UK £2 Issue 193, Year 4 EU €2.50 February 17, 2019 www.thearabweekly.com Qatar: US ‘ally Dilemma Arabic over ISIS or strategic returnees poetry threat?’ to Europe tradition Page 4 Page 16 Page 22 US push against Iran highlights differences between Washington, EU ► Pence accused Washington’s European allies of trying to break US sanctions against Tehran. Thomas Seibert lateral summit in Sochi, Russia, to strengthen an alliance that is eager to hasten the US military exit from Istanbul Syria and reduce Washington’s role elsewhere in the region. n effort by the United “You can’t achieve peace and States to forge a broad in- stability in the Middle East with- ternational alliance against out confronting Iran,” US Secretary A Iran’s influence in the Mid- of State Mike Pompeo said before dle East has highlighted a widening talks with Israeli Prime Minister gap between Washington and its Binyamin Netanyahu on the side- Western European allies as well as lines of the Warsaw conference. NATO partner Turkey. Netanyahu spoke of a “histori- The Trump administration and cal turning point” in Poland. “In a Israel used a meeting in Warsaw to room of some 60 foreign ministers warn that Iran poses a danger and and representatives of dozens of to trumpet a coalition that includes governments, an Israeli prime min- Washington, the Jewish state as ister and the foreign ministers of well as Arab countries such as Saudi the leading Arab countries stood Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, together and spoke with unusual Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen and force, clarity and unity against the Jordan. common threat of the Iranian re- The initiative was overshadowed gime,” he said. by disagreements between the Netanyahu raised eyebrows be- United States and its European al- fore the conference by releasing lies over how to deal with Iran. US a message that included a refer- Vice-President Mike Pence called ence to a “common interest of war on Europeans to follow Washing- with Iran.” The wording was later Glum faces. Iranian President Hassan Rohani (R), Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Turkish ton’s lead in leaving the interna- changed to “combating Iran.” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, February 14. tional nuclear agreement with Iranian Foreign Minister Moham- The meeting reflected the fraying of the alliance between Russia, Iran and Turkey over conflicting Tehran, a demand immediately re- mad Javad Zarif responded to Net- agendas in Syria. jected by Germany. European pow- anyahu’s choice of words by com- Erdogan failed to get approval from Russia, the main partner of Syria’s government, to establish a ers are determined to stick with the menting on Twitter: “We’ve always buffer zone in north-eastern Syria to push Kurdish fighters back from the Turkish border. Patience 2015 pact. known Netanyahu’s illusions. Now, was also clearly wearing thin with Ankara regarding Islamist extremists in Idlib province in north- the world — and those attending western Syria. (Reuters) #WarsawCircus — know, too.” The meeting in Poland was Russian cold shoulder towards Turkey in Sochi Page 2 Iranian President Hassan Rohani weakened by the refusal of blamed the United States and its al- Russia, EU foreign policy lies for a suicide bombing in south- chief Federica Mogherini eastern Iran that killed 27 members ened by the refusal of Russia, EU ropean allies of trying to break US Erdogan joined Putin and Rohani and major EU powers to of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard foreign policy chief Federica Mogh- sanctions against Tehran. Some in listing priorities that highlighted take part. Corps (IRGC). The force said a vehi- erini and major EU powers to take leading US partners in Europe Turkish-US differences. cle laden with explosives was used part.Iran was not invited to the “have led the effort to create mech- Speaking before a meeting with “I doubt the meeting helped to attack a bus transporting IRGC Warsaw conference. anisms to break up our sanctions,” Putin, Erdogan stressed his aim of much with advancing Washing- members in Sistan-Baluchistan Moscow and the European Union he said in Warsaw. driving a Syrian-Kurdish militia al- ton’s agenda,” said Ali Vaez, di- province. want to keep the nuclear deal with Another major player missing in lied with the United States away rector of the Iran project at the The Warsaw conference was part Iran alive and France, Germany and the Warsaw meeting was Turkey, from the border. International Crisis Group. “The of a US strategy to build an inter- the United Kingdom, while con- a NATO member and neighbour Putin said a US withdrawal from Europeans remain steadfast in their national front involving Israel and demning Tehran’s ballistic missile of Iran. Turkish President Recep Syria would be “a positive step that commitment to the nuclear deal Arab allies to counter