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Showing posts with label Egypt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Egypt. Show all posts
11/7/22
Egypt: the world is on a highway to hell when it comes to global warming, if it does not take serious action says UN chief
World leaders and diplomats framed the fight against global warming as a battle for human survival during opening speeches at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt on Monday, with the head of the United Nations declaring a lack of progress so far had the world speeding down a "highway to hell".
5/4/21
Middle East: Egypt and Turkey to hold two days of talks in normalisation push
Egypt and Turkey will hold two days of political consultations in Cairo on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a push to mend ties between the regional rivals, the two countries said.
Read more at: Egypt and Turkey to hold two days of talks in normalisation push | Reuters
Read more at: Egypt and Turkey to hold two days of talks in normalisation push | Reuters
5/10/19
Islam: Ramadan unites Christians and Muslims in Egypt
Ramadan unites Christians and Muslims in Egypt
Read more at:
4/23/19
Middle East - Egypt: Egyptians approve reform allowing him to be President until 2030
Egyptians approve reform allowing Sisi to remain president until 2030 Nearly 90 percent of Egyptians who voted in a constitutional referendum backed amendments that could see President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stay in power until 2030, the election commission announced Tuesday.
Read more at:
2/28/19
Middle East: Egypt: President Sisi's brutal tactics is fueling violence and instability in Sinai
EU indulgence of Sisi’s brutal tactics is fueling violence and instability in Sinai
Read more at:
2/27/19
Middle East: Egypt hits back at Turkey over EU-Arab summit criticism – by Georgi Gotev
Egypt hit back Wednesday (27 February) at Turkish criticism of EU
leaders for meeting their Arab counterparts in the Red Sea resort of
Sharm el-Sheikh just days after Cairo executed nine people.
The foreign ministry accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of partisanship towards the Muslim Brotherhood, the outlawed Islamist movement that Egyptian authorities have said inspired the nine men executed last week to carry out the 2015 murder of the country’s top prosecutor.
His statement “clearly involves hatred and expresses its (Turkey’s) continued embrace and support of the Muslim Brotherhood,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.
He accused Erdoğan of hypocrisy, citing a list of alleged human rights abuses by Ankara.
“This … illustrates the lack of credibility of what the Turkish president is promoting,” Hafez said.
Erdoğan accused the European Union of insincerity on Tuesday for attending the joint summit hosted by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday and Monday.
“Can we talk about democracy in EU member countries who accepted the invitation of Sisi, who has executed 42 people since he came to power and nine young people last week, although capital punishment is banned (in the EU)?” he asked.
“It is not possible to understand them. The EU is not sincere.”
Erdoğan himself has said he would approve the reinstatement of the death penalty if parliament submits such a proposal or if the measure is backed in a referendum.
Read more at: Egypt hits back at Turkey over EU-Arab summit criticism – EURACTIV.com
The foreign ministry accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of partisanship towards the Muslim Brotherhood, the outlawed Islamist movement that Egyptian authorities have said inspired the nine men executed last week to carry out the 2015 murder of the country’s top prosecutor.
His statement “clearly involves hatred and expresses its (Turkey’s) continued embrace and support of the Muslim Brotherhood,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.
He accused Erdoğan of hypocrisy, citing a list of alleged human rights abuses by Ankara.
“This … illustrates the lack of credibility of what the Turkish president is promoting,” Hafez said.
Erdoğan accused the European Union of insincerity on Tuesday for attending the joint summit hosted by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday and Monday.
“Can we talk about democracy in EU member countries who accepted the invitation of Sisi, who has executed 42 people since he came to power and nine young people last week, although capital punishment is banned (in the EU)?” he asked.
“It is not possible to understand them. The EU is not sincere.”
Erdoğan himself has said he would approve the reinstatement of the death penalty if parliament submits such a proposal or if the measure is backed in a referendum.
Read more at: Egypt hits back at Turkey over EU-Arab summit criticism – EURACTIV.com
2/24/19
Middle East - Saudi Arabia: Saudi King Salman calls for an international stance against Iranian interference - but does not mention Jamal Khashoggi Murder
Saudi King Salman has called for a unified international effort to
stop Iran’s support for armed militias, interference in the affairs of
other countries, and its nuclear and ballistic programs.
UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who is leading an international human rights inquiry into the murder, visited Turkey between 28 January and 3 February.
The preliminary report on the inquiry says Khashoggi "was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia".
The Saudi Kingdom also has a very poor record on human rights
Read more at: Saudi King Salman calls for an international stance against Iranian interference - Al Arabiya English
UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who is leading an international human rights inquiry into the murder, visited Turkey between 28 January and 3 February.
The preliminary report on the inquiry says Khashoggi "was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia".
