UK £2 Issue 209, Year 5 June 9, 2019 EU €2.50 www.thearabweekly.com The Arab region Qatar, two The unending on World years after business Environment Day of fighting the boycott extremism Pages 6,20 Page 5 Pages 12-13 Self-doubts further imperil ‘Deal of the Century’ despite economic focus ► Members of the Trump administration seem divided and sceptical about the practicality of the plan.

Mamoon Alabbasi not the only obstacles to the “Deal of the Century.” Members of the Trump adminis- London tration seem divided on the practi- cality of the plan. he yet-to-be-announced US Speaking in a private meeting peace plan for the Middle with Jewish leaders, US Secretary East that is commonly re- of State Mike Pompeo gave a candid T ferred to as the “Deal of the assessment of the plan. In an audio Century” appears to have suffered recording of the meeting obtained setbacks, prompting Washington by the Washington Post, Pompeo to focus on the economic aspects of noted that “one might argue” that a possible Israeli-Arab agreement. the deal is “unexecutable” and it Its expressions of doubt about the might not “gain traction.” practicality of the deal are further Pompeo acknowledged that imperilling the initiative. “frankly, this has taken us longer to The Trump administration is roll out our plan than I had original- nonetheless pressing ahead with a ly thought it might.” He confirmed: US-led conference on the Palestin- “It may be rejected. Could be in the ian economy, June 25-26 in Bahrain, end, folks will say: ‘It’s not particu- despite Palestinian political leaders larly original. It doesn’t particularly and businessmen declaring they work for me,’ that is, ‘It’s got two would not take part. good things and nine bad things, The International Monetary I’m out’.” Fund, the World Bank and the Eu- Such concerns were not ex- ropean Bank for Reconstruction pressed only by Pompeo. and Development said they would “Prominent conservative and Undermined. President Donald Trump (Front-L) turns to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attend the gathering, dubbed the pro-Israel voices close to the White (C) after signing a proclamation at the White House in Washington, last March. White House adviser (AP) “Peace for Prosperity” conference. House are increasingly sharing their Jared Kushner is first on the left. Regional support for any political fears, which range from the possi- measure that may be announced at bility that the peace proposal could ready to govern themselves. political solution that takes into ac- Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the conference is already reserved. trigger violence to worries that its of- “The hope is, is that over time, count the legitimate aspirations of form a government. A rerun of the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab ferings could forever kill efforts to they (Palestinians) can become ca- both the Palestinians and the Israe- Israeli elections is to take place Sep- Emirates said they would attend the craft a two-state solution,” reported pable of governing,” Kushner told lis” and added that it must also be tember 17. conference but they are unlikely to Politico. news site Axios. He said he was not in line with the accepted “interna- In the meanwhile, Palestinians publicly endorse a political deal re- “Many hoped the plan would get concerned whether the Palestinians tional parameters.” see the “Deal of the Century” as jected by the Palestinians. shelved even before the latest po- do not trust him. “I’m not here to be By insisting on international law, promoting anything but peace. Statements from leaders at the litical turmoil in Israel prompted trusted,” he said. European powers reiterated their “The Palestinian peace camp has Arab and Islamic summits in Mecca the scheduling of new elections in In anticipation of the Bahrain objection to the continued Israeli to hope that the political complica- were univocal in their rejection of the fall. Now, some are going on the “workshop,” Kushner recently con- occupation of the Palestinian ter- tions that both Trump and Netanya- Washington’s stances on the occu- record to urge the Trump adminis- cluded a trip to Morocco, Jordan ritories and to measures or policies hu face mean they’ll step away from pied Palestinian territories and the tration to set aside the plan indefi- and Israel — with an additional stop that would entrench that occupa- the deal and that they can keep Golan Heights. The leaders reiterat- nitely, even though few people have in Belgium to meet with European tion. their camp alive until the scales of ed their support for an independent seen the closely held proposal.” leaders — in an apparent bid to gain Israel, which is likely to attend the peace process are balanced once Palestinian state, with East Jerusa- Recent statements by Kushner support for the conference but his the conference, expressed support again,” wrote Palestinian activist lem as its capital. have raised eyebrows. The Pales- shuttle diplomacy does not appear for the involvement of US President Muhammad Shehada in Haaretz. Palestinian objections, Arab cau- tinians, who have long accused to have been fruitful. Donald Trump aimed at brokering tion, European insistence on in- Trump of siding with Israel at their The European Commission a future Mideast peace deal with Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy Man- ternational conventions and the expense, are likely to feel their po- stressed in a statement that any US the Palestinians. But the country is aging Editor and Online Editor of absence of an electoral mandate in sition validated after Trump’s son- economic plan for the Palestinians grappling with political uncertain- The Arab Weekly. the current Israeli government are in-law suggested they were not yet must be accompanied by a “viable ty after the failure of Israeli Prime P2 ‘Fun Bus’ a breather for Beirut’s street children Samar Kadi his large family. “I like being on tion for street children while giv- activities were carried out on the The programme seeks to engage the bus because I can learn, draw ing them the chance to take a res- pavement or in open shelters in with the families of working chil- and watch cartoons,” he said. pite from street work. specific areas, Tabsh said. “The dren and encourage them to get Beirut The “Fun Bus” initiative, funded “Our bus rolls every day, except idea of the bus came later. We their sons and daughters off the by the UN High Commissioner for Sundays, stopping at different lo- thought the kids needed a safe streets. lad in her black headscarf Refugees and the European Union cations and neighbourhoods,” said and private space to express them- and long robe, Rayyan and implemented by the Makh- Youssef Tabsh, project manager at selves,” he said. hurried to the brightly zoumi Foundation, a Lebanese the Makhzoumi Foundation. “Now when they see our bus The “Fun Bus” initiative provides support and C coloured bus as it pulled NGO, provides support and recrea- When the project began in 2017, they would hurry inside because to the side of the street at a large they feel it is for them. We are tak- recreation to street children intersection in the heart of Beirut. ing them off the street for 1 to 2 while giving them the Packing away the boxes of tissues hours during which they can enjoy chance to take a respite from she was selling, the 13-year-old activities, go crazy and let go the street work. hopped on board the bus stationed steam before going back on the under the shade of a tree. street,” Tabsh added. The programme has taken more “I cannot stay long. My mother On the “Fun Bus,” the youths get than 150 children off the streets will not allow it. I have to go back to live their childhood for a couple in the past two years but many to work,” she said. of hours, a welcome change from challenges remain. It has reached Every Thursday, Rayyan and selling tissues and chewing gum hundreds of children working in other Syrian refugee children sell- for a few dollars a day. The initia- Beirut, most of whom are from ing chewing gum and tissues at tive offers lessons in basic literacy among the nearly 950,000 regis- the busy intersection wait impa- and numeracy, awareness sessions tered Syrian refugees living in the tiently for the “Fun Bus” where on hygiene, protection issues and country. Their families live below they can enjoy activities such as the dangers they could face on the the poverty line, with limited ac- drawing, watching films and basic streets. cess to employment, often leaving learning. “Most of the children have never them with no option than to send Yazan, 11 years old and originally set foot in school but, with the ba- their children out to work to make from Aleppo, said he has been on sic learning we offer, they are now ends meet. the bus several times in the two able to read numbers and words years since he started working on A welcome change. The “Fun Bus” drives in downtown Beirut. making them better equipped to Samar Kadi is The Arab Weekly the street to help provide food for (Makhzoumi Foundation) protect themselves,” Tabsh said. Travel and Society section editor. 2 June 9, 2019 News & Analysis Palestine Israel

New elections in Israel undermine chances for ‘Deal of the Century’

reasonable comfort with capital- ists, peaceniks with settlers, the Geoffrey orthodox religious with militant Aronson secularists. This is “Team Israel” — the source of its vitality and dynamism here is today a king in and its ability for more than half a Israel and his name is century to defy demands for an end Binyamin Netan- to the occupation of the West Bank yahu. and Gaza Strip. Faced with irrecon- Netanyahu may be alone at the cilable demands from top but his failure to consolidate his potential coalition election victory betrays more than Tpartners after winning elections in a hint of weakness. Rivals, such as April, Netanyahu, rather than step Lieberman and the former gener- aside to permit continued efforts als running the Blue and White to form a government, ordered the party, see the September vote as newly elected members to adjourn. an unexpected opportunity to beat The stage is set for a tumultuous Netanyahu. Rarely do politicians summer election campaign before get a second chance to redress their national elections in September political shortcomings. and post-election deliberations on Both Netanyahu and his op- the formation of a new government ponents hope that the September that promise to consume most of election will provide what the April the rest of 2019. vote failed to do — enable the crea- Until then Netanyahu, who will tion of a stable government with a soon eclipse David Ben-Gurion as convincing majority in the Knesset. the longest serving leader in Israel’s Count US President Donald history, stands unchallenged in the Trump among those rooting for exercise of government authority Netanyahu to prevail. at home and abroad. He is prime “It’s too bad what happened in minister and defence minister, Israel,” Trump said after new elec- presiding all but unchallenged by a tions were announced. “It looked hibernating cabinet and a somnam- like a total win for Netanyahu, who bulant parliament. is a great guy, and now they are Irreconcilable demands by Net- back at the debate stage and they Costly setbacks. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (R) attends a cabinet meeting in anyahu’s former Defence Minister are back at the election stage. That Jerusalem, June 2. (AP) Avigdor Lieberman to end the is too bad because they don’t need exemption of military service given this. They got enough turmoil over officials, whose institutions are ex- have little to do with diplomacy of tion, Washington has declared its Israel’s burgeoning ultra-orthodox there. It’s a tough place.” pected to benefit from the bounty the sort that has dominated the in- determination to craft a policy for community were the visible cause New elections in Israel exposed Kushner wants to raise, will not at- ternational consensus for decades. the Israelis and the Palestinians of Netanyahu’s failure to cobble the debilitating shortcomings of tend. Ditto for Lebanon. Jordan is, He has pocketed Washington’s rooted in an acknowledgement of together a coalition of at least 61 America’s “peace” team. More as usual, uncomfortably straddling declarations on Jerusalem and the settlement “facts” that Israel members of the Knesset after the significantly, Israel’s interminable the fence. the Golan Heights and applauded has created on the ground and, as April election. electoral calendar spells the death US Secretary of State Mike US efforts to reduce the interna- Kushner recently noted, an abiding His decision to order the Knesset knell for Washington’s “Deal of the Pompeo, in an unguarded mo- tional commitment to refugees by distrust of the Palestinians’ ability to disband was unprecedented, as Century.” ment, was only acknowledging the withdrawing support for UN Relief to rule themselves. was his failure, as top vote-getter in Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kush- obvious when he observed that and Works Agency for Palestine Netanyahu has profited more the contest that saw his Likud party ner recently visited Israel hoping to the much-awaited US policy could Refugees in the Near East and the than any other Israeli leader from win 35 seats in the 120-member give a boost to the long-anticipated well be “unexecutable,” regardless Palestine Liberation Organisation this “new look” in US policy under Knesset, to form a government. opening act of the “Deal of the Cen- of the political developments in by closing its mission in Washing- Trump. With welcome support Political deals of the sort on the tury” later this month in Manama. Israel. ton. from Washington, the King of table after the recent election have Instead, he was blindsided by Netanyahu will shed no tears if Gaining Washington’s support for Israel expects to triumph yet again long been the predictable stuff of Netanyahu’s political travails. Trump’s enthusiasm for peacemak- the annexation of some or all West in September. Israeli politics. Israel has never Manama is already hobbled by ing wanes as the 2020 US election Bank settlements is the next prize been able to form a single-party crippling opposition. The Russians season moves into high gear. Israel on Israel’s agenda. Strong efforts Geoffrey Aronson is a non-resident government. So to create a parlia- and Chinese aren’t going, even has benefited handsomely from are being made in that direction. scholar at the Middle East Institute mentary majority, socialists sit in if they are invited. Palestinian unilateral American actions that To Netanyahu’s great satisfac- in Washington. Washington moves ahead with peace plan despite dim prospects

even when it was being drafted Washington Post reported that US about it. late June in Bahrain. by Kushner, who had no diplo- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Perhaps even more surprisingly, Second, and more important, Gregory matic experience prior to 2017 and told a gathering of American Jew- Trump seemed to acknowledge Trump himself sees an oppor- Aftandilian seemed to be aligned with Net- ish leaders recently that the plan the difficulty of moving the plan tunity to hit back at Democrats anyahu’s thinking. Although it is may be “unexecutable” and may forward. On June 2, he said, in who charge that he should be difficult to analyse a plan that has not gain traction. Pompeo also reference to the plan’s chances, impeached. He has labelled them S President not been released, the fact that said he understood the perception that “we’ll see what happens.” the “anti-Israel” party and would Donald Trump Kushner hinted that it does not in- that “this is going to be a deal that Trump expressed some optimism probably take delight in hearing and his team, led volve Palestinian sovereignty has only the Israelis could love.” but qualified it by saying Pompeo them criticise a peace plan that is by son-in-law convinced most serious observers This was a stunning acknowl- “may be right.” heavily tilted towards Israel. By Jared Kushner, that the plan is likely to be dead edgement by a secretary of state. Trump has been receiving doing so, Trump would solidify his were supposed to on arrival. Although Pompeo also said he outside advice from conservative base with evangelical Christians unveil their Interestingly, top Trump admin- hoped people would give time to think-tank specialists to shelve and conservative members of the Umuch-anticipated Israeli-Pales- istration officials acknowledged listen to the plan and “let it settle the plan because a failed plan, in American Jewish community. tinian peace plan soon after the difficulty of moving it forward in a little bit,” he was clearly trying their view, could result in violence Although mainstream Demo- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin when it is finally released. The to downplay any expectations that could rebound against Trump crats and liberal members of the Netanyahu formed his new and his supporters. American Jewish community have government after the election in The Washington journal Politico made compelling points on televi- April. reported that James Carafano of sion that any peace plan that does That this government did not the conservative Heritage Founda- not mention the need for a two- come into being, and that Israel tion said unveiling the plan now state solution is doomed to failure, is headed for new elections in would “make the US seem unseri- Trump will ignore the realities of September, not only exasperated ous.” the Israeli-Palestinian situation by Trump but put the peace plan on Other analysts suggest that, by hyping the Democrats’ criticism of hold. Nonetheless, Trump, buck- the time a new Israeli government Netanyahu’s policies and claiming ing conventional wisdom, is likely is formed, probably in November, that only he and the Republicans to use the plan as a cudgel against that will run up against the begin- have Israel’s interests at heart. Democrats in 2020 even if it has ning of the long US presidential This may be a clever strategy virtually no chance of working. campaign, which would take time for Trump’s supporters but it is Trump, on June 3, said the away from selling the plan in the not going to widen Trump’s base. political situation in Israel was “all region. Democrats and independents, messed up.” He underscored that Still, there are countervailing recent polling indicates, want US Israeli politicians “ought to get reasons why Kushner and Trump president to play a more even- their act together” but seemed to will want to stick with the plan handed role, which the Trump- acknowledge that there was not and give the appearance of trying Kushner peace plan is unlikely to much he could do about it except to move it forward. do. to wait for the new Israeli elec- First is ego. Trump is loth to Hence, Trump is probably going tions to settle things. admit a mistake and Kushner has to unveil his plan in November Trump not only wanted his invested so much time and energy and say he is serious about it all friend and political ally Netanyahu in this plan that he would not the while knowing it does not to come out a winner by leading want it shelved. Indeed, the same stand any real chance of succeed- a coalition government but to use Politico article stated that Kush- ing. that opportunity to make public ner and other White House aides his administration’s long-awaited “appear intent on going full speed Gregory Aftandilian is a lecturer peace plan, which he said in 2016 ahead.” That is also the reason the in the Pardee School of Global would be the “deal of the century.” White House is not postponing Studies at Boston University and Never mind that most experts Distrust and anger. Members of the Palestinian community and an economic conference related a former US State Department had serious doubts about it their supporters protest in Chicago, Illinois. (AFP) to the peace plan that is slated for Middle East analyst. June 9, 2019 3 News & Analysis Egypt Brotherhood Tensions with Iran draw attention to Egypt’s Brotherhood’s ties with Tehran

Hassan Abdel Zaher President Anwar Sadat playing the Islamists against the leftists, a game he paid for dearly when he was as- Cairo sassinated by Islamists in 1981. After the Islamic Revolution in he conspicuous silence of Iran, several Brotherhood delega- the Egyptian Muslim Broth- tions visited Tehran, including once erhood in the Iran-Unit- at the orders of Omar al-Tilmisani, T ed States showdown has the supreme leader of the Muslim drawn attention to the ties between Brotherhood from 1973-86. Leading Tehran and the Brotherhood. the Brotherhood delegation on this The Brotherhood, which has cam- visit was Youssef Nada, a business paigned for applying sharia in Arab tycoon. countries, refrained from denounc- Nada suggested the establish- ing the threat posed by Iran and ment of a branch of the Brother- its proxies to regional security for hood in Tehran, a suggestion that strong reasons, including the close was immediately approved by relations it maintained despite ap- Khomeini. parent sectarian and ideological dif- When the 2011 uprising erupted ferences with Iran, analysts said. in Egypt, Iranian Supreme Leader “These relations are very old,” Ali Khamenei delivered a speech in said Ibrahim Rabie, a former mem- Arabic calling on Egyptians to draw ber of the Muslim Brotherhood. lessons from the Iranian revolution. “Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood In August 2013, Muhammad Mor- share so many things in common.” si, a long-time Brotherhood leader, Both Iran and the Brotherhood became the first Egyptian president advocate for a rule based on a po- to visit Tehran since the downfall of litically expedient of Islam, author- Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in itarianism and total obedience to 1979. the supreme leader. Iranian President Mahmoud Ah- madinejad reciprocated six months later by visiting Cairo. His itinerary Hints about which side Under scrutiny. A file picture shows former Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi sitting behind bars included a tour of al-Azhar mosque, at a court on the outskirts of Cairo. (Reuters) the Brotherhood is likely the epicentre of Sunni Islamic to take was provided by learning, where he raised the vic- senior Brotherhood tory sign. ficers visited Egypt several times in matters now,” Meligi said. the track set by its regional spon- member Osama Rushdi “Apart from historical relations the first half of 2013 to offer training Perhaps close relations between sors, Qatar and Turkey, in deciding in May. between Iran and the Brotherhood, to Brotherhood militants and help both parties is why Iran opposed which side to take in the conflict be- the coming to power in Egypt by the form Morsi’s force. plans by the Trump administra- tween moderate Arab countries and Before he became known to the Brotherhood gave the Islamic Re- In January 2016, a judge presid- tion to designate the Brotherhood a Iran. They also expressed concern world, Ruhollah Ayatollah Khomei- public a chance it had been dream- ing over a panel formed to manage “terrorist” organisation. that Brotherhood elements could ni visited the office of the Muslim ing of for years,” said Abdel Sattar the assets of the disbanded Muslim It is not clear how the Brother- destabilise Arab countries where Brotherhood in Cairo in 1938, al- al-Meligi, a specialist in Islamist Brotherhood organisation said Iran hood will return the favour if the they have presence if the show- most eight years after the Brother- movements. “The Brotherhood was promised Morsi to deposit $10 bil- showdown between moderate Arab down escalates. hood emerged as an “educational for Iran an indispensable chance to lion at the Central Bank of Egypt countries and Iran intensifies or “The problem is that the Broth- charity organisation.” extend its leverage to Egypt, where- and to supply Egypt with petrole- turns into a military confrontation. erhood succeeded in gaining a At the Cairo office, Khomeini met as the Brotherhood viewed Iran as a um products. Hints about which side the Broth- huge presence in Arab societies in with Brotherhood founder Hassan role model.” An analysis of the ties between erhood is likely to take was provid- the past decades,” said Hossam al- al-Banna and other leaders of the The Brotherhood’s cooperation Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, ed by senior Brotherhood member Haddad, another specialist in Is- organisation who explained the ob- with Tehran was clarified by a re- analysts said, is important as the Osama Rushdi in May. Appearing lamist movements. “This shows the jectives of the group. tired Egyptian military intelligence showdown between Iran and Arab on the Brotherhood channel, Me- enormity of danger represented by Decades later, Khomeini was official in March 2015 when he re- countries becomes more intense kameleen, which is broadcast from this movement as moderate Arab greeted by tens of thousands of Ira- vealed that Morsi planned to estab- against the background of Iranian Turkey, he accused Saudi Arabia states work to keep the Iranian nians as the leader of Iran’s Islamist lish an Islamic Revolutionary Guard interference in regional affairs. and other Gulf countries, not Iran, threat at bay.” revolution. Corps-like force in Egypt. “The Brotherhood is an organi- of beating the drums of war in the In Cairo, the Brotherhood enjoyed Tamer al-Shahawi, a member of sation that has branches almost region. Hassan Abdel Zaher is a considerable freedom, like other Is- the Egyptian parliament, said Is- everywhere in the Arab world and This is why observers said the Cairo-based contributor lamist movements, with Egyptian lamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of- a discussion of these ties strongly Brotherhood won’t deviate from to The Arab Weekly. Sudan likely to hand over Muslim Brotherhood members to Egypt

Amr Emam accused of joining a Brotherhood 3-month time limit agreed by the militia responsible for attacks on African Union in April. This means Egyptian police that resulted in Egypt has a role to play again to help Cairo many people being killed. Sudan’s military rulers circumvent In February 2018, Sudan was to penalties by the African Union. udan’s Transitional Military hand over hundreds of Brother- Egypt, which, despite its eco- Council is reportedly prepar- hood figures to Egypt after al-Bashir nomic hardships, has been sending ing to deport hundreds of reached an agreement with Cairo economic aid to Sudan for several S Muslim Brotherhood mem- but Qatar and Turkey stepped in to months, can offer more aid to Khar- bers who fled Egypt after the 2013 stop the transfer. toum while it suffers unrest, es- ousting of Islamist President Mu- The latest potential handover of pecially after clashes June 3 killed hammad Morsi. the Brotherhood figures to Egypt 36 protesters outside the Defence Transitional Military Council comes as Sudan is trying to join an Ministry. leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who anti-terrorism regional camp that includes Egypt, the United Arab travelled to Cairo on May 25, report- The handover of the edly told Egyptian President Abdel Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Fattah al-Sisi that Sudan would not The Transitional Military Council Brotherhood figures is allow Muslim Brotherhood figures on May 30 closed the office of Qatari expected to allay fears in wanted by Egypt to stay in Sudan. news channel Al Jazeera in Khar- Cairo that the neighbouring The handover of the Brotherhood toum. Two days later, Sudan re- country might turn into a figures is expected to allay fears in called its ambassador from Qatar for national security threat. Cairo that the neighbouring country Increasingly isolated. A 2013 file picture shows supporters of the consultation. Also, Sudan’s military might turn into a national security Muslim Brotherhood rallying outside the Egyptian Embassy in rulers reportedly refused to meet Sudan’s transitional authorities (AFP) threat. Khartoum. with a delegation headed by Qatari are enthusiastic about weakening “The Muslim Brotherhood has Foreign Minister Mohammed bin the Muslim Brotherhood amid fears had plans to turn Sudan into a threat when Islamists in Sudan attempted advanced weapons. Abdulrahman, that arrived in Khar- that the Islamist organisation would to Egypt through involvement in to kill Egyptian President Hosni “This is why the escape of Broth- toum in late May. emerge victorious from the strife in a number of activities that could Mubarak in June 1995 as he arrived erhood figures to Sudan has been a In Cairo, the expected deporta- the country, analysts said. cause harm to Egypt’s security,” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an Af- worrying issue to the security estab- tion by Sudan of Egyptian Brother- “Sudan faces a very intricate said Tarek al-Beshbeshi, a specialist rican Union summit. lishment in Cairo,” said Ahmed Is- hood figures was viewed as a poten- situation, especially when it comes in Islamist movements. Egypt’s crackdown on the Mus- mail, a member of the Defence and tial gesture of good will. to the Muslim Brotherhood,” said Brotherhood figures were sup- lim Brotherhood has severely lim- National Security Committee in the Sudan has strong reasons to make Sameh Eid, a former Muslim Broth- ported by the regime of former ited the capabilities of the Islamist Egyptian parliament. this gesture, analysts said. In late erhood member. “The Islamist Sudanese President Omar Hassan movement but some movement In February, Sudanese researcher April, Sisi convinced the African Un- movement controlled the deep al-Bashir, which led to tensions be- militias are believed to operate Nader al-Badawi referred to the ar- ion to extend to three months from state in Sudan for 30 years under tween Khartoum and Cairo since the through sleeper cells that could car- rest of hundreds of Egyptian Broth- 15 days a deadline for the military al-Bashir and now they continue to early 1990s when al-Bashir allowed ry out attacks. erhood members in Sudan while al- council to transfer power to civil- be everywhere inside Sudanese in- Islamists and jihadists, including Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood legedly receiving weapons training. ians. stitutions.” the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin operatives escaped to other coun- Two years earlier, 12 Egyptian On June 4, the council said it Laden, to establish bases in Sudan. tries, including Sudan, where they Brotherhood operatives were ar- would have elections after nine Amr Emam is an Arab Weekly Tensions with Cairo increased were trained in using explosives and rested by Sudanese authorities and months, which is beyond the contributor in Cairo. 4 June 9, 2019 News & Analysis Gulf Houthis blocking humanitarian, denounced by WFP

