Restructuring Netanyahu Going the Saudi pandering back energy sector to the right to school Page 18 Page 10 Page 11 UK £2 Issue 221, Year 5 September 8, 2019 EU €2.50 www.thearabweekly.com Yemen’s Brotherhood affiliate builds new alliances to foment unrest Saleh Baidhani This correspondence indicates that al-Islah members were consid- ering forging an agreement with the London Houthis. The deal would facilitate a handover of areas liberated by the s the conflict in Yemen drags Arab alliance in exchange for the cre- into its fifth year, al-Islah ation of a direct threat to one of Saudi Party, the Yemeni affiliate Arabia’s most sensitive borders. A of the Muslim Brotherhood, Tensions are also rising in the east- is coming under scrutiny for alleg- ern province of Mahrah, along the edly disrupting peace efforts and Omani border, where Oman and Qa- attempting to weaken the Saudi-led tar are seemingly attempting to dis- coalition. rupt the Arab-led coalition’s aims. The division was clear during re- Oman’s involvement in the war cent peace talks in Jeddah, where in Yemen has come under scrutiny Heated campaigns. Tunisian Prime representatives of Yemeni President since 2016 when weapons smuggled Minister and presidential hopeful Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s govern- through Oman allegedly meant for Youssef Chahed speaks during an ment refused to sit with the del- Houthi rebels were intercepted in (AFP) election campaign in Tunis. egation of the Southern Transitional Yemen. Council (STC) at the same table. The shift from Muscat’s publicly The Islah-backed government’s stated position of neutrality in Mah- stance was considered an attempt rah came to the fore last year when to thwart the Saudis’ bid to diffuse former Yemeni minister Ahmed Election rhetoric tensions between the Yemeni gov- Mousaed Hussein al-Awlaki visited ernment and allied forces support- Shabwa province and pressured lo- ing the coalition to counter the Iran- cal leaders to adopt an anti-coalition backed Houthis. stance. Represented by a large delegation Awlaki, who has been based in races to the bottom led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the STC Muscat since 2010, sought to recruit pushed for the adoption of Saudi- local leaders to foment internal con- sponsored negotiations aimed at flict in liberated provinces. ending the violence in Aden and oth- Developments in Bayda, Sa’dah ahead of Tunisia’s vote er southern provinces. and Mahrah, as well as reports about The Saudis’ efforts seem to be a Qatari- and Omani-funded plan to ► An incarcerated contender, ‘coup’ assertions flood the media. hitting a brick wall, however, in no sow discord along various fronts in small part due to al-Islah. Increas- Yemen are likely to pose a serious Iman Zayat law, is in France after having been in- Minister of Defence Abdelkrim ingly, reports emerged of suspicious threat to the Arab-led coalition. dicted in absentia on charges of mon- Zbidi, who is campaigning as an inde- ground movements in areas liberated All of this comes while Washington ey laundering. pendent, said he had put the army on by the Saudi-led coalition, especially engages in talks with Houthi rebels in Tunis He granted a 2-hour-long inter- high alert and took measures to abort in Bayda and Sa’dah provinces along its own bid to end Yemen’s war. view to Elhiwar Ettounsi television in a “coup,” which, he said, was being the Saudi border. There were reports “We are also having talks to the unisia is getting ready to which he lumped accusations of inter- hatched by parliamentary conspira- of increasing tensions between Saudi extent possible with the Houthis to choose its second democrati- ference with the judiciary against Tu- tors who wanted to take advantage of forces and Oman-backed fighters in try and find a mutually accepted ne- cally elected president since nisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed. Caid Essebsi’s and parliament Speaker the eastern province of Mahrah. gotiated solution to the conflict,” US T its 2011 uprising and there are Beyond the two cases, there has Mohamed Ennaceur’s health issues to The developments, which come Assistant Secretary of State for Near several key features in the 2019 vote. been controversy about legal and ethi- declare a vacancy at the head of the after Muslim Brotherhood-allied Eastern Affairs David Schenker said Because of the death in office of cal practices by candidates and the state. forces from Yemen’s southern gover- during a visit to Saudi Arabia. President Beji Caid Essebsi, early elec- media during the campaign. Chawki The revelations reportedly pro- norates were pushed out by the STC, tions will precede the parliamentary Tabib, president of the National Anti- voked tremors in the Islamist Ennah- threaten to complicate the Arab-led vote scheduled for October 6 and the Corruption