The Saudi Kingdom also has a very poor record on human rights
Read more at: Saudi King Salman calls for an international stance against Iranian interference - Al Arabiya English
12/14/18
EU -Turkey-Russian Energy Cooperation: "Politics can make strange bedfellows" - Russia’s Gas Strategy Gets Help From Turkey - by Marc Pierini
 |
| Politics/Energy can make strange bedfellows |
For Ankara, the project is a symbol of
Turkey’s independent decisionmaking and of the country’s significance in
the wider region. Seen from Ankara, Turkish Stream serves a political
purpose. It celebrates the blossoming friendship between Turkey and Russia
and confirms Ankara’s ambition to be part of the solution to major
international issues—in this case, securing the gas needs for a large
part of the EU.
However, Turkish Stream will also increase Ankara’s dependence on Moscow for its energy needs.
The project’s second meaning is that Turkey is contributing to an essential element of Russia’s multi-pronged, long-term strategy of remaining Europe’s major gas supplier, while creating a “third gas corridor” in addition to the Ukrainian and Baltic Sea supply routes. This strategy is unfolding on several fronts: in Ukraine; in the Baltic Sea; and through future extensions of Turkish Stream to southern and central Europe (toward Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, and to Greece and Italy.)
This Russian strategy has raised continuous opposition from the United States.
It is also worth noting that Turkish Stream is not part of the EU’s Energy Union plans since it does not contribute to diversification of supplies. In fact, it will rather reinforce Russia’s market predominance in both Turkey and the EU.
In addition, preexisting disputes between the EU and Russia (including an antitrust investigation against Gazprom, and a Russian complaint at the WTO) have been resolved, signaling that commercial interests on both sides have prevailed, despite a less-than-optimal political climate.
Read more: Russia’s Gas Strategy Gets Help From Turkey - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
It is also worth noting that Turkish Stream is not part of the EU’s Energy Union plans since it does not contribute to diversification of supplies. In fact, it will rather reinforce Russia’s market predominance in both Turkey and the EU.
In Ukraine, the multi-pipeline network channeling Russian gas to Western Europe will remain a vital link.
But reducing its use could inflict massive losses in terms of transit
costs for authorities in Kiev, which is part of Russia’s strategy in
Ukraine.
Much will depend on negotiations for the
extension of the Russia-Ukraine commercial agreement, which will end in
2019. To help alleviate Kiev’s concerns, Germany has made the
continuation of transit via Ukraine an ingredient of a final agreement
on Nord Stream 2, the latter being the subject of controversies within the EU.
The Russian strategy is in no way limited
to selling Russian gas on the European continent. It extends much
further afield in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
Egypt is a case in point.
Following the massive discoveries in the so-called Zohr field to the north and east of the Nile River delta, Russia bought a 30 percent stake
from the Italian energy group ENI in 2016 with the consent of the
Italian government, which Moscow has had a long and close relationship
with. The official reason for the sale was the need for ENI to spread
the risk of its Egyptian operation.
Similarly, offshore gas discoveries in
Lebanese waters have attracted Russian interest— although drilling off
Lebanon is largely dominated by France’s TOTAL and Italy’s ENI, who have
a 40 percent share each. Russia’s NOVATEK has bought a 20 percent stake.
Russia has also made moves to control both the oil and gas sector in Syria,
despite the ongoing war. The actual effect of these recent maneuvers
will very much depend on the final political arrangement expected to end
the almost eight-year-old civil war. Many of Syria’s oil and gas fields
are located north and east of the Euphrates River, currently outside
the control of regime forces. In addition, for reasons linked to the
ongoing naval military activities, no offshore exploration has yet taken
place in Syrian waters.
In Iraq, Russia is involved in pipeline deals in the Kurdistan region
through a number of oil and gas companies, although the actual exports
would have to take place through Turkish territory or possibly even
through Syria in the distant future.
Such an ambitious Russia strategy is justified by Europe’s gas market fundamentals.
A stronger demand for gas in Europe is good for Russia. According to Oxford Energy,
gas demand in Europe (Turkey and non-EU Eastern Europe included, except
Serbia) has started rising again for three consecutive years—in 2015,
2016, and 2017—to reach a level of 548 billion cubic meters (bcm), due
to continued economic recovery, the impacts of climate change, and the
increased use of gas by the power sector. The trend seems to be
continuing in 2018.
According to the Finnish Institute for International Affairs,
Russia took advantage of several factors: economic recovery and
decreasing gas production in the EU, lower Russian selling prices, and
the current limited availability of non-Russian liquefied natural gas
(LNG) on the European market.
In addition, preexisting disputes between the EU and Russia (including an antitrust investigation against Gazprom, and a Russian complaint at the WTO) have been resolved, signaling that commercial interests on both sides have prevailed, despite a less-than-optimal political climate.
In such an environment, Russia is in a strong position to keep dominating gas supplies to the EU,
which amounted to 40 percent of extra-EU imports in 2016—although
new developments could upset the current situation, such as a rapid
development of LNG exports to Europe from other sources.
LNG imports amounted to only 14 percent of total extra-EU gas imports in 2017, with the main supplies coming from Qatar (41 percent), Nigeria (19 percent), and Algeria (17 percent).
LNG imports amounted to only 14 percent of total extra-EU gas imports in 2017, with the main supplies coming from Qatar (41 percent), Nigeria (19 percent), and Algeria (17 percent).