The Arab Weekly staff

London

ore than five years into the conflict in Yemen, international aid agen- M cies are struggling to reach hard-hit areas of the coun- try because of Iran-backed Houthi rebels’ disruptive activity, they warned. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), both involved in humanitarian aid efforts in Yem- en, released statements claiming the Houthis were hampering their work and putting Yemeni civilians at risk. In a strong statement, the WFP warned that a dispute with the Houthi militia could disrupt aid distribution in a country already on the brink of famine. Because of fighting, insecurity and interfer- ence in its work, the UN agency said it was considering suspending deliveries. The WFP said, the Houthis have hampered the rollout of a biomet- ric system to identify those in most need. The system, using iris scan- ning, fingerprints or facial recog- nition, is used in areas controlled by Yemen’s internationally recog- nised government. Sources familiar with the discus- sions said Houthi leaders asked the agency to stop the registration (AFP) process in April after realising the Mission impossible? A Yemeni man carries a box containing bottles of cooking oil in the northern province of Hajjah. system bypasses the supervision of parties associated with the militia and supplies were being sold in carrying food from Aden to the “We share the frustrations de- Hodeidah remains under Houthi in Sana’a. markets in the city. Houthi-controlled north were de- scribed by the WFP… and we reit- control while Yemeni forces The Houthis said the process “The continued blocking by tained at checkpoints between erate calls for authorities in Yemen aligned with the internationally should be run by the Yemeni Social some within the Houthi leader- government and Houthi territory. to allow humanitarian agencies to recognised government of Abd Welfare Fund, an agency in rebel- ship of the biometric registra- They have since been released but do our jobs,” said NRC Global Ad- Rabbo Mansour Hadi are on its out- controlled Sana’a that coordinates tion… is undermining an essential another 21 WFP trucks have been vocacy Adviser Suze van Meegen. skirts. with international aid groups. process that would allow us to detained in Houthi areas. In a statement June 5, the NRC Famine and disease affect large The WFP last December pressed independently verify that food is described Houthi-imposed restric- segments of Yemen’s population. the Houthis to implement a bio- reaching… people on the brink of tions on the movement of goods Approximately 360,000 children in metric registration system to com- famine,” WFP spokesman Herve The WFP last December and staff members as “the biggest Yemen are suffering severe acute bat corruption in aid distribution Verhoosel said. pressed the Houthis to hurdles facing humanitarian agen- malnutrition. UN relief chief Mark after it discovered that food do- Another point of contention be- implement a biometric cies in Yemen.” Lowcock told the UN Security nated in Houthi areas was being di- tween the WFP and Houthi author- registration system to “There are continued restric- Council in May that the “spectre verted through a local partner con- ities has been 51,000 tonnes of UN combat corruption in aid tions on commercial goods at Ho- of famine still looms” with a resur- nected with Houthi authorities. wheat — inaccessible since Septem- distribution. deidah port, which blocks and de- gence of cholera sickening 300,000 Distribution lists had thumb- ber and at risk of rotting — stored in lays goods from getting into the Yemenis this year. Almost 12 mil- prints, supposedly from people Yemen’s main port of Hodeidah. Other agencies said problems country and pushes up the price lion people, 40% of Yemen’s pop- confirming receipt of food but Verhoosel said 8,200 tonnes of with the humanitarian aid process, and availability of food, fuel and ulation, are at risk of starvation, some 60% of beneficiaries — num- wheat was prevented from being such as harassment of staff mem- medicines,” NRC advocacy man- WFP said. bering in the thousands — in seven unloaded at Hodeidah by Yem- bers, interference with distribu- ager Sultana Begum said. The WFP is attempting to feed districts in Sana’a didn’t receive eni food quality monitors, even tion lists and restrictions on the Humanitarian supplies can be about 12 million of Yemen’s most any aid, the WFP said. As well as though there was no indication of visa process and freedom of move- held at ports and checkpoints for vulnerable people — nearly half falsified records, the WFP said un- problems. ment, have deepened in Houthi ar- months due to “bureaucratic ob- of the population — an effort that authorised people were given food He said that, in April, 160 trucks eas in recent months. stacles,” Begum added. costs about $175 million a month.

Viewpoint Saudi Arabia ups defence spending in face of Iranian threats

audi Arabia has earned SIPRI said Saudi Arabia was a Israel at 4.4%. Even as Saudi Arabia attained a unique double distant third in 2018 in overall mili- Estimates by the International those top rankings in military distinction in respect to tary expenditures at $68 billion, Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) spending and arms imports, Riyadh Jareer Elass its defence spending, just ahead of India ($67 billion) and of Saudi military and other security pledged to cut the defence portion largely the result of the France ($64 billion). Russia was spending suggest an even higher of its current budget, at least on war against Iran- sixth, having dropped out of the top military burden for the kingdom, paper. In announcing the 2019 na- backed Houthi rebels in five ranking for the first time since with Riyadh’s defence-related ex- tional budget last December, which SYemen and bolstering security to 2006, with military expenditures of penditures accounting for 12.6% and included record spending of $295 thwart threats from Tehran. $61.4 billion. 11.3% of Saudi GDP in 2016 and 2017, billion, the Saudi government indi- Riyadh’s positions as a leading The top five spenders accounted respectively. cated that it would reduce defence global arms spender and the No. 1 for 60% of global military expendi- SIPRI determined that Saudi Ara- spending 9.1% from $56 billion to arms importer in the world ironical- tures in 2018. Saudi Arabia bumped bia is the No. 1 arms importer in the $50.9 billion. ly have come as the kingdom seem- itself up from fifth place standing world, accounting for 12% of global Riyadh justified the military- ingly has begun cutting its military on the global military spenders list arms imports over the last five years. related cuts to freeing funding for spending. to third in 2017 — edging past Rus- The institute said Riyadh’s arms im- other sectors that are the focus of A report by the Stockholm Inter- sia — when Riyadh upped its mili- ports jumped 192% from 2009-13 to economic development as part of national Peace Research Institute tary spending 9.2% to $69.4 billion, the 2014-18 period. the kingdom’s Vision 2030 fiscal (SIPRI) on global military expen- SIPRI’s calculations indicate. SIPRI attributed the dramatic leap overhaul programme, including ditures for 2018 stated that Saudi The most significant distinction in weaponry purchases to the war in infrastructure and transportation Arabia was No. 1 in highest military for Riyadh in the SIPRI analysis is Yemen, deteriorating relations with and health and social development. spending as a percentage of GDP. that its defence expenditures for Tehran and the political fallout be- However, it is not unheard of that There is no doubt that the king- 2018 place Saudi Arabia as the coun- tween Riyadh and Doha. over the years some military-related dom’s prioritisation of military- try with the highest military burden During the last five years, Saudi expenditures have ended up being related spending over other budget in the world — 8.8% of its GDP. Arabia turned to the United States recorded as off-budget items. Unless relations with sectors has been greatly influenced This is in sharp contrast to the two for 68% of its arms purchases, mak- Unless relations with regional ad- by its 4-year campaign against the other top spenders: Washington’s ing Riyadh the top buyer of Ameri- versaries suddenly improve to the regional adversaries Houthis in Yemen, a war that is be- hefty defence spending accounts can weaponry. In turn, Riyadh ac- degree that Riyadh doesn’t feel un- suddenly improve, it lieved to be costing Riyadh $5 bil- for 3.2% of US GDP and China’s de- counted for 22% of American arms der threat, it is unlikely that Saudi is unlikely that Saudi lion-$6 billion a month. fence expenditures amount to 1.9% exports over the same period. SIPRI Arabia will quickly move to relin- In terms of the overall funds dedi- of its GDP. The Saudis are in good reported that, from 2014-18, the quish its newly acquired defence- Arabia will quickly cated to military expenditures in company, though, with five other kingdom received 56 combat aircraft related titles. move to relinquish its 2018, Saudi Arabia was eclipsed by regional players not far behind in from the United States and 38 from the United States, which spent $649 defence spending as a percentage of the United Kingdom, with aircraft Jareer Elass reports from Washing- newly acquired billion on defence, and China, which GDP: Oman at 8.2%; Kuwait at 5.1%; in both cases equipped with cruise ton on energy issues for The Arab defence-related titles. spent an estimated $250 billion. Lebanon at 5%; Jordan at 4.7%; and missiles and other guided weapons. Weekly. June 9, 2019 5 News & Analysis Qatar

Viewpoint Qatar enters third year of crisis but no lessons learnt

Sure, Doha may continue its costly public relations campaign in the United States, Europe and Iman Zayat elsewhere to combat the accusa- tions of its rivals but this will in no way help resolve its dispute he way Qatar is with Arab neighbours or help dealing with a it strengthen its standing after regional dispute losing influence in Syria, Libya, that has left it Sudan and Egypt, where it mis- weakened and takenly backed failed or failing isolated from its Islamist groups. Arab neighbours is Indeed, Qatar can continue Tbeyond strange. As Doha loses tossing money out the window. regional influence and sees its It does have plenty of that to relationships with Arab coun- spare — although not thanks to tries dwindle, it continues to the wisdom or good governance insist that all is well that ends of its leaders but to the country’s well. huge gas reserves. None of that Of course, this is largely money will buy Doha friends because Doha has weathered or allies in the Arab region, the crisis by becoming economi- especially following its rap- cally self-sufficient, particularly prochement with Tehran and its through its dairy and fresh poul- obstinate efforts to resuscitate try products. Does an abundance Islamist groups in the region. of cows, chickens and hydropon- Unlike Doha, other Arab ic tomatoes really mean that the countries cannot afford to see tiny Gulf emirate has emerged their governments fail or to A near-eclipse. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani (C) from a 2-year boycott victori- conceal domestic problems, during a meeting in Doha. (Reuters) ous? Of course not, unless it is whether political, economic or believed that a country needs social, through quasi-religious only food to thrive and meet the camouflage. Qatar should have needs of its people. learnt this lesson long ago, when The reality is that Qatar’s people in Tunisia, Syria, Libya economy has taken a turn for the and Egypt resisted its sponsored worse, with its real estate and drive to install political Islam Boycott-hit Qatar retail sectors reeling from the in their countries. These people effects of the boycott. Reports yearned for justice, freedom, de- from inside Doha say shopping mocracy and dignity, not Doha’s malls and hotels have been Islamist vision. nearly abandoned in the absence Somehow, Qatar has not learnt losing regional clout of wealthy tourists from Saudi this lesson. Even today, Doha Arabia and the United Arab feverishly tries to revive political Emirates. Islam in places such as Tunisia, Qatar stands to lose clout in list is jihadist leader Abdel Hakim Faith Salama Qatar’s housing market also Egypt, Libya and Sudan. Qatar’s other African countries as well, Belhadj, the former military com- remains depressed because of insistence on meddling in the af- where its allies are increasingly on mander of al-Qaeda-affiliated Lib- a supply glut ahead of the 2022 fairs of other countries, includ- Abu Dhabi the defensive. This was most evi- yan Islamic Fighting Group. FIFA World Cup that is to be ing those striving for freedom dent in Sudan with the ouster of Qatar has also been accused of hosted there. To stimulate and democracy, puts it on the wo years after a coalition President Omar al-Bashir, a Qatari providing financial and military the gas-rich country’s wrong side of history — of Arab countries imposed ally who long received foreign aid assistance to designated terror economy last October, the side of autocracy, an economic and diplo- from the energy-rich country. groups. Qatari Emir Sheikh oppression, censor- matic boycott on Qatar, “Doha has lost influence in Su- In June 2017, a report in News- Doha’s few T Tamim bin Hamad ship, bribery and Doha has lost significant influence dan amid the revolution,” noted week magazine stated that Haftar al-Thani issued a regional allies are enslavement, all of in the region and appears no clos- Andreas Krieg, a professor at accused Qatari intelligence Gen- new law allowing facing their own which are defin- er to ending the standoff. King’s College London. eral Salim Ali al-Jarboui of sup- foreigners to own problems and old ing elements of In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the Doha has begun a media cam- porting al-Qaeda, the Islamic State property in the Islamist allies have Qatar’s regime. United Arab Emirates, Bahrain paign against Sudan’s Transitional and the Muslim Brotherhood by country. effectively been Just as foolish and Egypt severed ties with Qatar Military Council, which has been transferring $8 billion from a Qa- Doha’s eco- knocked on as thinking it because of its alleged support for ruling the country since al-Ba- tari bank account. can pull the Arab nomic woes do not their back. terrorism and relations with Iran. shir’s ouster. In response, Suda- stop there. Qatar world back into reli- Doha was issued a list of demands nese authorities reportedly closed Airways, once touted gious fundamental- that included shutting down Al Jazeera’s Khartoum office and Qatar stands to lose clout as one of the fastest ism is Qatar’s belief that broadcaster Al Jazeera, ending the withdrew staff members’ work in other African growing carriers in aviation rapprochement with Iran country’s alleged support for des- permits. countries as well, where history, reported its second is an effective strategy for the ignated terror groups and down- In Libya, an offensive by the its allies are increasingly consecutive annual loss in future. The closer Qatar edges sizing ties with Iran. Libyan National Army (LNA), led on the defensive. March. The company’s troubles towards Tehran, the further Speaking at the emergency Mec- by Field-Marshal Khalifa Haftar, to began when it was barred it moves away from the Arab ca summit in May, Saudi Foreign capture Tripoli from Islamist mili- The LNA also accused Doha of from entering the boycotting world and the more isolated it Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf indicat- tias loyal to Prime Minister Fayez complicity in the assassination of countries’ airspace, forcing it to becomes. ed that Qatar had made no head- al-Sarraj’s Government of National senior Libyan officials, producing reroute many flights at a high Arab countries that are boy- way in solving the crisis and that Accord is threatening Doha’s inter- a letter from Qatar’s acting charge cost. cotting Qatar would consider a resolution would only be possi- ests. d’affaires to Libya stating that Still, Doha insists that it has Doha’s rapprochement with ble if Doha returned to the “right Qatar and Turkey backed Islam- Doha had deployed military units emerged stronger than ever from their arch-rival to be further path.” ist militias in Tripoli, even alleged- to the country. its crisis. Isn’t that curious? confirmation that Doha is acting Assaf shrugged off speculation ly supplying them weapons in vio- Given the strained relationship Qatar’s misinformation strat- with hostility and in bad faith. that Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh lation of international embargoes. between Qatar and the LNA, a Haf- egy has not been particularly This was again made clear dur- Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani’s at- Qatar’s alleged support for Is- tar victory would likely deal a se- effective but it seems deter- ing the recent Mecca summits, tendance at the summit was a sign lamist groups in Libya was high- rious blow to Qatar’s influence in mined to stick to the famous when Qatar expressed reserva- of possible reconciliation, signal- lighted in a sanctions list issued North Africa. propaganda law often attributed tions with the meetings’ unified ling that the dispute has no end in by the Arab Quartet. Listed among Qatar’s foreign policy, often de- to Nazi Minister of Propaganda stance against Tehran. sight. 71 Qatari-linked organisations and scribed as overly ambitious, relies Joseph Goebbels: “Repeat a lie Two years into the crisis, Do- individuals were leading forces in on a complex web of relationships often enough and it becomes the ha’s house of cards is crumbling. Libya, including al-Qaeda-aligned with rival powers across the re- truth.” Its few regional allies — Turkey The decline of the Benghazi Defence Brigades. gion, including radical Islamist In psychology, this phenom- and Iran — are facing their own Muslim Brotherhood Since Libya plunged into civil groups. enon is known as the illusory problems, while old Islamist weakened Qatar’s strife in 2011, Doha is believed to To advance its interests, Qatar truth effect: People tend to be- allies such as the Muslim Broth- foreign policy, exposing have funnelled arms and other has used its abundant financial lieve statements to be true if erhood have effectively been its role in supporting material support to Libyan militias resources, including by paying they are told them repeatedly. knocked on their back. terror groups. through radical Ali Mohammed ransoms to radical groups to me- To believe or not to believe As such, it won’t be long al-Salabi and his brother Ismail, diate the release of hostages, con- is not the question. What is at before the winds of change blow Qatar, a leading backer of Is- a leader of the Benghazi Defence tributing to regional and interna- stake is the future of a whole the last card from Doha’s hands. lamist groups such as the Muslim Brigades. tional funds and investing heavily country and population that has When this happens, no one will Brotherhood, has taken a hit from The Benghazi Defence Brigades throughout the world. been suffering from two plagues: go to the rescue of a regime the crisis, losing allies and influ- has ties with Ansar al-Sharia, However, the decline of the First, the Qatari state’s policies, that played one party against ence across the region. The first the group behind the 2012 attack Muslim Brotherhood weakened which are informed by desper- another, antagonised its neigh- blow to Doha’s regional influence on the US diplomatic mission in Qatar’s foreign policy, exposing ate leaders who refuse to learn bours and maintained its rule by was in 2013 when Egypt’s Islamist Benghazi that killed US Ambassa- its role in supporting terror groups from mistakes and, second, a fanning the flames of regional President Muhammad Morsi was dor to Libya Christopher Stevens. and provoking its neighbours to systematic campaign to deepen division and fear. ousted from power. Morsi, a sen- Ansar al-Sharia is also suspected disengage with it. division between families, tribes ior Muslim Brotherhood official, of engaging in terror activities in and peoples with common roots Iman Zayat is the Managing had been a close ally to Turkey and Tunisia. Faith Salama is a Lebanese in culture and history. Editor of The Arab Weekly. Qatar. Another Libyan on the sanctions journalist. 6 June 9, 2019 Opinion

Editorial The Arab world on World Environment Day

he commemoration June 5 of World Environment Day may not have received the attention it deserved in most of the Arab world. One possible reason could have been that it coincided this year with the first and Tsecond days of Eid al-Fitr in the region. How- ever, insufficient environmental awareness in the region is not the problem of any one par- ticular year. Attaining a level of ecological sensitivity equal to that in advanced parts of the world would need intensive awareness-building efforts on the part of Arab governments, civil society and political parties. The objective would be to create the necessary regional momentum that would help adopt environmen- tally friendly policies paving the way for balanced and sustainable development in the region. That kind of momentum would have to include the realisation by active actors in society and the public that the cause of the environment is crucial for the well-being of their respective countries if not for the survival of their way of life. Amid wars and upheaval, ecological concerns may not seem to meet the requirements of © Yaser Ahmed for The Arab Weekly political to military expediency even if dealing with climate issues is needed to address the simmering socio-economic causes of instability Confrontation between military and and strife in the Arab world. The region suffers from serious problems regarding air and sea pollution, soil erosion, civilians paves the way for populists rising water levels, desertification as well as floods and droughts that are compounded by Mohamed Aboelfadl climate change or caused by it. The most vital challenge across the region is The situation allows for the return of those who gained tremendously from the water scarcity. The problem is a major cause for practices of al-Bashir’s regime and who are waiting for their opportunity abroad. population exodus from rural areas and for the social upheaval experienced by such countries he conflict between some uncertainty in those countries finding common ground between as Syria and Tunisia in 2010. It is the indirect supporters of the mili- about the ability of any other party the two sides and seek to feed cause of many of the health epidemics as tary establishment and to achieve the aspirations of the contradictions to perpetuate the countries import obesity-causing food products supporters of civil rule citizens because, in the civil camp, divisiveness until the main rival instead of using their original farming yield. in some Arab countries ideas and visions were dispersed. forces are exhausted and accept Last April, FAO Director-General Jose Grazi- is no longer a secret. There is a long-standing Arab the demands of competing circles ano da Silva told a meeting of Arab states in TThe showdown reached a point in problem that relates to the degree because the presence of a single Cairo that improving and better coordinating which competition for ascendancy to which people are prepared for force in power — military or civilian water management strategies should be is a zero-sum game. This is the democracy. Is there really a need — represents a danger to parties that urgently addressed. cause of the complications in the for specific preparations, introduc- feel uncomfortable with progress “This is really an emergency problem now,” crises of Algeria and Sudan. tions or arrangements for this type towards stability. Graziano da Silva told Reuters in an interview The intense confrontation, the of rule or are these issues an excuse Each side — military and civilian on the sidelines of the conference. distrustful attitude and the refusal to block democratic rule? — has supporters and detractors and FAO figures indicate that the per capita ratio to compromise have led to a high There is no clear answer to that they are usually working to support of fresh water availability in the region is only level of polarisation and sent rival question because each country has the team that seeks unchallenged 10% of the world average. Farming activities sides racing to seek alliances by any its specific style of governance. A access to power because they think consume more than 85% of the water resources. means. The result is that the tug of single recipe or guide for democ- it protects their interests. In such Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt war has entered a sensitive phase racy that can be generalised to all circumstances, the Islamist current are among the ten highest “water-stressed in which each side wants to break countries does not exist. has become a winning number in the countries” of the world. In 2014, only four Arab the will of the other. Each side We can find many examples balance of power. It can determine countries were above water scarcity level. wants to strengthen its approach to of military leaders who have the direction of the tug of war by sid- Water management and coordination were capture power and push the oppos- adopted open and progressive civil ing with this party or the other. among the key issues addressed by the April ing side into a tight corner. discourse and we can find many ex- Proponents of Islamists tend to conference in Cairo. In this charged atmosphere of amples of civilian and experienced favour civilian rule, while their op- Not only coordination in this regard is lacking intense verbal clashes, battle dust political leaders who gave priority ponents support giving the military between Arab countries themselves not to rises, blurring the political scene to military rule during exceptional an opportunity to govern because mention the lack of cooperation from non-Arab and making it difficult to find the transition periods and even perma- they see in the military the only countries, such as Turkey, Israel and Iran. (In right path out of the impasse. nently. party capable of undermining the this issue, Thomas Seibert highlights the The contours of the phenomenon However, there are not many ex- influence of Islamists. predicament of Iraq on the receiving end of are obvious in Algeria and Sudan amples of generals who boast about This prevailing sharp polarisation river flows between Iran and Turkey). In some but the topic is relevant in many wearing the military uniform after has negative consequences for the instances, coordination is lacking between Arab countries that are searching coming to power. Most of them state because it leads to exhausting branches of the same Arab government. for a governance mechanism that take off their uniforms as soon as it and engulfing it in battles that “(In Egypt,) they have 32 ministers. Most reduces risks, preserves security they seize power to preserve the negatively affect its future. probably of those 32 ministers, 30 ministers and leads to stability and reform. appearance of democratic rule and In the case of Sudan, the diver- deal with water — water is a problem for them. The growing role of the military proceed to hold on to their own gence between visions is leading to And they don’t have ways to coordinate very establishment in some Arab rule. the failure to pay attention to many efficiently,” complained the FAO chief. countries in securing power and in Developments in Algeria and of the problems that are besetting Adding to the complexity of addressing the region’s water scarcity problem is the misman- building a civil state is the result Sudan revealed the deliberate the state and offers supporters of agement of hydraulic resources. Graziano da of the weakness of political parties intent of some quarters inside and the counter-revolution an opportu- Silva noted, for instance, that Egyptian farmers and the fragility of the civil forces outside both countries to increase nity to use the lack of understanding were using century-old wasteful inundation in those countries. Leaders of some confusion between the military between the military council and techniques instead of relying on water-saving Arab armies have found strength establishment and civilian forces. the Declaration of Freedom and techniques such as drip irrigation. in the fact that there was usually They insist on the difficulty of Change Forces alliance to prepare By 2025, the water supply in the Arab region for the return to power of the inter- will be only 15% of levels in 1960. nal forces that are opposed to the Some Arab countries, with varying degrees of dismissal of Omar al-Bashir. success, have sought desalination as a solution The situation allows for the return but in the current state of the technology, of those who gained tremendously desalination remains a costly and a potentially from the practices of al-Bashir’s polluting procedure for both air and sea. regime and who are waiting for their When unable to sustain their agricultural opportunity abroad. activities, populations move to already over- As the confrontation between crowded and ill-equipped cities. Based on 2015 supporters of the military establish- figures, urban areas held 59% of total popula- ment and their opponents takes root tions. in Algeria and Sudan, it becomes Cities have their own environmental prob- clear that both sides are heading lems. A study by the Arab Forum for Environ- for certain defeat. This situation is ment and Development stated that the MENA likely to allow for the emergence of region’s air quality was rapidly deteriorating, populist trends that transcend the with carbon dioxide levels rising as a result of apparent differences between the inefficient anti-pollution measures and over- supporters of each camp and take consumption of electricity. advantage of the increasing confu- Renewable energy could offer a way out. Solar sion as organised groups fail to fulfil farms such as the ones in United Arab Emirates Complex role. Sudanese supporters of the ruling Transitional the wishes of the masses. and Morocco could be setting an example for Military Council hold up a sign showing a portrait of its head sound environment-friendly practices. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan during a rally in Khartoum, Mohamed Aboelfadl is an Egyptian May 31. (AFP) writer. June 9, 2019 7 Opinion

