Trump's contrasting avatars: Peace in Korea, World War in West Asia

The president giveth and he taketh away.

Donald Trump is a stern and wrathful leader. He thinks nothing of raining down fire and fury upon the enemies of his “chosen people.” Indeed, he even flirts with ending the world if he doesn’t receive due respect and the requisite number of burnt offerings. But he can also reward his followers, and those who curry his favor, with positions of power and untold riches.

This month, Trump will appear as both of these avatars. By meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump promises to wave his hand and create peace where before there was nothing but strife and dissension. At the same time, Trump the Destroyer has pledged to take the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal and bring the world that much closer to apocalypse.

It’s a peculiarly hypocritical position to take, but strangely consistent for a two-faced leader.

The deal with Iran closed off all possibility of the country going nuclear for a decade or more. A rich country, Iran could create quite a nuclear arsenal if it so wanted. Iran has abided by the terms of the current Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and yet Trump has called the deal “horrible.” Indeed, the president believes that he can “fix” the JCPOA. That’s quite a delusion.

United Nations gives strong support to Lebanon's political independence

The UN Security Council has reaffirmed its strong support for Lebanon's political independence following a report by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who said "crises in the region continue to pose a risk to the stability" of the country.

In his report circulated this week, Guterres pointed to the sudden resignation of Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri while he was in Saudi Arabia, which was later rescinded. He also reiterated his call to all Lebanese "to cease their involvement in the Syrian crisis."

A statement by the council after closed briefings Tuesday by the UN peacekeeping chief and senior U.N. official in Lebanon backed efforts by Lebanese authorities "to restore normal functioning institutions" and hold legislative elections on May 6.

Will not bar Qatar from Arab summit in Riyadh, says Saudi crown prince

Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says Qatar will not be barred from the Arab summit in Riyadh later this month but predicted the standoff with Doha could last a long time.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman's comments were made to local editors during a visit to Egypt this week and published today in the independent Al-Shorouk newspaper.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, accusing the tiny but super-rich Gulf state of supporting militant groups and forging close ties with Shiite Iran.
The prince described Iran, Turkey and militant groups as the "contemporary triangle of evil." He said Saudi Arabia was seeking to end the close relations between Iran on the one hand and Russia and Syria on the other.

Saudi Prince discusses economy on Egypt trip; pledges to invest $10 bn

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continued a visit to Egypt today focused on economic cooperation, with Riyadh agreeing a $10 billion investment with Cairo for a futuristic mega city project.

Prince Mohammed accompanied Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to review construction projects near the Suez Canal before boarding a boat with the president to tour the waterway.
A Saudi government source said the two countries had agreed to set up a joint $10 billion fund to develop areas of Egypt linked to the NEOM project.

The $500 billion NEOM mega city, unveiled by Prince Mohammed last year, is planned to be a biotech and digital hub spread over 26,500 square kilometres (10,000 square miles) in an area facing Jordan and Egypt.

Prince William to make 1st official royal visit to Palestinian Territories

will become the first British royal to make an official visit to Israel and Palestinian territories later this year, Kensington Palace announced today, in a significant diplomatic move.
The Duke of Cambridge will visit the Palestinian Territories as part of a wider tour of the Middle East, which includes Israel and Jordan, in the summer.
William, 35, third in line to the British throne, will travel without his wife and children, with further details of the visit to be unveiled at a later stage.
"The visit is at the request of Her Majesty's Government and has been welcomed by the Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian authorities.

Further details will be announced in due course," Kensington Palace said in a statement.
The visit, seen as a significant diplomatic move, is designed to promote cultural and diplomatic ties with the region, with William expected to spend some time with senior politicians and visit local charities.

Government, military shake up in Saudi Arabia amid unpopular Yemen war

The Saudi King has sacked the country's Army Chief and other top generals and named new ministers and governors across the kingdom in a major shake-up in the government and military leadership amid a three-year-war with Shia Muslim rebels in Yemen.

A series of royal decrees approved by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Monday night announced the changes as part of a wider shake-up in royal advisory positions and provincial governorships in the government, especially in the Defence Ministry.

The surprising changes came ahead of a visit to the UK, the US and France by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also the Defence Minister, amid global protests against Saudi Arabia's conduct of the war in Yemen.

According to the decrees, Saudi Armed Forces Chief General Abdulrahman al-Banyan and Air Force Commander Mohammed al-Qatibi were asked to retire and six generals were promoted to be appointed for senior commander posts.

Trump threatens to stop US aid worth 'hundreds of millions' to Palestine

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withdraw aid money to Palestinians as they are unwilling to negotiate peace with Israel.

"..we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don't even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel," Trump said in a series of two lengthy tweets.

"We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" Trump asked.