In this wider context, and seen from Brussels, Turkish Stream—with
a final projected capacity to deliver 31.5 bcm/y, of which 15.75 bcm/y
would go to Europe —is a relatively small component of the wider gas
supply chain to the EU. In fact, it would represent just over 6 percent
of the EU’s imports at 2017 levels.
Yet, seen from Moscow, the pipeline is
potentially a significant addition to Russia’s capabilities to export
gas to Europe (Turkey included). Assuming that Turkish Stream’s second
phase will be completed and operational, it would represent between 16
and 19 percent of Russian sales to the EU and Turkey (at 2017 levels and
all other factors remaining unchanged).
In that sense, the ceremony on November 19
in Istanbul was more than just another photo opportunity. It was a
symbol of the success of Russia’s objectives in the wider Western
European area, with Turkey’s help.
Together with Russia’s S-400 missile
deal with Turkey, it was a symbol of how efficiently Moscow has been
using Ankara’s relative diplomatic isolation to its advantage. For
Ankara, this was another way of telling the world: Turkey matters.
4/2/18
Egypt: Democracy not part of the Presidential election equation as Egypt’s president scoops election win with 97 percent of the vote
Egypt’s
incumbent president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected after
reaping a whopping 97 percent of the vote, the country’s election
commission announced Monday.
The former army chief, 63, picked up the same result four years ago when he was elected for his first term.
Despite this, the turnout for this year’s race was lower than in 2014 where only 41 percent of voters took part, compared to 47.5 percent previously.
And Sisi’s stunning win was virtually guaranteed earlier in 2018 after all serious opposition candidates pulled out.
His sole opponent in last week’s vote was Al Ghad party leader Mousa Mostafa Mousa.
Sisi first took office after toppling Egypt's first freely elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, in a coup d'état in 2013.
The move was prompted by widespread national protests against Morsi's rule after just one year in power.
Despite this, the turnout for this year’s race was lower than in 2014 where only 41 percent of voters took part, compared to 47.5 percent previously.
And Sisi’s stunning win was virtually guaranteed earlier in 2018 after all serious opposition candidates pulled out.
His sole opponent in last week’s vote was Al Ghad party leader Mousa Mostafa Mousa.
Sisi first took office after toppling Egypt's first freely elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, in a coup d'état in 2013.
The move was prompted by widespread national protests against Morsi's rule after just one year in power.
11/25/17
Terrorism: ISIS PIGS Gunmen in Egypt mosque attack that killed more than 300 carried ISIS flag.
The bomb and gun attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt's northern Sinai
region killed at least 305 people, including 27 children, authorities
said, in what amounted to a dramatic increase in the death toll of the Friday attack. At least 128 people were wounded in the massacre that was described as the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt’s modern history. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Rawdah mosque in Bir
al-Abed, it bore several hallmarks of ISIS attacks. Plus, it took place
in an area where Egypt has been battling ISIS insurgents for the past
three years.
The horrifically ruthless attack began with a bomb (perhaps from a
suicide bomber) inside the crowded mosque, before 25 to 30 gunmen
arrived in four off-road vehicles and began firing outside the main door
and windows. They also set fire to cars parked outside, making it more
difficult to escape, and then attacked the ambulances that began
arriving at the scene. Some of the attackers were masked and witnesses
claim to have seen at least one Islamic State flag, according to Egypt’s public prosecutor’s office.
Read more: Gunmen in Egypt mosque attack that killed more than 300 carried ISIS flag.
11/20/17
Middle East: Transition in the Middle East: Transition to what?- by Dr. James M. Dorsey
Transition is the name of the game in the Middle East and North Africa. The question is transition to what?
Dominating the answer is an Arab autocratic push for a Saudi-led regional order that would be based on an upgraded 21st century version of autocracy designed to fortify absolute rule. To achieve that autocrats have embraced economic reform accompanied by necessary social change that would allow them to efficiently deliver public goods and services. It is an approach that rejects recognition of basic freedoms and political rights and is likely to produce more open and inclusive political systems that ensure that all segments of society have a stake.
At the core of the volatile and often brutal and bloody battle that could take up to a quarter of a century to play out is the determination of Arab autocrats to guarantee their survival at whatever cost. Geopolitics play a major role in Arabic autocratic ambition. To compensate for their inherent weakness and lack of the building blocks needed for sustainable regional dominance, Arab autocrats except for Egypt, the one Arab state with the potential of being a dominant, long-term regional player, need to contain first and foremost Iran, and to a lesser degree Turkey.
It is a geopolitical struggle, dominated by the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, that has enveloped the Middle East and North Africa for almost four decades and progressively undermined regional stability; fuelled the rise of extremism and jihadism; encouraged supremacist, intolerant and anti-pluralistic tendencies far beyond its borders in countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and turned it into the most volatile, repressive, and bloody part of the world.
Littered with the bodies of the dead and the dying, countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen have been scarred for generations to come and are struggling to ensure territorial integrity against potential secessionist ethnic, regional and religious challenges. Possible US-backed Saudi efforts to destabilize Iran with attempts to stir ethnic unrest risk the Islamic republic and Pakistan becoming the next victims. Countries such as Lebanon teeter on the brink.