In Trump’s world, there are no ‘good’ Published by Al Arab or ‘bad’ European Muslims Publishing House Rashmee Roshan Lall Publisher Funny though it may sound, to Trump all British Muslim men may and Group Executive Editor look and sound like Mayor Sadiq Khan even when they don’t. Haitham El-Zobaidi, PhD Editor-in-Chief o Donald Trump to that of “the fascists of the Javid and Khan are clearly at admiring of a world remade in travelled to Britain 20th century.” opposite ends of the spectrum Trump’s image, was the only Oussama Romdhani and the following What did Javid do that he in their public reaction to senior member of the Brit- were excluded in was excluded from the June 3 Trump’s support for far-right ish cabinet not invited to the various ways from grand dinner for Trump? Javid and Islamophobic positions. royal dinner party thrown for Managing Editor his circle of amity: routinely rejects allegations of One would think that, in the Trump. Iman Zayat SLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan and Islamophobia despite evidence echo chamber that is Trump’s There is some suggestion British Home Secretary Sajid it is rising within his Con- world, Javid and Khan are dis- it was a precaution. A friend Deputy Managing Editor Javid. servative Party and the United tinct. One is a “good” Muslim, of Javid’s, quoted in the Daily and Online Editor Khan was publicly de- Kingdom. He takes hard-line in the sense of being well- Mail newspaper, said he had Mamoon Alabbasi nounced by Trump as a positions on Muslim issues. disposed towards Trump and been left out for fear “the “loser,” a “dumb and incom- For instance, Javid con- Trumpian values. president might confuse him Senior Editor petent” mayor and, in a final troversially stripped the Javid’s record shows he with the other son of a bus John Hendel kick, as a shorty. Javid, who London-born-and-bred is mostly disinclined to driver,” a reference to holds one of the four great schoolgirl Shamima Begum challenge Trumpism, Javid and Khan are Khan who shares Javid’s Chief Copy Editor offices of the British govern- of her British citizenship for especially now, when clearly at opposite Pakistani immigrant Richard Pretorius ment, was reportedly kept joining the Islamic State in Trump-a-like politi- ends of the spectrum parentage. Copy Editors away from the banquet for 2015. This effectively rendered cians are popping up in their public Funny though it Trump at Buckingham Palace. Begum stateless. Married to in Britain and Europe. may sound, to Trump reaction to Trump’s Stephen Quillen Javid is understood to have a Christian, Javid previously In Trump’s world, all British Muslim Kyle Arensdorf met with Trump briefly in the said even though his “family’s Khan is a “bad” support for far-right men may look and course of events to mark the heritage is Muslim… but I do Muslim, speaking out and Islamophobic sound like Mayor East/West Section Editor 75th anniversary of the D-Day not practise any religion… the against bigotry and de- positions. Sadiq Khan even when Mahmud el-Shafey (London) landings but he didn’t get to only religion practised in my manding equal treatment they don’t. dine in style with Trump. house is Christianity.” before the law. As Khan re- Seriously though, there Gulf Section Editor The first exclusion was Ahead of Trump’s arrival cently put it: “President Don- is an uncomfortable level of Mohammed Alkhereiji unsurprising. Khan has had in the United Kingdom, Javid ald Trump is just one of the communally based exclusion an antagonistic social media refused to acknowledge it most egregious examples of a at work in everything to do Society and Travel relationship with Trump since was a matter of concern that growing global threat. The far with this American president. Sections Editor 2016, when candidate Trump the United States banned the right is on the rise around the In Trump’s world, there may Samar Kadi mooted a ban on Muslim entry of nationals from several world, threatening our hard- be no good or bad European entry into the United States. Muslim-majority countries. won rights and freedoms and Muslims. They’re just Muslims Khan publicly criticised the Instead, Javid made the fol- the values that have defined — indistinguishable from each Senior Correspondents idea and rebuffed a Trump lowing fawning comment on a our liberal, democratic socie- other. Interlopers all. overture, which basically sug- widely watched British Sunday ties for more than 70 years.” Lamine Ghanmi (Tunis) gested different rules could morning television show: Khan’s way of thinking and Rashmee Roshan Lall is a Thomas Seibert (Istanbul) apply to different categories of “What I would raise with the the words he uses to express columnist for The Arab Weekly. Kelly Kennedy (Washington) Muslims. Just days ago, Khan president and his team is first himself are obviously anath- Her blog can be found at www. compared language used by of all I would welcome him to ema in Trump’s world. Yet, rashmee.com and she is on Regular Columnists Trump to rally his supporters the UK.” Javid, acquiescent, almost Twitter: @rashmeerl. Rashmee Roshan Lall Claude Salhani Yavuz Baydar Hezbollah is imposing its diktat in Lebanon Correspondents Ali al-Amin Nazli Tarzi (London) Saad Guerraoui (Casablanca) The real danger is in Nasrallah’s exposing that the Lebanese state is Dunia El-Zobaidi (London) powerless against the power of the party. Roua Khlifi (Tunis)

ezbollah Sec- not announced that it was government, the head of the all the LFP wants is to lift Chief Designer retary-General reneging on its intention to Lebanese Forces Party (LFP) Hezbollah’s hands from the Marwen el-Hmedi Hassan Nasral- negotiate with Lebanon and and the head of the Progres- internal political conflict lah has given Washington has said nothing sive Socialist Party, Walid inside the Christian commu- Designers the green light about changing its role as an Jumblatt, are not and should nity. LFP Executive Chairman Ibrahim Ben Bechir to the three intermediary between the have reacted. At best, their Samir Geagea seems so suspi- Hanen Jebali HLebanese presidencies to two countries. silence is misplaced, unless cious of and so focused on engage in negotiations with What is interesting is the it is intended to confirm the every move by Lebanese For- Israel, to delineate and de- Israeli silence about Nas- statement that some keep eign Minister Gebran Bassil marcate land and sea borders rallah’s recent positions, repeating that all of Lebanon that what Hezbollah is doing, Contact editor at: between the two countries. especially that Israeli Prime is in Iran’s fist. despite its gravity, does not Yet, in his speech on al- Minister Binyamin Netan- The surrender of “sover- provoke any reaction as it did [email protected] Quds Day, he made state- yahu was the first to raise eign powers” or the March before the most recent parlia- ments that make it clear that the issue of the existence of 14 Alliance, especially those mentary elections. Iran’s strongest arm in the precision rockets and fac- in the government, repre- Same thing with Lebanese Arab region will not stand by tories in Lebanon from the sents an increased risk for Prime Minister Saad Hariri, as a spectator if the country UN podium last year. This Lebanon. Indeed, for as long whose Future Movement has Al Arab Publishing House is attacked. silence may be one of the as there was opposition become more concerned Quadrant Building In one of his positions, cards Netanyahu is collecting to Hezbollah’s influ- with maintaining posi- 177-179 Hammersmith Road which was described as in- for an excuse to start a war ence, Lebanon found tions in the admin- London W6 8BS creasing the chances of war on Lebanon at the moment sympathetic ears to The issue of istration than with between Hezbollah and Isra- he chooses. its predicament with precision rockets, as the dangers posed el, Nasrallah said Hezbollah The issue of precision that party but now dangerous as it is for by Iranian policies. was ready to build factories rockets, as dangerous as it that Nasrallah’s posi- Israel, is a source of Jumblatt has tried, Tel: (+44) 20 7602 3999 to manufacture precision- is for Israel, is a source of tions and his bypass- danger for Lebanon as usual, to gripe Fax: (+44) 20 7602 8778 rocket if the United States danger for Lebanon as well. ing the state’s role as well. about Hezbollah’s continued to raise the issue The latter threat stems not and strategic responsi- grip but, when he of the presence of the plants only from its military gravity bilities go unchallenged, realised he was alone in Lebanon with Lebanese but that the weapons are in this will confirm Israel’s in the fray, he remained US Publisher: officials. Hezbollah’s hands and not claim that all of Lebanon is silent. The Arab Weekly USA LLC. Before saying that, Nasral- in the hands of the Lebanese under the control of Hezbol- The danger of Nasrallah’s lah said Hezbollah had no state. It is not Lebanon that lah and that, in any future speech does not lie in his [email protected] factories for such weapons in decides whether to use them war, it will not distinguish stepping over the limits of [email protected] Lebanon but he was sending and yet it is the Lebanese between Hezbollah and the state sovereignty or in show- a message to those con- who will bear the full conse- Lebanese state. ing the truth that Lebanon is, Tel: 248-679-6624 cerned at home and abroad, quences of any war between The great paradox in in fact, an Iranian card. The saying it is Iran that decides Hezbollah and Israel. Lebanon is that, despite the real danger is in his expos- on sovereign issues in Leba- What is more suspicious in grave dangers surround- ing that the Lebanese state is non and, as the representa- the affair is that Lebanese of- ing the country during this powerless against the power tive of its leader in Lebanon, ficials, especially the forces turbulent stage of the US- of the party. he is the one who decides on that have long accused Hez- Iranian conflict and in light Even worse, it does not declaring war without con- bollah of playing risky games of Nasrallah’s positions, the appear that anyone among Subscription & Advertising: sidering, even just formally, with Lebanese sovereignty Lebanese parties are engaged the components of the [email protected] that such a serious decision and of confiscating the deci- in marginal conflicts related government is ready to tell Tel : (+44) 020 3667 7249 lies solely with the Lebanese sion of war and peace, have to internal issues and to a Hezbollah that it has gone state. remained silent and did not power struggle but within too far and that it will not Nasrallah’s discourse, react to Nasrallah’s state- the limits set by Hezbollah. idly stand by as Hezbollah Mohamed Al Mufti which was characterised by ments. The LFP is busy hindering carries on with its adventure Marketing & Advertising its escalatory tone, unlike his Granted that Lebanese the rise of the Free Patriotic of destroying what remains Manager previous positions towards President Michel Aoun and Movement and its control of of Lebanon, in war or in a Israel and Washington, did parliament Speaker Nabih more parts in the Christian fantasy peace. Direct: (+44) 20 8742 9262 quota and has given this goal not receive reaction from Berri are allies of Nasrallah www.alarab.co.uk either the Israeli leadership and do not usually oppose a major priority. Ali al-Amin is a Lebanese or any US official. Israel has his views but the head of Events are showing that writer. 8 June 9, 2019 News & Analysis Maghreb

Leap of Tunisia’s prime minister to party leadership brings ties to Islamists to a head

Lamine Ghanmi agenda rather than save the coun- try from its socio-economic mo- rass. Tunis By potentially distancing himself from Ennahda, Chahed would be unisian Prime Minister taking the political risk of antago- Youssef Chahed’s formal nising Islamist leaders who are said entrance into party politics to describe Chahed as a “dictator in T could end his political alli- the waiting” who would eventually ance with Islamists in the country. turn against the Islamists. Chahed is the longest-serving “Ennahda is still a partner of Tunisian prime minister since the Chahed’s government as long as country’s political and social tur- he is not a candidate for the (Tuni- moil early in 2011. The Islamist En- sian) presidential elections,” said nahda Movement has shored up Ennahda President Rached Ghan- Chahed’s stay in power. nouchi following Chahed’s nomi- Tunisian President Beji Caid Es- nation as Tahya Tounes president. At a crossroads. Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed delivers a speech during a news conference sebsi selected Chahed to be prime “If Chahed were to announce his at the end of the foundational congress of Tahya Tounis, May 1. (AFP) minister in August 2016 to improve candidacy, then a new situation the electoral fortunes of Nidaa would arise needing examination.” of Tahya Tounes.” Chahed waited from him to back a candidate op- compared to 22% for Nidaa Tounes. Tounes, the party he founded. If his experience with Tahya for the right moment before tak- posed to Ennahda,” Bahloul added. Such gains in elections and state Chahed, however, soon chose an Tounes is a guide, Chahed would ing the presidency of the secularist Chahed and Tahya Tounes face structures shattered an unwritten independent path. unveil his candidacy at the last mo- Tahya Tounes party months after it the difficult task of repelling criti- entente, begun in 2014 by Beji Caid He won a bruising political ment when there is a minimum po- was established. cism by secularists and leftists ac- Essebsi and Ghannouchi before the battle with the president’s son, litical risk. The deadline for a presi- Chahed’s hold on the govern- cording to which Ennahda only president abandoned it last year, Hafedh Caid Essebsi, who leads dential candidacy to be submitted ment cannot be threatened for now consolidated in the shadows of the that Ennahda restrains its political Nidaa Tounes, and he joined Tahya is September 3. by his rivals in the secularist camp government led by Chahed. En- ambitions to match its role as jun- Tounes, founded in January by Chahed, 43, who broke with or Ennahda, even if they were to nahda has been in coalition gov- ior government partner. disgruntled secularists, ambitious Nidaa Tounes last year, could lose overcome their ideological divide ernments with secularists since While Ennahda officials suggest- technocrats and calculating Islam- his position as head of government and joined forces against him. The 2011. ed the party would extend its out- ists. Chahed became president of if he failed before that to retain En- law shields the prime minister Secularists and other anti-Islam- reach in this year’s elections, ana- Tahya Tounes on June 1. nahda’s support. Ennahda, which from a no-confidence vote a few ists see Ennahda having expand- lysts said Ennahda would lower its For Ennahda’s leaders, support has the most seats of any party in months before elections. ed its influence since 2016 when ambitions and keep good ties with for Chahed in parliament was an parliament, thwarted repeated ef- However, Chahed needs to draw Chahed became head of a national potential allies such as Chahed out opportunity to fuel division in their forts by Nidaa Tounes to oust ideological and political lines with unity government. Expanded clout of its political calculus. rival political camp while guaran- Chahed as prime minister. Ennahda if he is to claim the role involves Ennahda’s rising number “Ennahda fears reactions against teeing their party a presence in the Chahed’s supporters formed of standard bearer of the secularist of representatives in senior posi- political Islam in the United States government. Tahya Tounes in January. The and liberal camp and secure his po- tions in public administration and and Europe now and tensions and Analysts said Chahed is at a founding members did not shy litical future in a fractured political other government agencies as well changing the political environ- crossroads as president of Tahya from displaying their backing of landscape. as state-owned companies and ment in the Arab region,” said po- Tounes with the ambition to re- Chahed. The prime minister has “Ennahda backs Youssef Chahed concerns. litical analyst Slaheddine Jourchi. shape the fractured secularist faced criticism from political oppo- the way a rope supports the one to This is likely to give Islamists “Ennahda aims at winning 70- camp and beat the Islamists in nents and Islamist allies who claim be hanged,” said Nizar Bahloul, ed- more political power because pa- 78 seats in the 217-member par- elections late this year. he was forging a “state party” to itor of Business News online maga- tronage and influence in the ad- liament to possibly negotiate an Election analysts said Chahed overwhelm the legislative and zine. “Ennahda’s and Chahed’s ministration tend to guarantee vot- alliance with Tahya Tounes,” he must highlight his differences with presidential elections. secularist rivals share the same be- ing returns. added. Although much will de- Ennahda to maximise his electoral To ward off such critics, Tahya lief that anyone who is Ennahda’s As a result of the power struggle pend on what Chahed’s followers chances. Outside Ennahda’s sup- Tounes Secretary-General Selim friend must give up any hope to within Nidaa Tounes, Ennahda won manage to clinch. port base, most Tunisians tend to Azzabi, stressed then that “the win the presidency.” the most seats during municipal perceive the Islamist party as seek- head of government has not taken “Ennahda will never vote for him elections in May 2018, winning con- Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly ing to advance its power-driven part in a single meeting or activity and the secularists will move away trol of 36% of local governments, correspondent in Tunis.

Viewpoint Failure by Algeria’s army to move forward would destabilise region

amadan saw no predatory deep state that enjoys increasingly untenable position. up a government that includes all let-up in the demon- commissions on many foreign The officers know that the political opinions, a prime minister strations that, every contracts and has no desire to let go 500,000-strong Algerian People’s and president who have gravitas Francis Ghilès Friday, draw of its privileged status. National Armed Forces is drawn and credibility. Only then can the Algerians into the They were happy to sacrifice from every social class and region country move forward. streets in towns and former President Abdelaziz in Algeria. Many middle-ranking Such a bold step might not villages across the Bouteflika and his close family and officers have no special respect be to the liking of the French, Rvast country. During Ramadan, business cronies to the clamours of for the corruption of their seniors. who seem to share the counter- police tried to check all those the crowd. They had no objection They know their first and only duty revolutionary view that seems to going into the centre of Algiers but to arresting the two former heads is to protect the long frontiers of think Arab and Berber people are fasting did not weaken people’s of security, Mohamed Mediene and this country in a difficult region. not ready for democratic rule and resolve. Athmane Tartag. They have no desire to bend to need a strong leader. However, Across Algeria, especially in They did not blink at arresting strong French pressure to intervene the Gulf monarchies have less smaller interior towns, police the head of the Communist Party, in Mali to “eradicate” Islamic influence in Algeria than in Sudan. arrested demonstrators, driving Louisa Hanoune, probably because terrorism, fuelled across the region Western influence is stronger and them a few hundred kilometres she is said to have alleged that by the misguided French-led and the 43 million Algerians are better and dropping them far from their Gaid Salah’s family was involved NATO-backed intervention in educated. homes. Forcing them to make their in shady dealings abroad. They Libya in 2011. They may not all be The outcome of this power way home is not only grotesque underestimated the consequences democrats but they appreciate that struggle is far from clear. Were the but smacks of desperation. The of letting human rights activist the crowds are constantly calling Algerian high command to shoot behaviour reflects disarray in the Kamel Eddine Fekhar, from for dialogue with the army and not its way out of the impasse, it would army high command, the generals Ghardaia in southern Algeria, die denouncing it. When the crowds destroy forever its claim to be the who seem to be determined not to after months of imprisonment and chant “Tahya El Djazair” (“Long heir of the National Liberation allow a serious transition towards a 50-day hunger strike. live Algeria”) or the Algerian rap Army, which threw off 132 years democracy. The senior command has been singer Soolking’s song “Liberte” of French yoke and the National The presidential vote, which adept for years, as have the security (“Freedom”), they are not Popular Army, which replaced it in had been planned for July 4, was forces, at playing Algerians off indifferent. 1962. postponed because of a lack of against each other: Kabyle Berbers The interim president and the The question remains: Does candidates. Only two unknown against Arabs, the minority that government are so obviously straw Algeria’s military high command people had completed the follows the Ibadi rite of Islam (in men that they cannot possibly have the wit, political imagination procedure to stand in the election. Ghardaia, the island of Djerba in deliver free and fair elections. The and institutional savviness to move Were the Algerian Algerian Army Chief-of-Staff Tunisia, the Djebel Nefoussa in “Hirak” — the popular name of a country that is key to the stability General Ahmed Gaid Salah, the de Libya and Oman) against the vast the movement in Algeria — and of the western Mediterranean and high command to facto ruler of Algeria, and others in majority who follow the Maleki respected figures in the country broader North-west Africa forward, shoot its way out of the high command are playing for rite. such as former Prime Minister politically and economically, or the impasse, it would time, hoping against hope that the Algerians, however, are too Mouloud Hamrouche know the backward? The second path would demonstrations represent nothing wise to take the bait. Every narrow reading of the constitution destabilise North Africa more than destroy forever its more dramatic than a student brawl week that goes by reinforces favoured by Gaid Salah led to an the civil war in Libya. claim to be heir to the that will go away. These senior their determination to continue impasse. officers, mostly major-generals, making their demands but to avoid The latter has made clear that Francis Ghilès is an associate National Liberation number at most a few dozen but violence. Algeria’s de facto leaders will have fellow at the Barcelona Centre for Army. they are the embodiment of a The high command is in an to be institutionally creative, set International Affairs. June 9, 2019 9 Debate Iraq

The West is relinquishing its judicial responsibility for dealing with ISIS fighters

Kyle Orton

rom May 26 to June 3, Iraq’s government sentenced to death 11 Islamic State op- eratives who had been captured in Syria. The Fnovelty in the cases was that the Iraqis said the militants were French and ten of them were. The other was Tunisian. The French government has made a pro forma protest against the death sentences but did nothing to impede the process. This is of a piece with the gener- al approach European countries, including Britain, have taken to their citizens who joined jihadi groups in the Levant. Agence France-Presse com- piled biographies of the con- demned men. It is clear most of them are hardened extremists committed to jihadism for a long time and that most of them got their start in France. Mourad Delhomme, for ex- ample, a 41-year-old of Alge- rian extraction, is a veteran of France’s jihadist scene. On the stand, Delhomme denied he was a member of ISIS and claimed to have been in Syria on a humani- tarian rescue mission. Kevin Gonot, 32, is married to a niece of Fabien and Jean- Michel Clain, infamous pillars of the French jihadist infrastruc- ture who were killed in the final battle of the caliphate this year. Gonot was injured fighting for Thorny issue. An Islamic State suspect wearing a red prison suit is led to the Iraqi Criminal Court in Baghdad, May 5. (AP) ISIS as it tried to overrun Kobane in late 2014 and early 2015, an effort only turned back by US air adopted for the final phase of Popularity is not the sole In December, the New Yorker’s Iraqi state to deniably coordinate power. the anti-ISIS campaign. reason Western governments Ben Taub documented how with Iran against ISIS, notably in Even Mohammed Berriri, the Another tactic is the removal pursued this course: Western se- Iraq was dealing with suspected Deir ez-Zor. That is one element Tunisian citizen, was radicalised of citizenship when the ISIS curity services are overwhelmed members of ISIS. After a spasm here. in France. Berriri, who is the militant has a second citizen- by the scale of this problem and of lawless revenge killings, The other element is related to youngest of the condemned at ship. This, again, transfers the return of experienced mili- once Mosul was retaken in the SDF itself, which was chosen 24, travelled to the ISIS-held ar- responsibility for citizens onto tants who cannot be jailed 2016, those taken into precisely because it has cordial eas of Syria from Nice in south- others and creates a two-tier citi- under the laws of West- custody are being tried relations with Iran and its Syrian eastern France. zenship structure, by imposing ern liberal systems The attempt to in proceedings that proxy, Bashar Assad’s regime. This underlines France’s a penalty on dual nationals that is the last thing never last more Whatever view one takes of the dereliction of responsibility. The cannot be applied to others. any of them need. prevent the return of than 10 minutes, wisdom for the West of replacing attempt to prevent the return of Britain took this a step further However, politi- extremists created in the where capital ISIS with Iran, the most impor- extremists created in the West with Shamima Begum, who cal popularity is West — to hand this issue sentences are tant flaw was that the popula- who have terrorised people in was 15 years old when she left a powerful part off to others — has been a virtually univer- tions liberated from ISIS had the Fertile Crescent — to hand Bethnal Green and joined ISIS in of the incentive consistent feature of sal, even when no intention of accepting the this issue off to others — has 2015, by stripping her citizenship structure when policy from the outbreak the defendants influence of Iran or Assad. been a consistent feature of on grounds she could apply for democratic gov- of these foreign are physically The protests in the SDF areas policy from the outbreak of Bangladeshi citizenship. ernments formulate fighter flows. incapable of the of eastern Syria, triggered pri- these foreign fighter flows. As with the French use of spe- policy. crimes they are ac- marily by the SDF sending the One way Western states have cial forces to eliminate citizens There is another sense cused of. region’s oil to fuel the Assad- tried to prevent Islamic State who joined ISIS, the British deci- in which France is failing in The final notable part of Iran war machine, threaten to (ISIS) returnees is to kill them sion in the Begum case is not its duties. Putting aside Paris’s this story is the geopolitics. unravel the SDF’s governing in theatre. France was reported only morally questionable but opposition on principle to the These prisoners were captured structure and with it the West’s in May 2017 to have sent special quite possibly breaches local law death penalty, even the worst in Syria by the Syrian Demo- stabilisation policy. forces to kill its citizens who had (and perhaps international law) citizens deserve a fair trial and cratic Forces (SDF), the West’s joined ISIS. The United States but the harsh measures to stop there is simply no way of claim- partner force, and handed over Kyle Orton is a Middle East bluntly and publicly stated that terrorist citizens returning are ing that is what these men got to Baghdad. The United States analyst. Follow him on Twitter: “annihilation tactics” were being very politically popular. from the Iraqi judicial system. has used the heavily infiltrated @KyleWOrton. Iraq should care about Arab Gulf security, not fret about Iran