According to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, since the mid-1990s, the US government has committed more than USD 5 billion in bilateral economic and non-lethal security assistance to the Palestinians.

Earlier in the day, the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the US would cut off aid if the Palestinians continue to refuse to engage in peace negotiations.

"I think the president has basically said that he doesn't want to give any additional funding or stop funding until the Palestinians are agreeing to come back to the negotiation table," Haley told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

"What we saw with the resolution was not helpful to the situation. We're trying to move for a peace process. But if that doesn't happen the president's not going to continue to fund that situation," Haley said in response to a question when asked if the US would continue to fund Palestine despite the recent resolution of the UN General Assembly against Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel.
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14 civilians killed in Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen market

Saudi-led air strikes killed at least 14 civilians in a village market near Yemen's battleground third city Taez as a nearly three-year bombing campaign intensified, an official and medics said on Wednesday.

The Tuesday strikes also killed 11 rebel fighters and wounded 16 civilians, a local official loyal to the Saudi- backed government told AFP.

The official, who asked not to be identified, said the strikes were intended as air support for a local revolt against the Huthi rebels in the village of Al-Haima, northeast of Taez, but the warplanes hit the wrong target.

Taez is held by forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government but much of the surrounding countryside is in the hands of the rebels and it has been a key battleground in the country's devastating civil war.

To the west, on the Red Sea coast, Saudi-led air strikes killed 22 Huthis south of the key rebel-held port of Hodeida, military and medical sources said.

The strikes targeted reinforcements sent by the Huthis from the rebel-held capital Sanaa, the sources said.

Among the dead was Yasser al-Ahmar, a tribal chief, they added.

The Saudi-led coalition launched its intervention in support of the internationally recognised government in March 2015.

But despite its superior firepower, the rebels still control the capital and much of the north.

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China forges 'strategic' ties with Djibouti after opening base, grants aid

China on Thursday offered loans to Djibouti, the site of its first overseas military base, as the Horn of Africa state's leader told President Xi Jinping he considered himself a great friend of the Asian giant.

With a population of less than one million, Djibouti has long punched above its weight, thanks to a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping routes linking Europe to Asia and the Middle East.

China formally opened the base, which it calls a logistics facility, on August 1, the 90th birthday of the People's Liberation Army. Djibouti also hosts large US and French bases.

Djibouti was politically stable, Xi told its president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, at a meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

"China sets great store by its relations with Djibouti," he added.

Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, said he considered himself a "great friend of China's" and could not count the number of times he had visited.

"Djibouti is known for being a country of peace, exchanges and meetings," Guelleh said.

"I would like to recall the geostrategic position of Djibouti and its importance in this part of the world as an island of stability for Asia, Africa and the Middle East."
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Ready to share intelligence on Iran to Saudi: Israel's military chief

Israel's military chief of staff said in an interview on Thursday that his country was prepared to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to face Iran's plans "to control the West Asia."

"We are ready to exchange experience with the moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence information to face Iran," Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot was quoted as saying by Elaph, a Saudi-run news site.

Asked whether any information had been shared recently with Saudi Arabia, he said "we are ready to share information if necessary. There are many common interests between us and them."

Israel's army confirmed the contents of the interview, which was rare as Israel and Saudi Arabia have no official diplomatic ties.

Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia has long been at loggerheads with Shiite, non-Arab Iran but friction has spiralled in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri announced from Saudi capital Riyadh that he was quitting, citing Iran's "grip" on his country.

The leader of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group supported by Iran, has accused Saudi Arabia of pressing Israel to launch attacks against it.
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Saudi crackdown targets up to $800 billion in assets

The Saudi government is aiming to confiscate cash and other assets worth as much as $800 billion in its broadening crackdown on alleged corruption among the kingdom’s elite, according to people familiar with the matter.

Several prominent businessmen are among those who have been arrested in the days since Saudi authorities launched the crackdown on Saturday, by detaining more than 60 princes, officials and other prominent Saudis, according to those people and others.

The country’s central bank, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, said late Tuesday that it has frozen the bank accounts of “persons of interest” and said the move is “in response to the Attorney General’s request pending the legal cases against them.”

The purge is the most extensive of the kingdom’s elite in recent history. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, was named heir to the throne in June and has moved to consolidate power. He has said that tackling corruption at the highest level is necessary to overhaul what has long been an oil-dependent economy.

The crackdown could also help replenish state coffers. The government has said that assets accumulated through corruption will become state property, and people familiar with the matter say the government estimates the value of assets it can reclaim at up to 3 trillion Saudi riyal, or $800 billion.
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Amid Gulf crisis, US approves $1 billion Qatar arms deal

The United States government has approved a USD 1.1 billion deal to service Qatar's F-15 fighter jets despite the diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbours.