Iran, seen by programme, have opened a new Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Sochi would help stabilise the situation and the anti-Iran Club of Four (the Washington as the main source of channel for non-dollar trade with to meet with Rohani and Russian in this region, where ultimately United States, Israel, the United instability in the Middle East. The Iran to sidestep US sanctions and President Vladimir Putin while the legitimate government should Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia) United States pulled out of the nu- keep the nuclear deal afloat. Tur- leaving it to the Turkish Embassy re-establish control.” Rohani said did not expand,” Vaez said via e- clear deal with Iran last year, argu- key has told Iran it is ready to join in Warsaw to follow events in the the US decision to leave Syria was mail. ing that the international commu- the European trade mechanism, Polish capital. Turkey is opposed to “good news.” As the Warsaw conference was nity needed to employ a tougher the Iranian Mehr news agency re- US sanctions against Iran and has winding up February 14, Russia, approach to confront Tehran. ported. criticised Washington’s decision to Thomas Seibert is an Arab Weekly Iran and Turkey convened a tri- The meeting in Poland was weak- Pence accused Washington’s Eu- leave the nuclear deal. correspondent. Experts warn against climate change fallout in Arab world Kelly Kennedy the World Economic Forum’s Glob- The authors warn: and Environment Thani bin Ahmed pressure on our food systems and al Risks Report, which was released ·Potential seafood offshore from al-Zeyoudi, who led a session about people’s livelihoods and causing in January. Most of the popula- cities with coastlines on the Ara- climate change and public health at mass displacement and migration.” Washington tion in the Arab world lives within bian Gulf and the Red and Mediter- the recent World Government Sum- While acknowledging solutions 100km of a sea or delta. ranean seas will decrease as coral mit in Dubai. could cause financial upheaval in ost large Arab cities will The threats include temperature reefs die. the short term, the Middle East In- face “unprecedented increases and water scarcity, issues ·Extreme storms, such as cy- The threats include stitute’s report said they are neces- threats” due to climate already affecting people in the Mid- clones, may hit cities more often, sary. Solutions include restricting temperature increases and change in the second dle East, but coastal cities are also causing millions of dollars in dam- construction in at-risk urban areas, M water scarcity, issues half of this century, the Middle East particularly susceptible to rising age and inestimable loss of human avoiding unplanned settlements, Institute’s Laurent Lambert and sea levels because they sit in low- life as water temperatures increase. already affecting people in improving existing at-risk housing Cristina D’Alessandro wrote in a lying areas, the report said. ·Inland flooding could cause por- the Middle East, but coastal areas, building or reinforcing flood report. As temperatures increased tions of cities to become uninhabit- cities are also particularly defences and planning for potential Rising sea levels will affect safety around the world, snow and ice able. susceptible to rising sea emergencies. and living standards of millions have melted, causing water levels “Collectively fighting the causes levels because they sit in This, the report authors said, will of Arab people in the nearer fu- to rise, the United Nations’ Inter- of climate change, better planning low-lying areas. be challenging because not every ture, the authors said in “Climate national Panel on Climate Change and innovating for a sustainable city has the same capability for Change, Sea Level Rise and Sus- said. When water gets warmer, it adaptation of Arab coastal cities are “The facts are very clear,” he urban development planning and tainable Urban Adaptation in Arab takes up more space than does cold becoming national security chal- said. “Not opinions, not politics but because the cities are growing so Coastal Cities.” water. With water temperatures lenges,” Lambert and D’Alessandro scientific facts. Humans — you and quickly. The report focused on how rising likely to continue to go up, water wrote. me — are causing climate change. sea levels could affect coastal cities levels are expected to increase 2 The findings were reiterated by Change that is making droughts Kelly Kennedy is an Arab Weekly in Arab countries, using data from metres by the end of this century. UAE Minister of Climate Change more common and putting massive correspondent in Washington. 2 February 17, 2019 Cover Story After Warsaw and Sochi Russian cold shoulder towards Turkey in Sochi Thomas Seibert that an assault on neighbouring Idlib could send hundreds of thou- sands of additional refugees into Istanbul Turkey.