Restive populations meanwhile hang in the balance, hoping that their continued surrender of political rights in new social contracts unilaterally drafted by autocratic leaders will bring them greater economic opportunity. In some countries like Egypt expectations have been dashed, in others such as Saudi Arabia expectations are unrealistic and poorly, if at all, managed.
The successful and brutal Saudi and UAE-led counterrevolution has killed hopes and popular energy that exploded onto the streets of the Arab cities during the revolts of 2011 and produced tyrants and mayhem. For now, it has all but erased popular will to risk challenging autocratic rule that has failed to deliver or that has created expectations that may prove difficult to meet.
That is not to say that like in the period prior to the 2011 revolts, popular anger and frustration is not simmering. Like in the walk-up to the uprisings, popular sentiment remains ignored or unrecognized by officials, scholars and pundits, who, if it explodes are likely to be caught by surprise. No one knows whether it will explode and, if so, in what form and what might spark an explosion.
It was the self-immolation of a fruit vendor in Tunisia in late 2010 that set the Middle East and North Africa alight. While history may not repeat itself literally, events six years later in the Rif, a rebellious region of northern Morocco, sparked by the death of Mouchine Frikri, an unemployed street merchant, suggest the writing may be on the wall.
Mr. Fikri was crushed to death in a trash compactor while trying to retrieve fish confiscated by the authorities. A year of protests since Mr. Fikri's death suggests that the effectiveness of King Mohammed VI's constitutional reforms in an initially successful bid to co-opt the demonstrators as well his support for the Rif's indigenous Berber culture and promises of state investment that would turn the region into a manufacturing hub have either run their course or fallen short.
Nasser Zefzafi, a 39-year-old unemployed man with an understanding of the power of social media, has despite the government's use of security forces, succeeded with online videos and fiery speeches denouncing corruption and dictatorship, to not only keep the protests alive but also encourage their intermittent spread to other parts of the country. The Moroccan capital of Rabat witnessed in June its largest anti-government protest since the 2011 revolts.
"Regimes have closed off channels for political expression, and responded to popular protests with increasing brutality. The governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and, to some extent, Morocco, epitomize Arab regimes' seeming inability to escape the autocracy trap – even as current circumstances suggest that another popular awakening is imminent," said Moroccan-born former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami.
Mr. Ben-Ami's timeline may be optimistic, but the underlying message remains valid. Regime survival-driven, government-controlled economic reform that seeks to ensure that private enterprise remains dependent on the public sector, limited social reforms, exclusionary rather than inclusionary policies, and rejection of political change may buy time, but ultimately will not do the trick.
Autocratic regimes in the Middle East and North Africa are, for now, riding high buffeted by the ability to divert public attention with promises of economic change, the spectre of Iran as a foreign threat, US support for regional autocrats and containment of Iran, and the fuelling of ethnic and sectarian tension.
At best, that buys Arab autocrats time. The risk is festering and new wounds that are likely to come to haunt them. Four decades of global Saudi propagation of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservativism to counter what initially was Iranian revolutionary zeal but later transformed into Iranian strategy in a long-standing covert war has turned Arab Shiites and their militias into potent political and military forces. The spectre of the Houthis organizing themselves on the border of Saudi Arabia on the model of Lebanon's Hezbollah is but the latest example.
Autocratic self-preservation and the Saudi-Iranian rivalry, coupled with disastrous US policies, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq, have wracked countries across the region and fostered a generation of Syrians and Yemenis that is likely to be consumed by anger and frustration with their human suffering and what is likely to be a slow rebuilding of their shattered countries, whose existence in their current form and borders is at best uncertain.
In short, transition, in the Middle East and North Africa has deteriorated into a battle for retention of political control. It constitutes a struggle for the future of a region that with near certainty will produce more conflict as well as black swans that could create even more havoc long before it yields sustainable solutions that ensure equitable economic development and transparent and accountable rule of law.
Transition in the Middle East: Transition to what?
Dominating the answer is an Arab autocratic push for a Saudi-led regional order that would be based on an upgraded 21st century version of autocracy designed to fortify absolute rule. To achieve that autocrats have embraced economic reform accompanied by necessary social change that would allow them to efficiently deliver public goods and services. It is an approach that rejects recognition of basic freedoms and political rights and is likely to produce more open and inclusive political systems that ensure that all segments of society have a stake.
At the core of the volatile and often brutal and bloody battle that could take up to a quarter of a century to play out is the determination of Arab autocrats to guarantee their survival at whatever cost. Geopolitics play a major role in Arabic autocratic ambition. To compensate for their inherent weakness and lack of the building blocks needed for sustainable regional dominance, Arab autocrats except for Egypt, the one Arab state with the potential of being a dominant, long-term regional player, need to contain first and foremost Iran, and to a lesser degree Turkey.
