the Israeli business cooperation, wine he will drink — on 2 million coordinator for the Middle East licences that allowed their sale. particularly in the high-technology people. peace process, tweeted: “Medical Burt explained that once a risk sector, the United Kingdom cre- It is the norm that royal visits workers are #NotATarget!” assessment had been conducted, ated the UK Israel Tech Hub. Its avoid politics but by choosing to Israel, however, has not been the licences were issued and no website confirms that it focuses on make such a visit in the current held accountable. A resolution further checks made. “tech areas with the potential to climate, every step and every tabled at the UN Security Council The Campaign Against Arms contribute to growth in both the word uttered by the prince will to provide protection for the Pal- Trade said the United Kingdom UK and Israel.” The areas include matter. estinian people was vetoed by the issued approximately $300 million cyber-security, biomed, clean tech To avoid the many pitfalls, it United States hours after Razan’s worth of arms licences to defence and fintech. would have been better for this death. companies exporting to Israel, The United Kingdom is also visit to take place after a peace Britain’s Middle East Minister substantially more than the $115 firmly against placing pressure on deal between the Palestinians and Britain appears to Alistair Burt, who was visiting the million sold last year and the $27 Israel through the Boycott, Divest- the Israelis, rather than after the Palestinian territories and Israel, million licensed in 2015. ment and Sanctions movement and significant loss of life in the Great be developing tweeted: “Circumstances of dread- Over the past five years, Israel has attempted to stop British local March of Return. closer relations ful death of young Palestinian has bought more than $450 million authorities excluding companies medic yesterday require urgent worth of British military hardware, complicit in Israel’s occupation Kamel Hawwash is a Britain-based with Israel on clarification.” making Israel the eighth largest from applying for contracts or for Palestinian university professor many fronts. The world community failed market for UK arms companies. their pension schemes to invest in and writer. June 10, 2018 13 Debate Lebanon Citizenship sale exposes Lebanese political hypocrisy

property that can be used to hide or conceal ill-gotten gains. More important, as Lebanese citizens, Makram Rabah they enjoy unmitigated access to Lebanon’s banking sector and its invaluable secrecy laws. hroughout Lebanon’s One could safely assume that 15-year civil war, the Lebanese are not overly sur- much of the coun- prised at the level of corruption try’s internal debate and decadence enjoyed by their centred on how the political class. However, allega- naturalisation of the tions of individual corruption Tcountry’s Palestinian refugees pale next to the huge risks these could be halted, with the pre- moves hold for the economic dominantly Christian right-wing prospects of the country. The opposing the Palestinian Libera- merest hint of Lebanon helping tion Organisation within Leba- the Assad regime avoid interna- non and accusing it of working tional sanctions constitutes an towards naturalising the Pales- open invitation to the interna- tinians and establishing Lebanon tional community and the US as a surrogate state. government to impose sanctions The post-civil war settlement on the Lebanese banks and finan- in 1990 resulted in a clear amend- cial institutions. ment to the preamble of the As it stands, Aoun has declared Lebanese Constitution, dismiss- his intention to reconsider this ing the likelihood of either the recent decree, delegating the settlement or naturalisation of Lebanese National Security any foreigners within the coun- Agency to investigate the names try. Nevertheless, following the of the individuals and issuing outbreak of the Syrian crisis and recommendations that might the influx of more than 1 million lead to him reverse his position. refugees, the spectre of naturali- No one familiar with how mat- sation has returned to the Leba- Lebanese but without nationality. A child writes his name on a banner during a demonstration for the ters are settled in Lebanon would nese stage with most Lebanese right to Lebanese nationality in Beirut. ( Reuters) wager on a positive outcome of opposed to the idea. this review process, which will be This has led Lebanese cabinets equally shrouded in mystery and to adopt xenophobic measures were regarded as something of a and Interior Minister Nouhad will likely lead to a widening of intended to make refugees feel retirement fund for any outgoing al-Mashnouk. The real the schism between the Lebanese unwelcome in Lebanon, barring president, with the suspicion of The Lebanese government controversy and their security institutions. them from work and limiting significant bribes accompanying initially refused to disclose the surrounding the While the Lebanese Constitu- their ability to purchase property. acts of presidential largesse. That names of those naturalised, naturalisation tion does grant the president Despite this anti-naturalisation such acts are ripe for criticism is claiming that such an ordinary act goes beyond the authority to sign off on such policy, many non-Lebanese have beyond dispute, with Lebanon’s decree is beyond the realm of decrees, the spirit of the law as- acquired citizenship through a current president, Michel Aoun, public discourse, a claim refuted mere financial sumes the holder of these powers special decree issued by the Leba- and his Free Patriotic Move- by the Access to Information Law skulduggery on has the insight and fortitude to nese president, who, by provi- ment being among the loudest passed by Aoun’s own parlia- the part of those practise them wisely, placing the sions of the constitution, has the past critics of any practice they mentary bloc in January 2017. involved. public good above all else, some- discretionary authority to bestow suspect risks upsetting Lebanon’s The decree, which was signed thing that, unfortunately, doesn’t medals, special pardons and, it demographic balance. May 11, was released to the public appear to have registered with seems, nationality. However, the recent naturali- on June 7, leaving three days to Aoun and Hariri. As has become the custom, sation decree signed by Aoun, contest it in front of the constitu- Such an imprudent move by the each departing president would granting approximately 400 tional council. country’s leadership constitutes a have towards the end of his term individuals Lebanese citizenship, However, as has become clear breach of Lebanon’s dissoci- bestowed this privilege on afflu- unleashed a gale of criticism and typical, where officialdom fails, ation policy that both leaders have ent Arab businessmen and their deafening cries of hypocrisy. social media succeeds and the pledged to upkeep, risking the fur- families — mostly Palestinian Chief among the allegations gradual trickle of those ben- ther isolation of Lebanon region- and Syrian — making it possible against Aoun are those of cor- eficiaries of Lebanese citizenry ally and internationally. Aoun and for them to own property and ruption, with payments totalling has made its way into the public Hariri are playing a high-stakes avoid the hassle of red tape and millions of dollars thought to sphere. game and it is Lebanon’s citizens, residency requirements. have taken place, further expos- Chief among them are the already suffering under years of These naturalisation acts ing the hypocrisy of the anti-nat- prominent Syrian businessmen economic and political misman- uralisation camp led by Aoun. who have provided the backbone agement, who are unwittingly Aoun and Hariri are playing a Be that as it may, the real to the Assad regime, giving it providing the stake money. controversy surrounding this access to the financial network high-stakes game and it is naturalisation act goes beyond targeted by US and Western Makram Rabah is a lecturer at the Lebanon’s citizens who are mere financial skulduggery on sanctions. Consequently, grant- American University of Beirut the part of those involved, which ing these individuals Lebanese and author of “A Campus at War: unwittingly providing the coincidentally included Leba- nationality removes restrictions Student Politics at the American stake money. nese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on them acquiring Lebanese University of Beirut, 1967-1975.” Local and regional challenges dog Lebanon’s cabinet formation

tary and regional representation. to participating in the cabinet is (the eighth he left to his opponent, This is rarely a straightforward likely to be different than in the Given the Talal Arslan). process and this post-election gov- past. Previously, the party viewed international Further obstacles lie in the Rami Rayess ernment formation is not either. its role in the political process as pressure on cabinet’s Christian representa- The two main challenges are likely symbolic, affording it the political Hezbollah, its tion. After the memorandum to be the representation of Hezbol- legitimacy it needs to defend itself approach to of understanding guaranteeing lah and balancing the Christian and against international pressures. participating equal representation between reating new cabinets Druze shares of the 30-member Principally, it used its political in the cabinet the Christian parties, the Leba- in Lebanon has always cabinet. position to resist sanctions placed is likely to be nese Forces and the Free Patriotic been difficult. That Complications are expected on its leaders, including Secretary- different than Movement (FPM), the former feels process became more because of the so-called ministerial General Hassan Nasrallah. that increasing its parliamentary complicated following declaration, a comprehensive state- At the time sanctions were im- in the past. seats from eight to 15 should give the Taif Agreement of ment explaining the shared vision posed, Nasrallah said they “will not it a dominant role in the cabinet. C1990. of the cabinet and the projects for defeat the resistance,” emphasising The FPM, which won 24 seats, is Before that accord, the Lebanese which it needs parliament’s sup- that Western actions should not unlikely to agree. president had the right to assign port. In the past 20 years or so, a block Lebanon from forming a new Senior Lebanese Forces sources ministers’ portfolios and select ministerial statement calling for a government. Complicating the mix told The Arab Weekly: “We must the prime minister. After Taif, the tripartite partnership, including the is Hezbollah’s insistence that it will have an equal share of ministries in president was obliged to heed state, the people and the resist- not be satisfied with the relatively the new cabinet to the FPM. This parliament’s nomination of its own ance to liberate Lebanese lands unimportant ministries allotted to was part of the understanding. If prime minister after an election. and defend the territory, have been it in the past. not, we will abstain from partici- Once designated, the prime min- included in nearly all such declara- Despite US sanctions on Hezbol- pating and go to the opposition.” ister is expected to negotiate with tions. lah, Hariri seems aware that he The consociation politics that all parliamentary blocs to reach a That tradition may be chal- needs to include the party in the typifies the Lebanese government consensus on the shape of the new lenged. “International sources cabinet to achieve the “political has made understanding among government, taking into account informed the concerned Lebanese stability in the country” he craves, the various parties a compul- the groups’ sectarian, parliamen- authorities that the tripartite for- a position he stressed during an sory condition of progress. That mula was no longer accepted in the interview with the Wall Street Hariri will need to navigate that new ministerial declaration,” the Journal. is a given. How his progress to Hariri seems aware that he needs Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al Further complications threaten that end will be regarded within Awsat wrote after Lebanese Prime the quick formation of a cabinet. and without Lebanon is open to to include the party in the Minister-designate Saad Hariri was Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has speculation. cabinet to achieve the “political entrusted with creating the new insisted that he nominate the three cabinet. ministers allotted to the Druze af- Rami Rayess is a Lebanese writer. stability in the country” he However, given the international ter his Progressive Socialists Party Follow him on Twitter: craves. pressure on Hezbollah, its approach won seven of the eight Druze seats @RamiRayess. 14 June 10, 2018 Spotlight Refugee Crisis US report warns against ‘destabilisation’ of Arab countries by refugee crisis

Thomas Frank rael,” said Long, a former assistant secretary in charge of international security affairs at the US Defence Washington Department. Long spoke May 29 when CSIS everal Arab countries could released the report, which ad- “descend into chaos” in dresses the “crisis” of refugees, asy- the next decade if they are lum seekers and displaced people S forced to absorb increasing around the world. numbers of refugees from Syria and The report warned about Leba- elsewhere, a report from a US think- non, which is home to 1.2 million tank stated. Syrian refugees in addition to hun- The report warned about poten- dreds of thousands of Palestinians tial instability in Egypt, Jordan and and Iraqi refugees. Noting that the Lebanon — all US allies — and called country of 6 million people faces for the United States and other af- high unemployment and a totter- fluent countries to accept more ing economy, the report said: “The refugees and asylum seekers and to future could feasibly spell collapse give more money and aid to coun- for Lebanon.” tries that are being flooded by dis- In Lebanon, refugees make up a placed people. larger share of the population than “The populations of places like in any other country in the world, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt are the UN High Commissioner for Ref- growing rapidly but their econo- ugees said. Jordan and Turkey are mies are not keeping pace,” stated in second and third place on that the report, written by experts and list. former US government officials for The report warned about a global the Centre for Strategic and Interna- crisis of refugees and displaced tional Studies (CSIS). “These issues, people and came as many European when coupled with an influx of countries restricted border cross- large numbers of Syrians escaping ings by people fleeing conditions conflict, could eventually result in in the Middle East and Africa. The collapse and further regional desta- United States and President Donald bilisation.” Trump have come under criticism for reducing refugee admissions to Uncertain future. A Syrian refugee child plays at the Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of The report warned about their lowest point in years. Mafraq. ( Reuters) potential instability in The Trump administration capped refugee admissions at Egypt, Jordan and 45,000 for the fiscal year that ends should we?” said Tom Ridge, who Development under US President mythical,” Ridge said. Lebanon and called for September 30. That includes a was Homeland Security secretary Barack Obama, said the United Ridge implicitly criticised the US and other affluent maximum of 17,500 refugees from under US President George W. Bush States needed to spend more help- Trump, who has sought to expand countries to accept more the region stretching from Algeria and led the team that wrote the CSIS ing other countries develop and on a wall separating the United States refugees. to India. Both of those numbers are report. “America needs to lead on international diplomacy to resolve and Mexico and to restrict travel to about half of what they had been issues like this. When we elect our disputes that force people to flee. “I the United States by people from Mary Beth Long, who helped since 2000. president and Congress, we focus fear a world in which we turn our Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and write the report, said Jordan was From November 1, 2017, through a lot on domestic issues but since backs on the world’s most disen- Somalia. particularly vulnerable because it April 30, 2018, the United States [the second world war], the rest of franchised,” Smith said. “This whole notion that these is home to so many immigrants and admitted 11 refugees from Syria, US the world has looked to American Asked about the backlash in the men and women and children displaced people, including hun- State Department records show. In leadership.” United States and Europe against [fleeing their countries] are just dreds of thousands who fled war in the 2016-17 fiscal year, the United There are 66 million refugees refugees, Ridge was critical of po- writ large terrorists — it’s just false,” neighbouring Syria. States admitted 12,587 Syrian refu- and displaced people — the highest litical leaders he did not name. Ridge said. “It’s the worst kind “Jordan is truly imperilled by its gees, the State Department said. number since the second world war “In certain countries, certain of fearmongering going and it’s immigration problem and by mi- The US restrictions exacerbate — and the number could grow to elected officials have made the unworthy of the United States of grants from Syria and other places. the crisis of refugees and displaced 320 million by 2030, the report said. notion of forced migrants, refu- America.” If Jordan falls or becomes imper- people, the report said. Gayle Smith, who led the task gees, immigration a political is- illed, that will become a direct “Countries have said, well, you’re force with Ridge and was head of sue and around that political issue Thomas Frank is an Arab Weekly threat to the United States and Is- not taking the initiative, so why the US Agency for International they’ve tried to generate fear. It’s correspondent in Washington. EU migration policy in limbo, Italy’s new government vows radical change