Authority, warned against da Movement, since they were from a coalition’s efforts to forge a solution The Saudis’ efforts seem to field for president is crowded with 26 “the political system becoming the candidate who has taken pain to dis- to the conflict. They will especially be hitting a brick wall in no hopefuls. property of tainted money lobbies in tance himself from Islamists. hurt Riyadh’s bid to stabilise the small part due to al-Islah Two candidates have serious legal Tunisia and abroad.” A week before elections, it is unclear country and eliminate threats along Party, the Yemeni affiliate of troubles. Government experience did not how the no-holds-barred campaign its direct borders with Yemen. the Muslim Brotherhood. Nabil Karoui, considered a leading provide much of an advantage to will affect the vote. It also remains to In the Nata district of Bayda, a re- contender for president, is in jail over Chahed, running for president while be seen if all the 26 candidates choose treat by forces loyal to al-Islah gave This marked the first time the US charges of tax evasion and money temporarily relinquishing his duties as to remain in the race. the Houthi militia an opportunity to administration has dealt with the laundering. prime minister. His economic record Experts said the withdrawal of some wrest control on the ground but the Houthis in more than four years and Tunisia’s Independent High Author- has been assailed by rivals although candidates in support of others could STC’s Security Belt repelled the at- reflects Washington’s growing frus- ity for Elections upheld Karoui’s right he defends the results achieved dur- change projections and give modern- tack. tration with the lack of progress in to continue running for office despite ing his tenure. ists, in particular, a better chance at In Sa’dah province on the Saudi ending Yemen’s conflict. his detention. In Karoui’s absence, his TV interviews — and probably the getting to the second round, if there is border, the situation has grown es- wife, Salwa Smaoui, has emerged as unprecedented televised debates to be one. pecially tense. Sources there said the Saleh Baidhani is an Arab Weekly his proxy spokeswoman at campaign scheduled for before the election — Arab-led coalition intercepted corre- contributor in Yemen. The Arab events and TV interviews. have become the chosen venue for Iman Zayat is Managing Editor of spondence between tribal chiefs and Weekly staff contributed to this Slim Riahi, a presidential hopeful acrimonious attacks between candi- The Arab Weekly. field commanders from al-Islah in report. with many previous run-ins with the dates and for huge revelations. P4-6,19 Jawf province. P2 New internet regulations in Turkey stoke censorship fears Thomas Seibert RTUK’s new powers could be used to dia organisations are owned by com- have a fresh licence and comply “biggest step in Turkish censorship smother media outlets that refuse to panies close to the government. with RTUK guidelines to operate in history.” toe the government line. Critics said pressure on independ- Turkey. “Everyone who produces alter- Istanbul “Of course this is censorship,” ent outlets has increased since a Yaman Akdeniz, a law professor native news and broadcasts will be Veysel Ok, a Turkish lawyer who failed coup against Turkish Presi- at Istanbul’s Bilgi University and a affected by this regulation,” Altipar- ew rules for internet me- specialises in free speech cases, said dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. cyber-rights activist said Turkey al- mak wrote on Twitter. dia and streaming services about the new rules. More than 100 journalists are in pris- ready restricted the free flow of in- International streaming services in Turkey are stoking fears Turkish-language services of on, journalist associations said. formation on the internet by block- such as Netflix must find a way to N of increased government international outlets such as the ing access to more than 245,000 comply with RTUK’s new rules or pressure on dissent. Britain’s BBC, Germany’s Deutsche websites, including the online en- risk being barred from Turkey. Turkey granted its radio and tel- Welle (DW) or the United States’ International streaming cyclopaedia Wikipedia. By the end Netflix serves 1.5 million subscrib- evision watchdog, the Radio and Voice of America (VoA) might be af- services such as Netflix must of the year, that figure was likely to ers in Turkey, the company said. Television Supreme Council (RTUK), fected, Ok said by telephone. He find a way to comply with be around 300,000, Akdeniz said by As part of obtaining the Turkish sweeping oversight over all online said he had initiated a complaint RTUK’s new rules or risk e-mail. licence, Netflix said it would set up a content, including streaming plat- before Turkey’s highest administra- being barred from Turkey.