It is a geopolitical struggle, dominated by the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, that has enveloped the Middle East and North Africa for almost four decades and progressively undermined regional stability; fuelled the rise of extremism and jihadism; encouraged supremacist, intolerant and anti-pluralistic tendencies far beyond its borders in countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and turned it into the most volatile, repressive, and bloody part of the world.
Littered with the bodies of the dead and the dying, countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen have been scarred for generations to come and are struggling to ensure territorial integrity against potential secessionist ethnic, regional and religious challenges. Possible US-backed Saudi efforts to destabilize Iran with attempts to stir ethnic unrest risk the Islamic republic and Pakistan becoming the next victims. Countries such as Lebanon teeter on the brink.
Restive populations meanwhile hang in the balance, hoping that their continued surrender of political rights in new social contracts unilaterally drafted by autocratic leaders will bring them greater economic opportunity. In some countries like Egypt expectations have been dashed, in others such as Saudi Arabia expectations are unrealistic and poorly, if at all, managed.
The successful and brutal Saudi and UAE-led counterrevolution has killed hopes and popular energy that exploded onto the streets of the Arab cities during the revolts of 2011 and produced tyrants and mayhem. For now, it has all but erased popular will to risk challenging autocratic rule that has failed to deliver or that has created expectations that may prove difficult to meet.
That is not to say that like in the period prior to the 2011 revolts, popular anger and frustration is not simmering. Like in the walk-up to the uprisings, popular sentiment remains ignored or unrecognized by officials, scholars and pundits, who, if it explodes are likely to be caught by surprise. No one knows whether it will explode and, if so, in what form and what might spark an explosion.
It was the self-immolation of a fruit vendor in Tunisia in late 2010 that set the Middle East and North Africa alight. While history may not repeat itself literally, events six years later in the Rif, a rebellious region of northern Morocco, sparked by the death of Mouchine Frikri, an unemployed street merchant, suggest the writing may be on the wall.
Mr. Fikri was crushed to death in a trash compactor while trying to retrieve fish confiscated by the authorities. A year of protests since Mr. Fikri's death suggests that the effectiveness of King Mohammed VI's constitutional reforms in an initially successful bid to co-opt the demonstrators as well his support for the Rif's indigenous Berber culture and promises of state investment that would turn the region into a manufacturing hub have either run their course or fallen short.
Nasser Zefzafi, a 39-year-old unemployed man with an understanding of the power of social media, has despite the government's use of security forces, succeeded with online videos and fiery speeches denouncing corruption and dictatorship, to not only keep the protests alive but also encourage their intermittent spread to other parts of the country. The Moroccan capital of Rabat witnessed in June its largest anti-government protest since the 2011 revolts.
"Regimes have closed off channels for political expression, and responded to popular protests with increasing brutality. The governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and, to some extent, Morocco, epitomize Arab regimes' seeming inability to escape the autocracy trap – even as current circumstances suggest that another popular awakening is imminent," said Moroccan-born former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami.
Mr. Ben-Ami's timeline may be optimistic, but the underlying message remains valid. Regime survival-driven, government-controlled economic reform that seeks to ensure that private enterprise remains dependent on the public sector, limited social reforms, exclusionary rather than inclusionary policies, and rejection of political change may buy time, but ultimately will not do the trick.
Autocratic regimes in the Middle East and North Africa are, for now, riding high buffeted by the ability to divert public attention with promises of economic change, the spectre of Iran as a foreign threat, US support for regional autocrats and containment of Iran, and the fuelling of ethnic and sectarian tension.
At best, that buys Arab autocrats time. The risk is festering and new wounds that are likely to come to haunt them. Four decades of global Saudi propagation of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservativism to counter what initially was Iranian revolutionary zeal but later transformed into Iranian strategy in a long-standing covert war has turned Arab Shiites and their militias into potent political and military forces. The spectre of the Houthis organizing themselves on the border of Saudi Arabia on the model of Lebanon's Hezbollah is but the latest example.
Autocratic self-preservation and the Saudi-Iranian rivalry, coupled with disastrous US policies, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq, have wracked countries across the region and fostered a generation of Syrians and Yemenis that is likely to be consumed by anger and frustration with their human suffering and what is likely to be a slow rebuilding of their shattered countries, whose existence in their current form and borders is at best uncertain.
In short, transition, in the Middle East and North Africa has deteriorated into a battle for retention of political control. It constitutes a struggle for the future of a region that with near certainty will produce more conflict as well as black swans that could create even more havoc long before it yields sustainable solutions that ensure equitable economic development and transparent and accountable rule of law.
Transition in the Middle East: Transition to what?
11/15/17
Middle East:: Qatar envoy hails Turkish role ahead of Erdoğan’s visit
 |
| Erdogan,stabilizing force in Middle East |
“We
believe that high-level diplomatic visits between Qatar and Turkey are
very important and necessary,” ambassador Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi
told Anadolu Agency in an interview.
“Such
visits maintain the momentum in bilateral relations and help better
consult and coordinate on swift changes and regional and international
issues,” he added.
Erdoğan is scheduled to arrive in Qatar on Tuesday as part of a regional tour that already took him to Kuwait.