statement that emphasised Iran’s ran launching a veritable sectar- What is striking about Salih’s Saudi Arabia and the United Arab responsibility to cease its hostile ian campaign of slaughter against reasoning in rejecting the final Emirates unworthy of peace, Tallha and destabilising actions and that Doha’s fellow Sunni Arabs. declaration of the Mecca sum- stability, security and the right to Abdulrazaq the countries of the Arabian Gulf Iraq’s stance is slightly more mit is that he stresses how Iran’s not be attacked by Iranian proxies deserved to have their peace, nuanced in that Iraqi President security and stability are of or have their internal affairs med- security and stability respected. Barham Salih’s rejection of the critical importance to the se- dled in by Tehran’s agents? hen Saudi King These two countries prioritised final declaration reflected curity and stability of other The Iraqi president claimed Salman bin their own narrow, short-term and the fact that Iraq is Muslim and Arab states. he fears an uncontrollable war Abdulaziz Al selfish interests over the obvious- almost entirely an Salih said: “Hon- breaking out in the region. He is Saud called the ly great need to push Iran back Iranian colony. Rather than fret estly, the security right — no one wants war to hap- Mecca sum- into its box and to compel it to Salih was a about Iran’s security, and stability of pen. However, his reasoning for mits involving respect its neighbours and their long-time Patriotic perhaps Iraq and a neighbouring wanting to avoid this war has less Wmembers of the Organisation for security needs. Union of Kurdistan Islamic country to do with the sanctity of human Qatar countries Islamic Cooperation, the Arab Qatar balked at adopting the (PUK) member and [Iran] is in the in- life and the avoidance of mass de- should think about League and the Gulf Cooperation final statement on grounds that the PUK has been terest of Muslim struction of civilian infrastructure Council, the idea was to forge it was apparently not consulted an Iranian client peace and stability and Arab states.” and livelihoods than because he Arab and Islamic unity and un- on its wording and that it con- for decades. Iraqi across the entire This is astonish- is afraid that a war on Iran would derstanding. tradicted Qatari foreign policy Prime Minister Adel region. ing. Is Salih saying topple Iraq’s inherently unstable Saudi Arabia, the United Arab imperatives. As to the first point, Abdul-Mahdi similarly that Saudi Arabia, the and corrupt system due to its reli- Emirates and the wider Arab Qatar was fully represented at has strong and lasting ties United Arab Emirates ance on Tehran’s goodwill. and Islamic world have suffered the summit by a senior delega- to hard-line Shia Islamist fac- and other countries threat- Rather than fret about Iran’s because of Iran’s unceasing tion. It is not as though the final tions that were incubated and ened by Iranian meddling and security, perhaps these countries expansionist agenda but none declaration could have come as a supported by Iran. Iraqi security its sectarian genocidal tenden- should think about peace and have suffered more as a result surprise to Doha. services are riddled with infiltra- cies are not neighbouring Islamic stability across the entire region. of Iranian sectarianism than the Further, it would seem obvious tors who are loyal to Iran’s Islamic countries? people of Syria and Iraq. that Qatar’s decision to support Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Salih is essentially arguing Tallha Abdulrazaq is a researcher It must surely come as quite an Iran stems directly from the fact and not to Iraq. Other IRGC Shia that Iran’s security and stability at the University of Exeter’s insult, then, when Iraq and Qatar that it has moved ever closer to jihadist proxies run amok across trumps the need for any other Strategy and Security Institute in opposed the Mecca summit’s final the Islamic Republic, despite Teh- Iraq with impunity. country’s stability. Why? Are England. 10 June 9, 2019 News & Analysis Syria Idlib fighting sparks war crimes accusations, Russian-Turkish tensions

Thomas Seibert Organisations, including the White Helmet civil defence units, medical groups and child protec- Istanbul tion groups, said in a statement May 31 that there had been more scalating fighting in the than 24 attacks on health facili- north-western Syrian prov- ties, six attacks on civil defence ince of Idlib is pushing centres, 29 attacks on schools and E hundreds of thousands of other civilian infrastructure in the people towards the Turkish border, past month. The statement said placing the alliance between Anka- those attacks resulted in the death ra and Moscow under heavy strain. of more than 250 people. Turkey finds itself in a weak posi- Attacking hospitals is a war tion because its plan to buy a Rus- crime under the Geneva Conven- sian missile defence system has tions. The UN Office for the Coor- angered the United States, its main dination of Humanitarian Affairs Western ally. If Ankara yields to US in Geneva did not respond to re- pressure and cancels the Russian quests for comment. deal, Moscow could intensify fight- Syria and Russia said the offen- ing in Idlib, possibly sending a new sive in Idlib, most of which is ruled wave of refugees into Turkey, ana- by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir lysts said. al-Sham (HTS), became necessary Idlib, the last rebel bastion in because extremists in the prov- Syria after more than eight years of ince launched attacks from the re- war, has seen fierce fighting since gion. They say a pledge by Turkey late April. Clashes on the edge of to rein in HTS under a ceasefire the jihadist-controlled region killed deal with Moscow last September 44 Syrian government loyalists and failed to stop the attacks. 39 jihadists and Islamists from May “Of course, strikes by militants 30-June 7, the Syrian Observatory from Idlib are unacceptable and for Human Rights said. measures are being taken to neu- tralise these strike positions,” Rus- sian presidential spokesman Dmit- The fighting is the most In the crosshairs. Members of the Syrian Civil Defence carry a wounded man on a stretcher following ry Peskov said, rejecting an appeal a reported air strike on the town of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib, June 3. (AFP) serious setback for Turkey’s by US President Donald Trump to cooperation with Russia in stop the assault. Syria and laid bare Ankara’s The aid groups said the offen- with Russia in Syria and laid bare alyst of Russian-Turkish relations, making a clash between Turkey inability to convince sive, which includes heavy bom- Ankara’s inability to convince said Turkey lacked leverage. “The and the United States more likely. Moscow to take a different bardments of villages and towns Moscow to take a different path in Sochi agreement (last September) Has pointed out that Turkey is path in the crisis. in Idlib, triggered unprecedented the crisis. has turned into a new effective squeezed between Moscow and suffering for civilians. The Turkish-Russian alliance blackmailing tool for Moscow to Washington. Aid groups accuse Syrian and “Over 307,000 people have been appears “to be in serious trouble ensure Turkey’s positioning with “If Ankara changes its mind Russian military of using location displaced in the past two months and at risk of falling apart in any Russia in [the] Syrian crisis,” Has on purchasing [the] S-400s, it is data of hospitals provided by the with the majority in the past four future Assad-Russia offensive,” wrote via e-mail. highly likely that the first Russian United Nations to attack the facili- weeks only,” their statement Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow The United States warned re- response to such a decision will be ties to drive civilians away. said. They added that more than at the Brookings Institution, said peatedly that it would issue sanc- speeding up the Idlib operation,” Last year, the United Nations 200,000 people had to live in the by e-mail. tions against NATO partner Tur- Has wrote. shared coordinates of 235 protected open and that refugee centres at Turkish President Recep Tayyip key if the Erdogan government “To avoid a new refugee flow sites in Idlib, including schools and the Turkish border with Idlib were Erdogan told Russian President purchases the Russian S-400 air and prevent a humanitarian cri- hospitals, with Russia, Turkey and overcrowded. “This is the single Vladimir Putin on May 30 that he defence system. The first S-400 sis Ankara may try to reach a new the US-led coalition to protect them largest mass displacement in Syria wanted a ceasefire in Idlib to pre- missiles could be delivered to Tur- compromise with Moscow to cre- in case of a military assault but aid since the beginning of the crisis” vent more civilian casualties and key within weeks. Washington ate a kind of a buffer zone in north- groups say the information that in 2011, they said. a refugee influx to Turkey but the and Turkey’s other Western NATO ern Idlib for civilians,” he added. was meant to shield civilian institu- The development is raising Kremlin said it was Turkey’s re- allies say the Russian system is in- “However, it will again be a tenta- tions is being used to target them. concern in Turkey, which already sponsibility to stop rebels from compatible with NATO’s defence tive and fragile agreement, not a “When you give the coordinates hosts more than 3.6 million Syr- firing on civilian and Russian tar- network and poses a threat to US real solution to the terrorist and of hospitals, they become targets,” ians, regarding the possible mas- gets, signalling it backs the Syrian F-35 fighter jets, which Turkey also jihadist threat in the region.” Mohannad Othman, CEO of the Al- sive wave of refugees from Idlib. government offensive despite An- plans to buy. Sham Foundation, an NGO active in The fighting is the most serious kara’s protests. Erdogan said he remained com- Thomas Seibert is an Arab Weekly Syria, said by telephone. setback for Turkey’s cooperation Kerim Has, a Moscow-based an- mitted to the deal with Russia, correspondent.

Book Review New book reveals unknown details about how Assad prevailed in Syria

dent Bashar Assad, who defected ed, have been surprised — stunned from the onset of the anti-govern- early days of his presidency. from the regime and fled to Paris. even — that the Assad regime man- ment protests in March 2011, Assad A theme that readers are pre- Tlass’s father, Mustafa, a former aged, against all odds, to prevail stuck to the same game plan that sented with from the president’s Stephen Starr minister of defence, and brother in Syria. Russian airpower and the it pursued during the years of war conversations with Tlass is that Firas, a business tycoon, also left radicalisation of the armed opposi- that followed. Tellingly, the regime Assad always felt that to offer the country as the Syrian govern- tion helped the Damascus govern- didn’t adapt to events as they protesters an inch would add fuel ment increasingly turned its weap- ment win, of course, but first the played out on the ground, as many to their demands. “We give them a ons on civilian districts in 2012. regime had to create the conditions analysts have argued, but followed metre and they want 2 metres. We etails in a new book In the years since, Manaf Tlass for events to go its way at every a singular, brutal strategy from the cannot just keep making conces- by Sam Dagher, maintained ambitions of returning critical juncture. beginning. sions,” the president is reported to “Assad Or We Burn to Syria as part of a military council Sure, the regime enjoyed a con- It shows that every attempt the have told Tlass as protests grew in the Country: How that, he hoped, would take control siderable amount of luck — that the regime made to appease protesters the southern city of Daraa in March One Family’s Lust of the country. Until recently, he Obama administration chose not to and the international community 2011. for Power said he had no doubt that the As- bomb Syria after it killed hundreds alike were fabricated and calcu- What we don’t find out is Destroyed Syria,” sad regime would one day fall. in chemical attacks around Da- lated as it presented itself as the whether Assad lied to Russia about Doffer previously unknown So, it’s one thing for armchair mascus in 2013 was a major point. victim of a “conspiracy.” its use of chemical weapons (Mos- insights into how the Syrian experts and Western analysts Assad had flown very close to the We learn that Assad’s brother, cow has said Assad told them he regime defeated the popular to have wrongly predicted the sun but survived. Maher, and his maternal cousins, didn’t conduct chemical attacks) uprising against its rule. regime’s demise but when one of Key to much of this was the idea the business mogul Rami Maklouf or whether Moscow knew but lied The book relies much on its insiders — a person who grew that Assad and his wife, Asma, pre- and intelligence chief Hafez Mak- to the West. We don’t know what accounts from Manaf Tlass, the for- up with the Assad family — got it sented themselves as a new breed louf, forced out moderate elements Moscow and Tehran will eventu- mer Syria Army brigadier-general wrong, the question of how the of Middle Eastern leadership with of the regime’s inner circle early on ally seek to extract from Damascus and life-long friend of Syrian Presi- regime endured enters the realm of a modern, progressive worldview. and imposed their will on the pres- for their unwavering support. the mythical. This resulted in Western media ident — who is himself revealed to What is made clear in the book, Most of Assad’s own peo- lavishing praise on the Assads from be calculating and cold-hearted — however, is that Assad regards ple were against him. Powerful 2007-10 that proved important in unlike the image presented of him familial relations and blood ties as A theme that readers regional leaders, such as Turkey, dissuading public opinion in the by sections of the media. more important than longstanding are presented with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, called United Kingdom and the United Assad’s favourite dish is loyalty: being married to a relative for him to leave. So too did much States from supporting military mukhleh, we’re told, and that as of the president outweighs having from the president’s of the West, which strangled the strikes on the regime. a child his older brother and heir served the regime for decades. For conversations with Syrian economy with sanctions. At that time, for many in the apparent Bassel treated him with Bashar Assad, clan is everything, Assad’s army was — and continues West the debate was framed as very little regard. The transfor- and outsiders are just that — peo- Tlass is that Assad to be — poorly trained and under- a choice between Assad, a secu- mation from quiet eye doctor to ple never to be trusted. always felt that to armed. His government had little lar though murderous leader, or savage dictator is not one that’s offer protesters an in the way of money to pay for a jihadists whose aim was to attack ever fully been analysed, though Stephen Starr is the author of years-long war effort. targets in Europe and the United Dagher, through Tlass, presents “Revolt in Syria: Eye-Witness to inch would add fuel to And yet it endured. States. a man who was keen to make his the Uprising” and has lived in Syria their demands. Many observers, myself includ- In Dagher’s book, we learn that own stamp on the world from the and Turkey since 2007. June 9, 2019 11 Debate Lebanon Political horse-trading weakens Lebanon

Makram Rabah

he end of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr celebration were tragic for the Lebanese because festivities were interrupted by Tterrorism in Tripoli, leaving four law enforcement officers dead and a country in shock. Yet the dreadful act, which was carried out by a local jihadi lone wolf who briefly fought with the Islamic State in Syria, fuelled a more violent verbal dispute, one that has been raging between factions of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, President Michel Aoun’s son-in- law and president of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). This intense and ferocious debate is not new but resurfaces every time Bassil, ever aspir- ing to the Lebanese presidency, openly challenges the position of the Sunni prime minister, an act that takes a sectarian undertone and convulses an already polar- ised nation. Such political bickering has been the norm the last few years, yet the level to which politicians have sunk and their willingness to exploit their power are at a record low. The abuse of power is palpable in the showdown between Bassil and Hariri’s faction, the Future Dangerous bickering. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (R) and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, last Movement, with Bassil vying to February. (AFP) depose the Director of the Inter- nal Security Forces (ISF) Major- unlawful detention of actor Ziad This dangerous sectarian un- ment has persisted and used to muster support is to lean on General Imad Othman, a Sunni Itani. dertone and the reaction of the the populist feuds to justify and his sectarian Sunni power base, officer whom Bassil accuses of Hajj, the former head of the Hariri faction go beyond merely perhaps reinforce their alliance a tactic Bassil also uses with his usurping power and operat- Lebanese Anti-Cybercrime and instigating strife but dangerously vis-a-vis their supporters. Re- Christian power base. ing without oversight. Intellectual Property Bureau erode the base of the Lebanese markably, every time Hariri had Hariri and Bassil have major Bassil and his fac- who enjoys Aoun’s state and transforms the judici- to make a major concession or obstacles to overcome, including a lucrative deal with Bassil this tion are very clear The intense and patronage, made ary and the police into sectarian senior bureaucratic appointments that Aoun’s term news when the ISF pawns that lack the confidence would be preceded by a mock that their opponents and allies is one that will ferocious debate is Intelligence Branch and support of the general pub- verbal fight such as the current will try to sway to their side. Hav- see the rein- not new but resurfaces provided evi- lic, rendering them ineffective. one while failing to address the ing this tense atmosphere allows statement of every time Bassil, ever dence allegedly While true that all aspects of deficiencies. them to play both sides. the Maronite aspiring to the implicating her in governance have been tradition- Time and again, Hariri has As long as Hariri and Bassil hegemony over Lebanese presidency, framing Itani. ally controlled by the ruling elite, been criticised by his Sunni have their arrangement, which power, a status openly challenges the The Itani affair the brazen way Bassil, as well as supporters and his political includes sanctioning Hezbol- they lost to the position of the Sunni provided both Hariri, are taking liberties by de- allies for not properly assum- lah’s continued hegemony over Sunnis following prime minister. sides with an arena claring high-ranking bureaucrats ing the reins of the premiership all other Lebanese matters, the the end of the Leba- to exchange blame as part of their political fiefdom and instead allowing Aoun and Lebanese state will become nese civil war in 1990 with each side accus- is utterly disgraceful. Bassil to infringe on his constitu- increasingly weaker, resulting in and the adoption of the ing the other of trying to What is more appalling is that tional prerogatives. Interestingly, a potentially dangerous political Taif Agreement. subdue the judiciary and law this outrageous tug of war has throughout this recent feud, vacuum that threatens stability The power feud between enforcement agencies to serve become recurrent. Yet both Hari- Hariri has not properly respond- and makes it easier for terrorists Bassil and the Future Movement their own goals. ri and Bassil seem to be sticking ed to Bassil’s attacks but pre- and lone wolves to operate. recently moved to the judiciary However, following the Tripoli with their sacred alliance, which ferred to stay somewhat silent on with Bassil allegedly instruct- incident, the FPM took its as- led to the election of Aoun as the matter and allow for Bassil’s Makram Rabah is a lecturer at ing military prosecutor Peter sault further, accusing Othman president two years ago. rampage to run its course. the American University of Beirut Germanos to exonerate Major and the Sunni community of har- Despite these brief falling Wishing to divert attention and author of “A Campus at War: Suzan Hajj, who was accused of bouring terrorism and providing outs, the Bassil-Hariri political from the abysmal budget passed Student Politics at the American falsifying evidence leading to the protection for jihadists. and allegedly financial arrange- by his cabinet, Hariri’s only way University of Beirut, 1967-1975.” Lebanon’s delicate balance of power in jeopardy

dissolved in 1979. The strife began In addition, Lebanon’s semi- Gebran Bassil, who is Aoun’s son- since 2011 to bolster alliances, as a reaction to Lebanon joining the presidential system was replaced in-law, ignited a heated political there seems to be only Walid alliance against its disputed Arab with a more complex system of debate after he said Sunni power Jumblatt, leader of the Progressive Rami Rayess identity. governance that gave more power has been on the rise because of the Socialist Party (PSP), on the front The most catastrophic chapter in to the council of ministers. In fall of Christian power. line against their efforts. Lebanon’s history was its civil war 1990, a series of constitutional Sunni Prime Minister Saad FPM leaders and their allies ebanon’s complicated from 1975-90. While disagreement amendments significantly Hariri, keen to preserve his have taken all possible measures political system is like over political representation was decreased the power of position in power and to weaken the PSP through the no other. With diverse not the only issue that gave rise to the presidency. maintain a com- electoral law but Jumblatt retali- political and sectarian the conflict, it was a key element That ground- It is true that the promise with his ated by giving his lists high votes in forces, the country that should not be disregarded. breaking agreement state of affairs in political rivals, the 2018 elections and preserving maintains a delicate Intertwined local, regional and is in danger of Lebanon is not has done little to an eight-member bloc. balance of power that international factors were instru- losing its force as tenable but reverting counter FPM’s It is true that the state of affairs is crucial for its stability. Every mental in deepening the conflict certain politicians efforts. The only in Lebanon is not tenable but L to Lebanon’s pre- time this balance is upset by but disproportionate representa- seek to shore up other influential reverting to Lebanon’s pre-Taif political or military conflict, the tion among Christians and Muslims their own power. Taif Agreement political player, Agreement system would be country descends into institu- (5:4) added to feelings of marginali- Lebanese President system would be a Samir Geagea, ex- a recipe for chaos. This would tional paralysis or, worse, vio- sation throughout the country. Michel Aoun, leader recipe for chaos. ecutive chairman of disrupt Lebanon’s balance of pow- lence. In 1989, however, Lebanon of the Free Patriotic the Christian-based ers, leading to a turbulent politi- This has proven true time and signed the Taif Agreement, Movement (FPM), for Lebanese Forces, has cal situation that would further again. In 1952, the “White Revolu- providing a new framework for one, has consistently sought refrained from publicly decrease productivity and cripple tion” ousted President Bechara El political representation and set- to strengthen his role. After confronting FPM for fear of los- the economy. Khoury. Six years later, Lebanon tling decades-long questions about Aoun became president in ing popularity with the Christian Maintaining the status quo is fell into civil strife that was in retal- the country’s identity. The treaty October 2016, FPM members in community. likely the best option for all Leba- iation to dragging Lebanon into the described Lebanon as an “Arab parliament and the cabinet boasted With Hezbollah maintaining nese parties. Baghdad Pact, a military alliance country” and enshrined equal that they were amending the its 13-year-old Memorandum of of the Cold War that was formed representation between Christians constitution to restore power to the Understanding with FPM, which Rami Rayess is a Lebanese writer. by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and and Muslims regardless of demo- presidency. the Shia group direly needs after Follow him on Twitter: the United Kingdom before being graphics. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister its involvement in the Syrian War @RamiRayess. 12 June 9, 2019 Spotlight Fighting Extremism

Shifting sands. A Kosovar woman and a child, who have returned from Syria, leave a detention centre as they reunite with their family members in the village of Vranidoll, April 22. (AFP) Girding for the ISIS ‘Road Warriors’ next move

Kelly Kennedy combat and bad accommodations nificant networks for jihadists and kind of endless effort to say that it hot weather, without a bed, with and as local groups have made those networks could potentially is.” extra bugs and in war zone — often it clear they don’t want foreign be used for attacks. If a group isn’t seen as winning, without compensation. Washington fighters. Those attacks could be precur- it’s harder to recruit foreign fight- “That’s not something that a However, laws in many coun- sors to sectarian violence. ers. relatively pampered young person fter the attacks of Sep- tries have not been updated to Libya remains a potential tar- Since the attacks in Brussels from the US or Europe can often tember 11, 2001, many handle fighters as they return get as ISIS appears to be attack- and Barcelona, many terrorist in- do,” he said. experts expected there home; fighter cells remain strong ing Field-Marshal Khalifa Haftar, cidents have been “homegrown” Also, locals aren’t as eager to ac- A would be further vio- in some countries and Turkey leader of the Libyan National and in the United States there cept them. lence on US soil. There wasn’t. likely faces rough days ahead. Army, as he fights Libya’s UN- have been “virtually no attacks” “Foreign fighters often make it While foreign fighters may have Brookings Institution President backed government’s forces. since September 11 by foreign worse for the local fighters,” By- made a difference in the Middle John Allen said that, after record Byman said that, while local fighters, Byman said. man said. East and Northern Africa — and numbers of foreign fighters trav- groups may begin a conflict, for- A group such as al-Qaeda can have been involved in some of the elled to Syria, people needed to eign fighters often start new or- Daniel Byman, bring US bombings, foreign fight- biggest terrorist attacks — experts “gird themselves” for the next ganisations or cause old organisa- senior fellow at the ers may serve as spies and locals Centre for Middle East in Washington said the move- stage. tions to become more dangerous. Policy at the Brookings may not like to have their cause ment, with some exceptions, has As Byman talked about his new They tend to put a new spin on Institute appropriated. lost its mettle. book, “Road Warriors: Foreign the cause so, rather than fighting “To have a different group of “This is something where for- Fighters in the Armies of Jihad,” for a nationalist cause, such as Af- “In the short term, it’s quite fighters come in and tell them eign policy can and often has May 10 at Brookings, the reap- ghanistan, suddenly the locals are plausible to me that Turkey is what to do is not something made a difference,” said Daniel pearance of ISIS leader Abu Bakr expected to fight for a particular at risk.” they’re eager to do,” he said. “So Byman, senior fellow at the Cen- al-Baghdadi was in the news. version of Islam. they’re starting to put more re- tre for Middle East Policy at the ISIS released a video featuring The foreign fighters are also That may be because foreign strictions on foreign fighters than Brookings Institute. “In recent Baghdadi, appearing for the first more likely to engage in large- fighters are easier to track. They they ever have before.” years, the news has been quite time since 2014, emphasising the scale terrorist attacks, Byman can’t simply disappear into an- Many foreign fighters have died good.” group’s ability to conduct attacks said, adding that key leaders in other country and when they post and others decided they’d had The United States and its allies around the world. It also showed the September 11, 2001, attacks potential action on social media, enough and gone home, Byman have got better at tracking and a folder marked “Wilayat Turkey,” had fought in foreign wars. as they often do, they find them- said. deterring fighters, as recruitment which seemed to indicate Turkey However, he said he’s seeing a selves being arrested, Byman said. There’s now a “huge and over- has gone down after the failure of could be a target. shift, especially after ISIS’s de- Foreign fighters also discovered whelming resources shift” with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq, as “In the short term, it’s quite feats in Iraq and Syria. they don’t necessarily enjoy living few sleeper cells and internation- people drawn to some romantic plausible to me that Turkey is at “ISIS was a winner,” he said. in a developing country with few al groups and more local groups notion of war faced the reality of risk,” Byman said. Turkey has sig- “Today it’s not winning. There’s a food options, in too cold or too fighting for local issues. June 9, 2019 13 Spotlight Fighting Extremism Book Review Is the fight against extremism winnable?