Justin Salhani “In this complex negotiation, seeking a better life in Italy. Italy is hoping that like-minded Salvini vowed the new govern- populist-run countries like Poland, ment would increase the number of Milan Hungary and Austria could support detention centres to fulfil his cam- its thesis but this is likely to be more paign promise to deport 500,000 he results of Italy’s March wishful thinking than not, as these migrants and refugees. While Sal- 4 election culminated in a countries’ interests are very differ- vini’s promises seem far-fetched — government led by the Five ent in this situation: Italy is a front- logistically, economically and with T Star Movement and the line country in the migration crisis, respect to finding agreements with League, bringing together the coun- while its East European neighbours the countries that would receive try’s insurgent populist elements tend to avoid any responsibility in the people he deems illegal — they into a union based on Euroscepti- this situation.” signal a difficult phase for migrants cism and opposition to immigra- Just days before Salvini was made and refugees in Italy. tion. interior minister, his predecessor The League’s leader, Matteo Sal- Marco Minniti announced an im- vini, will take the position of deputy migration and asylum plan. The Salvini’s words are the first prime minister and interior minister plan was controversial, however, move in what may turn into in the new government. Salvini is because of its tough stance on re- a renegotiation between vehemently opposed to immigra- turning as many migrants who had Italy and the European tion and before the elections prom- entered the country illegally as ised to give a “kick in the ass” to possible, unpaid work for asylum Union on migration policy. 500,000 migrants and refugees he seekers, an extension of the admin- claimed were living in Italy illegally. istrative detention system and a “This time around, the new gov- When he is not engaged in a war hastening of the asylum process by ernment will be tempted to be less of words with Mario Balotelli, a reducing guarantees. pragmatic and more into pleasing footballer born in Italy to Ghanaian “When Marco Minniti became the Italian populace. The Italian parents and who did not receive minister of the interior, he swept public wants to hear about a force- his Italian nationality until after he into office deeply determined to ful solution to the migrant crisis in turned 18, Salvini has been speak- Tough line. Italy’s Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of the achieve a decrease in the number Libya, not a pragmatic one,” said ing tough on immigration. Interior Matteo Salvini during a visit to a migrant reception centre of migrant arrivals,” said Jalel Har- Harchaoui. During a visit June 3 at a migrant in the southern Sicilian port of Pozzallo, on June 3. (PA ) chaoui, a geopolitical analyst in “Will this new inclination of reception centre in the southern Si- Paris. “Yet, it was not really a part of Rome help bring about a durable cilian port of Pozzallo, Salvini said a populist or demagogic thrust simi- solution to the migrant crisis in Lib- Italy refuses to act as “Europe’s countries have been unwilling to “Under the new government, lar to the philosophy dominating ya? No, but that is inherent in pop- refugee camp.” receive migrants and refugees, par- Italy will try to increase the other the Five Star Movement, the League ulism. Populism is never realistic. I Many in Europe agree that cur- ticularly those from Muslim-major- member states’ quotas of migrants and others. Minniti was more prag- expect this new wave to generate a rent regulations have created ity countries such as Syria. and to obtain the authorisation to matic than the right-wing senti- behaviour in Rome that is even less problems for Italy. In the last year, Salvini’s motives seem to be driv- do a few things, including facilitat- ment that prevailed at the elections realistic, more shallow and perhaps France shut its border with Italy so en by animus as opposed to con- ing detainment for up to 18 months [three] months ago.” more dangerous than what the migrants cannot journey through. cern. His words are the first move and expulsions for irregular mi- Salvini has announced that the Democratic Party did.” The route to Germany, once a place in what may turn into a renegotia- grants,” said Riccardo Fabiani, an “good time for illegal immigrants refugees were welcomed, has been tion between Italy and the Europe- Italian geopolitical analyst at the re- is coming to an end,” indicating Justin Salhani is an Arab Weekly closed. Many Eastern European an Union on migration policy. search consultancy Energy Aspects. harsher measures against those contributor in Milan, Italy. June 10, 2018 15 News & Analysis Turkey Despite Manbij deal, Turkey charts independent course in Syria

Thomas Seibert Turkey’s determination to remain a player in northern Syria. Ankara argues that regions of Kurdish self- Washington rule along its 900km border with Syria represent a threat to its nation- ifferences remain between al security and that it wants to make the United States and Tur- sure no militant group can form a key over their approaches base there. Turkey has sent troops D in northern Syria as ques- into the Afrin and Jarabulus areas in tions are raised about an agreement northern Syria to drive out Kurdish regarding a strategically important forces and says it is ready to launch city, seen as an accord designed to a cross-border operation into the remove a major stumbling block in Sinjar region of northern Iraq to cut US-Turkish relations. support lines between the YPG and During a June 4 meeting in Wash- Kurdish rebels in Iraq. ington, US Secretary of State Mike “Right now, we are in Syria, we Pompeo and Turkish Foreign Min- are in Afrin and Jarabulus,” Turk- ister Mevlut Cavusoglu endorsed a ish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan On shaky ground. A Syrian Manbij Military Council soldier passes a US position near the tense front “road map” for the city of Manbij. said at a June 5 rally for parliamen- line with Turkey-backed fighters in Manbij, last April. (PA ) The accord followed months of ten- tary and presidential elections. “If sion between the two countries as necessary, we will go into Sinjar in Turkey criticised US support for Syr- northern Iraq.” end of YPG rule in Manbij would ers out of the region completely but glu’s photo op with Pompeo and his ian Kurdish rebels of the People’s Several of Erdogan’s ministers begin by June 15, while the process the United States sticks with the mi- ostensible success in wringing con- Protection Units (YPG). have suggested that a military op- of removing YPG structures from litia as a partner in the fight against cession from Washington will boost eration against the Kurdistan Work- the city and the establishment of a ISIS. A day after he met with Cavu- the ruling Justice and Development ers’ Party (PKK) headquarters in the new administration and security ar- soglu about Manbij, Pompeo issued Party’s popularity in the run-up to The Manbij road map does Qandil Mountains in Iraq, 150km rangements would be completed in a statement praising an operation by June 24 elections,” Erdemir wrote not solve the long-standing south of the Turkish border, could less than six months. YPG fighters the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forc- via e-mail in response to questions. differences between the US be imminent. “Everything could would give up their weapons before es against ISIS in the north-eastern Similarly, the sabre-rattling con- and Turkey about the nature happen anytime,” government leaving Manbij, the Turkish minister Syrian village of Dashisha. cerning Iraq is also down to election- of the YPG and its role in spokesman Bekir Bozdag said. said. New trouble could be just around eering, Erdemir added, referring to northern Syria. Turkey says the YPG is a Syr- The YPG is not prepared to go the corner. Cavusoglu signalled that polls suggesting that Erdogan’s Jus- ian affiliate of the PKK, which is re- along with the Turkish script. Fol- Turkey wants to push the YPG out tice and Development Party could Under the plan, YPG units are to garded a terrorist group by Ankara, lowing a visit by a US delegation in of regions east of the Euphrates. lose its parliamentary majority. withdraw from Manbij, which they the United States and much of the Manbij, the Manbij Military Council He said the Manbij model could “Erdogan hopes that the talk of a captured from the Islamic State international community. Given the said — just three days after Pompeo be applied in other Syrian cities possible military campaign against (ISIS) two years ago, and move their US support for the YPG, the Turk- and Cavusoglu met in Washington under YPG control, such as Raqqa Qandil 20 days before the snap elec- forces east of the Euphrates River. ish intervention into Afrin earlier 00 that no Turkish troops would be and Kobane, but suggested that the tions could attract nationalist votes Joint US-Turkish patrols will provide this year raised the spectre of a US- allowed to enter the city. A senior United States might not support and re-energise his lethargic cam- security after the YPG pulls out. In a Turkish confrontation over Manbij, Kurdish official told the Associated such an approach. “We will see the paign,” Erdemir wrote. “If the polls joint statement, Pompeo and Cavu- about 100km to the east, where US Press that the US delegation had as- US stance when the time comes,” he continue to indicate that the Turk- soglu stressed their commitment to special forces are deployed. sured the Kurdish side that no Turk- said. ish opposition will gain the parlia- the implementation of the plan, “re- While US officials insisted ish soldiers would patrol “inside the Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish mentary majority in the June 24 flecting agreement to closely follow June 5 that the Manbij agreement town.” lawmaker and a senior fellow at the elections, the rally ‘round the flag developments on the ground.” The was a “conditions-based arrange- The Manbij road map also does Foundation for Defense of Democ- effect of a cross-border military op- YPG confirmed the planned with- ment” and that the new city ad- not solve the long-standing differ- racies, a think-tank in Washington, eration might be Erdogan’s last re- drawal but said its forces would be ministration should be run “by lo- ences between the United States and said Turkey’s elections were the rea- sort to turn the tide.” back in Manbij “should it be need- cals who are mutually agreeable,” Turkey about the nature of the YPG son for the spin Ankara is putting on ed.” Turkey painted a different picture. and its role in northern Syria. Anka- the Manbij agreement. “The Turk- Thomas Seibert is an Arab Weekly The agreement demonstrates Cavusoglu said preparations for the ra wants to drive the Kurdish fight- ish government hopes that Cavuso- correspondent.

Viewpoint Turkey’s election turning into a fight on other fronts

hose who thought retaliation for the judicial decision going to war can produce a winner. of the offensive. This becomes escalation inevitable to release the eight Turkish When Turkish troops invaded clear from the fact that the Qandil would have seen it officers. northern Cyprus in 1974, the result operation follows Turkish Foreign Yavuz Baydar coming. Turkish Presi- Turkey, however, has not let up was a huge victory for Bulent Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visit dent Recep Tayyip on the fighting talk. Deputy Prime Ecevit, the nationalist centre-left to Washington. At the time, the Erdogan is resorting to Minister Bekir Bozdag said it was leader. United States declared that the Tmilitaristic rhetoric as the June 24 a “duty to find these ‘putschist’ Erdogan also remembers that People’s Protection Units, which election approaches. soldiers wherever they are, any action targeting the Kurdistan are linked to the PKK, would He had hoped to win the pack them up and bring them to Workers’ Party (PKK) unites the withdraw from Manbij in northern election outright on June 24 Turkey.” pro-nationalist vote around the Syria. and not worry about a run-off The Turkish Foreign Ministry leader who orders the operation. Cavusoglu said that the Iraqi but is seen to be losing his grip declared it was suspending a When Abdullah Ocalan was operation would have “four-way ever so slightly on the discourse. bilateral migrant readmission returned from Kenya in 1999, the cooperation between Turkey, the Erdogan’s challenger for president deal with Greece in response prime minister won a sweeping United States, Baghdad and Erbil is good at repartee and, reliable to the Greek court’s decision. election victory. Erdogan is also [in the fight against the PKK].” estimates said, it is unclear Reports claim that Ankara ordered aware that military escalation It is possible that Turkey’s whether Erdogan will receive the Special Operations commando serves to silence political rivals Justice and Development Party more than 50% of the vote he units to be on stand-by in case of because it would be unpopular to government may have used needs to claim victory in the first “provocations,” which indicates oppose nationalist sentiments. arguments in Washington, such round. more tension with Greece. That is why observers were as the PKK’s characteristics Apparently, polls indicate that This has not gone down well unsurprised by Erdogan’s as a Marxist-Leninist dramatic armed conflict could turn in Greece. Nikos Konstandaras, declaration that “Qandil’s turn terror organisation. Such a the vote in Erdogan’s favour; just a prominent analyst for the is coming.” His ministers had categorisation would appeal to 5 percentage points would suffice. Athens daily Kathimerini, wrote: warned that Turkish troops, US President Donald Trump’s This explains why tension between ”Turkey’s suspension of a deal for backed by tanks, unmanned aerial national security adviser John Turkey and Greece is at alarming immigrants to be returned from vehicles and armed drones, had Bolton and US Secretary of State levels and why the Turkish Armed Greece, as ‘retaliation’ for the penetrated 30km into northern Mike Pompeo. Forces are penetrating ever deeper freeing of eight Turkish military Iraq and were moving steadily If so, Erdogan may feel he has into Iraqi Kurdistan. officers who requested asylum in towards Mount Qandil. free rein on the Iraqi front and he Erdogan seems to On the western front, the our country, is a supreme act of The rugged mountain chain is may be hoping to bring at least escalation has been constant. arrogance. It shows that Ankara’s known to be a PKK stronghold. one or two prominent PKK figures have reached an When Greek authorities released desire to put pressure on Athens Local sources said Turkish special- back to Turkey. understanding with eight Turkish Army officers takes precedence over respect for ops units had reached Lelkan hills Will this strategy bring Erdogan the Trump accused of taking part in the agreements, even if breaking them in the Bradost region, which is the 5 or so percentage points he failed 2016 Turkish coup, Ankara causes problems for the European 50km from what is believed to be needs and hopes for? There is administration about ordered fighter jets to embark Union.” the PKK base. good reason to say “yes.” the electoral on daily low-altitude flights over Clearly, Erdogan is gambling For the moment, Erdogan seems Greek islands in the Aegean. that the inflamed atmosphere will to have reached an understanding Yavuz Baydar is a Turkish considerations of the Athens sees these flights as a play well at home and produce an with the Trump administration journalist and regular columnist offensive. violation of its airspace and election victory. He knows that about the electoral considerations for The Arab Weekly. 16 June 10, 2018 News & Analysis Iran Iran prepares for the day after the nuclear deal collapses