“We
are satisfied with the level of our relations, especially that
relations have overcome very difficult tests during the past two days,”
the Qatari envoy said.
He said talks between Erdoğan and Qatari leaders are expected to tackle all important issues.
“The visit will undoubtedly dwell on the Gulf crisis and ongoing mediation efforts,” Al Shafi said.
In
June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain all
abruptly cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar, accusing it of
supporting terrorist groups in the region.
The
four states have also threatened Qatar with additional sanctions if
Doha failed to meet a long list of demands, including one for the
closure of Qatari news broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Note EU-Digest: regardless of our often expressed critical comments in relation to a variety of disturbing developments in Turkey under the present leadership of President Erdogan re: Freedom of the Press, and Human Rights violations, one must also give credit where credit is due.
Not only has Mr. Erdogan lived up to the agreement he made with the EU on controlling the stream of Syrian refugees into the EU, he also has been a stabilizing force in the Middle East, trying to cool down the looming conflict between, on one side Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and on the other side Qatar.
Contrary to our own EU, he has also had the courage to speak out against the US Trump Administration's nebulous Middle East policies, and the role of NATO in this equation.
Mr. Erdogan might not be everyone's favorite "Poster Boy" but he certainly is a leader in his own right.
Read more: Qatar envoy hails Turkish role ahead of Erdoğan’s visit
8/19/17
Doomsday or fake ? Planet X: 'Earth-destroyer' Nibiru to appear September claims 'code hidden in pyramids' - by Jon Austin
 |
| Is Planet X, or Nibiru on the way to earth ? |
Planet X, or Nibiru, is reportedly a huge planet with a vast orbit that conspiracy theorists claim will one day pass so close to Earth that its gravitational pull could wreak havoc on our planet, triggering earthquakes and other catastrophic events.
The myth was born in 1976, when writer Zecharia Sitchin claimed that two ancient Middle Eastern cultures – the Babylonians and Sumerians – told of a giant planet – Nibiru – that orbited the Sun every 3,600 years.
Earlier this year, Mr Meade claimed to match the positions of celestial bodies with Bible verses, and worked out when Planet X would cause the end of the world - on September 23.
He claims the same timeframe for its arrival is shown by the pyramids.
The pyramids, built nearly 5,000 years ago, have long generated conspiracy theories due to mysteries over how they were built and their purpose.
The most far-fetched include that they were built with the aid of aliens who visited our ancient ancestors.
There are claims some hieroglyphics depict aliens and space craft that visited Earth who were worshipped them as gods.
However, many Egyptologists agree the Pharaohs were interested in space and the pyramids were aligned with the planets.
Mr Meade claims Nibiru will first be seen in the sky on September 23, and will not actually hit or pass us until October.
Many evangelical Christian fanatics claimed the rare total solar eclipse, due on August 21, is a sign of what is to come.
Mr Meade said: “It is very strange indeed that both the Great Sign of Revelation 12 and the Great Pyramid of Giza both point us to one precise moment in time – September 20 to 23, 2017.
“Is this the end of the Church Age and the transition to the Day of the Lord?
“There couldn’t be two greater witnesses.”
Of the pyramid, he said: “It faces true north with only 3/60th of a degree of error and is located at the center of the land mass of the Earth.
Note EU-Digest: A NASA paper which was originally published in 1988 is said to reveal that there is a mysterious unnamed planet beyond the tiny ice planet of Pluto. It is believed by many that the Planet X referred to by NASA could be the fabled Planet Nibiru which many thinks could be the initiator of a major, imminent apocalyptic event for the people of Earth
Read more: Planet X: 'Earth-destroyer' Nibiru to appear NEXT MONTH claims 'code hidden in pyramids' | Weird | News | Express.co.uk
8/3/17
Middle East: Russia in Libya: War or Peace? - by Mattia Toaldo
Libya is increasingly a target for Russia’s growing ambitions to
influence the Middle East and North Africa, but, judging by the
Kremlin’s actions thus far, Putin is either hedging his bets or has not
yet decided on his objectives for this file. European decisions –
particularly those by the most active players, France, the UK, and Italy
- could yet tip the scales in one direction of the other. Watching
closely will be the new UN Special Representative of the Secretary
General for Libya, Ghassan Salamé, who officially starts work this week
after attending last Tuesday’s Paris summit between the
internationally-recognised Libyan Prime Minister Faiez Serraj and his
main rival, General Khalifa Haftar.
On the one hand, Russia is naturally drawn towards supporting General Haftar, who opposes the Western-backed Prime Minister Serraj and is considered by many in Moscow as ‘the strongman of eastern Libya’. Haftar’s anti-Islamist stance makes him an attractive counterterrorism partner, and support for the general also strengthens Russia’s relationship with his main sponsor, Egypt. Limited support for Haftar also drags the conflict out, enabling Russia to point to the folly of the West’s intervention in 2011 and make the case that regime change, in Libya as in Ukraine, only breeds chaos.