Of Indian heritage, she grew Islam is increasingly seen as ments of Tunisia and Morocco up in Massachusetts in the the only truthful one makes it have been very successful in 1970s and ‘80s in an environ- especially difficult for other providing solid instruction James N. Falk ment and time in which being countries to build a counter- and credentialing to imams Muslim was not seen as being narrative to the strictly con- from Europe and sub-Saharan “other” or threatening. The servative Wahhabi version. Africa.) and encouraging others espite US wave of fear arising from 9/11 That still today, hard-line to cut off financial support to President lamentably continues to per- interpretations of the Quran are religious leaders and organisa- Donald Trump’s meate the political and social distributed widely throughout tions that incite violence. repeated landscape. the world, including in schools These are certainly impor- assertions that While not calling out names, and prisons, is particularly wor- tant goals but how to achieve the Islamic State Pandith makes it abundantly risome. them? has been 100% clear that, all too often, steps A central argument through- Ddefeated, the reality is differ- taken by the US government to out the book is that a win- ent. Although Trump claims build trust with Islamic com- Pandith’s ning strategy will require the this is another campaign munities did the opposite and combined effort and resources promise achieved, attacks that bureaucratic in-fighting considerable of government, the private such as the Easter Sunday wasted sparse financial and hu- experience with the sector and philanthropists to bombings in Sri Lanka paint a man resources. recognise that this battle, long starkly different picture. She cites how millions of dol- subject lends in the making, will not be won Consider that US Director lars were spent on “winning the particular credibility. overnight. of National Intelligence Dan hearts and minds” of Muslims A criticism may be made Coats wrote the following in by producing splashy videos that, while Pandith sets up the “Worldwide Threat Assess- and supporting social media It should be noted, that and solidly discusses many of ment” published in January: campaigns to “demonstrate to Saudi Crown Prince Moham- the potential causes of ex- “Global jihadists in dozens of Muslims and the American pub- med bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, tremism, her solutions often groups and countries threaten lic that we (the United States) who absolutely needs to build would require major changes local and regional US interests are taking extremism seriously US and international goodwill, in corporate governance and despite having experienced and doing so without disre- has taken positive and signifi- governmental actions, which some significant setbacks in specting Islam.” cant steps to rein in extremism would present insurmountable recent years…. Prominent Yet, as she notes such ac- by making consistent calls for obstacles to many of her recom- jihadist ideologues and media tions, however well-inten- moderation. At a time when mendations, however valid platforms continue to call for tioned, avoid the fundamental both Saudi Arabia and the they are. and justify efforts to attack the problem of how to counter vio- United States need to find stra- That being said, this book US homeland.” lent extremism. In her view, too tegic pathways to rebuild the is an important one and while Adding concern is that there much of the effort was aimed relationship, putting countering many may describe themselves are thousands of extremists at the wrong audiences. The violent extremism at the top is experts on countering violent in Iraq and Syria representing appeal to extremism, Pandith, a good place to start. extremism, as one colleague dozens of nationalities who are writes: “[It] isn’t about anger at On this subject and oth- said, Pandith was in the room marooned with undetermined a specific US policy…. Extrem- ers, Pandith offers a series of when the term was first voiced. futures. More regrettably, ists succeed with recruiting prescriptions. For instance, to “How We Win: How Cutting- there are thousands of aban- because youth crave answers to counter “Sheikh Google,” she Edge Entrepreneurs, Political doned women and children the problem of who they are or calls, setting up online detec- Visionaries, Enlightened Busi- condemned to live in refugee are supposed to be, how to live tion centres; regulating tech ness Leaders, and Social Media camps that are destined to be as Muslims, and how to belong companies more stringently; Mavens Can Defeat the Extrem- incubators for extremism. to a community.” and supporting offline inter- ist Threat” by Farah Pandith This begs the question: Will As special representative to ventions in which youth can (Custom House, 2019) extremism always be a threat Muslim communities, Pandith seek help when approached by and what, if anything, can be visited 80 countries across recruiters. James N. Falk is president and done to eliminate or at a mini- Europe, the Middle East and Pandith calls for closing CEO of the World Affairs Council mum mitigate its impact on Asia. She met with hundreds of foreign-sponsored training cen- of Dallas/Fort Worth and host of humanity? young Muslims who, in surpris- tre for imams (Yet, the govern- the podcast Global IQ Minute. Farah Pandith provides a ingly candid interviews, spoke solid framework on countering of their sense of isolation and violent extremism in “How We loneliness that made them Win: How Cutting-Edge Entre- attractive marks for “jihad” re- preneurs, Political Visionaries, cruiters who offered a promised Enlightened Business Leaders, path to “true” Islam. and Social Media Mavens Can The role that social media Defeat the Extremist Threat.” and the internet play on all Published by Custom House, sides of the battle is explored Shifting sands. A Kosovar woman and a child, who have returned from Syria, leave a detention centre as they reunite with their family members in the village of Vranidoll, April 22. (AFP) this is Pandith’s first book and throughout the book but es- it is one that should encourage pecially in the chapter Sheikh discussion within and outside Google. When searching for of government in the United answers and guidance, Muslim States and beyond because ter- youth, like adolescents the rorism and extremism know no world over, turn to technology, Girding for the ISIS ‘Road Warriors’ next move boundaries. believing that if found “online,” Pandith’s considerable ex- then it must be true. perience with the subject lends The reluctance to turn to Still, he said, jihadism has been particular credibility. She was others, such as teachers and rel- linked to violence at home as well the first US special representa- atives, lends more legitimacy to as around the world and that’s tive to Muslim communities. digital platforms. As an exam- what makes it different. Other stints of public service ple, one student told Pandith Syria provides the worst of what included positions with the he learnt online that there was could happen: More foreign fight- National Security Council, US a “specific” way to fold a prayer ers — tens of thousands — from Agency for International Devel- rug and by doing so he was more places showed up for battle opment and US Department of displaying his “piety.” To this than in any previous conflict. Syr- Homeland Security. day, there is a widespread belief ia also led to the attacks in Paris in She is now a senior fellow expressed on various internet 2015, among others, Byman said. with the Future of Diplomacy sites that 9/11 either didn’t The problem then becomes how Project at the Harvard Kennedy happen or was an American to manage people as they return School as well as an adjunct conspiracy. home. Can their home countries senior fellow at the Council on In what is the book’s longest put them in jail? If they do go to Foreign Relations in New York. chapter, Pandith deals with the jail, will they radicalise others? Saudi role in fomenting violent Often, laws haven’t caught up extremism. The combination to the problem. The US message of Saudi Arabia’s considerable should be about its strong laws While not calling wealth coupled with its identi- and courts, he said, which means out names, Pandith fication as the custodian of the the United States should accept two holy mosques has given it foreign fighters back into the makes it incomparable power to shape country. Officials should also look abundantly clear how Islam is perceived. at ways for the United States to “Extremism would not have help countries, such as Belgium, that, all too often, become the pervasive threat that have limited resources to steps taken by the it is had it not had a patron monitor returnees. US government to awash in trillions of dollars of “In my opinion, this is not the oil wealth and happy to spend time to abandon the US global build trust with it so as to secure hegemony for role,” Byman said. Islamic an extreme, uncompromising Many actors. Cover of Farah Pandith’s “How We Win: How communities did and literalist interpretation of Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Kelly Kennedy is an Arab Weekly Islam,” writes Pandith. Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the correspondent in Washington. the opposite. That the Saudi version of Extremist Threat.” 14 June 9, 2019 News & Analysis Turkey Family of Palestinian dead in Turkish jail to file suit with international court

Amr Emam that version of the story. They said Turkish authorities did not present evidence that Mubarak Cairo had committed suicide. Zakaria Mubarak said a medical team com- relative of a Palestinian missioned by the Palestinian Em- man declared dead in a bassy in Cairo said Zaki Mubarak’s Turkish jail in April said he body was mutilated and bruised. A will file a lawsuit against “This proves that he was sub- Turkish authorities in international jected to the most merciless of courts. torture at the Turkish jail,” Zakaria Zakaria Mubarak, the younger Mubarak said. “This is a crime that brother of Zaki Mubarak, a Pales- should never go unpunished.” tinian businessman who disap- Zaki Mubarak went missing three peared in Istanbul in April and was days after arriving in Istanbul, declared dead at a jail there, said along with Shaaban. On April 19, his brother was killed by Turkish Turkish authorities said Mubarak authorities. had been arrested and accused of “They killed him to cover up the spying for the United Arab Emir- crime they had committed against ates. His family denied the allega- him,” Zakaria Mubarak said. tion. Zaki Mubarak, a former explo- His Egyptian lawyer, Sharif sives department officer in the Ghanem, said Mubarak had not Gaza Strip, travelled to Istanbul been interrogated by Turkish au- April 1 to meet Samer Shaaban, an thorities, who only filed a report old friend, and explore business to the prosecution in which they opportunities in Turkey. pressed the charge against him. Mubarak was referred to the Zakaria Mubarak prosecution a few days after his the younger brother of Zaki Mubarak declared arrest and talked on the “They killed him to cover up phone with his family. He report- the crime they had committed edly told his brother that he had against him.” been tortured. Awaiting justice. The daughter (L) and son of Zaki Mubarak hold his pictures during an interview in “He told me that Turkey was far central Gaza Strip, last April. (AFP) worse than he had ever imagined,” He owned a food export and im- Zakaria Mubarak said. port company in Sofia, Bulgaria, Zaki Mubarak was scheduled en innocent by the court,” Zakaria amined the body May 23, a day af- tional Court of Justice and the In- where he lived with his Bulgar- to appear in court April 30. A law- Mubarak said. ter it arrived in Cairo. A day later, ternational Criminal Court against ian wife and three children. Zaki yer commissioned by the Turkish Zakaria Mubarak and Zaki they said they had completed the Turkey. Mubarak had said he dreamed of government to press the charge Mubarak’s Bulgarian wife said examination but refused to release “Turkish authorities have to establishing a branch of his com- against him and a lawyer hired by they tried to have the body flown details. Authority Director Souad learn that they cannot get away pany, ZMH, in Turkey and Shaaban his brother said they expected him to Cairo where it was examined by Abdel Ghaffar said a report on Zaki with killing an innocent man,” had promised to help him do this. to be acquitted because of a lack the Palestinian Embassy-commis- Mubarak would be referred to the Mubarak said. Turkish authorities said Mubarak of evidence. However, he was de- sioned team. Zakaria Mubarak filed Egyptian Ministry of Justice. “Zaki is not the kind of person was found dead April 28 in his clared dead two days before the a request to the Egyptian Forensic Zakaria Mubarak said he will in- who will kill himself,” Zakaria jail cell and claimed that he had court appearance. Authority to examine the body and clude the report in documents he, Mubarak said. “He was God-fear- hanged himself. However, his fam- “They had to kill him because issue a certified report about the an Egyptian lawyer and a French ing and cannot end his life, regard- ily, including his six children and he would have proved Turkish au- cause of death. lawyer who volunteered to take less of any pressures he was sub- former wife in Gaza, never believed thorities lying, if he had been prov- Forensic Authority experts ex- the case will file with the Interna- jected to.”

Viewpoint Will Imamoglu score victory in Istanbul election again?

by a margin of some 14,000 votes out of extraordinary to win these but his victory was taken away “repeat” elections but strike later. after a series of mind-boggling The president has enough Yavuz Baydar skulduggeries that led to a cancel- powers to define the fate of the mu- lation of the vote by the extremely nicipalities, has further legislation pressurised Supreme Electoral plans for deepening the centralisa- n June 23, approxi- Council. tion of power over local councils mately 10 million His victory forcefully ripped and he controls the entire judiciary voters in Istanbul away, Imamoglu has proven to be and so-called autonomous state will go to the polls a fighter, going beyond his given institutions, such as the Supreme to elect a mayor. territory and presenting himself as Electoral Council. From whichever the saviour of Turkey from ruin and Erdogan knows that Imamoglu’s angle one may have cruelty, and as the next national rise resembles what happened with Olooked at the farce-like twists leader, who is determined to unify him years ago, that the one who following the first and “real” the various social segments that wins Istanbul in this election — as municipal elections, this one will Erdogan has divided and played Imamoglu did — could claim the be as significant and as decisive to against each other. presidency in the next possible oc- determine the fate of not only ”How I won the race for mayor in casion. Erdogan and the circles that Istanbul but all of Turkey. Yet, Istanbul and how I will win again” surround him know that Imamoglu huge question marks remain. was the title of Imamoglu’s opinion will not hesitate to make public all There is no doubt that Ekrem article for Washington Post. the corruption, dirty public tenders Imamoglu, a 49-year-old local Imamoglu has reasons to be Soaring popularity. Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul mayoral candidate and cronyism that have marked district mayor in Istanbul, stands self-confident. During Eid al-Fitr, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, shakes hands AKP rule over Istanbul for 25 years. as the most powerful challenger he smartly used his family visit to with a young boy at a vegetable market in Istanbul, May 29. This is all a very dangerous, exis- not only to Binali Yildirim, a former the Black Sea coast, where he is tential threat to Erdogan and his Justice and Development (AKP) originally from, to organise mass For Erdogan and his followers, recession, the anti-AKP crowds may close circle. party mayor of Istanbul, but also rallies. The sights in Giresun, Trab- Imamoglu’s rise on the political have been displaying old reflexes The real race will start today. to Turkish President Recep Tayyip zon and Ordu were all impressive. scene and his appearances outside but their enthusiasm may also be Until now, Imamoglu had to endure Erdogan and the massive power he Tens of thousands gathered in the Istanbul are seen as ”I want to rule illusory. So are the public polls, accusations on identity — that he is has accumulated over the years. squares in the traditional Erdogan not only Istanbul but the entire which, the few are trustworthy, a “Greek” from Pontus, the ancient Imamoglu may be the final strongholds, an indication that the Turkey” — an existential threat to show again a neck and neck race, name of the eastern Black Sea re- barrier between Erdogan and an tide — somehow, somewhat — was the president and his ruling party. with 2 percentage points of differ- gion where a large Christian major- absolutist order that Erdogan has turning. The example of jailed People’s ence in between. ity was based until a massive ethnic worked so hard to build. Soft-spoken, sympathetic and Democratic Party leader Selahattin Will Imamoglu win again? If the cleansing in 1914-23. The pessimists No doubt either that Imamoglu politically obstinate, Imamoglu is Demirtas, who is as sharp and sym- public furore is a sign, he may very expect, however, that if Erdogan is seen as the “real” mayor of the apparently rising in momentum as pathetic as Imamoglu, is alive in well end up as a victor. In fairness, is fully determined not to let go city. He won the election March 31 Turkey goes through a profound people’s memory as how relentless he deserves to be acknowledged of Istanbul, during the upcoming crisis that keeps the country in Erdogan can be when he perceives and allowed to take office but period before the election, a lot of convulsions. a serious challenge for his throne. there, at that very point, clouds ugly scenes could be played out. Some cautious observers, So, in many ways, Imamoglu, gather over probabilities and much They may be right: June 23 will June 23 will mark a including myself, have questioned who in his ”let’s overcome divi- has to do with what Erdogan has in mark a date when Islamists will date when Islamists whether carrying the election torch sions in the society” motto resem- mind this time. show whether they are respectful will show whether outside the boundaries of a city, bles late President Turgut Ozal, One theory is as simple as one of an election result if they witness where the race is limited, is a sign knows he has entered a minefield. can think of: Erdogan has run out a repeated loss. Their choice, then, they are respectful of of overconfidence. Countering Er- Then again, maybe not. of political ammunition. He has no will define the fate of Turkey. an election result if dogan’s well-known, over-the-top Given the topsy-turvy state of longer anything to tell the crowds, populism with the same attitude is the general order in Turkey, where and his words — much of them Yavuz Baydar is a Turkish they witness a one thing and the acrimonious real- the rule of law practically collapsed sheer lies — echo these days in the journalist and regular columnist for repeated loss. ity of today’s Turkey is another. and the economy is plunging in void. So, he may not do anything The Arab Weekly. June 9, 2019 15 Debate Iran Bracing for unrest, Iran intensifies neighbourhood policing

two letters to him… but [the gov- ernment] has not taken any seri- ous action. At any rate… the Basij Ali Alfoneh serves the regime and now is the time for the Basij to take action. The Basij is strong enough to help s US-imposed the government.” sanctions begin to The Rohani government has bite, Iran is yet to make official statements bracing itself for about the Razavioun but, by last unrest, exempli- November, the Basij’s unsolicited fied in the estab- initiative appears to have been lishment of the modified so it no longer was a “RazaviounA neighbourhood Basij operation alone but a joint patrol,” a joint initiative involv- initiative between the Basij, the ing the Law Enforcement Force police and the attorney general of and the Basij militia. Iran. This initiative is a reminder not The city of Qom served as only of the revolutionary commit- testing ground for the initiative. tees during the tumultuous first Explaining the cooperation, Colo- decade of the Islamic Republic, it nel Mohammad-Reza Movahed, also testifies to the level of hard- deputy commander of Qom Is- ship Iranians are going through lamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and shows how seriously the (IRGC), explained the Razavioun regime perceives the threats. patrol fights “theft, narcotics and The idea of the Razavioun hooliganism.” The patrol further patrol was conceived as a Basij aims to deal with black market operation, first announced “profiteering.” in September 2018 by On May 8, the Basij Brigadier-General and the Law Enforce- Gholam-Hossein The regime may ment Forces signed Gheibparvar, chief a memorandum provoke more Muzzling dissent. Members of Basij paramilitary force chant slogans during a rally in Tehran, May 31. commander of the of understanding (AP) Basij. anti-regime protests formalising their Gheibparvar and end up cooperation on the claimed the Basij achieving the very already existing ment Force (LEF). escalate grievances through exces- In practice, this means return- began its neigh- opposite of what it Razavioun patrol. Following a dismal perfor- sive force. Despite the generally ing to the bad old days of the first bourhood patrols desires to achieve. Iran has a long mance in the anti-regime protests satisfactory performance, the LEF decade of the revolution, where in January 2018, history of using of 2009, which forced the Basij further optimised itself through revolutionary committees cast which corresponds neighbourhood pa- and the IRGC to intervene, Tehran personnel changes in the months long and oppressive shadows with the time Iran trols to impose control. used considerable resources to after the protests. over the citizenry. In doing so, experienced widespread After the revolution of 1979 reform the LEF. Apparently, reforming the LEF the regime may provoke more bread riots that turned into and collapse of the police, so- The effects of those reforms was not enough and the sanctions anti-regime protests and end up anti-regime protests. called revolutionary committees were visible in the regime’s ef- regime has affected the security achieving the very opposite of When asked if Iranian President emerged to uphold order at the fective containment of the bread atmosphere in Iran to a degree what it desires to achieve. Hassan Rohani had been informed neighbourhood level. In 1991, the riots turned anti-regime protests that the regime once again is of and approved the Basij’s revolutionary committees merged in December 2017 and January forced to reach out to the Basij to Ali Alfoneh is a senior fellow at neighbourhood patrol initiative, with the city police and the gen- 2018: The police did not over- secure order at the neighbourhood the Arab Gulf States Institute in Gheibparvar responded: “I wrote darmerie to form the Law Enforce- react to the protests and did not level. Washington. Tehran tangled in web of disinformation

outs were regular but, even during Policy Nathaniel Gleicher said. Characters in the influence net- United States or Europe used fake those dark days, I remember danc- Twitter told Agence France- work had material published in US accounts to run pages or groups ing with my friends to music on Presse that it removed 2,800 inau- and Israeli media outlets, lobbied and impersonated legitimate news Claude Salhani cassettes bought from illegal music thentic accounts originating in Iran journalists to cover certain topics organisations in the Middle East, dealers,” Amidi said. at the beginning of May. “Our in- and appear to have orchestrated Facebook said. Almost at the same time, Tehran vestigations into these accounts are interviews in the United States “The individuals behind hen the abuses social media as part of its ongoing,” a Twitter spokeswoman and Britain regarding poli- this activity also repre- mullahs took influence peddling schemes. Face- said, declining to discuss details tics, FireEye reported. sented themselves as control of book and Twitter said they disabled until the analysis was finished. It was not clear journalists or other accounts used in an Iran-based A network of English-language whether the cam- personas and tried Iran, they Tehran wants its banned campaign to sway public opinion social media accounts misrepre- paign was related to to contact policy- dancing, by impersonating reporters, politi- senting who was behind them was a broader Iran- increasingly makers, report- music and cians and others. evidently orchestrated to promote based social media unhappy population ers, academics, Wmuch of the social contact Though in this instance, given Iranian political interests, FireEye influence opera- to know only the Iranian dissi- between the sexes, among a slew the source of the information, the said. tion uncovered last regime has the right dents and other of other activities that are gener- content and the actors involved, it “In addition to utilising fake year, FireEye said. to disinform others. public figures,” ally considered normal behaviour is obvious the reasons behind this American personas that espoused “The individuals Gleicher said. in the rest of the world. is more laced with malicious intent both progressive and conservative behind this activity, Access to the Since then the situation has rather than admiration. political stances, some accounts which also took place internet in Iran is somewhat improved, though the Facebook removed 51 accounts, impersonated real American on other internet platforms tightly controlled by country remains very much under 36 pages and seven groups and individuals, including a handful and websites, misled people security services. US intelli- the control of the theocracy, which, another three accounts from Insta- of Republican political candidates about who they were and what gence said Iran employs about though somewhat more lenient, gram after a tip from internet secu- that ran for House of Representa- they were doing,” Gleicher was 35,000 volunteers who monitor all continues to frown on anything rity firm FireEye, National Security tives seats in 2018,” FireEye said in quoted by AFP as saying. e-mail traffic for content they see even remotely resembling what Council Director of Cybersecurity a blog post. Frauds claimed to be in the as counter to their worldview. they refer to as “Western deca- This is not the first time the so- dence.” righteous regime of the mullahs The Iranian leadership demon- had been caught trying to mislead strates its two-faced nature when world opinion. There must have it rejects all Western values and been a fatwa deeming fake social classifies them as evil yet easily and media accounts totally halal. quite happily turns to the internet Disinformation it seems is — surely an invention of Western a state monopoly in Iran. Any decadence if there ever was one. journalist refusing to toe the Indeed, the clergy never hesitated line is, ironically, charged with to use the internet as a weapon in “misinformation” and risks heavy its hypocritical fight against the penalties. West. Iran’s judiciary sentenced Its approach to the internet is Iranian reporter Masoud Kazemi duplicitous. It cracks down at any to two years in prison for “spread- hint of free expression in social me- ing misinformation” and “insult- dia. At the end of May, the regime ing” the supreme leader and the arrested an Instagram star who authorities. Kazemi’s lawyer said posted videos of herself dancing. the journalist was banned from In the absence of clubs and “media activities” for two years. bars, parties in Iran were the one Tehran wants its increasingly place where people could dance unhappy population to know and freely socialise, though such only the regime has the right to gatherings are technically breaking disinform others and that the only the law. accurate information is the one Faranak Amidi, a reporter on doled out by authorities. women’s affairs with the BBC, grew up in Iran during the 8-year Iraq- Claude Salhani is a regular column- Iran war, or what she refers to as ist for The Arab Weekly and a sen- the “dark days.” ior fellow at the Institute of World “Food was rationed and black- Information minefield. An Iranian woman works on her laptop in Tehran. (Reuters) Affairs in Washington. 16 June 9, 2019 Debate United Kingdom