Mahmud el-Shafey growing pressure on Tehran. Despite the Israeli prime minis- The speaker of Iran’s parliament ter’s proclamation, British Prime Ali Larijani warned that the entire Minister Theresa May, like Merkel London security of the Middle East was at and Macron, showed little willing- stake if the pressure continued, ness to abandon the deal at a time he Iran nuclear agreement specifically citing Saudi Arabia and when relations between the United faced another blow after Israel. “The region’s security will States and Europe have become in- Tehran announced it was be threatened if they corner Teh- creasingly tense. T preparing to increase ura- ran,” he said. nium enrichment in preparation French Foreign Minister Jean- for the deal failing. This coincided Yves Le Drian described the an- Netanyahu expects the with Israeli Prime Minister Biny- nouncement that Iran was pre- JCPOA to collapse “soon” amin Netanyahu’s tour of Europe, paring to increase enrichment as under pressure from US which put even greater pressure on “unwelcome” and warned: “It is sanctions. the teetering agreement, with few always dangerous to flirt with the now believing that the deal can red lines.” “We will remain committed to it survive without the US. Netanyahu’s 3-day tour of Eu- as long as Iran meets its obligations Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisa- rope involved him meeting with but we do recognise that there are tion Director Ali Akbar Salehi said the leaders of France, Germany and other issues that need to be ad- on June 5 that Tehran was looking the United Kingdom — three signa- dressed in relation to Iran — its to build advanced centrifuges to tories of the JCPOA — as he sought destabilising regional activity in increase uranium enrichment ca- to soften the European stance on countries like Syria and Yemen and pabilities at the Natanz facility fol- the Iran agreement. also the proliferation of ballistic lowing instructions from Supreme Netanyahu first met with Ger- missiles,” May said. Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to man Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ali Ansari, the founding director prepare to increase nuclear enrich- warning that Tehran was using the of the Institute for Iran Studies at Winning friends. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire (L) ment should the deal fall apart. sanctions-relief guaranteed in the the University of St Andrews, told and Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prior to their Khamenei has warned European deal to finance destabilising activi- the BBC that Netanyahu was seek- meeting in Paris, on June 6. (AP) governments that it cannot expect ties in the Middle East. “This will ing to build a “coalition of the will- Iran to accept new sanctions and inflame a religious war and the ing” to nix the Iran deal. give up its nuclear programme at consequences will be many more “He’s trying to bring the Euro- of Britain, France and Germany mission “blocking statute” to get the same time. “[This is] a dream refugees… We have to break their peans on board and it will just put sending a letter to the US Treasury around US sanctions, this does not that will never come true,” he said. money machine,” he said. more pressure on Iran,” Ansari and State departments, urging the cover large multinational compa- During a news conference with said. United States to exempt European nies with ties in the United States, French President Emmanuel Ma- Despite France, Germany and companies from sanctions on Iran. meaning that almost any major It is unlikely that the cron on June 6 in Paris, Netanyahu the United Kingdom reaffirming “As close allies we expect that deal between a multinational com- Europeans will be able to said he expected the JCPOA to col- their intention to uphold the deal, the extraterritorial effects of US pany and Iran could fall under US keep the JCPOA afloat lapse “soon” under pressure from Ansari said it was unlikely that the secondary sanctions will not be sanctions. without the United US sanctions. Europeans would be able to keep enforced on EU entities and indi- Several international companies States. “If you have a bad deal you don’t the deal afloat without the United viduals and the United States will have reportedly been scared off by have to stick to it especially if you States. thus respect our political decision the prospect of US sanctions, not While the move does not techni- see that Iran is conquering one “A lot of this is diplomatic thea- and the good faith of economic op- least French automotive manufac- cally violate the terms of the Joint country after another and you can- tre. It’s an attempt just to keep the erators within EU legal territory,” turer Peugeot, US industrial giants Comprehensive Plan of Action not divorce this from Iran’s aggres- pressure on but actually there’s the letter said. such as General Electric and Boe- (JCPOA), it is an indication Tehran sion in the [Middle East] region,” very little that the EU can do given However, few say the United ing, Russian energy giant Lukoil, is considering its options if the deal he said. the integrated nature of the Euro- States will acquiesce, particularly German conglomerate Siemens fails. Khamenei said Iran would One day later in London, Netan- pean economy with the US,” Ansari with a potential trade war looming and Indian conglomerate Reliance stick to enrichment limits under yahu went even further. “The deal said. “The deal is dying the death between the European Union and Industries. the deal “for now,” but there have is dad. It’s done… because of the of a thousand cuts.” Washington. been major rumblings of discontent force of the economic sanctions of Netanyahu’s European tour co- Although the European Union Mahmud el-Shafey is an Arab in Iran’s power of corridors over the the United States,” he told the BBC. incided with the foreign ministers has sought to use a European Com- Weekly correspondent in London. Viewpoint Iran will watch Trump-Kim summit more closely than anyone

he world is watching organise a task force to analyse as Washington and the risks and benefits of importing Pyongyang prepare the “special commodity.” This Ali Alfoneh for a meeting between task force recommended that US President Donald the president accept the “risk of Trump and North procuring the commodities in TKorean leader Kim Jong-un. Asian question.” Rafsanjani added: “I capitals are bound to be affected discussed [this] with the leader and are particularly concerned [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] in more about the outcome of the summit. general terms and it was decided So is Tehran. to take action based on the [task Iran, which has a record of force’s] review.” nuclear and missile cooperation It’s most unlikely that the with North Korea, is probably “special commodity” and the interested in two questions. First, technical knowledge surrounding what kind of deal is Washington it have anything to do with ready to offer Pyongyang? Second, ballistic missiles: Rafsanjani is Pyongyang ready to share expressed anxiety that the intelligence with Washington “special commodity” could be about its dealings with Tehran? intercepted by the United States These questions generate more but didn’t share that worry about Eyes abroad. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif questions and few answers. missile procurement. In a March looks on during a meeting. (PA ) The United States is offering 9, 1992, journal entry, the cleric North Korea, a de facto nuclear gloated about the US Navy having power, negotiation, recognition to provide Washington with ordered Abbaspour to procure a tracked a North Korean ship and prestige through a tete- that information. That much “special commodity” from the bound for Syria but not two ships a-tete at the highest political is apparent in the memoirs of North Koreans in return for oil destined for Iran. level. However, when it comes the late Iranian President Akbar shipments to Pyongyang and Two days later, when to Tehran, a nuclear threshold Hashemi Rafsanjani. further instructs him to gain the “special commodity” state, Washington abrogated the Rafsanjani was remarkably unspecified “technical know- was unloaded, he wrote: Iran deal and is subjecting Tehran candid when discussing Iran’s how” from the North Koreans. “The Americans were really to economic sanctions. In other arms and missile procurement On January 30, 1992, Rafsanjani embarrassed.” words, Washington treats nuclear from North Korea during the Iran- received Intelligence Minister Should the North Koreans, powers with respect and aspiring Iraq War (1980-88). However, from Ali Fallahian and Mostafa Pour- perhaps in return for favours from nuclear powers with contempt. 1989, his entries on North Korea Mohammadi, the ministry’s Washington, disclose the nature This raises the following became more opaque, which director of foreign espionage. of Tehran’s procurements in the Should the North questions. indicates a fundamental change This was to discuss “procurement 1990s, the Trump administration Koreans disclose the Is the Iranian leadership ready in the nature of Tehran’s relations channels for sensitive will use that intelligence as proof or even capable of getting a with Pyongyang. commodities,” which Iran planned of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and nature of Tehran’s nuclear bomb to achieve a position By 1991, Rafsanjani specifically to import from North Korea. In intentions. procurements in the like North Korea’s? If Pyongyang mentioned “special and sensitive his February 8 entry, Rafsanjani Of course, this depends on 1990s, the Trump reaches an understanding with issues” related to North Korea. wrote: “The North Koreans want the outcome of the summit in Washington, will it compromise There is mention of Rafsanjani oil but have nothing to give in Singapore. administration will Tehran? summoning Majid Abbaspour, return but the special commodity. use that intelligence Trump and US Secretary of who served as the Iranian We, too, are inclined to solve their Ali Alfoneh is a non-resident State Mike Pompeo insist that president’s technical adviser on problem.” senior fellow at the Rafik Hariri as proof of Iran’s Tehran should disclose its nuclear chemical, biological, radiological Rafsanjani ordered his defence Centre for the Middle East at the nuclear intentions. activities. North Korea is able and nuclear industries. Rafsanjani minister, Akbar Torkan, to Atlantic Council. June 10, 2018 17 News & Analysis Iran US squeezes Iran airlines over arms flights

Narrowing horizons. A Mahan Air passenger plane takes off from Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. P(A )

