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Bloody ISIS Attack Intensifies Fears of Egypt's Copts

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Issue , Year UK £2 www.thearabweekly.com 180 4 EU €2.50 November 4, 2018 Foreign powers Arab-Israeli jockeying for relations after influence in Netanyahu’s Horn of Africa visit to Oman Page 5 Page 4 Iran continues plots abroad as new American sanctions kick in Thomas Seibert the United States would not be able to reduce Iranian oil exports to less than 1 million barrels per day. Istanbul EU countries created what is known as a Special Purpose Ve- ran is battling accusations of hicle designed to shield trade be- plotting assassinations of Ira- tween Europe and Iran from US nian dissidents in the Europe- sanctions. I an Union at the very moment Given Trump’s problems in it is seeking support from Europe cobbling together an anti-Tehran and neighbouring countries to front, Iranian Foreign Minister cushion the blow of US sanctions Mohammad Javad Zarif sounded targeting Tehran’s oil sector. confident. Denmark said it suspected an “The neighbouring countries Iranian intelligence service was and European nations have resist- planning to kill a member of the ed Washington’s unilateral meas- Iranian Arab opposition in its ter- ures,” Zarif said at a meeting with ritory. The charge followed a deci- his counterparts from Turkey and sion by France to expel an Iranian Azerbaijan in Istanbul. diplomat over an alleged plot to Vaez said Iran had improved re- attack a rally by an exiled Iranian lations with Iraq and Syria. “These opposition group near Paris. ties won’t mitigate the impact of Iranian President Hassan Rohani US sanctions but will provide it tried to display defiance ahead of with a lifeline under sanctions,” he the impending US measures, tell- said. ing Washington it would not break However, the suspected involve- Iran’s economy. Rohani, however, ment of Iranian agents in a plot Sad days. A Coptic woman mourns victims killed in an ISIS attack, during a church ceremony in admitted the sanctions would to kill members of the country’s Egypt’s Minya province, on November 3. (AFP) make life harder for a population diaspora in Europe is throwing a suffering from domestic economic wrench into Tehran’s efforts to get problems. closer to its neighbours and the European Union. “The cornerstone in Iran’s Denmark is pushing for EU sanc- efforts to skirt US sanctions is tions against Tehran because of Bloody ISIS attack its ties with its neighbours.” the suspected plot by a Norwe- gian-Iranian national, who is ac- Ali Vaez, cused of trying to kill the leader director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group in Washington of the Danish branch of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Lib- eration of Ahvaz on behalf of an intensifies fears Rohani spoke as his government Iranian intelligence service. Iran braced for US sanctions aimed at said the charges were part of a con- reducing Iran’s crucial oil exports spiracy aiming “to damage Iranian to zero. relations with Europe at this criti- US President Donald Trump end- cal time.” ed the United States’ participation France said Iran’s Ministry of of Egypt’s Copts in the 2015 nuclear treaty with Iran Intelligence was behind a plan to in May. He argues that heightened bomb a rally of the National Coun- economic pressure on Tehran is cil of Resistance of Iran, an exiled Ahmed Megahid side a church in Alexandria. The it is still present and able to stage needed to force Iran to agree to opposition group. The attack on attacks left at least 45 people dead deadly attacks,” security analyst stricter guidelines preventing it the meeting in June was prevented and more than 125 injured. Gamal Eddine Mazloum said. from developing nuclear weapons by a joint intelligence operation Cairo The November 2 attack took The Egyptian Army has been and to end aggressive policies in conducted by France, Belgium and place approximately 260km south involved in an all-out campaign the Middle East and beyond. Germany. ear was rife among Egypt’s of Cairo, near the site of an attack against ISIS in Sinai since Feb- Iran has been reaching out to The European Union has not an- Christian minority after by ISIS on a bus carrying Christian ruary. The military often issues neighbouring countries and Eu- nounced whether it will sanction unidentified attackerspilgrims travelling to the same statement reporting gains against rope to counter Trump’s policy. Iran because of the plots in Den- F killed seven Christians monastery on May 26. That attack the terrorist organisation in its “The cornerstone in Iran’s efforts mark and France. and wounded at least 15 others left 29 Christians dead and 24 oth- stronghold in North Sinai. On No- to skirt US sanctions is its ties with The Wall Street Journal, in an who were on a bus travelling to ers injured. vember 1, the army said that it had its neighbours,” Ali Vaez, director editorial, accused Europe of down- a desert monastery near Minya killed 18 ISIS members. However, of the Iran Project