Post-Brexit prospects in the Middle East

A report published by the Britain Israel Communications and Re- search Centre (BICOM) emphasised Nazli Tarzi the need for bridges to advance business activities and investment with European countries, offering s the question regard- a counterweight to Russia and cur- ing a Brexit agreement tailing Iran’s extraterritorial reach raises the spectre of and the need to warm up to nations uncertainty, Britain’s that make up the Gulf Cooperation post-Brexit foreign Council (GCC). policy approach has Months ahead of British Prime attractedA lesser attention. The Minister Theresa May’s teary res- terms of Britain’s departure from ignation, new trade designs were the European Union will not only touted but no details were offered shape Britain’s future trade rela- other than “these agreements take tions but its foreign policy postur- time,” UAE Minister of Economy ing, too. Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansoori said Amid the messiness of Brexit, at the time. an unencumbered Britain must As some predicted, as far as the rethink its place in the world to Gulf is concerned, “the UK won’t protect its seat on the international Brexit,” a 6-month-old headline world stage, from economic activi- from Al-Monitor read. ties to soft military engagement. Defence cooperation is another Profitable economic arenas area of emphasis for a post-Brexit across allied nations are being Britain that by NATO terms British scoped should a no-deal scenario and other European states have transpire. signed up to, must be maintained at “Leaving the EU with a deal or above 2% of GDP. remains the UK government’s top Initial predictions suggested that priority,” however, the government an EU departure could strengthen is continuing with no deal prepara- bilateral and trade ties between tions to ensure the country is the United Kingdom and the prepared for every eventu- United States. Yet theo- ality,” the web page of ries that Brexit would Britain’s Department culminate in greater What’s next? British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives to announce her resignation outside 10 for International military coordina- Downing street in central London, May 24. (AFP) Trade read. The Middle East is an tion between them From Iraq, the important across various Britain had worked and traded with offers guidance to firms at home, Should Iran cease to observe its nu- Gulf, to Yemen, investment arena for Middle Eastern for decades, the Middle East con- abroad it must win over the con- clear commitments, there would, the Middle East not only the United battlegrounds re- sists of 22 countries. Their goods, fidence of resource-rich nations of course, be consequences,” Hunt is an important Kingdom but for the main speculative. tariffs and economic institutions to secure favourable treatment. A said. “For as long as Iran keeps its economic arena European Union. Trade between and cultures differ dramatically strengthened US-UK alliance is one commitments, then so, too, will the upon which Britain the two countries from one side of the pond to the foreseeable outcome but it remains United Kingdom.” exercises a strategy averages around $200 other. The impossibility of design- uncertain whether it would pave The Middle East is an important combining hard and soft billion annually. ing a one-size-fits-all trade policy the road towards closer military investment arena for not only the power. “Just 30% of Foreign is recognised by Westminster, as its coordination. United Kingdom but for the Euro- Brexit — hard or soft — is the Commonwealth Office diplomats gravitational draw towards the Gulf In response to recent escalation pean Union, whose engagements final nudge that would allow in Arabic-speaking countries can implies. in the US-Iranian war of words, and ranges from the Palestinian-Israeli Britain to project itself back into a speak Arabic compared to 64% of The GCC is not the only cluster in what some view as a predictable peace process to spurring private region crowded by towering pow- US diplomats in similar posts,” the of Arab states where British busi- move, Britain echoed the United sector growth in Iran. A no-deal ers from the United States, Iran, BICOM report stated, adding that a ness and commerce will continue. States’ position, as British Foreign scenario could force the two into Russia to China, South Korea and budget increase should be weighed The UK International Department Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s latest ad- a shared policy approach towards Japan. to train people in diplomatic posts. for Trade published guidelines to dress at the Foreign and Common- the region or accelerate unhealthy At a news conference in Febru- The choice is between strength- inform British exporters in Iraq wealth office reveals. competitiveness. ary, British Trade Minister Liam Fox ening regional-European state alli- and the Kurdish region of potential “I urge Iran not to take further said he and his ministerial team ances or crafting a new policy able changes, should Britain leave the escalatory steps and to stand by Nazli Tarzi is an independent had “undertaken over 150 overseas to win over Arab states and their European Union in absence of a its commitments. Sanctions were journalist whose writings and films visits… to old friends and new allies trade preferences. deal. lifted in exchange for restrictions focus on Iraq’s ancient history and alike and markets large and small.” Unlike the European bloc that As Britain’s Department of Trade on Iran’s nuclear programme. contemporary political scene. Britain’s resilient monarchy amid government meltdown

Ben, this new Palace of Westmin- about to evict its leader without racy do not mix well. A referendum the younger of Prince Charles’s ster became the most iconographic having a clear idea as to whom is binary: yes or no, in or out. and Lady Diana Spencer’s two building of London and indeed of it would like as a successor or Members of parliament are not sons to an American media star of Grey Gowrie the British Empire. For London, how the present parliamentary delegates of their constituents. Afro-Caribbean descent, sent the it became the equivalent of Notre arithmetic would change under a They represent what they believe shares of what is now a multiracial, Dame or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. newcomer. to be their constituents’ interests. multicultural Britain soaring. And n the early 1980s, Marga- Today, in a warm and, for Brit- When she goes, Theresa May will If you win a seat in parliament, you Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, ret Thatcher appointed me ain, relatively dry, early summer, be the third Conservative prime are morally and constitutionally has decided to call her son Archie. Britain’s minister of culture. Buckingham Palace, the Palace of minister to lose office not at the obliged to represent the people who The English will bet on flies In those days, we called it Westminster, Soho, Notting Hill hands of the electorate but on voted against as well as for you. climbing up a wall. The nation’s minister for the arts because and London’s many and varied account of her party’s internal The present parliament is what bookmakers will by now have to a generation like hers that leafy parks attract tourists quarrel about membership of the British call a hung parliament. recovered losses incurred by the fa- Ihad grown up in the age of fascism, from all over the world. the European Union. While The governing party has no clear vourite winning this spring’s Grand “minister of culture” suggested the Even two incompetent another Conservative majority and must seek allies to National. There has never been a head of the secret police. neo-Soviet assassins As head of the leader, John Major, stay in office. This is uncommon royal Archie. During my time, the French pretended to be multiracial succeeded in serv- under the British winner-take-all As head of the multiracial Com- government — Britain had, for ten tourists on their Commonwealth of ing out his term be- voting system. Present polling does monwealth of Nations, a role she years, been a member of the Euro- botched murder- Nations, a role she has fore being rejected not suggest that the opposition has always taken most seriously, pean Economic Community — gave ous visit to Salis- always taken most by the electorate Labour Party would necessarily the Queen has been colour-blind its close neighbour and ancient bury last year. seriously, the Queen in favour of Tony command a clear majority either. throughout her long reign. Her rival the honour of having a great Today, the has been colour-blind Blair, he had felt Parliament, like its building, is in being photographed as a white exhibition of the most interna- iconographic tower throughout her long obliged to stand a mess. great-grandmother beside a black tionally renowned of all English of Big Ben is under reign. in an internal party Up the road from Westminster, grandmother and looking as happy painters. scaffolding. It looks election over the same along the Whitehall and Pall Mall as she always looks at race meet- The 19th-century genius J.M.W. like any run-of-the-mill, perennial quarrel. thoroughfares made famous all ings has set a wonderful seal on Turner had oil paintings displayed high-rise building. The Under the British system, over the world by television cover- what is now the longest reign. at the Louvre and watercolours in mother of parliaments beneath the Queen is an absolute dictator, age of royal weddings and the At Prince Charles’s 70th birthday Bordeaux. There were royal visits it is in symbolic as well as architec- bound only by existing legislation. Queen’s State Openings of Parlia- last year, Queen Elizabeth paid a and speeches and parties and tural disrepair. She kindly delegates her pow- ment, there is another palace. short, witty and deeply affection- crates of champagne. Modern health and safety leg- ers, however, to whomsoever can Buckingham Palace is in an alto- ate tribute to both the heir to the The old rivalry was not dead, islation should close these huge form an executive drawn from the gether better state. There is consid- throne and to his second wife, however. Plastered all over Paris — buildings immediately. They are a elected members of the House of erable public interest, not confined Camilla. Parliament may have lost on walls, buses, newspaper kiosks, risk to all who enter them. Mod- Commons. to Britain, in what is going on its way but the monarchy is still public conveniences — were ern communications cabling has Such an individual becomes head there. Visitors enjoy considerable branding Britain as a stable and blow-ups of a Turner painting of been stuffed behind walls already of Her Majesty’s Government. His access to the building, not least to interesting country with a stable the 1830s. This was “The Burning stuffed with late 19th- and early or her principal opponent becomes a gallery exhibiting art from the and interesting future and the roof of the Houses of Lords and Com- 20th-century wiring. The Thames head of Her Majesty’s Opposition. Royal Collection, one of the finest and wiring of Buckingham Palace mons.” A great architect, Charles can flood from below. Rain drips in The European issue has split both in the world. require only minor repairs. Barry, was commissioned after the from above. It is astonishing to all government and opposition and At 93, Queen Elizabeth II has fire to rebuild the two houses of familiar with the Palace of West- very few of the people who elect proven to be a model of sense and Grey Gowrie served in Margaret parliament. minster that Notre Dame caught them have the faintest idea where sensibility. At 97, her caustic, funny Thatcher’s administration and They front the Thames and fire first. the two parties stand on an issue and often outspoken consort, was the youngest member surround the medieval assembly The case for parliament mov- decided by referendum in 2016. Prince Philip, has “retired.” He still of her Cabinet as a former room of Westminster Hall, which ing out is not only a physical The British, narrowly but in huge appears at her side on important culture minister. He comments survived the fire. Together with the one. The British government is in numbers, voted to “Leave.” Refer- occasions such as royal weddings. occasionally on the cultural great clock tower that houses Big meltdown. The governing party is endums and representative democ- The most recent of these, of background of current events. June 9, 2019 17 Debate US Iran

Are the US and Iran on a negotiation track?

against the international grain and adopt a supportive position towards Iran. The international mood cannot Mohamad Kawas accommodate Iranian realities since the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. The European Union o one wants a war seems likely to side with the United against Iran, not States if Tehran withdraws from the Washington or the nuclear agreement of 2015. capitals of the region Nothing suggests an imminent or the capitals of the outbreak of war. Even rocket fire world or Tehran, of at Israeli targets and Israeli retalia- Ncourse. tion strikes against sites inside Syria Nothing in US official statements do not signal an all-out military would suggest that Washington is confrontation. It is a mere calcu- pushing for a military campaign lated exchange of warning messages like previous ones in Yugoslavia, meant to maintain tensions at low Afghanistan and Iraq. levels. No one in Tehran wants a direct An examination of the military war with the United States. The aspect of the conflict would lead Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps one to exclude the likelihood of the generals can promise unspeakable outbreak of war by chance or by defeat for the United States and the mistake, the reason being that both imminent demise of Israel but their sides of the conflict are careful not words cannot hide the confusion to be reckless and are in full control at the top of the Iranian leadership, of the military details. The overwhelming discourse including its supreme leader, its Multiple discourse. US Ambassador Woody Johnson (L), US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C) is the language of negotiation. It president and its foreign minister. and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin listen during a news conference of US President Donald seems that the word “negotiation” This leadership’s actions and Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May in London, June 4. (AFP) words show it thinks that a direct is flourishing these days, regardless war with the United States is un- of whether it is empty of content likely and is trying hard to reassure or whether it reflects backroom has dropped his condition that Iran very survival of the regime. world and is conducting an active its citizenry that no catastrophe is debates in preparation for inevitable become a “normal state” while Ro- Perhaps it is wise not to pay too diplomatic campaign on Iran in going to hit Iran any time soon. negotiations. hani’s negotiations are conditional much attention to fiery statements which it addresses each capital in its In Beirut, Hezbollah Secretary- US President Donald Trump has on Washington dealing with Tehran from either side or those who talk of own language and discourse. General Hassan Nasrallah predicted come down from his hawkish perch with “respect.” Still, the path of ne- peace and dialogue. The situation of Pompeo is touring Europe, speak- that no war is coming Iran’s way and flooded Iran with friendly mes- gotiations remains difficult and the no war and no peace requires noise ing a language understood by the and that the enemy is incapable sages, inviting it to talk and even path of war is still in motion. engines to feed the crisis while back Europeans and not necessarily of waging that war. However, he anticipated close cooperation with Iran does not have enough agility channels of communication convey addressing the Iranians. So, when also warned that any war against a thriving Iran. US Secretary of State to deal with its biggest crisis in four the true intent of the stakeholders. he spoke of negotiating without pre- Iran would ignite the whole region. Mike Pompeo spoke of a willing- decades. Tehran addresses its adver- The Iranian Foreign Ministry was conditions, one must bear in mind This kind of war of fiery words will ness to negotiate with Iran without saries in stiff language that does not right when it saw Pompeo’s “nego- he was speaking from Switzerland in continue to unfold amid the ongo- preconditions, a position that was consider that the world has changed tiations without preconditions” as the context of the famous Bilderberg ing crisis. considered a complete turnabout on and that changing its behaviour is just word play. The US economic Conference, an influential leader- The three summits in Mecca — the part of the father of the 12 nasty part of expected transformations. sanctions and naval presence in the ship forum whose proceedings and the Gulf, Arab and Islamic ones — conditions. And if, as the saying goes, victory Gulf are part of Washington’s strat- deliberations are kept secret. showed unanimous support for the Iranian President Hassan Rohani requires “an hour of patience,” time egy to drag Iran to Trump’s table. Despite conspiracy theories that Saudi position and strong backing also spoke of Iran’s willingness to is not working in its favour What some observers have have long surrounded the Bilderberg for the US position on Iran. negotiate in a way that discarded Trump’s harsh sanctions against considered an American retreat community, Pompeo just needed to Tehran seems to be lacking previous positions espoused by Teh- Iran are destroying Iran’s economic and surprising flexibility is nothing talk about peace and dialogue as he a supportive international and ran, which stressed more than once fabric and, despite US assurances more than one of the many facets of was joining Bilderberg’s forum. regional environment. It appears that there would be no new negotia- that there are no plans to topple the Washington’s approach to the crisis to be sinking further into isolation. tions of the nuclear agreement. Iranian regime, Tehran realises that with Tehran. Mohamad Kawas is a Lebanese Even China and Russia cannot go What we have now is that Pompeo the painful sanctions threaten the The United States is talking to the writer. US, Iran wishful thinking over the Taliban

Ali Alfoneh in Doha to discuss how foreign troops could be withdrawn from Afghanistan and how to guaran- ot even the joyous tee the country will not be used month of Ramadan by outside forces to attack other brought peace and countries. quiet to Afghani- For a time, the talks proceeded stan, which expe- so well, that US Secretary of State rienced a spike in Mike Pompeo, addressing a farm- Nviolence as the Taliban claimed ers’ gathering in Iowa in March, responsibility for multiple at- declared his readiness to person- tacks. Yet Washington and Teh- ally take part in negotiations with ran, which do not appear to agree the Taliban. The talks ceased for on much these days, both reach about a month and Pompeo has out to the Taliban as a stabilising since condemned the Taliban’s force, perhaps in an apparent be- recent attacks but the State De- lief in the ancient proverb: “The partment is willing to resume “to enemy of my enemy is my friend.” move the peace process forward,” While US President Donald as it said in a statement June 1. Trump considers transition of The State Department optimis- power in Afghanistan to the his- tically insisting on the path of torically anti-Iranian Taliban negotiations with the Taliban as a viable exit strategy should hardly surprise. for the United States They are under Big divide. Qatari officials (C) take part in a meeting between the US (L) and Taliban (R) delegations from that country, pressure from US in Doha, February 26. (AFP) Iran has used the Kabul appears to be President Donald past few years to the biggest loser in the Trump, who has mend relations Taliban’s shrewd on numerous oc- American, military forces from and co-existence of ethnicities, it concerning the Taliban and future with the Taliban manoeuvrings casions criticised Afghanistan. is supported by us,” he said. of Afghanistan: Pompeo and Khal- to increase pres- between Tehran and America’s longest Zarei, participating in a Tasnim News Agency, close to ilzad pursue an expressed policy sure on the US Washington. war, costing more Mashregh News panel, tried the IRGC, just as optimistically re- of rolling back Iranian influence military. than $900 billion hard to tone down the anti-Shia leases news story after news story in the Middle East and Central In the end, how- and taking the lives proclivity among the Taliban and about the Taliban as an effective Asia; Zarei and the IRGC are the ever, both Washington of more than 2,300 instead emphasised the anti- force capable of eradicating the very agents of Iran’s regional and Tehran may find US soldiers since 2001. Americanism of the group. “The Islamic State from Afghanistan. influence. themselves outmanoeuvred In his State of the Union government of Afghanistan is Such statements illustrate the Can they both count on the by the Taliban. address, Trump declared his in- both Pashtun and Sunni, yet the degree of wishful thinking in Taliban to secure their interests or On June 1, the US State Depart- terest in reaching a “political set- Taliban says it must be toppled Washington and Tehran, both will the Taliban continue to play ment said Zalmay Khalilzad, US tlement in Afghanistan,” reducing because it is an American pup- of which want to believe the Washington and Tehran against special representative for Af- the presence of US troops and pet,” Zarei said. “Therefore… the Taliban’s promises. Washington each other in order to extract ghanistan reconciliation, would focusing “on counterterrorism.” United States is their primary needs a diplomatic cover for its concessions from both? have new talks in June with the The State Department, howev- enemy and not the Shias.” ignominious military withdrawal At any rate, Kabul appears Taliban in Doha. On April 28, in er, has no monopoly on optimism Ignoring systematic Taliban from Afghanistan. Tehran creates to be the biggest loser in the an interview with Tolo TV station, when it comes to the Taliban. In bombings of Shia mosques in the “enemy of my enemy is my Taliban’s shrewd manoeuvrings Khalilzad emphasised the United mid-February, two weeks before Afghanistan, Zarei claimed: “Fun- friend” logic as an excuse to ig- between Tehran and Washing- States would not withdraw the the Doha negotiations, Saad-Allah damentally, the concept of war nore the very real anti-Shia trend ton. It is highly doubtful that the NATO-led, 14,000-troop mission Zarei, a political analyst close to against the Shias does not exist in among the Taliban and recalibrate Taliban and Kabul would agree from Afghanistan “if we don’t see the Islamic Revolutionary Guard the intellectual framework of the its policy towards the Taliban. to a power-sharing arrangement, see a permanent ceasefire and a Corps (IRGC), just as optimisti- Taliban.” Zarei went as far as de- The rivalry between the United given that the Taliban refuse commitment to end the war.” cally elaborated on alleged shared claring Iran’s support for the Tali- States and Iran adds another to engage in negotiations with For months, Khalilzad and interest of Tehran and the Taliban ban: “To the extent the Taliban strange dimension to Tehran’s Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s Taliban representatives have met in expelling foreign, in particular, moves in the direction of stability and Washington’s optimism government. 18 June 9, 2019 Economy

Cairo tackles privatisation of public transport sector Briefs

Mohamed Hammad memorandum. OPEC+ consensus Sameh suggested that the state hold 60% of the project, provided emerging on H2 Cairo that the private sector be granted cooperation the right of management. he Egyptian Ministry of Cairo has boosted the invest- Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Public Works announced a ment climate in road transport al-Falih said there is consensus plan to merge three public and implemented a road network emerging among the OPEC+ group T land transport government project, adding some 3,400km of to continue work towards market companies into one entity and of- roads at a cost of about $2.2 billion. stability in the second half of the fer it as an opportunity for foreign The transport companies’ merg- year. investment. er is important because the com- Oil prices in May sustained their Egyptian Minister of Public panies otherwise would not be sharpest monthly fall in six months Works Hisham Tawfiq said the able to keep up with the progress on worries that trade disputes companies involved were Upper in the private sector. The merger would hit demand for crude. Egypt Transport, Tourism, and is expected to cut operating costs, “We will do what is needed to sus- East and West Delta. He explained especially in senior management, tain market stability beyond June,” that the new entity would be pre- which will increase profitability af- Arab News quoted Falih as saying. sented to the private sector for ter restructuring. development to provide competi- Obstacles for developing public (Reuters) tive services, including electronic transport in Egypt include overstaff- ticketing and Wi-Fi service for pas- ing, which arose from heavy bu- Libyan conflict sengers. reaucracy, and the lack of a culture of consumer satisfaction because Daily headache. Motorists stuck in a traffic jam on a street leading risks oil output many sector employees consider towards downtown Cairo. (Reuters) Data from Egypt’s Central themselves state employees and ‘collapse’ Auditing Organisation not accountable to customers in show that public terms of the quality of service. In the first phase, 56 new buses tor in Egypt had been neglected The head of Libya’s National Oil transportation systems in Ride-sharing companies banked were put on the roads. The compa- for decades, which led to the accu- Company warned against a “col- Egypt move about 1.4 on the negative reputation of pub- ny is planning to increase the fleet mulation of problems, notably the lapse in production” stemming billion passengers a year. lic transportation. Their digital ap- to 2,000 vehicles by next year with lack of qualified drivers. Egyptian from conflict in the country. plications offer riders the chance the goal of serving 8 million pas- authorities have ignored the dilap- Oil production “could collapse The Egyptian public transport to evaluate both vehicle and driver sengers. Bus users can pay fares by idated condition of public trans- at any moment,” said National system suffers from a deteriora- after each trip, pressuring drivers using prepaid cards instead of cash port vehicles and drivers taking on Oil Company Chairman Mustafa tion in service and the poor con- to provide exemplary service. payments for tickets. more passengers than allowed by Sanalla, even as he cited current dition of most vehicles, which Adel al-Lamai, chairman of the law. output of more than 1 million bar- allowed for the private sector to Transport Committee of the Egyp- Mabrouk pointed out that other rels per day. compete with high-quality trans- tian Businessmen’s Association, The transport companies’ countries’ transport sectors often Output could potentially fall port services. said the government’s privatisa- merger is important because operate as one integrated system. 95%, Sanalla said in a video pub- Ride-sharing entities have en- tion move should have been made the companies otherwise They encourage investors and the lished on social media. tered the competition. The Egyp- much earlier because it was obvi- would not be able to keep up private sector to bring in new capi- tian start-up Swvl was the pioneer ous that public transport compa- with the progress in the tal to meet imbalances in the sec- (Agence France-Presse) followed by the UAE company nies were having difficulty keeping private sector. tor, ensuring the continuous main- Careem and American giant Uber. up with population increases. tenance of the whole system. Data from Egypt’s Central Audit- “The government must become Ibrahim Mabrouk, professor of Cairo needs to increase invest- Britain’s Ineos to ing Organisation show that public convinced that its role is regula- transportation and traffic at the ment in the sector and activate the transportation systems in Egypt tory, not competition, to ensure Faculty of Engineering at Al-Azhar role of the Supreme Council for invest $2 billion in move about 1.4 billion passengers the success of the new (economic) University, said the land transport Traffic Safety, which includes rep- a year. direction and (the privatisation sector cannot be developed sepa- resentatives from the ministries of Saudi plants Mohamed Sameh, president of move) could become a model for rately from improving the entire Interior, Health and Justice, to en- the Arab Union for Direct Invest- the rest of the transport sector,” transportation system in general. sure the safety of roads and the en- British petrochemicals maker ment, revealed the intention of the said Lamai. He pointed out that the govern- actment of the relevant legislation. Ineos is investing $2 billion to build Abu Dhabi Investment Authority The transport company Mu- ment is required to link the road The transport sector in Egypt three plants in Saudi Arabia. and individuals from Saudi Ara- wasalat Misr, a subsidiary of Emir- transport system with railways lacks a clear investment plan that The three plants to be construct- bia and Kuwait to invest in Egypt’s ates National Group, launched at and include the river transport sets priorities for development and ed by Ineos would form part of a land transport sector. He said the the beginning of last year the first system, air transportation and promotes investment circles local- $5 billion petrochemical complex investors are waiting for Cairo to smart collective transport project the transport of goods. The entire ly and internationally. being built in Saudi Arabia by the announce the percentage allocated in collaboration with Cairo gov- transport system must work as one state-owned company Saudi Ara- for private investments in the sec- ernorate, aimed at providing safe and should not be fragmented. Mohamed Hammad is an Egyptian mco and France’s Total. tor and for a detailed government transportation. Mabrouk said the transport sec- writer. The complex will supply more than $4 billion of derivatives and Viewpoint specialty chemicals, Ineos said. Saudi Arabia forges ahead on ambitious LNG expansion plans (Associated Press) Lebanon electricity Jareer Elass er Novatek’s Arctic LNG-2 project, reserves at 325.1 trillion cubic had made its first LNG sale from with the Saudi firm said to be feet, though the Gulf country only Singapore in March to an Indian reform plans stalled unhappy with financial terms of produces around 14 billion cubic buyer. by court appeal the deal and concerned about feet per day (Bcf/d) — all of which The preliminary agreement potential US sanctions risk. is consumed domestically. signed between Saudi Aramco Lebanon’s constitutional court As Riyadh tries to weather po- The Saudi government is keen and Sempra would cover a sup- ruled to halt part of a power sector litical blowback from the October to develop domestic conventional ply deal in which the Saudi firm reform plan that seeks to reduce killing of Saudi journalist Jamal and shale gas, which would free would receive 5 million tonnes state subsidies. iyadh is taking steps Khashoggi, further entrenching it- up as much as 400,000 barrels per per annum (MTPA) of LNG for 20 “The goal of the appeal is for us in its pledge to be- self into the US energy landscape day of crude for exports that has years. That supply would be pro- to forbid violating the laws when come a global natu- through a long-term LNG invest- been dedicated to fuelling Saudi duced from the first phase of an it comes to awarding contracts,” ral gas player, even ment is a geopolitically strategic power plants. LNG export facility in Port Arthur Sami Gemayel, one of the legisla- though the gas in move. Two years ago, Saudi Ara- Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser that Sempra is developing. As part tors who appealed the plan, posted question is not from mco became the sole owner of the said the state energy firm would of the agreement, Saudi Aramco on Twitter. RSaudi Arabia and the kingdom will largest US refinery in Port Arthur, invest $150 billion over the next will take a 25% equity stake in the The MPs questioned the legality face intense competition in major Texas, and it has been planning decade to boost the kingdom’s Port Arthur plant, which is to be of the plan, which would allow the markets from the likes of the on building a petrochemicals natural gas production to 23 operational in 2023. cabinet to give licences for power United States, Russia, Australia complex at that site. Bcf/d and to become a natural gas Dipping its toe into the LNG plants instead of a regulatory body and Qatar. Riyadh cannot ignore the exporter. At the World Economic market, Saudi Aramco is ex- that has not been set up. State oil and gas giant Saudi potential of the American LNG Forum in January, Nasser em- pected to target South American Aramco and US utility and energy industry. The rapid growth of US phasised the role that US gas and European customers for its (Reuters) infrastructure firm Sempra Energy shale gas catapulted the United assets could play in reaching that Sempra-owned gas, although it signed a preliminary agreement States into the position as the exporter status, saying: “Aramco’s wouldn’t be surprising if spare involving a long-term liquefied world’s fifth largest LNG exporter international gas team has been cargo headed to the kingdom dur- Bahrain allows natural gas (LNG) supply deal and in 2018, with the possibility of the given an open platform to look ing peak summer power demand. a Saudi stake in a US LNG export Western nation breaking into the at [US] gas acquisitions along the Saudi Aramco still has the foreign companies plant. top three tier alongside Australia whole supply chain. They have agreement with Sempra to finalise Saudi Arabia is intent on mov- and Qatar soon, if it can tackle in- been given significant financial with the volumes not available for 100% stakes in ing from an economy driven by oil frastructure bottlenecking issues. firepower — in the billions of dol- at least four years. To put things revenues and part of that involves An independent audit of Saudi lars.” in perspective, the 5 MTPA of extraction projects developing the kingdom’s gas po- Arabia’s energy reserves put the Nasser announced in February supplies that the Saudis will be Bahrain is to allow foreign tential and buying into foreign as- kingdom’s conventional gas that Saudi Arabia would shoot to selling from that arrangement is companies to own 100% of oil and sets to become a gas exporter. The export as much as 3 Bcf/d of gas small potatoes compared to the natural gas extraction projects in Gulf country has reportedly been by 2030, supported by develop- world’s two largest LNG export- the country under an order from looking at opportunities in LNG ment of domestic conventional ers, Australia and Qatar, which Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin operations in the United States, Dipping its toe into and unconventional gas resourc- each typically export more than 6 Salman al Khalifa. Russia, Australia and Africa. the LNG market, Saudi es, with exports available as both million tonnes of LNG a month. To be eligible, the foreign parent Economic and political con- piped gas and LNG. Saudi Arabia will likely start company must have signed, or be in siderations probably tipped the Aramco is expected to In April, he noted: “We are out as a supplier of incremental the final stages of signing, an explo- scales in favour of Sempra for Ri- target South American currently in discussion with a gas in Latin America and Europe ration and production agreement yadh’s first major gas investment. and European lot of partners around the world because it will face stiff competi- with the government. Saudi Aramco in May walked for growing our international gas tion from larger LNG suppliers away from serious negotiations to customers for its position.” Nasser also disclosed that have staked claims in key (Reuters) participate in Russian gas produc- Sempra-owned gas. that Saudi Aramco’s trading arm markets. June 9, 2019 19 Economy Will Iraq have enough electricity for coming hot summer days?