Ed Blanche Iran Air, Iran’s national carrier, erated by the IRGC, particularly its IRGC-related cargo being carried has ordered another 80 airliners elite al-Quds Force, which spear- aboard commercial Iran Air air- Beirut from Boeing under a $16.6 billion heads Iran’s foreign military and craft, including to Syria,” the FDD Sanctions deal and 20 twin-engine propeller- intelligence operations. Mahan was reported. he United States has wid- driven 72-600 aircraft from the launched in 1992 with a handful of These flights are one reason Is- target ened its economic campaign Franco-Italian ATR group based in elderly Russian-built aircraft and raeli warplanes frequently strike against Iran by imposing Toulouse. is Iran’s second largest airline with the international airport at Damas- Iran’s ‘Air T sanctions on Iranian and These deals are dependent on links to Major-General Qassem cus, where the IRGC and Hezbollah other airlines that Washington alleg- US licences because the aircraft in Soleimani, the high-profile al-Quds maintain arms depots. Force One’ es ferry troops, weapons and money question make extensive use of US Force commander. The IRGC uses other airlines to Syria and Lebanon that keep Syr- systems. Western diplomats say Mahan is for its air bridge. Cham Wings, a Ed Blanche ian President Bashar Assad in power The other signatories to the 2015 used to ferry fighters and weapons private Syrian enterprise, has be- and the region embroiled in war. agreement with Iran, including to Syria and to Yemen, where Iran come a regular carrier to Damascus Beirut On May 24, the Trump adminis- Germany, France, Britain, Russia supports Houthi Shia rebels fight- from Tehran in recent years. It was tration targeted Mahan Air, a pri- and China, want the deals to go ing the Riyadh-backed regime. blacklisted by the United States in he Americans’ drive to vate airline operated by the Islamic ahead despite Trump’s action in re- Mahan Air, which operates at 2015 along with its chairman, Issam cripple Iran’s alleged air Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). versing the 2015 pact, which eased least 36 aircraft, often registered Shammout, and his other airline, bridge for troops and It is considered one of the main air crippling sanctions against Iran in outside Iran, is blacklisted by the Sky Blue Bird Aviation, for alleg- T weapons to Syria and links serving Iran’s regional network return for Tehran curtailing its nu- United States and most of Europe. edly procuring aircraft and spare other Middle Eastern flashpoints of proxy forces. clear programme. Even so, in 2015, it reportedly de- parts for Mahan Air in contraven- has been extended to a company Five other airlines, including The agreement has also been fied international sanctions by buy- tion of the US-led sanctions. that provides the airliners used Meraj Air of Iran and two Turkish viewed as a vital conduit for nego- ing nine large commercial aircraft “Another IRGC-controlled com- by President Hassan Rohani and carriers, Caspian Airlines and Pouya tiations with Tehran to head off a — eight Airbus A340s and one A320 pany recently coming to light is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Air, along with 31 of their aircraft feared confrontation with the West — for $300 million, using a small Qeshm Fars Air, which took deliv- Khamenei on official visits. were designated as part of the US and its regional Arab allies, such as Iraqi airline, al-Naser, as a front. ery of two vintage Boeing 747-200F The US Treasury Department campaign to strangle Iran economi- Saudi Arabia. That scheme, considered the cargo jets from Afghanistan’s Kam said sanctions were being im- cally and undermine Tehran’s al- US officials maintain that hard- most ambitious of Iran’s efforts to Air using an Armenian intermedi- posed on Dena Airways, which leged efforts to develop nuclear liners in Tehran, their eyes fixed on get around the aviation sanctions, ary,” the FDD noted. handles government flights, weapons. regional domination, continue to was reportedly conducted through Two other aviation outfits, Pouya under a 2002 presidential order “The deceptive practices these stir conflict through their military a maze of shady leasing arrange- Air (formerly Yas Air) and Aban Air intended to “impede terrorist airlines employ to illegally obtain air bridge linking Iran to Syria, Iraq ments and contracts across Europe. have also been designated by the funding.” services and US goods is yet anoth- and Lebanon. Western intelligence sources say Americans. US officials say all have Officials said Dena Airways er example of the duplicitous ways “As the aviation community… that the key IRGC branch involved remained active in airlifting mili- only operates two airliners, a in which the Iranian regime oper- fixate on recent Boeing and Airbus in the military airlifting is known as tary forces and weapons since the 19-year-old Airbus A340-300 ates,” US Treasury Secretary Steven orders by Iranian airliners, Teh- Unit 190. It is believed to have been 2015 agreement. Pouya is linked to and an Airbus A321-200, which Mnuchin declared in a statement. ran continues to quietly purchase responsible for handling thousands the IRGC’s Aerospace Force and re- are Iran’s version of Air Force The crackdown, which also listed second-hand aircraft and parts of tonnes of weaponry, disguised portedly flies to Syria daily. One, the Boeing VC-25 — an ex- Iranian and Turkish individuals as- through smaller companies, active- as civilian exports or humanitarian Iran Air, Mahan Air and Syrian Air tensively modified Boeing 747- sociated with the six airlines, aims ly circumventing terrorism-related relief aid, to Assad’s regime in Syria also use the international airport at 200B — used by the US president. “to close loopholes that these com- sanctions against certain airliners and to Hezbollah, Iran’s main proxy Abadan, a key oil centre in south- US Treasury Secretary Ste- panies have used over the years to and individuals,” the Washington force, in Lebanon. western Iran that is also a major ven Mnuchin said two Iranians source aviation parts and services,” Institute for Near East Policy ob- Hezbollah comprises a key ele- IRGC logistics facility, often with- linked to Dena Airways and a the US Treasury Department said. served last year. ment of the Iranian forces fighting out designating their destinations, Turkish businessman named The United States’ drive to cripple “By combining military and ci- in Syria. In April-May 2013, Israeli the FDD reported. Gulnihal Yegane are also being Iran’s air operations in support of vilian components, Iran seeks to forces intercepted a shipment of “The flights frequently disappear targeted by sanctions along with Tehran’s effort to become the Mid- bolster its regional airlift capabil- Iran-built Fateh-110 missiles bound from tracking systems once they three aviation companies linked dle East’s paramount power threat- ity, but any companies associated for Hezbollah by air. enter Syrian airspace, though radar to Yegane. ens Iran’s crisis-hit civil aviation with such activity — even indirect- The Foundation for Defense of shows them landing at Damascus, All have been designated sector, long denied new aircraft and ly — are putting themselves in the Democracies (FDD), a Washing- or at other Syrian airfields, both “global terrorists.” spare parts for planes under earlier crosshairs of US sanctions policy.” ton think-tank, reported in Janu- military and civil,” one report ob- Mnuchin warned that coun- sanctions, with total collapse. The IRGC’s deep involvement in ary 2017 that Iran Air, sanctioned served. tries and companies around the Hopes of buying a new generation the air bridge between Tehran and in 2011, was aiding the IRGC by il- Most of these flights are con- world risk punitive US action if of airliners and commercial aircraft Syria in particular underlines Teh- legally transporting fighters and ducted at night to evade satellite they grant landing rights to Ira- from Europe’s Airbus and the United ran’s commitment to preserving weapons, including missiles, to surveillance. nian airliners and provide ser- States’ Boeing are under imminent the Assad regime and eventually to Syria in designated civilian aircraft. To get some idea of the scale of vices. threat because of the US crackdown. control it as part of Iran’s plan to be This has been reportedly going the airlift, the FDD reported that in US Secretary of State Mike Iranian plans to buy 118 airlin- the region’s dominant power. on since 2006, with IRGC officers a recent 2-month period, these out- Pompeo announced on May 21 ers from Airbus under a December Given the air bridge’s strategic frequently taking charge of those law airlines carried 21,000 passen- that, unless Iran complied with 2016 deal potentially worth $18 importance, Tehran is expected to supposedly civilian flights. gers to Damascus along with 5,000 US demands to halt transporting billion-$20 billion are in jeopardy make every effort to thwart the US- “The IRGC is also known to tonnes of cargo. fighters, weapons and funds to following Trump’s May 8 rejec- led campaign to effectively ground disguise and manifest such ship- Iranian and allied forces across tion of the 2015 nuclear agreement Iranian aircraft and those of neigh- ments as medicine and generic Ed Blanche is a regular contributor the Middle East, Tehran faces negotiated by the administration bouring Turkey, which has its own spare parts, and IRGC officers have to The Arab Weekly. He has “the strongest sanctions in his- of Trump’s predecessor, Barack strategic ambitions in the region. discouraged Iran Air pilots from reported on Middle Eastern affairs t o r y.” Obama. Mahan Air is the main airline op- inspecting potentially dangerous since 1967. 18 June 10, 2018 News & Analysis East West

London at the Divided, G7 leaders struggle centre of Muslim Brotherhood to impose sanctions on Russia rehabilitation attempts Abdulrahman al-Masri The Arab Weekly staff Quebec London

eaders of the Group of Sev- ondon has had a vibrant en could not agree on new community of political ex- sanctions against Russia and iles from across the world. L the blame appears to be on L However, questions are US President Donald Trump, who being asked about what role the stunned other leaders by suggesting British capital is playing in host- that Russia should be reinstated in ing organisations that potentially the elite group. threaten the security and stabil- “They should let Russia come ity of Middle Eastern countries, back in,” said Trump, minutes before including some of Britain’s closest he boarded his flight to the summit. allies. “We should have Russia at the nego- Organisations with suspected tiating table.” ties to the Muslim Brotherhood All G7 members except Italy reject- United in division. World leaders pose for group photo during the G7 Summit in Canada, on June 8. (FPA ) have been using London as a base ed Trump’s readmission proposition. seeking to rehabilitate the group’s “There are no grounds whatsoever image. This is raising concern in for bringing Russia with its current ing” behaviour as a threat to interna- Moscow would be reconfirmed and She also said there was no West- many Arab capitals among people behaviour back into the G7,” Cana- tional peace and security. new economic penalties would be ern strategy to counter Moscow and who fear a resurgence of the Islam- dian Foreign Minister Chrystia Free- Issues of contention with Russia announced. sanctions are not enough to change ist group. land said at a news conference June include Moscow’s alleged interfer- “Sanctions are tools in a toolkit,” Russian world trajectory. The Cordoba Foundation had an 8. “Russia… made clear that it had no ence in democratic processes in the said Anna Borshchevskaya, a Russia Moscow gained influence with its event June 7 in London under the interest in behaving according to the West and involvement in the chemi- expert at the Washington Institute. military intervention in Syria. It has banner “Muslim Brotherhood in rules of Western democracies.” cal agent attack against a former “They are effective when used as increased arms sales in the Middle the Middle East: Between Revolu- Russia, which joined the group Kremlin spy in the United Kingdom, one among many.” East and enhanced its engagement in tion, Democratic Transition and in 1997, was ousted in 2014 as pun- the Crimea annexation in 2014 and There is growing realisation in the energy sector. New Realities.” ishment for its annexation of the Russia’s support of the Assad regime the West with regards to the threat While divisions in the Western al- The group, which describes itself Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. in Syria, whose suspected chemical posed by Russia, she said, however liance benefit Russia, Moscow’s abili- as an “independent strategic think- The G7 — Canada, France, Germa- attack prompted a military strike “little discussion is on what to do ties in the Middle East are limited and tank,” has been called a front of ny, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom in April by G7 members France, the about it.” cannot replace the United States, ar- the Muslim Brotherhood by former and the United States — is an infor- United Kingdom and the United With Trump’s election to the US gued Ben Connable, a senior political British Prime Minister David Cam- mal bloc of economically advanced States. presidency in 2016 and his “America scientist at the RAND Corporation. eron and the United Arab Emirates democracies whose leaders meet While not intended to be a deci- first” approach to foreign policy, Russia can sustain relationships in listed it as a terrorist group in 2014. annually. This year’s gathering was sion-making body, the G7 aims to Western powers seemed to have lost the Middle East, he said, but “Rus- The meeting was hosted by in Canada. forge consensus on major economic their leadership. Some say this pro- sia’s influence does not extend be- Cordoba Foundation CEO Anas al- Trump’s remarks, in addition to and political issues. Current divi- vided an opportunity for Moscow to yond Syria.” Tikriti, who previously was presi- tensions with other group mem- sions and an apparent lack of Ameri- emerge as a counter power; the Mid- “No [country in the region] can dent of the Muslim Association of bers over trade and tariffs, created can leadership made this year’s dle East is an example of where Rus- depend on Russia for protection,” he Britain, another group with report- unprecedented divisions over what summit less effective than previous sia is on the rise. added. ed Brotherhood ties. statements or commitments might meetings. Russia is damaging US and West- The meeting was attended by a be issued. The United Kingdom was report- ern interests in the Middle East, Bor- Abdulrahman al-Masri reports on variety of activists and academics, As part of a world security theme edly planning to use the summit shchevskaya said, adding: “Russian politics and news in the Middle East including Egyptian Revolutionary of the summit, G7 foreign ministers to develop a united response to influence in the Middle East is grow- and Syria in particular. He can be Council leader Maha Azzam and met in Toronto in April and identi- Russia. It was expected that Minsk ing because [the United States is] not followed on Twitter: Azzam al-Tamimi, a member of the fied Russia’s “malign and destabilis- agreement-related sanctions against projecting leadership.” @AbdulrhmanMasri. Hamas politburo. Maha Azzam, who took pains to Viewpoint clarify that she was speaking in her position as head of the Egyptian Revolutionary Council, specifi- cally criticised the European Un- Trump content to leave Libya policy to France ion and the United States during her comments, accusing them of “colluding” against the Muslim here was a time, not is still active in Libya and Trump indicative of a softening attitude Brotherhood. The Egyptian Revo- long ago, when a US vowed to eradicate this terrorist from American politicians about lutionary Council has also been Gregory president was criticised organisation so it would not pose a others taking the lead on some designated as a terrorist group by Aftandilian by his detractors in the threat to the US homeland. Trump Middle East matters. Egypt. United States for “lead- did host Libyan Prime Minister However, it is also evident that She focused on Saudi Arabia and ing from behind” when Fayez al-Sarraj in the White House Macron, despite his so-called the United Arab Emirates, leading Tit came to US policy towards Libya. in 2017, so why is he seemingly bromance with Trump, believes allies of the United Kingdom and That was in 2011 when then content at passing the baton over he needs to step into the void Europe in the fight against terror- President Barack Obama was Libya policy to others? created by erratic and misguided ism. “Saudi Arabia and the UAE are content on having US allies in First, except for the Iran issue, US leadership. Although France and colluding with friends in the West NATO, including France, take Trump seems fatigued by the Britain joined the United States in to demonise the Muslim Brother- the lead in confronting the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian attacking Syrian chemical weapons hood,” she said. “The public is be- Qaddafi regime after Libya’s “Arab peace process has stalled in large sites in April, Macron apparently ing sold a lie.” spring.” Because of Washington’s part because of his Jerusalem believes that Trump is destabilising Tamimi, who is chairman of Al- prominent role in NATO, the decision; there is confusion about the Middle East by pulling out Hiwar TV, which is based in Lon- United States was not absent what role the United States will of the Iran nuclear deal without don, echoed similar complaints from the Europeans’ Libya policy; play in Syria and Iraq; the Yemen understanding the ramifications of about a campaign against the nevertheless, Obama was keen to war is a humanitarian disaster and this policy. The tariffs that Trump Brotherhood. show that the United States did not the policy of hitching the US wagon placed on some European goods “Until the coup, there were ex- always have to be out in front when to the Saudis has not resulted in have made the idea of France cellent contacts between the [Brit- it came to the Middle East and that any substantial territorial gains collaborating with Washington ish] government and the Muslim other countries should take up the there or an end to the conflict; on foreign policy issues very Brotherhood,” he said, in reference burden. and Trump’s support for Egyptian problematic. to the 2013 ouster of Islamist Presi- For taking this back-seat President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has If Macron pulls off a Libya deal dent Muhammad Morsi. approach, Obama was castigated by been sharply criticised by major without significant input from the Tamimi particularly criticised Republicans in Congress, as well as US newspapers, including the United States, he might feel more British Prime Minister Theresa May conservative media commentators Washington Post, as well as major emboldened to take the lead on for supporting the current Egyp- for supposedly abandoning US human rights groups. other issues affecting the Middle tian government. leadership. Second, part of Trump’s foreign East. Of course, much depends An inquiry into the Muslim French President Emmanuel policy that he articulated during on whether elections in Libya do Brotherhood by the British gov- Macron has now taken the the presidential campaign was indeed take place this year and if ernment in 2015 — known as the lead by hosting a conference of isolationist and part was demanding the Libyan strongman in the east, Jenkins report — acknowledged Libya’s major political leaders that other countries spend more Field-Marshal Khalifa Haftar would that the Muslim Brotherhood was and factions, who agreed to and do more on common security accept an election result not in his willing to use violence and terror have elections this year, though threats. So, if the French president favour. in pursuit of long-term goals but they failed to sign a document wants to take the lead on Libya, that However, if Libya does stabilise, stopped short of calling for an out- to that effect. The French have is just fine with Trump. that would be a major victory for right ban of the group in the Unit- collaborated closely with UN Despite their stark differences Macron and an indication that a US ed Kingdom. special envoy for Libya, Ghassan over the Iran nuclear deal and role in Libya and perhaps elsewhere “Much about the Muslim Macron, despite his Salame, and are considered the Jerusalem, Macron shares at least in North Africa and the Middle East Brotherhood in the United King- key outside player trying to settle some foreign policy concerns with is not indispensable. dom remains secretive, includ- so-called bromance the Libyan imbroglio, even though Trump, as was evident during his Whether he realises it or not, ing membership, fund raising with Trump, France was not Libya’s past recent visit to Washington. The Trump has adopted Obama’s and educational programmes… believes he needs to colonial power. warm reception given to Macron approach of “leading from behind.” Though their domestic influence So where is Washington in by the US Congress, including has declined, organisations associ- step into the void this matter and why are so Republicans, who once, absurdly, Gregory Aftandilian is a lecturer in ated with the Muslim Brotherhood created by erratic many Republican supporters of changed the name of “French the Pardee School of Global Studies continue to have an influence here President Donald Trump silent on fries” to “Freedom fries” in a at Boston University and a former which is disproportionate to their and misguided US this assertive French leadership? congressional cafeteria to reflect US State Department Middle East size,” the report said. leadership. After all, the Islamic State (ISIS) their anger at French policies, is analyst. June 10, 2018 19 News & Analysis East West Washington urges crackdown on Iran’s financing amid confusion over policy objectives