Qatar, home to one of the largest US military bases in the Middle East, is locked in a bitter dispute with Washington's other Arab allies in the region, led by Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump took Riyadh's side in June when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has taken a more cautious line, attempting to broker an agreement to cool ties and build a regional front against Iranian influence and extremism.

Yesterday, the State Department announced it had approved a USD 1.1 billion contract to service Qatar's F-15QA jets and build them ground facilities and hardened bunkers.

"Qatar is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Persian Gulf region," the department said, in a note from its Defence Security Cooperation Agency.

"Our mutual defence interests anchor our relationship and the Qatar Emiri Air Force plays a predominant role in Qatar's defence."

The new maintenance and training facilities will also come with improved "cyber security services, mission critical computer resources, support services, force protection services."

Tillerson visited both Riyadh and the Qatari capital Doha last month in an effort to curb Iran's influence in the region and urge the Arab monarchies to negotiate away their differences.
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Trump is going to make a huge mistake on the Iran deal

President Trump is expected this week to refuse to recertify that Iran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal, a milestone diplomatic agreement that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Mr Trump seems poised to take that action despite the reality that Iran is not violating the terms of the deal. In fact, his key national security cabinet officers have publicly said that Iran is meeting its commitments. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is charged with monitoring and verifying the deal, has issued eight reports over the past two years echoing these conclusions.

Instead, the president seems prepared to argue that the deal is no longer in the United States’ vital national security interest because of Iran’s other activities in the Middle East, including its support for terrorism, its meddling in Syria and Yemen, and its threats to Israel’s security.

The Trump administration is right that Iranian behaviour destabilises the region, but wrong when it says that such behaviour contradicts the “spirit” of the agreement and that he is therefore justified in refusing to certify Iran’s compliance. In fact, Iran’s troubling foreign policy is precisely why the deal was necessary in the first place: An Iran armed with a nuclear weapon would be far more threatening to regional and global security.
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US approves possible $15 billion sale of THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department has approved on Friday a possible $15 billion sale of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to Saudi Arabia, according to a statement released by the Pentagon.

The Middle East country has requested to purchase 44 THAAD launchers, 360 missiles, 16 fire control station and 7 radars, Xinhua quoted the said the statement as saying.
The sale was part of the $110 billion package of defence equipment and services initially announced during US President Donald Trump's May trip to Saudi Arabia, said an official from the US State Department on condition of anonymity.

"This potential sale will substantially increase Saudi Arabia's capability to defend itself against the growing ballistic missile threat in the region," said the statement from the Pentagon.

Congress has been notified about the possible sale and has 30 days to review the deal.

THAAD missile systems are deployed to defend against ballistic missile attacks.
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Driving ban lifted: I am my own guardian, say Saudi women on Twitter

Overjoyed Saudi women celebrated on Wednesday after King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a historic decree allowing them to drive in the Kingdom.

The decree is slated to take effect from June 2018.
The announcement was reported late Tuesday by the state-run Saudi Press Agency and state TV. Praise for the move poured in from inside the Saudi kingdom as well as abroad.

Until now, only men were issues licences and women who drove in public risked being arrested and fined.

Manal al-Sharif, an organiser of the Women2Drive campaign who was earlier imprisoned for driving, said on Twitter that Saudi Arabia would "never be the same again", reports the BBC.

The hashtags "I am my own guardian" and "Saudi Women Can Drive" quickly gained traction on social media.

US President Donald Trump said it was a positive step towards promoting women's rights. US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called the move "a great step in the right direction".

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres echoed that sentiment.

Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who was detained for 73 days in 2014 for flouting the ban, tweeted "thank God".
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Flights resume at Islamabad airport after 38-hour internet disruption

Flight operations at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport were restored on Sunday after a 38-hour-long disruption caused by a fault in international submarine internet cable systems, which has since been repaired.

Internet services have been restored across the country after a 38-hour-long disruption caused by a fault in the India-Middle East-Western Europe (I-ME-WE) submarine cable that caused consumers and businesses across Pakistan to experience major internet disruptions, with many customers complaining of slow browsing speeds, a Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) representative said.

The disruption in the India-Middle East-Western Europe submarine cable prevented airport officials confirming flight schedules and ticket bookings, as a result of which at least eight flights domestic and international flights were cancelled earlier today, Dawn news quoted airport officials as saying.

Many domestic and international flights were cancelled. Flights to Medina, Manchester and Karachi have also been cancelled.PI-211, which was scheduled to reach Islamabad from Dubai, was cancelled as well. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, which was to reach Jeddah from Karachi were cancelled.

Pakistan Telecommunications Limited (PTCL) stated the company has successfully arranged for additional bandwidth through our international cable systems & partners.