Manuel Langendorf and told the public to ration elec- tricity. “Outages remain a daily occur- London rence for most households be- cause increasing generating capac- t a demonstration in June ity has been outrun by increasing 2018, protesters in Basra demand for electricity,” noted the loaded a black box re- International Energy Agency (IAE) A sembling a coffin with the in April. inscription “Electricity” onto the This is particularly the case, the roof of a car. This was one demon- authors said, as the hot summer stration of how much of a political months, when temperatures can issue electricity is in Iraq. top 50 degrees Celsius, drive up With what is likely to be another the use of air conditioning. hot summer ahead, there is in- The Iraqi government has made creasing pressure on the Baghdad improving the electricity supply government to improve access to one of its priorities. The Electric- electricity and water. ity Ministry, headed by Luay al- Complex issue. An Iraqi man checks the wiring of a generator supplying electricity to homes in Many Iraqis blame the govern- Khatteeb, announced in May that Baghdad. (AFP) ment for not providing adequate national electricity production had services despite the country’s oil reached 17 gigawatts. wealth. Protests in southern Iraq Khatteeb presented comparative tor, Khatteeb said radical changes ity sector was considered among litical campaign” to explain the last year turned violent, with dem- electricity data for May from 2018 would happen in 2020, stating that the best in the region. That leg- changes, said Tollast, adding that onstrators attacking governmental and 2019, indicating production in- the current situation was not “ide- acy was destroyed by successive more investment in the electricity and political parties’ buildings. creases on every day of the month. al” but “better” because of steps wars and international sanctions. sector and a “change in culture” of IEA data indicate that available taken to create more energy. With Iraq’s population growing at using electricity was needed. “The electricity supply has increased Robert Tollast, of the Iraq Ener- a rate of 1 million per year, peak current system is unsustainable, With what is likely to be over the past five years and the gap gy Institute, said the economics of demand is projected to double by even with high oil prices,” he said. another hot summer ahead, between supply and demand has the electricity system is distorted. 2030 if left unchecked, the IEA es- Fayyadh said people don’t ex- there is increasing pressure widened. Subsidies ensured that electric- timated. pect the government will be able on the Baghdad government The government signed an ity provided by the national grid Tollast said efforts to improve to fix the electricity issue before to improve access to agreement with German company is almost free, he said. However, the distribution system and in- summer, having failed to do so in electricity and water. Siemens this year to upgrade Iraq’s while the subsidies were designed crease capacity are key but it is the past. electricity grid. The agreement to help the poor, the tariff system important “to tackle the problem Tollast struck a more optimistic “It is very hard” to deal with the “includes the addition of new and disadvantages them and does not from the demand side.” This en- tone, saying it was unlikely that electricity issues, said Iraqi jour- highly efficient power generation create incentives to consume elec- tails implementing a progressive Iran would cut its export of elec- nalist Methaq al-Fayyadh, adding capacity, rehabilitation and up- tricity more efficiently, he said. tariff scheme so users pay more if tricity to Iraq this year as it did that the lack of reliable electricity grade of existing plants and the A large part of families’ electric- they consume more, he said. There in 2018. He added that the water was not a new problem and affects expansion of transmission and dis- ity expenditures goes to operators is a “tremendous use of energy per situation was better than last year most parts of the country. tribution networks,” Siemens said. of privately owned generators, capita in Iraq,” Tollast said. when the country experienced Dozens of people protested The Iraqi prime minister’s of- which run on fuel. These neigh- In the current tariff structure, drought. Iraq has also been pro- June 1 in Karbala against prices for fice said the 4-year plan would bourhood generators are used to consumers pay a fixed price if cessing more flare gas, which can new generators and demanded an be worth $15.7 billion. The first close gaps in the electricity sup- they use more than 4,000-kilo- be used to generate electricity. improvement to the electricity situ- phase includes the installation of ply but are expensive. Generator watt hours per year, a relatively “There is an expectation that ation. 13 transformer stations, cooling operators have sometimes worked low amount, meaning the price this year might not be as bad as last In anticipation of high tempera- systems for power stations and with armed groups to prevent up- per unit drops the more one con- year,” he concluded. tures during Eid al-Fitr, the Elec- building a 500-megawatt, gas-fired grades to the grid that could hurt sumes. tricity Ministry called on governo- power plant south of Baghdad. their business. Any change to the tariff system Manuel Langendorf is a writer rates to adhere to allocated quotas In an interview with Al-Moni- Until 1990, the Iraq electric- must be accompanied by a “po- focusing on the MENA region. Tunisia moves ahead with smart electricity grid

Riadh Bouazza ing some time ago. Last year at the infrastructure for measuring elec- Africa Smart Grid Summit in Tunis, tricity consumption and for com- the company said it would initiate munication between the power Tunis an international tender during the plant and consumers. The data first quarter of 2019 to start the exchange allows power plants to he Tunisian parliament project. coordinate electricity production has approved taking a The French funding is to be al- with actual demand. $131.7 million loan from located to implementation of the STEG previously indicated that T the French Development first phase only, which will in- it had implemented measures to Agency for the implementation of volve development of control and ensure the transition to the smart a smart grid project. communication stations and the grid, especially since digitalisation Parliament passed legislation improvement of infrastructure. It is playing an important role in the regarding the 400 million dinar includes installation of 430,000 energy sector. ($131.7 million) loan plus a grant of “intelligent” metres over three The project, which translates Tu- $1.1 million. years in Sfax governorate in south- nisia’s energy plans in the form of The loan, to be repaid over 20 ern Tunisia. The second phase of a partnership between the public years with a grace period of up the project is planned to extend and private sectors, aims at reach- to 7 years, is part of the Tunisian the programme to the rest of the ing 30% of the country’s electricity government’s efforts to establish a country. need from renewable sources by strategy of energy switching aimed Smart metres to be installed in 2025. at reducing costs and enhancing homes and businesses in Sfax ac- The development of the smart operational efficiency. count for about 10% of the total grid will allow STEG to moni- number of metres to be deployed tor consumption patterns, detect The main difference in Tunisia. abuses and remotely monitor the A much-needed transition. A view of the headquaters of the Tunisian between the traditional and At the beginning of 2017, the In- grid’s power supply. Company of Electricity and Gas in Tunis. (Wikipedia) smart grids is the adoption dustrial Company of Metallic Arti- “The smart grid will change the cles (SIAM), a Tunisian industrial face of the energy system towards of advanced infrastructure electrical equipment and machin- the use of renewable energies,” $329 million over the past eight peatedly asked the government for measuring electricity ery company, signed an agreement said Tunisian Industry Minister years, has not disclosed when and to pay subsidy instalments due to consumption and for with Huawei for the Chinese com- Slim Feriani. At the forum on al- how funding would be secured the company and to enact binding communication between the pany to supply smart electricity ternative energies, he pointed out for the completion of the second decisions to force government in- power plant and consumers. metres. The value of the deal was that energy sector digitisation re- phase. The company insists it is stitutions and departments to pay not disclosed. quires investments in technology working to prevent further losses electricity bills. The move to the smart grid had The smart grid is designed to and a change in the consumption and to collect its unpaid bills. The Tunisian government has been postponed after the Tunisian reduce power waste, reduce the mentality. STEG CEO Moncef Harrabi, yet to disburse the subsidy in- Company of Electricity and Gas number of unpaid bills, prevent Official data indicate that Tu- earlier this year, said: “The cur- stalments due STEG for 2018 and (STEG) announced in March 2017 consumer fraud, improve the eco- nisia’s energy deficit accounts for rent situation of the company has 2019, which amount to $658 mil- that implementation of the first system and increase competitive- one-third of the country’s annual forced us to take immediate action lion. STEG also imports natural gas phase of the project would begin ness in the electricity sector. trade deficit, which reached record to reduce the worsening of the cri- from Algeria for its power plants at in early 2018 and cover the entire Experts said the main difference levels of more than $6 billion last sis and stop the financial bleeding a cost of $1.1 billion a year. country by 2023. between the traditional and smart year. caused by losses.” STEG was to have received fund- grids is the adoption of advanced STEG, whose debts have reached He said the company had re- Riadh Bouazza is a Tunisian writer. 20 June 9, 2019 Society Environment Cairo needs more awareness, strict regulations to protect environment

Hassan Abdel Zaher lic health and prevent the yearly squandering of billions of dollars on medical treatment for those af- Cairo fected by pollution. Cairo, a city of almost 16 million gypt was one of many coun- people, has a high amount of air- tries that commemorated borne pollution, environmentalists World Environment Day, said, which draws Cairo under the E the United Nations’ biggest microscope for this year’s World annual event for positive environ- Environment Day, whose theme mental action. was “Beat Air Pollution.” Egypt has worked to eradicate “There is an urgent need for ac- environmental problems that have tion on pollutants in this city,” said plagued the country for decades, Khaled al-Qadi, an environmental including an immense black cloud expert. “I do not think the authori- that covered Greater Cairo eve- ties are working enough to put an ry year because of thousands of end to the causes of pollution in tonnes of rice straw being burned Cairo or to even reduce it.” by farmers in the Nile Delta. Authorities are working to main- Egypt did away with rice straw tain the environment in Cairo but burning by convincing farmers to the city capital is on the receiving recycle the straw into a wide range end of a large amount of pollutants. of products, including animal fod- Apart from human activity, Cairo der and fertiliser. The Egyptian must deal with hundreds of thou- Ministry of State for Environmental sands of vehicles from other cities Affairs provided farmers with ma- every day because almost all minis- chines for the processing of the rice tries and important institutions are straw for free. concentrated in the capital. Northern Cairo has hundreds of factories that produce items, from Authorities are working to plastics to textile products, and maintain the environment emit huge amounts of smoke into in Cairo but the city the air. Southern Cairo has Egypt’s capital is on the receiving largest cement factories that vent end of a large amount of toxic materials into the air as well. pollutants. In 2017, 40,000 Egyptians died because of pollution, the UN Envi- In 2018, 200,000 tonnes of straw ronment Programme said. It said were collected from rice farms in the absence of trees in Cairo con- the Nile Delta and converted into tributed to the problem of air pol- organic fertiliser and animal fod- lution. A stubborn problem. People ride a small boat past an oil spill in the Nile River in Cairo. (AFP) der, Minister of State for Envi- In 2018, British energy firm Eco ronmental Affairs Yasmine Fouad Experts, after analysing data from said, adding that ending rice straw 48 cities worldwide, ranked Cairo tion throughout Egypt. natural gas consumption in Egypt of the government and the general burning would reduce Cairo’s black as the world’s most polluted city. It The Egyptian cabinet introduced dropped 1.5% in 2017-18, compared public. cloud by 34%. said, on an average day, residents the National Solid Waste Manage- with the previous year. “There is an urgent need for The minister noted, however, breathe air plagued with particu- ment Programme on June 5 and The drop in the emissions came more awareness about the impor- that unauthorised rubbish dumps, late matter less than 2.5 microme- said the programme would com- as Egypt reduces dependence on tance of protecting the environ- car fumes and emissions from fac- tres that is 11.7 times more than the bine the best management prac- traditional fuels and increases use ment,” said Sherine Farrag, a mem- tories account for the remaining level considered safe by the World tices. of renewable energies, the agency ber of the Energy and Environment airborne pollution in Cairo. Health Organisation. On June 3, The Egyptian Cen- said. Committee in the Egyptian parlia- Environmentalists have called Egyptian authorities contested tral Agency for Public Mobilisation This progress, experts said, high- ment. “We are also badly in need of for action by the government to the findings and said they are try- and Statistics, said carbon diox- lights the need to put the environ- laws that punish those who cause reduce pollution to protect pub- ing to address the causes of pollu- ide emissions from petroleum and ment at the centre of the attention pollution.” Traffic jams, filthy streets, decaying buses turn life in Casablanca into daily nightmare

Saad Guerraoui queues in Sidi Maarouf district. IT consultant, said he had to get an- The bridge was to have opened at other car because of knee pain that the end of 2018. The delay prompt- came from driving his other car for Casablanca ed frustrated motorists to turn to long hours. social media to denounce authori- “I changed my manual gearbox ork on infrastructure ties for a supposed nonchalant at- to automatic because of the traffic projects causing huge titude towards residents’ suffering. jams that have taken their toll on traffic jams at peak “Save Casablanca” has become my knee. Driving is very stressful in W hours, overcrowded the platform — 163,000 members Casablanca,” Abourizk said. buses and overloaded bins have — and rallying cry of the city’s resi- Smail Serbout, an engineer and turned Casablanca into frustrating dents on social media as they ex- expert in risk management, told Stubborn problem. Passengers sit on top of an overcrowded bus in and irritating obstacle course. press their daily concerns, ranging Moroccan daily Le Matin that the Casablanca. (Saad Guerraoui) Infrastructure projects that were from transport to cleanliness. bridge will relieve traffic at the in- to improve Casablancans’ life and Prior to the opening of the tersection of Sidi Maarouf, which ease the daily traffic congestion are bridge, dozens of publications fea- handles 14,000 vehicles per hour at contract, we reached an agreement gory coach and tour Tangier,” wrote behind schedule, leaving traffic at tured photographs of long vehicle peak times. that allowed us to save 97 million Mohamed Filali Aoual on the Save some boulevards at almost a stand- queues, illustrating motorists’ daily Casablanca has also become syn- Moroccan dirhams ($1 million) Casablanca Facebook page. still. nightmare. onymous with decaying and over- on the initial budget dedicated to “First, they will know how this The projects fall within the Great- Entrepreneur Aimane Sami said crowded buses that endanger pas- cleanliness.” city has been metamorphosed. Sec- er Casablanca Development Plan he had to endure four years of daily sengers’ lives. Almost $249 million ond, they will have time to medi- (2015-20), which seeks to improve traffic jams before the opening of is needed to acquire a fleet of 700 tate on their bad governance,” he quality of life for Casablanca’s in- the bridge. buses that will be in circulation in Infrastructure projects that added. habitants, enhance mobility at the “During peak hours, if I leave at Casablanca by 2021 to replace the were to improve Vice-Mayor Abdelmalek Lake- regional level, promote economic 6.45am, it takes me 35 minutes to decaying buses after management Casablancans’ life and ease hayli, who is also president of Ain attractiveness and improve the reach my company in Bouskoura. If contract of M’dina bus was not re- the daily traffic congestion Choq District, called on citizens to business climate, Casa Invest said. I leave at 7.15, it is a 1-hour journey,” newed. are behind schedule, leaving be patient. The development plan includes said Sami. Casablancans also have had to traffic at some boulevards at “We are completely aware of the construction of a modern public Even with the bridge open, Sami bear the brunt of overloaded rub- almost a standstill. effect of the cleanliness of inhabit- transport system in Casablanca, in- now must deal with construction bish bins in the streets longer than ants. We raised the budget to al- cluding expansion of the tramway, of an underpass in the junction of expected after the City Council ex- Scores of people have been de- low the delegated companies to improvement of potholed streets, Brahim Roudani and Ghandi boule- tended the deadline for introducing ploring the degrading state of Mo- improve their services,” said Lake- traffic road infrastructure and the vards. new collection engines provided rocco’s biggest and richest city and hayli in a video published on social upgrading of cultural, sports and “I’m forced to regularly use a by Derichebourg and Averda to six calling on councillors to learn from media. animation infrastructures. chauffeur for practical reasons due months. Tangier’s successful development A 224-metre cable bridge opened to the driving time I waste besides Casablanca Mayor Abdelaziz El plan. Saad Guerraoui is a contributor under public pressure May 10 to the stress,” he added. Omari said: “At the time of the ne- “I suggest that the Casablanca’s to The Arab Weekly on Maghreb ease seemingly endless vehicle Younes Abourizk, a 35-year-old gotiations, before the award of the councillors be taken in a third-cate- issues. June 9, 2019 21 Society Women Lebanese women breaking barriers in civil aviation

Samar Kadi

Beirut

hen she challenged a friend who provoked her with sexist com- W ments, Rola Hoteit said she had no idea she would become the first female pilot with Lebanon’s flag carrier, Middle East Airlines. Hoteit, a 46-year-old mother of two, is no longer the lone female pilot. In the past three years, five other women joined Middle East Airlines’ (MEA) roster of cockpit crews, breaking barriers by mov- ing into the traditionally male- dominated job. Hoteit said she was studying mathematics at the American Uni- versity of Beirut when a male stu- dent showed her a newspaper ad- vertisement from MEA that called for “female and male applicants” for pilot positions.

MEA now has six women among its 190 pilots and first officers and is expected to add more female pilots.

“He brandished the paper and said, ironically, ‘Look, they are offering pilot seats for women. That’s a joke. Women can hardly park a car’,” Hoteit recalled. “It really angered me and we made a bet. We agreed to apply and see who could pass the entrance ex- ams. I passed. He didn’t.” A passion for flying. Captain Rola Hoteit, the first Lebanese female pilot with Lebanon national airline MEA. (Courtesy of Rola Hoteit) Only nine candidates passed among more than 2,000 appli- cants. It was the trigger that turned by colleagues like when they asked candidates.” actual pilot and not a stewardess,” is expected to add more female pi- Hoteit’s future upside down. She me for a pencil. They would say, Hoteit’s first flight as captain of said Hoteit, who is also the region- lots. dropped her university courses ‘not eyeliner or lipstick’.” the plane was a roundtrip to Am- al vice-president of the Interna- “We believe in women’s capaci- and embarked on a career she Hoteit was a first officer, or co-pi- man. “It is a 1-hour flight each way tional Federation of Air Line Pilots’ ties despite our culture that sees hadn’t contemplated. lot, for 15 years and she said it was but I felt a bit nervous and anxious Associations. flying as a male career,” said Cap- “After all, I thought I did not easy then because the pilot was a because of the big responsibility. “Later, we waited until we closed tain Ahmad Mansour, MEA’s head want to become a math teacher but man. However, when I landed back in the cabin’s doors before making of operations. I wanted to fly and see the world. “When I was promoted to the Beirut, all that anxiety was gone the onboard announcement and “The job does not require mus- I was determined to become a pi- captain’s seat, I had to undergo ex- and I felt fully confident since disclosing the name of the pilot,” cles. Candidates, be they men or lot, although my father was utterly tremely tough training and tests, then.” she added with a laugh. women, must have the passion of against it,” she said. much tougher than what male While MEA’s passengers were Hoteit said the biggest challenge flying, the skills and the promp- It has been 25 years since Hoteit colleagues go through,” she said. not used to being flown by a wom- for women pilots is reconciling the titude to act rightfully and under joined the ranks of MEA’s pilots “I guess, as women we are more an, the majority were encouraging, job with family life. The unfriend- stress. Flying is no easy task but if and she looks back at the early emotional and sensitive by nature although there were some nega- ly work schedule involves night one has the will and capacity, he or years of her career with a smile. and they wanted to test my nerves tive reactions and comments. flights or being away from home she can do it,” Mansour said. “It was not easy to be the first and self-control in emergency sce- “Some passengers disembarked for several days at a time. In one Hoteit said she believes she female pilot in Lebanon’s history. narios. They put me under maxi- when they knew the captain of instance, her son was hospitalised succeeded not only in becoming The problem is that people are mum pressure. the flight was a woman. One com- while she and her husband, also an a pilot but in “opening the way judgmental with women doing a “Being the first woman pilot, ment I heard: ‘My God, the pilot is airline pilot, were away on duty. for other women to embark on a job that was mainly a man’s job,” my training was like a pilot a stewardess.’ They could not im- MEA now has six women among flying career and breaking stereo- she said. “I was sometimes teased project, a model for future female agine that a woman could be the its 190 pilots and first officers and types.” Ikram 2, Morocco’s plan for promoting rights of women