Thomas Frank brutality against its own people, in ing citizens and protesters. Man- addition to keeping it from develop- delker avoided direct appeals to ing nuclear weapons.” Iranians and declarations of sup- Washington In a panel discussion after Man- port for protesters, which both delker’s speech, Richard Goldberg, Trump and Pompeo made during he Trump administration an FDD senior adviser, acknowl- speeches in May. and its allies have tried to edged “huge political resentment in Mandelker’s remarks appeared to clarify and bolster their Europe” over what political leaders leave Democrats in the US Congress T policy towards Tehran after say is an “America-first policy meant unconvinced. At a hearing June 6, the US withdrawal from the nuclear to hurt European businesses.” US Representative Peter Welch, a deal sparked criticism that US Presi- Goldberg said, however: “Europe Democrat from Vermont, criticised dent Donald Trump does not have a is misunderstanding. This is not an the Trump administration and got viable plan to deal with Iran. ‘America-first’ policy when it comes into a heated exchange with a wit- Sigal Mandelker, the US Treasury to Iran. This is a ‘terrorism-last’ ness over whether the United States Department under-secretary for policy.” was pursuing regime change in Iran. terrorism and financial intelligence, Mandelker exhorted businesses “What is the Trump plan? The portrayed the Trump administra- operating in Iran to make sure they president has not laid that out and tion as trying to protect the world do not become entangled in the he is playing a very high-stakes and Iranians from Iran’s ruthless country’s “deceptive web” of “illicit poker game with American national leadership, saying the agency is actors” that use front companies security,” Welch said at the start of “using all of the tools at our dis- and forged documents to conceal a hearing of the House Oversight posal” to block Iran’s attempts to their efforts to fund terrorists. Committee’s Subcommittee on Na- Baring the teeth. The US Treasury Department building in destabilise the Middle East, finance tional Security. Washington. (FPA ) terrorism and develop ballistic mis- Welch later clashed with Gold- siles. Mandelker’s remarks berg, who, as a hearing witness, Goldberg said in his testimony the US government such as Radio She sought to rally support of US appeared to leave said regime change “is not the pol- that the United States should cut off Farda and the Voice of America’s allies as European leaders, angered Democrats in the US icy” of the Trump administration, the Central Bank of Iran and other Persian service “should system- at the US withdrawal, sought to sus- Congress unconvinced. which instead wants “behavioural Iranian financial institutions from atically attack the legitimacy of the tain the nuclear accord. change.” SWIFT — the Society for Worldwide Iran’s ruling class by exposing the “To our allies and partners around “Companies doing business in Welch read a comment made Interbank Financial Telecommuni- rampant corruption of its leaders.” the world, we ask that you add your Iran face substantial risks and those by John Bolton in January — four cations — messaging network that fi- Republicans used the hearing to voices to ours in condemning Iran’s risks are even greater as we reim- months before Bolton was named nancial institutions use to send each voice strong support for Trump’s deceptive, exploitive and destruc- pose nuclear-related sanctions,” national security adviser — in which other information, such as wire- withdrawal from the nuclear accord. tive policies. We must work togeth- Mandelker said. “We will hold those Bolton told a TV interviewer: “Our transfer instructions. SWIFT calls “The president made the right deci- er to pressure Iran to make tangible, doing prohibited business in Iran to goal should be regime change in for institutions to be removed if they sion,” said subcommittee Chairman demonstrated and sustained shifts account.” Iran.” violate “generally accepted business Ron DeSantis, a Florida Republican. in its policy,” Mandelker said in a Mandelker’s remarks focused “Should I take him seriously or conduct principles,” which Goldberg “The Iran deal was built on lies.” June 5 speech at the Foundation on broad strategies outlined by you seriously?” Welch snapped at said should disqualify the Cen- DeSantis, echoing other adminis- for Defense of Democracies (FDD), Trump and US Secretary of State Goldberg. tral Bank of Iran and other Iranian tration allies, stressed that, because a conservative think-tank in Wash- Mike Pompeo, whose recent com- “Congressman, are you for re- financial institutions. the agreement was not ratified by ington. ments prompted speculation that pression of the Iranian people? Yes Another hearing witness, Michael Congress and was approved only by “We share the same goals in coun- the administration wants to trig- or no,” Goldberg shot back. Rubin, a scholar at the conservative former US President Barack Obama, tering the regime’s support for ter- ger regime change by weakening “I’m asking the questions,” Welch American Enterprise Institute, said Trump had every legal right to can- rorism, missile proliferation and Iranian leadership and empower- replied. radio programmes broadcast run by cel it. Viewpoint Trump’s Middle East policy grows clearer but consequences remain unpredictable

S President Donald Democrats share. the battlefield. Trump, however, style that has been apparent in his Trump has been in It is clear, however, that the also is eager to disengage the business dealings for decades and office for less than 18 administration’s fundamental United States from direct military one that he has implemented in Mark Habeeb months and already opposition to Iran is rooted in the involvement in Syria and Iraq and the White House. has had two secretar- Islamic Revolution of 1979 and a has called on the GCC and Egypt to First, Trump does not like ies of state and three desire to overturn it. Pompeo and replace US troops. Trump appears process, which may explain his Unational security advisers. The top Bolton seem to view Iran through content to let others — Moscow, disregard for the US diplomatic US diplomat for the Middle East the same lens that the United in particular — determine the corps. He prefers centralised and North Africa region remains a States viewed Cuba for more than political fate of Syria, so long as control and wants the Oval Office placeholder until the US Congress five decades: a revolutionary the outcome does not violate to be the nexus of all decisions, confirms his Trump-nominated country that should be sanctioned Israeli interests. which he is comfortable making by replacement. to death or until the regime is An overarching theme of instinct (if there is anything Trump Most shockingly, the United ousted. Pompeo’s 12 demands on Trump’s Middle East policy hates it is information). States is operating without the Tehran regime amounted to a — perhaps, “non-theme” is a Second, Trump likes disruption ambassadors in Egypt, Jordan, call for political self-immolation. more appropriate term — is the and keeping people off balance. Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi That policy did not work administration’s lack of interest This may be useful when dealing Arabia, Sudan, Turkey and the too well in Cuba, where the in democracy promotion, human with adversaries but Trump is United Arab Emirates. Communist Party remains in rights and civil liberties. Neither non-discriminatory in this regard Nevertheless, Trump’s vision control. Trump nor his closest advisers and has stunned his friends as for the Middle East is coming Trump’s policy of regime are neoconservatives who desire often as he has his foes. into clearer view through a change in Iran has led to close ties to reshape the world in America’s Finally — and importantly — combination of actions, tweets and between the administration and image but, given the political Trump does not follow through the public statements of his latest Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) circus in the United States, why and often leaves it up to others foreign policy team: Secretary of members, especially Saudi Arabia would any country want to be to deal with any unfortunate State Mike Pompeo and national and the UAE. It echoes the long- reshaped in this image? consequences that derive from security adviser John Bolton, both advocated policy of Israeli Prime Finally, Trump views the Middle his actions. Just ask the many of whom appear to have the trust Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. East and the rest of the world in creditors left holding empty bags and confidence of Trump. When you combine this policy balance sheet terms: He seeks after Trump’s several bankruptcy The driving force behind alignment towards Iran with the economic advantages for US filings over the years. the administration’s Middle Trump administration’s total companies, including those run by US President Theodore Regardless of East policy is hostility towards disregard for Palestinians, it is no the Trump and Kushner families, Roosevelt famously described whether one agrees Iran. Since the 2016 campaign, surprise there has been a complete low oil prices, billion-dollar arms his foreign policy style as “Speak this hostility has often been merger of US and Israeli policy, a sales and as little foreign aid softly but carry a big stick.” with Trump’s vision misrepresented as opposition to merger that has been facilitated by and development assistance as Trump’s version is “Speak loudly for the Middle East, the Iran nuclear agreement signed a US peace process team composed possible. Congress wisely has and let others fix the mess.” by former US President Barack of people with no diplomatic ignored Trump’s meagre foreign US allies should be alert to this. his unique style of Obama in 2015. Certainly, Trump experience but with deep ties to aid proposal. operation should has shown a gleeful tendency the Israeli settler movement. Regardless of whether one Mark Habeeb is East-West Editor cause concern to to undo virtually every action Concerning the Islamic State, the agrees with Trump’s vision for the of The Arab Weekly and adjunct his predecessor undertook but Trump administration continued Middle East, his unique style of professor of Global Politics and friends and foes his opposition to the deal was the policy adopted by Obama and operation should cause concern Security at Georgetown University alike. based on arguments that many has seen its success — at least on to friends and foes alike. It is a in Washington. 20 June 10, 2018 Economy Energy