at the Interna- playing the Iranian threat. “Even province. ISIS still shows it can be deadly. tional Crisis Group in Washington, as Iranian hit squads are setting up Around 25 Christians were en ISIS, which receives one The main road to the Saint Sam- said via e-mail. shop across the continent, the Eu- route to the Monastery of Saint deadly blow after another at uel the Confessor monastery had The US administration has found ropean Union is displaying a fun- Samuel the Confessor near Min- the hands of Egyptian been closed by police since May’s it hard to forge a broad interna- damental lack of seriousness about ya on November 2 from Sohag troops in Sinai, wants to attack. To reach the monastery, tional alliance to stop Iran’s oil a country uninterested in distinc- province when their bus was am- show that it is capable of pilgrims have been using side exports, which account for 82% tions between bombs, missiles and bushed. roads in the desert. of all Iranian exports, said Trading assassinations,” the editorial said. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed action. “This made it easy for the mili- Economics, an economic research Some experts do not exclude the responsibility for the attack. tants to target them and difficult company. Big buyers of Iranian likelihood of Iranian foul play con- “There is a high degree of fear Dozens of Christians took to the for police to come to their rescue,” crude, such as China, India and tinuing in Europe while the United among the Christians,” said Polis streets in Minya to protest the at- Mazloum said. Turkey, are reluctant to stop their States pursues its pressures. “If Halim, spokesman of the Coptic tack and demand retaliation. Halim said the Coptic Ortho- imports altogether. I had to bet, all these things will Orthodox Church. “Some peo- Egyptian President Abdel Fat- dox Church would demand addi- That reluctance led the United happen — the US will tighten the ple are even afraid to go to the tah al-Sisi, vowed to continue the tional security measures around States to grant waivers to eight screws, the Iranians will do more churches for prayer.” country’s war against terrorism. churches. importers of Iranian oil, which things that are worrying to the Copts, who make up approxi- “This attack would but strength- “We will especially demand received permission to keep buy- Trump administration and the mately 10% of Egypt’s popula- en our nation’s resolve to move more protection for the monas- ing from Tehran without penalty. two sides will talk,” Jon Alterman, tion, have been the target of ISIS ahead with its battle for construc- teries in the desert,” Halim said. The Trump administration did not an expert at the Centre for Strate- attacks for several years. tion,” he posted on Twitter. “We are badly in need of more po- name the countries but reports gic and International Studies told In February 2017, ISIS Sinai Security analysts said ISIS, lice presence on roads leading to said India, Turkey, South Korea, Reuters. called for attacks against Chris- which receives one deadly blow the monasteries.” Japan and Iraq were on the list. tians. On April 9, the terrorist after another at the hands of Iranian First Vice-President Thomas Seibert is an Arab Weekly group claimed responsibility for Egyptian troops in Sinai, wants to Ahmed Megahid is an Egyptian Es’haq Jahangiri, however, was correspondent. bombing a church in the Nile Del- show that it is capable of action. reporter in Cairo. quoted by state media as saying P2-3,6 ta city of Tanta and another out- “ISIS only wants to show that P20 2 November 4, 2018 Cover Story Iran In hot water. Gas flares from an oil production platform at the Soroush oil fields south of Tehran. (Reuters) Washington fleshes out sanctions against Iran, issues no waiver to EU Thomas Frank Officials and news reports indi- adviser, said in speech October 31. withdrawing the United States pushing back on the Iranian regime cated the countries receiving waiv- Apparently in a reference to Iraq from the nuclear deal negotiated in an effort to change its behaviour ers from sanctions would likely and Turkey, Bolton said US offi- by his predecessor Barack Obama. by assisting and ensuring that there Washington include US allies India, Iraq, Italy, cials understand that “a number of The accord, known as the Joint is sufficient crude oil in the mar- Japan and South Korea. The United countries immediately surround- Comprehensive Plan of Action, ketplace — for all the crude oil that he United States plans to al- States is considering waiving sanc- ing Iran… may not be able to go waived and lifted sanctions against the Iranian regime will no longer low eight countries to tem- tions for China, which is the larg- all the way to zero [Iranian oil im- Iran in exchange for Tehran halting be able to sell in order to fund its porarily continue to import est importer of Iranian crude, and ports] immediately.” its programme to develop nuclear terror campaign across the world,” T Iranian oil without facing Turkey.
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