Youssef Hammadi fields, opening real opportunities Family, Solidarity, Equality and for them to actively participate in Social Development, said the Mo- the society’s progress. roccan Constitution recognised Rabat Hakkaoui explained that, over the principles of equality and several stages, Morocco had de- equal opportunities between indi- roups focused on social veloped indicators to track the viduals and groups and prioritised development and fam- development for women in po- strengthening the rights of women ily care praised Morocco’s litical, economic, social or cul- because advancing their conditions G achievements towards tural fields. She mentioned the is crucial to the development drive. sustainable development and so- strategic framework for the inter- Berkane said Ikram 2 is innova- cial justice, with the principles of ventions of actors, which was put tive in its approach and aspira- equity and equality between the in place at the beginning of the tions, the result of a long process sexes among its priorities. millennium and which constitutes that started with an evaluation Equal opportunities. Moroccan women sit in an examination Experts said the advancement the framework related to the in- of the government’s Ikram 1 plan room alongside men in Rabat. (AFP) of women in Morocco and hav- tegration of a gender approach and included consultations with ing them assume a more equita- in development policies and pro- partners from government sectors, tional, supported by a system of that may hinder the achievement ble place as essential develop- grammes. civil society, the private sector, governance. of these goals. ment partners in all fields cannot universities, trade unions, devel- In a previous meeting, Hakkaoui The goals of both Ikram phases, be achieved without supporting opment agencies and municipali- said the plan has 23 goals based on especially institutionalisation of women in legal rights and civil, Over several stages, ties. indicators to measure the effects equality through the creation of political, economic, social and cul- Morocco had developed She said Ikram 2 adopts a range of the programme. She praised mechanisms or introducing secto- tural freedoms. indicators to track the of approaches, including results- the work of the technical commit- ral strategies, represent the basis Moroccan Minister of Solidar- development for women in based planning to support im- tee that worked with officials from of a culture of gender integrated ity, Women, Family and Social political, economic, social pact-based programming, as well ministerial departments responsi- planning in Morocco, as well as in Development Bassima Hakkaoui or cultural fields. as inclusion and approaches that ble for monitoring the implemen- the economic empowerment of said Morocco made great efforts to enable close engagement with tation of Ikram. women, which is a priority of the advance women’s conditions and During a meeting of the tech- the needs of citizens, in partner- Observers from the EU Com- plan in addition to combating dis- to devise legislation concerning nical committee in charge of fol- ship with regional actors, civil mission were present during the crimination and violence against the issue compatible with inter- lowing up on the government’s society associations and the discussion of the outcomes of women. national treaties and by adopting Ikram 2 equity plan, Fatima private sector. The plan includes workshops included in Ikram 1 and amendments designed to improve Berkane, director of the Women’s seven axes, four of which are Ikram 2, as well as the discussion Youssef Hammadi is a Moroccan women’s status in a variety of Affairs Section at the Ministry of theme-based and three cross-sec- of the challenges and difficulties journalist. 22 June 9, 2019 Culture Amman’s International Film Festival set for April 2020

Saber Ben Amer Doumani said the first Amman International Film Festival would Cannes be April 13-18, 2020, in Amman’s Abdelli district. ada Doumani, communi- “It is well-known that Jordan sits cation and cultural pro- firmly on the map of the interna- gramming manager of tional film industry as an impres- N the Jordanian Royal Film sive venue for foreign film-makers Commission, announced that the who choose the kingdom for its inaugural Amman International diverse landscapes, rich and mul- Film Festival would debut next ticultural traditional heritage, as April. well as streamlined procedures Doumani, speaking to The Arab and governmental support,” she Weekly during the recent Cannes said. International Film Festival, said “Many a cinema fan saw scenes the idea for a Jordanian film fes- that were shot in Jordan, most fa- tival came about in 2018 when mously perhaps were scenes from Jordanian Princess Rym Ali spoke the 1962 film ‘Lawrence of Ara- at Cannes about the need for an bia.’ The experience continued in international Arab film festival to the following years with Jordan help “nurture young Jordanian providing film-makers worldwide and Arab talents.” with the most beautiful of cap- Jordan’s promising film indus- tivating natural landscapes that try has been showing signs of were the reason behind some films competitiveness in recent years, winning international awards.” especially after Jordanian direc- Doumani said that “what the tors received international acclaim country lacks is a platform that for films such as “Captain Abu would highlight promising and Raed,” “Theeb,” “The Last Friday,” rising Arab and Jordanian talents “When Mona Lisa Smiled,” “300 who are attracting a growing inter- Nights” and “Blessed Benefits,” national and local audience. Hence said Doumani. the idea of the Amman Interna- tional Film Festival.” The festival will screen What will be notable about the A dream come true. Princess Rym Ali, the festival president, speaks to reporters during a news festival is its recognition of the conference in Cannes. (Courtesy of The Royal Film Commission) debut films from around the various talents involved in film- world. It will also feature a making. section in which known “The festival’s main [award] recent films. The event is also to film festivals in the region,” she neva and in hot spots around the film-makers show and categories will not be limited to include seminars, lectures, film said. world, including Kosovo, Burundi discuss both their debut and best directorial debut only. They promotions and discussions with Doumani has been working in and Iraq. most recent films. will also include different artistic directors and actors. the media and communication Since 2008, Doumani has been and technical categories, such as Doumani said organisers were sector for more than 20 years. She managing the Media and Culture “It (the festival) is in line with screenwriting, cinematography, working on further development received a master’s degree in po- Section of the Jordanian Royal the vision of Princess Rym Ali, the film editing, film scores, set design of the Cinema and Television In- litical science from the American Film Commission. In 2007, she festival president, for the develop- and acting. The festival’s main dustry Forum, an annual event of University of Beirut in 1999 and wrote a “Wounds in the Palm ment and promotion of an Arab competition will include both the Royal Film Commission that worked in the print and broadcast Trees,” which chronicled Iraqis’ cinema that reflects the region’s short and long films of both the fic- aims to connect workers in the press in Switzerland, reporting on testimonies. She also wrote, pro- creativity and speaks to its current tional and documentary varieties,” film and television industries. Also Middle Eastern affairs in particu- duced and directed a documenta- issues,” Doumani said. Doumani said. planned is a celebration of film and lar. ry film “The Journey of the Place,” The Jordanian Royal Film Com- The festival will screen debut television professionals. From 1999-2007, Doumani which won first prize at an Italian mission is looking for the festival films from around the world. It “It is therefore aptly named as worked as a spokeswoman for festival in 2009. to become a major platform and an will also feature a section in which the premiere cultural event in Jor- the International Committee of incubator for cinematic talent in known film-makers show and dis- dan. We hope it will be a new and the Red Cross, both at the or- Saber Ben Amer is a Tunisian the Arab world. cuss both their debut and most qualitative addition to the other ganisation’s headquarters in Ge- writer. TV drama ‘Al Funduq’ stirs controversy in Iraq

Oumayma Omar in the work. In a tweet in defence of his helps rehabilitate Iraq’s social fab- 2012 and it heralds a return of an The TV administration released work, Maliki said: “In ‘Al Funduq,’ ric.” essential TV genre to the country. an official apology promising to I addressed nearly 20% of the deca- Jabbar Joudi, the head of Iraqi The star of the series, Mahmoud Baghdad scrap “inappropriate scenes.” dence and rubbish in our deeply actors’ syndicate, praised the se- Abu Alabbas, returned to Iraq for “Al Funduq” screenwriter Hamed rooted Iraqi society. I promise you ries, which, he said, “showed the the first time in 20 years for film- he first domestically de- al-Maliki questioned the “unjusti- to address the remaining 80% of high capacities of Iraqi actors and ing. He went into exile in 1997 af- veloped Iraqi TV drama in fied reaction” and “unfounded” our shy and scared culture (in fu- actresses as well as the quality of ter he performed a one-man play seven years has divided criticism. ture works).” homegrown Iraqi drama, which has that focused on harassment by T Iraqi public opinion by ad- “All that we did is to address the Iraqi actress Awatef Naim de- been totally absent for years.” the country’s security services un- dressing taboo topics such as hu- problems (in Iraq) in depth and scribed “Al Funduq” as a “qualita- “The criticism ‘Al Funduq’ drew der Saddam Hussein’s rule. He has man trafficking, prostitution and without dodging,” Maliki said. “It is tive leap” in Iraqi drama produc- is unfounded. The problem is that since been residing in the United drugs in Iraq. important to confront the situation tion. “The series exposed what has we don’t have proper art critics and Arab Emirates. “Al Funduq” (“The Hotel”), a through dramas that are close to re- been hushed so far. It is one of the all the comments are made on so- Although those criticising “Al 20-episode series shown on Al ality. We cannot go on misleading most important Ramadan dramas cial media, which is not the appro- Funduq” were the loudest, the Sharqiya satellite TV during Rama- the minds and feelings of viewers and the most daring in presenting priate platform to evaluate artists’ number of followers during Rama- dan, was set in a Baghdad hotel in with works that do not really reflect Iraq’s realities responsibly,” she works and performances,” Joudi dan was significant. which characters experience adul- what is happening around us.” said. said. Lama Adel, a 28-year-old govern- tery, drugs, homosexuality, beg- Maliki said: “The series could He said he was surprised by “the ment employee, said the drama de- ging, organ trade and even police be shocking because it delved into “Al Funduq” has divided big fuss” that so-called audacious picted, in many ways, happenings corruption. prostitution and human trafficking, public opinion by scenes caused, stressing that Iraqi in Iraqi society. While some denounced the pro- exposed drug dealers and gangs addressing taboo issues viewers are exposed to foreign “We should stop acting like os- gramme as unethical and too auda- that kidnap children to send them movies that include much more triches by burying our heads in the cious for conservative Iraqi society, begging on the streets.” such as human trafficking, daring performances. sand and face reality with all its others said it depicted sordid veiled “It’s a current matter for Iraq,” he prostitution and drugs in “The work of artists in Iraq is a pros and cons. ‘Al Funduq’ exposed realities in the country. said. “It’s a message to the youth Iraq. risky business because of the pow- the corruption, dishonesty and lies The Iraqi Ministry of Culture and to beware of the trap of human traf- er and control of political Islam. Po- of certain categories of people and Cultural Heritage issued a state- ficking and it’s a message to the “Drama production stopped for litical parties should not be allowed these are facts that we are living ment accusing Al Sharqiya TV of Iraqi state to care for the innocent many years and most actors and to stop the evolution of art and cul- every single day,” Adel said. damaging the values and traditions and the poor who are the victims of actresses are living in forced un- ture in the country but we need to of society by exposing audiences to the trade.” employment,” Naim said. “The join efforts in order to buttress Iraqi Oumayma Omar, based in distorted scenes through the series. He said he had been threatened production of such a work as ‘Al drama and actors,” Joudi said. Baghdad, is a contributor to the It called for banning the series and and had his Facebook page hacked Funduq’ plays a key role in raising “Al Funduq” was the first Rama- Culture and Society section of holding accountable those involved to intimidate him. awareness about social issues and dan drama produced in Iraq since The Arab Weekly. June 9, 2019 23 Heritage Turkey Turkish dam could hold trouble for Anatolia’s cultural heritage and for Iraq

Thomas Seibert to collect water behind the dam would start June 10. The Ilisu Dam will add $260 million to the nation- Istanbul al economy every year, Erdogan said at a rally in the south-eastern urkey is about to start fill- provincial capital of Mardin. He ing a huge reservoir behind added the dam would cost around a dam on the Tigris River $1.5 billion. T in south-eastern Anatolia, The project’s dimensions are marking the final stage of a project enormous. The dam will be 135 that has raised controversy in Eu- metres high and 1.8km wide. The rope and could have consequences reservoir will cover more than for Iraq. 300 sq.km and hold more than 10 The Ilisu Dam, about 30km north billion cubic metres of water. Peo- of the Turkish border with Syria, ple from almost 200 villages and is part of a planned network of 22 towns will have to move to new Controversial from the start. Trucks are seen on the banks of the Tigris River near Hasankeyf, last dams on the Euphrates and Tigris homes as the lake fills. December. (AFP) Rivers that Ankara has been de- One focal point of criticism veloping to generate energy and has been the fate of Hasankeyf, a provide water for irrigation in Tur- 12,000-year-old town 30km up- than the old homes. group fighting for Kurdish self-rule irrigation but only for power gen- key’s Kurdish region, one of the stream from the dam. Lauded as Ayboga said protest rallies in and seen as a terrorist organisation eration, which means that the flow poorest areas of the country. a cultural site of high importance, Turkey, Western Europe as well by Turkey and the West, led to fur- of water towards Iraq will not be A prestige project for the Turkish Hasankeyf has seen the Assyrians, as in Iraq and in the Kurdish-gov- ther delays. reduced once the lake has been government more than 20 years in Romans and Seljuks come and go erned part of Syria would draw at- Last year, protests by Iraq led filled. “The water passing through the making, the 1,200-megawatt but could soon be submerged by tention to the problems caused by Turkey to stop water impound- the turbines has to flow back into Ilisu Dam has been controversial the new lake. the dam. ment in Ilisu. Ankara agreed to the riverbed,” the Turkish Foreign from the start. “It could happen as early as next “Our immediate goal is to stop stop filling the lake after it had al- Ministry said on its website. The project drew criticism from April,” Ercan Ayboga, an activist the project,” Ayboga said. Once ready delayed the planned start by Turkey will hold water back from European countries that scrapped from the Initiative to Keep Hasan- work was suspended, talks be- three months at the request of its the Tigris to fill the lake but says it credit guarantees for their compa- keyf Alive (HYG), an interest group tween the government and other southern neighbour. Around 70% will leave enough water flowing for nies ten years ago, accusing Tur- campaigning against the dam, said stakeholders could explore ways of Iraq’s water flows from neigh- its neighbours. key of not doing enough to protect by telephone. A HYG statement to find a consensus on “socio-eco- bouring countries, including the Iraq has no immediate worries cultural sites in the Tigris Valley said the project would spark “de- nomic development in the region.” Tigris and Euphrates, which origi- after plentiful winter rains made and of ignoring the rights of tens struction, exploitation and con- “We want to start a debate and, nate in Turkey. sure the country is heading into of thousands of people who had flict.” if that happens, Turkey may delay Water shortages in Iraq have led summer with overflowing reser- to leave their homes. Activists said Ankara rejects the accusation the project,” Ayboga said. Baghdad to take measures such voirs but the Ilisu project and dams the project would wreak havoc in and argues that special care is be- It would not be the first time. as bans on rice planting that have and reservoirs in Iran mean that the region. Iraq, which relies on Ti- ing taken to save important build- When Germany, Austria and Swit- driven farmers to leave their land. water flows into Iraq are dropping. gris water, also voiced concern. ings. Some ancient structures have zerland withdrew from the project Basra province has seen months Baghdad is negotiating with Turkish President Recep Tayyip been moved to a nearby area. The in 2009, Turkey had to find do- of street protests over the lack of both neighbours to reach water- Erdogan, however, is determined government also said new settle- mestic lenders to finance the dam. drinking water. sharing agreements but its posi- to complete the dam. He an- ments built for people in the area Lawsuits and attacks by the Kurd- Ankara insists that the water of tion as a receiving country gives it nounced in March that the process offer a higher standard of living istan Workers’ Party, a militant the Ilisu Dam will not be used for little leverage. Viewpoint Deficient restoration a problem for Turkey’s heritage

mosque from the blame, employers who want to Armenian, Greek and Assyrian KMKD also offers training late Ottoman see quick, cheap results are also villages fall into ruin,” Pekol courses for tourist guides. “They Constanze period that now responsible. “Municipalities said. She warned that with the visit historic places much more Letsch resembles a neatly want to take advantage of disappearance of tangible regularly than anyone else, painted suburban monuments for tourism pur- history, memory will fade as which is why they are often the home, PVC window poses as quickly as possible,” well. first to notice any problems or framesA that grace a 12th-century Basgelen said. “That’s why they “Buildings trigger memories. damage,” Pekol explained. “Why don’t have the patience for If you build housing blocks on shouldn’t we use their knowl- castle, a fitted kitchen unit in a medieval shrine or a 2,000-year- time-consuming restorations.” the site of an Armenian village, edge for the protection of old fortress tower that was Last year, the Justice and people will stop asking who used historical monuments?” mocked as resembling the Development Party (AKP) to live there. They might even Despite the shortcomings, the cartoon character SpongeBob government passed a highly assume that there had never situation has improved in recent SquarePants after its restora- criticised building amnesty that been anyone else,” she said. years, said Basgelen. “More tion: The list of botched restora- aims to legalise hundreds of Ignorance, too, is a part of the monuments are being restored tions in Turkey is very long. thousands of unregistered problem of the destruction of in accordance with UNESCO In one of the latest rows, constructions all over the cultural heritage and historical standards than before but the experts bemoaned a hole drilled country and has brought billions monuments, which is why her government should make sure into the wall of the Imperial in taxes and licence fees into association organises training that UNESCO rules are enforced Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul government coffers. The programmes. Pekol has seminars more rigorously,” he said. to fasten a cable. amnesty allows for illegally built for people who live or work in The AKP has given priority to Anyone who cares about the or altered buildings to be historic buildings, teaches them historical preservation. The protection of cultural heritage officially registered in exchange what problems might arise and Ministry for Culture and Tour- and expert restoration of for a fee, a nightmare for how to address them, such as ism aims to complete 1,000 historical monuments will suffer preservationists and archaeolo- repair work that does not restorations by 2023, the 100th in Turkey, said Banu Pekol, of gists. destroy the building’s struc- birthday of the Turkish republic. the Protection of Cultural “It’s horrible,” Pekol said. ture. Archaeological excavations are Heritage (KMKD). “I know that I “The amnesty has destroyed my She criticised that it is mostly being equally sped up to stimu- cannot save everything. That’s a hope that things will improve. It experts who are seriously late growth in the tourism terrible feeling.” means that many buildings that involved in the protection of cul- sector. Archaeologist Nezih Basgelen violate preservation standards tural heritage. She said members Scientists and other experts blamed the construction frenzy, or that endanger cultural of other professions, such as advise more diligence. “If fast a lack of expertise and greed for heritage will get state authorisa- journalists and teachers, should profits and personal gain are all the lack of historical preserva- tions.” get more involved and KMKD that counts, the protection of Except for a handful tion and restoration blunders. One example, she said, is the has been organising seminars for century-old cultural heritage of well-known “Restorations are often illegally built hotel in Zeyrek, a them for two years. becomes only a secondary handed to private contractors UNESCO-listed historic neigh- The media can help change matter,” Pekol said. landmarks, such as who lack the experience and the bourhood in Istanbul that will be attitudes, Pekol said, adding: She added that politicians do the Armenian expertise,” he explained. “They eligible for legalisation. “Content and the choice of not have the luxury to plan until treat these projects like simple She said there is a lack of words when writing about the next election. “They are only Cathedral of the Holy construction work.” appreciation of shared cultural cultural monuments play an in power for a certain time but Cross on Akdamar Costs are cut using the heritage in Turkey. Except for a important role in their protec- cultural monuments have to be Island in Van cheapest possible materials: handful of well-known land- tion.” professionally protected over plastic, instead of wood; a lick of marks, such as the Armenian Teachers are encouraged to centuries, independently of all province, signs of paint instead of stone mosaics; Cathedral of the Holy Cross on use and talk about monuments politics,” she said. non-Muslim history or moulds pressed into wet Akdamar Island in Van province, in their lessons. “A math teacher concrete instead of cobble- signs of non-Muslim history in could teach counting using Constanze Letsch is a in Turkey are largely stones. Turkey are largely ignored. statues or important sites,” contributor to The Arab Weekly ignored. Not only are the contractors to “It breaks my heart to see Pekol said. in Istanbul. 24 June 9, 2019 Travel www.thearabweekly.com

Agenda

Tunis: June 10-16

Taking place at the Tunis Culture City, the European Film Festival returns to Tunisia after a few years’ break. Twelve films are on the programme at the Cinema- theque Tunisienne, with nearly all the works subtitled in Arabic.

Marrakech: June 12-16

Founded by Jamel Debbouze, Le Marrakech du rire is a comedy festival that brings together ac- tors from around the world.

Oman: During June and July

Taking place annually in Dhofar province, the Salalah Tourism Festival hosts street shows, concerts, games, fireworks, cul- tural activities and food stalls for locals and tourists.

Rabat: June 21-29

The 18th Mawazine Festival Remains of the Roman Temple of Hercules. (Roufan Nahhas) takes place in Rabat and features international and local musical performances. Amman Citadel standing Dubai: June 21-August 3

Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, the annual guard atop city since antiquity Dubai Summer Surprises offers an array of summer deals across the city’s shopping outlets, at- Roufan Nahhas 125,000 visitors each year. tractions, hotel staycations and “You cannot find a place with so family entertainment. many civilisations that left their Amman marks in a single location. The cit- Amman: adel has this unique diversity that June 25-29 erched majestically on the ranges from Assyrians to Babyloni- highest hill of Jordan’s capi- ans, Persians, Greeks and Romans, Al Balad Music Festival is a week- tal, Amman Citadel stands as well as the Umayyad and Ayy- long music carnival that cele- P as the guardian of ancient ubid dynasties, a truly unique ex- brates Jordan’s cultural heritage. civilisations that left vestiges in- perience,” Halaseh said. Contemporary bands, soloists side its 1,700-metre-long wall that The Roman Temple of Hercules and other performers are sched- dates to the Bronze Age. that dates to the second century uled to appear in the ancient Used as a rampart protecting is one of the most popular attrac- Roman Odeon in Amman. the ancient capital of the Ammo- tions at the citadel. On display is nites, Rabbath-Ammon — present- a huge hand, which is believed to Carthage: day Amman — the citadel went be from a 12-metre-high statue of July 12-August 23 through many construction and Hercules. The temple also includes reconstruction phases spanning two 9-metre tall columns among The International Festival of the Iron Age and the Roman, Byz- other ruins. Carthage is one of the oldest antine and Umayyad eras. Next to the temple are remains arts and cultural events in North It is a colourful site, rich in his- of buildings that formed the Africa, drawing a mix of local tory and boasts a unique sunset Umayyad Palace, built in the sev- and international performers overlooking the Roman Amphithe- enth and eighth centuries. Most to Tunisia over several weeks. atre in Amman. of the buildings were destroyed A hand and elbow fragments that belonged to a colossal statue Performances take place at the “The site, which is on Jebel Al by an earthquake but the beautiful from the Roman period. (Roufan Nahhas) Amphitheatre of Carthage. Qala’a, a hill rising 850 metres domed audience hall remains in above sea level and overlook- unexpectedly good condition. The Byblos: ing the old city, is a popular place outside courtyard contains ruins of “The museum was built in through the openings to view the July 12-August 24 with locals and foreigners because residential buildings and the reser- 1951 and hosts some of the oldest limestone cavities, which were of its location and historical sig- voir used to dispense water to the known statues in Jordan, such as modified for communal burial dur- Byblos International Festival nificance,” said Bassel Halaseh, an palace. the Ain Ghazal Statues, which date ing the Middle Bronze Age, 4,000 in the ancient Phoenician port archaeologist at the Jordanian De- “There is also the remains of a to 7200-6500BC, are made from years ago. city of Byblos, north of Beirut, partment of Antiquities. sixth-century Byzantine church lime, plaster and reed. French tourist Jeanne Seuve features international rock bands “Many Jordanians like to visit with pillars, floor plan and mosa- The Amman Citadel not only said the rich history of the cita- and pop singers. This year’s the citadel and enjoy a lesson in ics, a true feast to the eyes. The gives visitors a perspective of the del “makes it very appealing and schedule includes French singer history while breathing fresh air site hosts the Jordan Archaeologi- city’s history but provides stun- shrouds it with mystery.” Mark Lavoine, Mashrou’ Leila and watching the sun set.” cal Museum, where visitors can ning views of the area. “We have the Lascaux Caves and Queen Symphonic. admire many excavated artefacts, “It is simply amazing and the near the village of Montignac, in The Jordan Tourism Board said Al-Qassim: jewels and statues,” Halaseh said. setting is remarkable because one the department of Dordogne in Amman Citadel receives more than July 14-17 is able to see everything with ease. south-western France. They are so My favourite part is the numerous mysterious and very ancient, too, Almithnab Summer Festival of- early Bronze Age caves that are so but visiting the citadel is very ap- fers a range of fun activities such mysterious. One can let his im- pealing and inviting because you as live performances and games. agination go wild,” South Korean can walk easily around the monu- Visitors can also check out the tourist Su yuk said. ments and caves and appreci- wide range of arts and crafts dis- ate every single step towards the plays, cafes and restaurants. The citadel is a colourful church or admire the hand and el- bow of Hercules or simply just sit site, rich in history and Beiteddine: on a bench and enjoy the sunset. July 18-August 10 boasts a unique sunset Who could ask for more?” Seuve overlooking the Roman said. The annual Beiteddine Art Fes- Amphitheatre in Last year, the Italian Embassy in tival, in the Chouf mountains, Amman. Jordan began the “Requalification includes a variety of perfor- of Citadel-Roman Theatre Trail” mances from opera and concerts “And, of course, the big fingers, initiative, which aligns with the to theatre and art exhibitions. part of a hand that belonged to a historic role of Italy in protecting The festival welcomes more than colossal statute from the Roman Jordan’s heritage sites. 50,000 visitors as well as numer- period near the temple of Hercules It aims to achieve a comprehen- ous star performers. are impressive. You can just im- sive proposal for requalification agine the height of such a statute, and making the pedestrian trail We welcome submissions of which was estimated to be 12 me- from the citadel to the Roman the- calendar items related to tres tall. It is a unique experience atre attractive for tourists and resi- cultural events of interest to that you cannot find anywhere.” dents by linking two iconic sites of travellers in the Middle East Some of the caves used as bur- Amman. and North Africa. ial sites date to 2300BC and often have multiple tombs inside. Visi- Roufan Nahhas is a journalist Please send tips to: A Bronze Age cave at the Amman Citadel site. (Roufan Nahhas) tors can take a small step inside based in Jordan. [email protected]