Saudi Aramco sheds Briefs non-core activities in Russia, Abu Dhabi agree to help anticipation of IPO balance energy market Jareer Elass Wisayah. The multibillion-dollar fund is being overseen by finan- Russia and Abu Dhabi reached a cial professionals at the company’s cooperation agreement to stabilise Washington Dhahran headquarters. This step energy markets amid a rising trend was taken to ensure a clear delinea- in oil prices, the Kremlin said. nvestors and energy analysts tion between the pension fund and The deal, signed by Russian scrutinising moves by Saudi Ar- the company’s business activities. President Vladimir Putin and amco as it prepares for its long- The Saudi state oil and gas giant Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh I awaited initial public offering is looking to spin off non-core divi- Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, (IPO) may take heart from reports sions that it believes could affect calls for the countries to maintain that the Saudi state oil and gas con- not only its bottom line but how in- Restructuring the core. An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank contacts “to ensure balance and glomerate has begun restructuring vestors perceive the strength of its at Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, on May 21. ( Reuters) stability on the world hydrocar- some non-oil and gas assets. energy-related operations. For that bon market, taking into account As part of its efforts to maximise reason, Saudi Aramco is reportedly the interests of producers and Saudi Aramco’s market value ahead taking a second look at its aviation the kingdom’s great dependency on a preferred foreign venue for Crown consumers.” of its eventual share offerings, the division, which operates ten jets, oil and gas revenues. Prince Mohammed and US Presi- company has established a subsidi- including Boeing 737s and Embraer Crown Prince Mohammed had dent Donald Trump — has been ef- (Agence France-Presse) ary to manage its pension fund and 170s, as well as helicopters, to de- put the value of Saudi Aramco at fectively ruled out by the Saudi is considering selling off non-ener- termine whether to form a joint $2 trillion, saying that as much as government because of its strict gy-related units. venture or hire an outside company $100 billion in proceeds from the transparency requirements and ex- Turkey inflation to manage the division. IPO would be directed into the posure to legal ramifications from Another area the company is ap- kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, US legislation related to the 9/11 ter- surges again One of the challenges that parently examining is its medical which would be used for domestic rorist attacks. has slowed progress on the care operations. Five years ago, and foreign investments to build a A listing on the London Stock Ex- The inflation rate in Turkey IPO is a decision on venues Saudi Aramco collaborated with more diversified Saudi economy. change has its own set of challeng- jumped in May, official statistics for listing Saudi Aramco Johns Hopkins University School Outside energy analysts offered es, leaving the Hong Kong bourse as showed, increasing pressure on shares. of Medicine in Baltimore to create valuations of the Saudi state firm a potential winner. There is also the the central bank to again raise a joint venture, the Johns Hopkins that range from $1 trillion-$1.5 tril- possibility that the eventual sale of interest rates as fears persist over Saudi Aramco took an impor- Aramco Healthcare Company, to lion. The Saudi government is also Saudi Aramco shares will involve the strength of the economy. tant step to separate significant provide medical care for the state banking on higher oil prices con- a limited listing on the Saudi stock Three weeks ahead of snap non-core assignments traditionally oil firm’s 65,000 employees and tinuing into next year to support a exchange combined with a sale to presidential and parliamen- foisted upon it by the Saudi govern- their families. The company may be higher valuation for the state firm. private investors. tary elections, which would give ment when it signed a project man- considering opening its health-care Although Saudi officials had from By streamlining operations to Turkish President Recep Tayyip agement joint venture deal with US operations to the public but it is the outset insisted that the IPO strengthen the overall performance Erdogan increased powers, con- construction firm Jacobs Engineer- not clear whether the joint venture would take place in the latter half of of the company and highlight its oil sumer prices climbed 12.15% from ing in May 2017. The joint venture is would seek outside help to oversee 2018, even Crown Prince Moham- and gas activities, Saudi Aramco is the same period in May 2017, the to oversee government infrastruc- the medical care. med recently suggested that the preparing for closer scrutiny by po- Turkish statistics office said. ture and non-oil projects. The process leading to the IPO sale will likely slip into 2019. One tential investors who will want to As the Saudi government’s fa- has been a bumpy one since then of the challenges that has slowed see concrete fiscal and operational (Agence France-Presse) vourite cash cow, Saudi Aramco has Deputy Crown Prince Moham- progress on the IPO is a decision facts and figures before the IPO. long taken on government-mandat- med bin Salman bin Abdulaziz an- on venues for listing Saudi Aramco For that reason, it is highly prob- ed ventures outside its core energy nounced in January 2016 that the shares. It is all but guaranteed that able that the state oil and gas con- Belgium’s KBC scope that have been perceived by Saudi government would be sell- the Saudi domestic bourse, the Tad- glomerate will find more non-core critics as a drain on the company’s ing up 5% of the kingdom’s state awul, will float company shares but operations it can spin off to better to limit Iran financial resources and an ineffec- crown jewel. The limited sale is the it is unlikely that the Saudi stock position itself for the eventual sale. tive use of its manpower. cornerstone of the Saudi regime’s exchange will absorb the entre IPO, transactions Saudi Aramco is said to have cre- expansive economic restructuring given its relatively small size and Jareer Elass reports from Belgium’s KBC will limit ated a subsidiary six months ago for programme, known as Saudi Vision lack of liquidity. Washington on energy issues for Iran-related transactions to only its massive pension fund known as 2030, which is designed to reduce The New York Stock Exchange — The Arab Weekly. humanitarian trade after the US decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, the financial group said, becoming the latest company to Algeria’s top oilman pushes for swift industry change scale back activities. “KBC never financed any deal Lamine Ghanmi attract foreign investment. owned by Sonatrach and oil ser- with Iran but only processed the Analysts said Algeria’s leaders vices firm Halliburton. settlement of transactions of its were betting on Ould Kaddour, “Like the Americans, Ould Kad- customers, taking into account all Tunis who has links to the American en- dour advocated tapping shale gas applicable EU and OFAC sanctions ergy industry, to bring in US firms despite the opposition of environ- and several other specific condi- lgeria’s oil and gas indus- that could help Algeria develop its ment defenders,” Ait Ouarabi said. tions,” the company said. try is changing quickly shale industry and increase output “Algerian leaders seek in their rap- behind the country’s new from older fields. prochement the US umbrella for (Reuters) A business chief who looks Foreign companies have been re- their future political and economic to make important changes gains luctant to invest in Algeria’s energy projects.” Oil prices fuel in the crucial hydrocarbons sector. sector because the law mandates Former Sonatrach CEO Abdel- Since his appointment as chief Sonatrach maintain a 51% share in madjid Attar said the share of oil Saudi return to executive officer of state-owned any joint venture involving explo- and gas Algeria exports abroad will energy group Sonatrach in March ration, production, transportation diminish by 2025, resulting in less economic growth 2017, Abdelmoumen Ould Kad- and refining activities, on top of revenue unless hydrocarbon re- dour has struck extensions and taxes that increase with oil prices serves are renewed. The Saudi economy pulled out contracts with leading firms, in- and revenues. “Developing shale gas is no more of recession in the first quarter cluding Total and ENI, worth bil- “The revised law will bring us a choice for Algeria. It is an obliga- of 2018 thanks to oil price rises, a lions of US dollars. foreign investors. Since the last law tion,” he said. think-tank said. Ould Kaddour said Sonatrach was enacted (in 2006), no new in- Sonatrach announced plans to Capital Economics said the had hired US law firm Curtis, Mal- vestor came,” said Ould Kaddour. invest at least $70 billion by 2035 to oil-dependent Saudi economy let-Prevost, Colt & Mosle and other “The majority stake for Sonatrach produce some 20 billion cubic me- grew 1.5% in the first quarter, after American consultancies to help of 51% is not the problem for for- tres of shale gas per year from 200 contracting 0.7% in 2017. New strategy. Sonatrach CEO revise the country’s energy law to eign investors. The fundamental drill sites. However, demonstra- “The oil sector was the main Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour bring in much-needed investment aim for them is the fairness in shar- tions rocked Algeria’s southern de- driver of the recovery,” the attends a meeting at the and new technology. ing the gains. sert town of In Salah in 2015 after London-based group said. company’s headquarters, last Algeria, an OPEC member and “If we want to develop new re- Sonatrach said it had completed its April. FP(A ) major gas supplier to Europe, has serves we need expertise and tech- first pilot drilling. (Agence France-Presse) worked to attract foreign inves- nology.” Environmentalists argue that tors but tough legal conditions, discoveries to bolster reserves. The turn towards the United the process, known as hydraulic Libyan central high taxes and red tape have been “Sonatrach had deployed all its States is an indication of the indus- fracturing technology — fracking — prohibitive. Competing visions of resources to expand output ca- try’s vulnerability, analysts said. can contaminate ground water and bank governor the country’s energy law, as well pacities in the recent years in the They cited Algerian President Ab- cause small earthquakes. as the dominant role of Algeria’s absence of hoped-for foreign in- delaziz Bouteflika’s warning that, Algiers shelved shale projects says key reforms old guard that is wary of a US pres- vestors. This colossal work had led if the United States had a signifi- out of concerns about the coun- ence, have stalled reforms. to the depletion of its resources cant footprint in Algeria, it would try’s political stability. to come Ould Kaddour, however, says re- namely since the decline of oil have invaded the country, as it did Ould Kaddour’s efforts, howev- The governor of Libya’s central forms are needed to tap into huge prices in 2014,” said Ali Tatouche, Iraq. er, point to a new era of energy in bank said that officials in Tripoli shale reserves. an instructor at the state-run Alge- “By picking Ould Kaddour Algeria. agreed to enact key reforms, in- “The sooner we have an attrac- rian Energy Institute. in March 2017 as the head of “Algeria has the third largest cluding to fuel subsidies and the tive law, the better,” Ould Kad- “This is the main argument be- Sonatrach, Algerian leaders un- shale gas reserves in the world. exchange rate, by the end of July. dour said in an interview with Al- hind the push by government to derlined their willingness to draw This assessment is made by top Libya is a major oil producer gerian daily Le Quotidien d’Oran. change the law on hydrocarbons.” closer to the Americans,” said Alge- professionals in that field,” Ould and was once one of the wealthi- “Foreign firms want to know how Algeria is the third-largest oil rian analyst Mokrane Ait Ouarabi. Kaddour said. est countries in the region but its much they will get when they will producer in Africa and the largest In 2007, Ould Kaddour was sen- He promised good jobs and train- economy has been crippled by invest.” natural gas producer in the con- tenced to two years in prison after ing for gas-producing regions. He conflict and political division over Algerian experts said the lack of tinent. However, oil and natural being convicted of betraying Alge- invited activists in those regions the past five years. foreign investment and technolo- gas production has declined in the rian economic secrets to foreign to visit Argentina, Canada and the gy left Sonatrach to invest in its re- past decade, pressuring the Alge- interests when he worked for an United States to see that the “shale (Reuters) sources alone, with no significant rian government to amend laws to Algerian-US engineering venture gas industry is not a poison.” June 10, 2018 21 Science Environment

UAE champions MENA region space exploration

Caline Malek of Dubai, asked me to bring Arabs together to speak to them and work together. It’s to our benefit.” Abu Dhabi The United Arab Emirates is ready to support regional countries and he Middle East and North share its experience, knowledge Africa region is catching and capability in the field. up with the global race to “The good evidence is that, al- T space, thanks to the leader- most 50 years ago, there were two ship of the United Arab Emirates. As countries involved in space — the the recent Global Aerospace Sum- old Soviet Union and the United mit concluded in Abu Dhabi, the re- States,” he said. “Today, more than gion geared up to establish an Arab 60 countries want to go to space space organisation. because of strategic, scientific, eco- “In spite of our advanced mature nomic, educational and societal space programme, we have a moral benefits. Space is an indicator of obligation, which is the vision of how mature you are, it stimulates our leadership, to help Arab coun- and encourages investment.” tries to set up some sort of space He said the Middle East is the programmes and, at least, start most in need of space due to its lack thinking about space,” said Moham- of water resources. “We want to med al-Ahbabi, director-general of know where the water is located so, the UAE Space Agency. if you utilise space images and ap- plications, it’s easy to identify,” he said. “The same applies to find the The United Arab Emirates is best soil for agriculture, where we ready to support regional can build roads, cities, farming and countries and share its to see what resources are beneath Beyond exploration. Emirati visitors take photos at a temporary space museum in Abu Dhabi. P (A ) experience, knowledge and the ground.” capability in the field. The region suffers from environ- gional organisation. Ahbabi said the possesses satellite imagery and ca- designed and built in the country mental issues. In that regard, space only way it will work is by focusing pabilities that can be shared with and which will take high-resolution “If you don’t take steps today, you exploration can help analyse dust on science and education rather other countries, as well as three images of Earth. will be left out and it’s going to be and gases in the atmosphere. In than politics. universities boasting space degrees, Two other satellites are to be harder to join the race because peo- communication, it can provide sup- “Space is expensive and hard which can accommodate other Arab launched next year, reaching 12 by ple are moving fast and regulation porting the connection of schools, so we try to help them see that it’s students. 2020 in communication, remote will become strict, so there will be hospitals and villages in vast desert a priority,” he explained. “Smart So far, Bahrain, Algeria and Egypt sensing, science and environmen- many limitations.” areas. countries use space programmes have formed a space-related agen- tal and climate change studies. The The summit gathered experts and Last year, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, to solve their issues on the ground, cy. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Sudan UAE also plans to have a mission to officials in the space and aerospace Jordan, Algeria, Morocco and Leba- like India, which is spending bil- are initiating internal discussions. Mars in 2020. industry to recruit Arab countries non joined the Arab space conversa- lions on space, although many peo- In the UAE, the agency is build- “It is transforming the UAE from into the discussion and create an tion. This year, another five, includ- ple are homeless. The idea is that ing a testing facility in Al Ain as a user to a producer and some coun- Arab-centric space agency, much ing Kuwait, Oman and Sudan, were we are spending on space to solve part of the Middle East’s first space tries have now expressed interest like the European Space Agency. added. people’s problems.” research centre. It will act as an in- in building satellites here,” Ahbabi “The Middle East doesn’t have “It’s growing but countries are The most efficient model, he said, cubator for development and inno- said. “We try to lead by practice so that yet and it’s a problem because also maturing,” Ahbabi said. “The is to help every country establish a vation. Ten specialised students are they see that it can be done and it’s we’re getting lost in the middle,” region’s culture sometimes involves space programme in a cooperative building two satellites in a tempo- unbelievable to be a part of the con- Ahbabi said. “We initiated the idea doubt but we’re here to help. We manner. As the UAE has a short- rary facility nearby. versation of the future of human- last year and our leadership gave us need to expand and focus on certain age of skills in the space workforce, The Emirates has seven satellites i t y.” the green light. Sheikh Mohammed areas.” qualified engineers from Saudi Ara- in orbit, with a plan to launch an ed- bin Rashid al-Maktoum, UAE vice- The second Arab meeting brought bia, Egypt or Nigeria can be a part of ucational satellite in mid-2018 and Caline Malek is an Arab Weekly president, prime minister and ruler the coalition closer to forming a re- the solution. In turn, the Emirates KhalifaSat later this year — the first contributor in Abu Dhabi. Viewpoint Water purification technology: a needed investment for MENA countries