The loss of these three submarine cables leaves Pakistan relying on SEA-ME-WE 3, SEA-ME-WE 5 and the AAE-1 submarine cables, out of which SEA-ME-WE 3 operates in a limited capacity.
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Islamic State is on its knees, but its legacy will long haunt Middle East

After three years of violence, Islamic State has encountered a major defeat that could mean that its end is near. On July 10 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, after a successful nine-month military offensive to “liberate” the northern city of Mosul, declared “total victory” over IS in Iraq.

He categorically said: “I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul”, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS or ISIL.

Almost exactly three years ago, on June 29 2014, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the group’s self-styled caliph, proclaimed a cross-border caliphate stretching over vast swathes of northwestern Iraq and eastern Syria.


Today, the Iraqi half of that territory has been almost totally eliminated (the northwestern Iraqi city of Tel Afar, close to the Syrian border, being an exception) while the Syrian half, based in the city of Raqqa, is facing imminent collapse under powerful US-backed Kurdish-led military offensives.

It’s a major turning point.

In the summer of 2014, an ISIL blitzkrieg swiftly defeated Iraqi defence forces across northwestern Iraq, capturing some 40% of Iraqi territories.

Prior to this rapid conquest, ISIL fighters had captured the Syrian province of Raqqa in January 2014, taking advantage of the bloody civil war let loose by pro-democracy movements.
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Why some Arab countries want to shutter Al Jazeera

I’ve been studying and writing about Al Jazeera since its early years, sometimes with concern, sometimes with appreciation. My 2008 book “The Al Jazeera Effect” explored the political significance of regional satellite television news networks in the Arab world and beyond.

Although the politics of Al Jazeera remain controversial, I believe shutting down any news organization weakens the viability of a free press – particularly in a region where democracy has so much difficulty gaining traction.

A critical eye

When Al Jazeera launched in 1996, it shook the Arab media landscape.

At the time, stodgy, government-controlled television newscasts were the norm. They featured uncontroversial reporting with low production standards. Suddenly, there was a channel that offered relatively uncensored coverage of the region’s politics with the sleek look of Western news programs like those on BBC and CNN.

Most importantly, when there was a big story within the Arab World – such as the Second Intifada, the 2000 Palestinian uprising against Israel – Arab audiences no longer had to turn to Western broadcasters to get analysis about what was happening. Instead, they saw Arab reporters covering the news with a pro-Arab slant. Al Jazeera English, which was founded in 2006, prides itself on covering more stories and perspectives from the “Global South” than other news organizations.

More broadly, the channel became controversial because of its coverage of the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The George W. Bush administration considered its coverage inflammatory for highlighting civilian casualties in those conflicts, with government officials charging that Al Jazeera was stirring up opposition to U.S. efforts in the region.

Yet Al Jazeera’s free-wheeling, pan-Arab approach has also been a source of ire for Middle Eastern rulers who prefer to control the news that reaches their citizens. Al Jazeera has reported critically about these governments, especially those that are now acting against Qatar. Its talk shows have debated topics such as religion and women’s issues in ways that have redefined the concept of “free speech” in the Arab world.

There are, however, limits to Al Jazeera’s journalistic doggedness. Despite Al Jazeera’s eagerness to question the ruling classes of most Arab countries, the Qatari royal family isn’t covered with the same level of scrutiny. Rather, the channel has been seen as a de facto part of Qatar’s foreign policy apparatus.
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Cathay Pacific sacks 600 to cut down on costs; shares rise

Hong Kong's flagship airline Cathay Pacific said on Monday it would cut 600 staff as part of a major overhaul to slash costs and repair its bottom line.

The company posted its first annual net loss in eight years in March, citing intense competition as lower cost airlines, particularly from mainland China, eat into its market share.

It pledged at the time to slash costs by 30 per cent, saying that middle and senior management would be targeted without giving numbers.

In a company statement Monday, the airline said it would shed a quarter of its management — or 190 roles — as well as 400 non-managerial positions at its Hong Kong head office.

"We have had to make tough but necessary decisions for the future of our business and our customers," said CEO Rupert Hogg.

"Changes in people's travel habits and what they expect from us, evolving competition and a challenging business outlook have created the need for significant change."

No pilots, cabin crew or frontline employees would be affected, but they would be asked "to deliver greater efficiencies and productivity improvements", the statement said.

Cathay has been struggling despite an expansion of international air travel in the region, and announced a major restructuring programme in January after posting its first annual net loss since 2008 at the height of the financial crisis.

The airline is also losing premium travellers as it comes under pressure from Middle East rivals that are expanding into Asia and offering more luxury touches.

Today's announcement is the first since Hogg replaced Ivan Chu on May 1 as part of a management shake up.

Cathay shares rose 2.3 per cent in early trade today.
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