On the other hand, Putin wants to be seen both at home and abroad as more than a military actor and is seeking to burnish his diplomatic credentials. Having demonstrated his military strength in Syria, playing the role of peace-maker in Libya could be attractive for Putin, particularly with presidential elections on the horizon in March 2018. Moreover, a Russian-led diplomatic success would allow Putin to position himself as mending what the West has broken.
Putin is unlikely to let Russia be dragged in a new conflict or to upset Egypt by dealing directly with Haftar on weapons. What could change is the quality of Russian support for Haftar, with a higher level of technical assistance or more sophisticated weapons. This would greatly encourage Haftar to pursue war, however unrealistic a quick military victory by Haftar is.
Putin will probably continue with his current ambiguous policy: minimal but important military support to Haftar through arms deliveries via Egypt (thus keeping both Sisi and Haftar happy); showing Russia’s diplomatic clout by occasionally inviting some Libyan leader to Moscow; while continuing to use Libya as a cautionary tale against the evils of regime change.
If European actors like Italy, France and the UK want to avoid escalation, Russian diplomatic ambitions provide some leverage. Russian decision makers expect to be involved in international discussions on Libya just as they are in the Syria negotiations and in other regional formats such as the Middle East Peace Process Quartet. And while the UN and Salamé have little choice but to engage Russia, meaningful talks between EU member states and Moscow on Libya should not be granted for free. Russia’s inclusion in a new contact group should be made conditional on Russian support for de-escalation in Libya: reduce support for Haftar, or be left out in the cold.
Ultimately, Putin’s ambiguity on Libya so far is good reason to be suspicious of his true intentions. And Europe must use its diplomatic leverage to ensure that increased Russian involvement does not come at the cost of further destabilisation on Europe’s southern border.
Russia in Libya: War or Peace? | European Council on Foreign Relations
On the one hand, Russia is naturally drawn towards supporting General Haftar, who opposes the Western-backed Prime Minister Serraj and is considered by many in Moscow as ‘the strongman of eastern Libya’. Haftar’s anti-Islamist stance makes him an attractive counterterrorism partner, and support for the general also strengthens Russia’s relationship with his main sponsor, Egypt. Limited support for Haftar also drags the conflict out, enabling Russia to point to the folly of the West’s intervention in 2011 and make the case that regime change, in Libya as in Ukraine, only breeds chaos.
On the other hand, Putin wants to be seen both at home and abroad as more than a military actor and is seeking to burnish his diplomatic credentials. Having demonstrated his military strength in Syria, playing the role of peace-maker in Libya could be attractive for Putin, particularly with presidential elections on the horizon in March 2018. Moreover, a Russian-led diplomatic success would allow Putin to position himself as mending what the West has broken.
Putin is unlikely to let Russia be dragged in a new conflict or to upset Egypt by dealing directly with Haftar on weapons. What could change is the quality of Russian support for Haftar, with a higher level of technical assistance or more sophisticated weapons. This would greatly encourage Haftar to pursue war, however unrealistic a quick military victory by Haftar is.
Putin will probably continue with his current ambiguous policy: minimal but important military support to Haftar through arms deliveries via Egypt (thus keeping both Sisi and Haftar happy); showing Russia’s diplomatic clout by occasionally inviting some Libyan leader to Moscow; while continuing to use Libya as a cautionary tale against the evils of regime change.
If European actors like Italy, France and the UK want to avoid escalation, Russian diplomatic ambitions provide some leverage. Russian decision makers expect to be involved in international discussions on Libya just as they are in the Syria negotiations and in other regional formats such as the Middle East Peace Process Quartet. And while the UN and Salamé have little choice but to engage Russia, meaningful talks between EU member states and Moscow on Libya should not be granted for free. Russia’s inclusion in a new contact group should be made conditional on Russian support for de-escalation in Libya: reduce support for Haftar, or be left out in the cold.
Ultimately, Putin’s ambiguity on Libya so far is good reason to be suspicious of his true intentions. And Europe must use its diplomatic leverage to ensure that increased Russian involvement does not come at the cost of further destabilisation on Europe’s southern border.
Russia in Libya: War or Peace? | European Council on Foreign Relations
6/19/17
Christianity is being driven out of the Middle East- by Perry Chiaramonte
Prospects of Christianity surviving in its birthplace, the Middle
East, appear as grim this Holy Week as they have at any time in the last
two millennia.
Persecution of the world’s largest religion has intensified, especially in Muslim-dominated countries. Jihadists appear to have repeatedly carried out one of their oft-stated goals of erasing any trace of Christianity in some regions, while in others persecution against Christians and other religious minorities are being held at bay — for now.
The prospects facing Christianity in three of its longest-standing strongholds, Syria, Egypt and Iraq, vary significantly:
Persecution of the world’s largest religion has intensified, especially in Muslim-dominated countries. Jihadists appear to have repeatedly carried out one of their oft-stated goals of erasing any trace of Christianity in some regions, while in others persecution against Christians and other religious minorities are being held at bay — for now.