ome regions of the Mid- With the addition of inorganic dle East and North Africa coagulants, such as aluminium are plagued by water sulphate, the particles are neutral- Omar El-Huni scarcity due to irregular ised and stick together, allowing rainfall, irrigation and the larger particles to settle. As soaring population the particles settle, a sludge layer Sgrowth. In many countries, poor forms that must be removed. Next, waste management, a lack of re- a filtration system, usually utilis- sources and inefficient purification ing sand, is implemented. As water methods have resulted in inad- moves through the sand, organic equate or unsafe drinking water for compounds that foul the liquid’s the public. odour and colour are removed. In Egypt, where the population is Finally, the water is disinfected projected to double within the next to kill remaining micro-organisms. 50 years, the problem is particularly Water is then stored in a contact acute. tank for completion of the process. The Nile is Egypt’s main econom- While Egypt’s desalination meth- ic lifeline and source of drinking ods provide vast amounts of water, water but there are concerns about studies raised concerns over how its quality. Liquid waste is dumped thorough the purification process near — sometimes in — the Nile, is. A 2016 study on water pollution polluting the river, which some Cleaning water, saving lives. An engineer fills a flask with in the Middle Nile Delta, published (PA ) locals draw drinking water from. recycled water at an advanced water purification facility. in the Journal of Advanced Re- The problem is exacerbated by poor search, stated that “water sanita- monitoring and old infrastructure, which could cut Egypt’s share of method to treat water for human tion in the middle region of the Nile which make it difficult for the coun- the Nile by 25%, Cairo will likely consumption could be much im- Delta is far from ideal” and that cer- try to effectively treat water. have an even more limited supply proved. tain biological agents “constitute a Egypt’s inability to safely pu- to work with, forcing the country to Ideally, in the pre-treatment real risk factor for the populations.” rify water is partly responsible for contend with shortages sooner than stage, water is tightly contained to By developing mechanisms to endemic shortages. In some rural it is prepared for. prevent further contamination and enhance its water purification areas, residents receive water as One way for Egypt — and other large debris elements, such as sticks systems, cracking down on poor few as two hours a day, the Guard- MENA countries facing water scar- and leaves, are removed. The water waste management and improving ian, a British newspaper, reported city issues — to move forward is to is stored in bank-side reservoirs its infrastructure, Egypt would be in 2015. In addition, the Egyptian initiate more intensive water puri- to allow natural purification to able to tap into the large amount government has not adequately in- fication techniques, which, though occur. To prevent fouling organ- of water reserves that are currently vested in research to curb its water costly, would be an important ism growth, the incoming water is unusable and improve the quality While Egypt’s crisis, even as it intensifies. investment for future generations. chlorinated and the liquid’s level of water provided to its population. desalination methods “There is no real encouragement Purification methods remove con- of acidity or alkalinity adjusted to While the upfront cost of upgrading from government institutions, taminants within water, allowing it meet standards. its water system would be signifi- provide vast amounts which invariably argue that there is to be used for medical applications, After pre-treatment, organic cant, the eventual benefits would of water, studies no funding budget, even though the industrial purposes and drinking chemicals, such as algae and more than pay off. water crisis is worsening one day water. inorganic silt and clay, are added to raised concerns after another,” Hossam Abu el-Nasr, While water is desalinated after facilitate the removal of suspended Omar El-Huni is a contributor to over how thorough a professor of agriculture at Assiut being retrieved from the Nile, particles that contribute to the The Arab Weekly on environmental the purification University, told Al-Fanar Media. and Egyptian researchers have cloudiness of the water. This stage issues. He studies environmental With the construction of the been working on innovative new is known as coagulation and floc- science at the University of process is. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, methods to purify it, the country’s culation. Reading. 22 June 10, 2018 Society 2018 FIFA World Cup Tunisian national team urged to display patriotic spirit at World Cup

Lamine Ghanmi

Tunis

unisian President Beji Caid Essebsi called on the Ea- gles of Carthage — the na- T tional football team — to summon patriotic spirit and put on an “honourable” display at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where they will carry the hopes of 11 million Tunisians looking for a respite from a deep crisis. Tunisia has appeared in the World Cup four times previously — 1978, 1998, 2002 and 2006 — but never advanced out of the group stage. The Eagles’ best moment in the football tournament came during its first appearance in 1978, when it beat Mexico, 3-1. Football is something of a second religion in Tunisia, where people of all stripes take pride in their na- tional team. From the president at his Carthage palace to artisans in narrow alleys of the old medina of Tunis, Tunisians are hoping for a successful showing at this year’s In great spirits. Tunisian fans take a selfie with defender Yassine Meriah before the departure of the national football team from the World Cup. Carthage International Airport, on June 7. ( Reuters) “Me, too, I need that,” Caid Es- sebsi told the team and its manager Nabil Maaloul. “The eyes of the Tu- World Cup comes as the country’s tourists this year with strong book- Tunisia’s football team will take country’s GDP. nisian people are on you.” tourism industry rebounds three ing rates from European customers on a new look when it appears in The tourism crisis in recent years “All of you are young patriots. years after a terror attack in Sousse and other new customers,” Tour- the World Cup’s opening ceremo- and competition from abroad have You must have the love of Tunisia killed 38 people, mostly Britons. ism Minister Salma Elloumi Rekik ny. pressured the sector to adapt to the on your heart from the moment Since then, Tunisia’s Western allies announced. “Tunisia’s players will be wearing challenges of globalisation, Ben you take the first step on Russia’s have helped provide training to im- That number would exceed the the traditional dress. The chechia, Amor said. soil,” he said. prove security standards. 7.1 million tourists who travelled jebba and farmla,” said Wissem Ben Unlike in 1978, Tunisia has no Caid Essebsi noted that the team British aviation security experts to Tunisia in 2014 and bring in an Amor, a designer and head of the star players on whom to rely dur- had collectively improved. helped overhaul airport security in estimated 25% more revenue than Tunisian Chamber of High Fash- ing this World Cup. Nonetheless, “The national team showed abil- Tunis, Djerba, Monastir and Enfid- last year. ion.” They will be the ambassadors it will prove to be a serious con- ity to recover quickly to come from ha, while the Ministry of Defence Tourism accounts for 8% of of Tunisia’s traditional style.” tender that could gain momentum behind when they were losing,” he trained National Guard members Tunisia’s GDP, and a return of This was welcome news to cash- following its opening encounter said. “That shows that the team is in maritime interdiction and port European holidaymakers would strapped craftsmen and artisans in June 18 with England. The Eagles built upon solid foundations. We security. provide a strong boost to the strug- the old medina of Tunis, who hope of Carthage meet Belgium in Group are not yet in the top rank among Tunisia’s tourism numbers have gling economy. It would also help their business will see a boost due G play June 23. world football elites but we are risen and are expected to reach a boost dwindling foreign currency to the football players’ high pro- Tunisia wraps up its Group G strong enough to be feared by other record 8 million this year, accord- reserves, which is the main cause file. Tunisia’s traditional handicraft schedule with a June 28 game teams in the World Cup.” ing to government figures. of high inflation and a weakening industry employs about 400,000 against Panama, which is compet- Tunisia’s appearance in the “We aim to receive 8 million currency. people, accounting for 4% of the ing in its first World Cup. Morocco’s football team displays strong defence ahead of World Cup

Saad Guerraoui fensive game that looks to create tacks in friendlies against Ukraine many scoring opportunities. How- and Slovakia. They scored 11 goals ever, goals have proven difficult in the six qualifying games. Casablanca for the Atlas Lions to collect. Renard dropped Southampton’s Morocco’s Manager Herve Re- talented winger Sofiane Boufal orocco sent a clear nard is the second French coach from his final 23-man squad in a warning to its rival to guide Morocco to its fifth World surprising move. He chose Mala- teams in FIFA World Cup tournament. Henri Michel ga striker Youssef En Nesyri over M Cup Group B with a took the Atlas Lions to France Raja Casablanca defender Badr stunning performance against Slo- 1998. Morocco went 1-1-1 in group Banoun. Only two players from vakia in a friendly game in Geneva. play that year but did not advance domestic clubs made the World Morocco’s Atlas Lions are in the to the knockout stage. Morocco Cup squad. “group of death” along with Spain, also played in the 1970, 1986 and All eyes are on Ajax midfielder Portugal and Iran. 1994 World Cup tournaments. Hakim Ziyech, who has had a great The North African team played season in the Dutch league. His with pace and aggression in its 2-1 striking performance in Morocco’s victory against Slovakia. Morocco’s defence will be 6-0 win against Mali in qualifying “Morocco shows its claws to seriously tested against made him one of the players to Spain and Portugal” read an ar- Spain and Portugal, which watch in the World Cup. ticle’s headline on the Spanish scored 36 and 32 goals, Morocco’s best finish in a World sports daily Marca’s website. Mar- Cup was when it advanced to the ca said that Spain and Portugal — respectively, in ten knockout round after topping the two favourites of Group B — qualifying games Group F in Mexico 1986, losing were going to have a tough group to West Germany in the Round of rival after the Morocco-Slovakia 16. Renard’s squad will certainly game. Renard has built a strong team, be inspired by the historic 3-1 win “Morocco made a show of led by Juventus central defender against Portugal in Mexico that speed, verticality, pressure and in- Mehdi Benatia, that will be diffi- year. tensity that dislodged Slovakia at cult to penetrate defensively. The Morocco’s first World Cup game all times. It was clear which team Moroccans posted clean sheets in is June 15 against Iran and is ex- was preparing (for) a World Cup all their six games in qualifying pected to be tough. Iran conceded and which was counting the min- play. only five goals and went unde- utes to start the holidays. Even so, Morocco’s defence will be seri- feated in 18 qualifying games. A Julen Lopetegui (Spain’s national ously tested against Spain and win against Iran is crucial to give Talented playmaker. team manager) must take good Portugal, which scored 36 and 32 Moroccans momentum against Morocco’s midfielder Hakim note of what was seen in Geneva,” goals, respectively, in ten qualify- the two European heavyweights Ziyech controls the ball during reported Marca.com. ing games in Group B. the friendly match between Moroccans showed they have Morocco might have difficulties Morocco is to play Portugal on Morocco and Ukraine, on what it takes to compete for a in its attacking power as the Atlas June 20 and Spain on June 25 in its May 31. (AFP) qualifying place thanks to an of- Lions had difficulty finishing- at other group-stage games. June 10, 2018 23 Culture