The prospects facing Christianity in three of its longest-standing strongholds, Syria, Egypt and Iraq, vary significantly:
5/26/17
Middle East: Egypt strikes Libya after deadly bus attack against Coptic Christians
Egypt's president says his air force struck bases in Libya where
militants who waged a deadly attack against Christians have been
trained, but gave no details.
Senior officials said that the bases are in eastern Libya. They said the warplanes on Friday targeted the headquarters of the Shura Council in the city of Darna, where local militias are known to be linked to al-Qaeda.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi says Egypt will strike at any bases that train militants who wage attacks in Egypt, wherever they may be. He also directly appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to take the lead in the fight against global terror.
In a televised address just hours after at least 28 Coptic Christians, including two children, were killed by militants south of Cairo, el-Sissi said "I direct my appeal to President Trump: I trust you, your word and your ability to make fighting global terror your primary task."
He also repeated calls that countries that finance, train or arm extremists be punished.
Read more: Egypt strikes Libya after deadly bus attack against Christians - World - CBC News
Senior officials said that the bases are in eastern Libya. They said the warplanes on Friday targeted the headquarters of the Shura Council in the city of Darna, where local militias are known to be linked to al-Qaeda.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi says Egypt will strike at any bases that train militants who wage attacks in Egypt, wherever they may be. He also directly appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to take the lead in the fight against global terror.
In a televised address just hours after at least 28 Coptic Christians, including two children, were killed by militants south of Cairo, el-Sissi said "I direct my appeal to President Trump: I trust you, your word and your ability to make fighting global terror your primary task."
He also repeated calls that countries that finance, train or arm extremists be punished.
Read more: Egypt strikes Libya after deadly bus attack against Christians - World - CBC News
Egypt: 28 Coptic Christians killed in bus attack just before Ramadan begins
The bus was travelling to the Monastery of St Samuel the Confessor, 135km (85 miles) south of Cairo, from Minya province when it came under fire.
No group immediately said it was behind the attack.
But Islamic State (IS) militants have targeted Copts several times in recent months, and vowed to do so again.
Two suicide bombings at Palm Sunday services at churches in the northern cities of Alexandria and Tanta on 9 April left 46 people dead.
Another suicide bombing at a church in the capital in December killed 29 people, while a Christian community was forced to flee the town of el-Arish in the northern Sinai peninsula after a series of gun attacks in February.
Read more: Egypt Coptic Christians killed in bus attack - BBC News
Saudi Arabia: Solar phenomena above Islam’s Kaaba expected on first day of Ramadan
The institute added on that at 12:18 on Saturday, the shadow of the Kaaba will disappear, and the direction of the sun at any point in the world will be the exact direction of the Qiblah, the direction where Muslims must pray toward the Kaaba.
4/14/17
Middle East Egypt: Egypt's shaken Copts mark Good Friday after double bombing
The head of the Coptic Christian
Church has led a Good Friday service in the cathedral in Cairo in the
aftermath of last Sunday's deadly bomb attacks.
Security has been tightened at churches across Egypt and Easter celebrations have been scaled back.
Both suicide bombers were Egyptians, the government said.
A three-month state of emergency was imposed following the bombings in Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Tanta.
The attacks on Christians, who make up about 10% of Egypt's population, raised security fears ahead of a visit to Cairo by Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, scheduled for 28 and 29 April.
Read more: Egypt's shaken Copts mark Good Friday after double bombing - BBC News
4/9/17
Egypt - Terrorism Dozens Killed In Pair Of Bombings In Coptic Christian Churches In Egypt - by Bel Trew
At least 44 people were killed and more than 100 injured after
suspected suicide bombings in two different Egyptian cities at Coptic
Christian churches Sunday.
The interior ministry said one of the explosions was a bombing in Mar Gerges church in Tanta, a city in the north of Egypt in the Nile Delta, located between Cairo and Alexandria. The church was full at the time with worshippers observing Coptic Christian Palm Sunday.
Health ministry spokesman Khaled Mujahed told Egyptian state television that at least 27 people were killed and 78 injured.
Just hours later and about 80 miles away in Alexandria, a second explosion outside the Mar Markas church killed 16 people and injured 41 others, Mujahed confirmed to state television.
NPR's Jane Arraf adds that the Coptic Pope was in the building, but unharmed by the attack.
Read more: Dozens Killed In Pair Of Bombings In Coptic Christian Churches In Egypt : The Two-Way : NPR
The interior ministry said one of the explosions was a bombing in Mar Gerges church in Tanta, a city in the north of Egypt in the Nile Delta, located between Cairo and Alexandria. The church was full at the time with worshippers observing Coptic Christian Palm Sunday.
Health ministry spokesman Khaled Mujahed told Egyptian state television that at least 27 people were killed and 78 injured.
Just hours later and about 80 miles away in Alexandria, a second explosion outside the Mar Markas church killed 16 people and injured 41 others, Mujahed confirmed to state television.
NPR's Jane Arraf adds that the Coptic Pope was in the building, but unharmed by the attack.
Read more: Dozens Killed In Pair Of Bombings In Coptic Christian Churches In Egypt : The Two-Way : NPR
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