Saudi reforms continue with new Culture Ministry

The Arab Weekly staff

London

audi Arabia, associated with exporting and nurtur- ing Salafi Islamic doctrine, S is opening its doors to the world with an emphasis on culture and tolerance. Saudi King Salman bin Ab- dulaziz Al Saud issued a royal de- cree forming a Ministry of Culture tasked with turning the kingdom into a regional cultural hub, in line with its Vision 2030 reform pro- gramme. Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Farhan, 33, was ap- pointed minister of culture. Saudi state news agency SPA reported the royal order included making the Ministry of Culture and Information two separate ministries and the establishment of the Historical Old Jeddah pro- ject, which would report to the Ministry of Culture with an inde- pendent budget. “Culture has a ministry… final- ly,” wrote journalist Hala al-Qaha- ni on her Twitter account. Saudi TV presenter Waleed al-Farraj also tweeted in support of the new ministry, saying he hoped it would “ignite the creativity of citizens in the literature and the fine arts from painting and sculpture to the New opportunities. A Saudi woman aims a camera as she studies film-making at a university in Jeddah. ( Reuters) theatre, music and cinema.” “It has been a long-awaited dream,” Mubarak al-Atty, a writer the Royal Commission of Al-Ula in service to country and national cinemas for the first time in more the announcement of a Ministry and media analyst said in an in- in Al Madinah province in north- identity,” Prince Badr told Al Ara- than three decades and the crea- of Culture will likely see the king- terview on Rotana TV. He said the western Saudi Arabia and home to biya. tion of a national opera. dom develop soft power and in- ministry has the daunting task of the Mada’in Saleh archaeological “Our vision is, without a doubt, One of the main pillars of Vision fluence away from the traditional kick-starting Saudi Arabia’s cul- site. Al Arabiya said the commis- part of the Saudi Vision 2030 and 2030 is the improvement in the religious establishment. tural efforts. sion was to develop the heritage the ministry will be the main quality of life of Saudi citizens, Saudi Arabia launched its first Members of the kingdom’s reli- and cultural sector of the area. sponsor for all the advancement of who have complained of a lack of full-service production studio in gious establishment, many known He was also on the board of culture in various fields, enhanc- recreational options. April. Nebras Films is to produce for an aversion to the arts, showed directors of the General Author- ing the Saudi and urban identities. “Saudi Arabia was not like feature films, documentaries, TV support for the new ministry. ity for Culture and the CEO of the “Our doors are open to all, es- this before 1979,” Crown Prince programmes, as well as post-pro- Well-known cleric Ayed al-Qarni Misk Institute for Arts, a wing of pecially for the intellectuals who Mohammed bin Salman bin Ab- duction work and 3D animation. asked that God “bless and help” the crown prince’s Misk Founda- play a significant role. This is their dulaziz, who is spearheading the The kingdom’s General Culture the new minister. tion tasked with enabling interna- ministry. We will seek to support drive for change in the kingdom, Authority in March inaugurated Prince Badr has been chairman tional cultural diplomacy and art and encourage them and continue said last October. “We are return- the Saudi Film Council, which is of the Saudi Research and Market- exchange. to innovate and back their efforts.” ing to what we were before — a to develop a film industry. The ing Group, a media conglomerate “The mission of this ministry is The kingdom has undergone country of moderate Islam that council is to support budding Sau- that includes the widely circu- to cater towards culture in all its unprecedented change in the last is open to all religions, traditions di film-makers with scholarships, lated pan-Arab daily Asharq Al- fields. Culture is part of the soft year, including the reversal of the and people around the globe.” training programmes and work- Awsat. He served as governor of power which we hope to cultivate female driving ban, the opening of The government reshuffle and shops.

Book Review Moustaches and magical realism in Ba’athist Syria

ana Haddad doesn’t sad — and that it can become evil pressure to write in a particular Noor” plays with light and dark in exactly balk at the or dangerous.” way, which doesn’t reflect how I astronomy and photography. As the suggestion that her Hence the chapter “Mustache am, my soul or something, which plot twists, it questions black-and- Gareth Smyth first novel, “The Power” explores a symbol of patri- is Arabic,” she said. “I found it white assumptions about gender Unexpected Love otism. “A lot of men in the Ba’ath difficult to translate my inner self not just with Noor’s choice of Objects of Dunya Party did have these moustaches, into English. I kept trying and it career (“Only an Armenian would Noor,” is an exam- more of a modernist moustache developed slowly. When I was think photography is a career,” says Rple of “magical realism” but she’s than the traditional one,” she said. looking at Arabic literature in Eng- a friend of her father, “that and a writer who resists the classifica- Haddad left Syria for the United lish, it is quite sad and I couldn’t hairdressing”) but with a splash of tion of genre. Kingdom at the age of 15 with no relate to that any more than I could cross-dressing. “I was consciously trying not English and yet, some three dec- to English contemporary writing. I “This wasn’t conscious,” Haddad to write anything that wouldn’t ades later, has written a novel set felt a little at sea. said, “but I realised at the end of happen in real life,” she said. “It’s in Aleppo and Latakia in English “Arabic gives you access to the book I was showing conflict on magical but it’s playing with your rather than Arabic. another world view that is very all levels and then trying to find a mind rather than someone flying “In English you feel under poetic and quite philosophical. way of bringing things together.” or really strange things happen- Older English — Shakespeare or Haddad celebrates difference ing.” the Romantic poets — is along and reconciliation. “In Syria you This playfulness develops as Du- the same lines, but more con- have an Islamic tradition but it’s nya Noor, daughter of an eminent temporary English writing has connected to the pre-Islamic tradi- Latakia heart surgeon and a blonde entered a more rational space, tion — not just the Christian and English mother, defies her father and there is more cynicism.” Byzantine but before that, all the by pursuing a career as a photog- This can’t be reduced to ancient layers — where there is ven- rapher and by taking up with an style or fashion. “In English, eration of femininity: The earth is unsuitable would-be astronomer of the word often means itself, it fertile, the city is a woman, there’s lower rank. The setting, the book’s doesn’t usually have a philo- a connection to the feminine pow- title page explains, is the end of sophical root,” she said. “In Ara- ers. The men are very tuned in, the last century, “when a mous- bic, many words convey a deep they love food, they’re interested tachioed military dictator, with meaning. The word ‘darkness’ in things that in England would be an abnormally large head, named [‘thalam’] in Arabic has the same considered feminine. If you take Hafez Assad… ruled Syria.” root as ‘injustice’ [‘thulum]’. that awareness away, it makes daily The satire cuts along a wafer- ‘Darkness’ is not just physical, life very dull,” she said. thin line from credibility. Return- it is emotional and spiritual and ing from abroad, Noor tells a suspi- then it becomes ‘injustice’ in “The Unexpected Love Objects cious airport security man that her behaviour.” of Dunya Noor,” by Rana Haddad, camera isn’t the kind used by a spy, Aside from politics, “The Un- Hoopoe/American University of Aside from politics, who would have one concealed in expected Love Objects of Dunya Cairo Press. a pen or briefcase. the novel plays with “They are paranoid but in reality A tribute to love, youth Gareth Smyth is a regular light and dark in these things do happen,” Haddad and Syria. Rana Haddad’s contributor to The Arab Weekly. He astronomy and said. “There are spies, it’s not only “The Unexpected Love has reported from the Middle East paranoia… I’m trying to show that since 1992. photography. something is funny and a little bit Objects of Dunya Noor.” 24 June 10, 2018 Travel www.thearabweekly.com

Agenda

Amman: Through June 14

Amman celebrates traditional Arab culture in the Citadel Nights Festival each night during Ramadan. Guests enjoy traditional Arab dishes, authen- tic souks, classical Arab music, folklore and handicrafts.

Marrakech: July 1-31

The Marrakech Festival of Popular Arts and Folklore showcases traditional Moroc- can music, dance and customs from through the ages. Visitors are invited to attend concerts, exhibitions and Moroccan street troupe performances.

Baalbek: July 8-August 18 A view of the courtyard of Bait Al Naboodah. (Sharjah Museums Authority) Set in the Roman ruins in eastern Lebanon, the Baalbek International Festival includes opera, classical music, pop and jazz concerts, modern and Bait Al Naboodah classical dance by international and local performers. This year’s edition includes Matthieu Chedid, Jahida Wehbe and Ben opens window Harper. Carthage: on Sharjah’s July 13-August 15 The Carthage Festival is one of the oldest arts and cultural events in North Africa, drawing pearling glory a mix of local and international performers to Tunisia over several weeks. Performances take place at the Amphitheatre The renovated Bait Al Naboo- N.P. Krishna Kumar of Carthage. dah has been converted to a mu- seum under the Sharjah Museums Ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed al-Qasimi (R) looks Jerash: Authority to showcase the role of Sharjah at a model of Bait Al Naboodah. ( Sharjah Museums Authority) July 19-August 3 pearling industry in forging Shar- jah’s international trade links. It ecognised as an architec- The Annual Jerash Festival of showcases materials, construction tural features in both plaster and signed to flow air along the internal tural masterpiece of its Culture and Arts, first organ- techniques and architectural styles wood from all over the world with walls to help mitigate high temper- time, Bait Al Naboodah, ised in 1980, takes place in the that made the building the histori- an abundance of geometrical and atures. This helped the family stay Rwhich reopened after ex- ancient Jordanian city of Jerash cal centre of the city. floral patterns across windows, near the sea to tend to business in- tensive renovation, gives insight and showcases folklore troupes, doors and walls. terests throughout the year, even into Sharjah’s pearling history. concerts, poetry readings, bal- The ground floor includes a bed- when many people would migrate The two-storey house of 1,100 let performances, symphony Many interactive displays room, a spacious courtyard and a to interior areas and oases to escape sq.metres is in the heart of Sharjah orchestras and other events. In have been installed water well. The first floor includes the summer heat. close to the Fort of Sharjah, the port addition to handicrafts, food, throughout Bait Al Naboodah the “summer house” and bed- Tour guide Amna al-Raisi pointed and major markets. art and book exhibitions. Built in 1845, it was owned by to give valuable insight into rooms. The display exemplifies the out Al Naboodah’s ledger in which Emirati Emir Obaid bin Isa bin Ali daily family life of a pearl trader of he made careful notes on his pearl the importance of the pearl Cairo: al-Shamsi — nicknamed Al Naboo- a bygone era. dealings. The ledger and the house trade in the Gulf region. August 29-September 9 dah — one of the most prominent The entrance to Bait Al Naboo- are the only tangibles directly pearl merchants in the Arabian The building’s structure is a tra- dah draws attention to magnificent linked to the merchant. Exhibits Organised by the Cairo Opera Gulf. His business network extend- ditional Sharjah dwelling with a interior details, including wooden include coins from India and the House, the annual Citadel ed from the Arabian Gulf to India large courtyard surrounded by doors and windows and Roman- Arabian Gulf, as well as a range of Festival for Music and Singing is and Europe. The house is a testa- walls built with the inventive use of designed columns in the courtyard. devices and equipment used to scheduled for the Saladin Cita- ment to his success in business and coral. The raw materials were com- The rooms have been carefully re- measure the weight and size of del and the Opera House over status in society. mon to coastal homes in Sharjah, stored by historians from the Shar- pearls. There is a collection of beau- nearly two weeks. The festival Before the discovery of oil in the with the builders relying on local jah Institute for Heritage, who pre- tifully preserved documents that includes concerts of classical Gulf region, the pearling indus- elements, including coral, gypsum served the building’s frescoes and show Al Naboodah’s dealings with Arab music in addition to con- try sustained the UAE economy and date palms. Other materials, wooden beams and 24 magnificent various companies, businessmen temporary performances. for decades until its collapse in such as teak wood, were imported. teak columns. and prominent members of the the 1930s with the rise of cultured Bait Al Naboodah incorporates The house was equipped with community, including the rulers of Byblos: pearls in Japan. architectural, decorative and cul- an innovative cooling system de- the era. September 5-10 Many interactive displays have been installed throughout Bait Al The Lebanon Latin Festival Naboodah to give valuable insight takes place every year in Edde into the importance of the pearl Sands with artists from around trade in the Gulf region. There is a the world. Dance workshops short film available that details the are scheduled in Salsa, Bachata, story of the pearl trade. Kizomba, cha cha cha, hip-hop, Sharjah Emir Sheikh Sultan bin Samba, Lambada, Oriental, Muhammad al-Qasimi began re- Dabke and Afro-Cubano, in storing the historic centre of Shar- addition to shows and perfor- jah in the late 1980s. He created the mances. Department of Culture to help pre- serve Sharjah’s history. Bait Al Na- Dubai: boodah was one of the first houses September 13-15 to undergo conservation. The latest restoration of Bait Al The Armenian National Naboodah began in 2016 to ensure Academic Theatre Opera and its continued use as a museum. Orchestra will take to the stage Manal Ataya, director-general at Dubai Opera to perform “The of the Sharjah Museums Author- Magic Flute,” the last opera ity, in a statement at the museum composed by Wolfgang Ama- opening, said: “Bait Al Naboodah deus Mozart. has been fully restored to its former (glory)… Experts from the Sharjah Institute for Heritage were careful We welcome submissions of to use a mix of traditional and mod- calendar items related to ern techniques in the renovation cultural events of interest to work so that the restored building travellers in the Middle East is an authentic representation of its and North Africa. past.” Please send tips to: Some of the tools used in the pearling industry on Personal belongings of pearl traders on display at N.P. Krishna Kumar is an Arab [email protected] display at Bait Al Naboodah. (Sharjah Museums Authority) Bait Al Naboodah. ( Sharjah Museums Authority) Weekly contributor in Dubai.