On December 16, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: "The Iraqi PM, Moustafa al-Kathemi, is hoping to realize an achievement at the level of the water of the Tigris River, which has been the subject of a chronic dispute between his country and Turkey… Al-Kathemi's efforts in this sense focused on signing a special protocol regarding the water of the Tigris with Ankara in addition to deploying field surveillance units to monitor the flow rate all the way to the downstream area in the city of Basra in South Iraq… (Read More)

On December 17, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Tamim al-Hassan: “The Security Committee in Parliament expected an increase in the assassination operations targeting activists in the country, in parallel to the intensification of the political and economic crises. At this level, activists assured that new lists were issued featuring the names of prominent leaders in the protests, added to the Nasiriyah incidents last month, and the targeting of the supporters of the protests in Al-Habboubi [square]... Ali al-Ghanimi, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in Parliament, told Al-Mada at this level: “The assassinations are taking place in a way that defies and embarrasses the government... There are an internal enemy and devious hands that are undermining security in the country… (Read More)

On December 16, the Egyptian Arabi 21 news website carried the following report from Amman by its correspondent Mohammad al-Arsan: “On August 12, the Jordanian authorities decided to close the Jaber-Nasib Border Crossing with Syria for a week due to the spread of the coronavirus, knowing that this crossing is the artery of commercial exchange between the two countries and a gateway for Syria’s exports to the Arab Gulf. And despite Jordanian governmental statements which said that the border was closed in the context of a plan to face the spread of corona, most of the land borders were reopened with the exception of Jaber Border Crossing... At this level, Arabi 21 acquired information from the Syrian side about a meeting that took place at the end of November between the Jordanian authorities and Commander of the 8th Division in the Russian-backed Fifth Corps Ahmad Oudeh… (Read More)

On December 16, the privately-owned Al-Liwaa newspaper carried the following report by its correspondent Hussein Zalghout: “It appears that the US Administration led by President Trump is proceeding with its plan to tighten the noose around Lebanon until the last minute before his departure from the White House... This is confirmed by the American diplomacy’s ongoing obstruction of the government formation with conditions..., which neither Prime Minister-designate Sa’d al-Hariri nor any other figure designated to form the government can meet, considering that they do not go in line with the political and sectarian structure in Lebanon. And Washington is well aware of the details governing Lebanese politics but is still upholding its vetoes for no other purpose than to obstruct the formation and deepen the economic and monetary collapse, as a punishment for Lebanon for having disobeyed the US during this stage… (Read More)

On December 16, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: "…The March 14 components who had been in the limelight in 2005 still think that, contrary to all the impressions indicating that the US embassy had stirred the protestors on March 14, the US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, had actually recommended that they leave the street following the assassination of PM Rafik al-Hariri and that the western embassies were not convinced with the usefulness of the popular actions at the Martyrs' Square considering them circumstantial and transient. When recalling that phase, they [i.e. the March 14 components) indicate that the Street back then imposed an internal Lebanese rhythm for the first time, which was followed by a subsequent western intervention (rather than the other way around)… (Read More)

On December 16, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: "…All the roads are severed between the Baabda Palace and Bayt al-Wasat. If it wasn’t for the statements released following the pressing of charges by Judge Fadi Sawan against the Caretaker Prime Minister followed by the letter by former Minister Salim Jreissati to the appointed PM via An-Nahar, one could have said that the proposed [cabinet] structure of Sa'd al-Hariri was laid out to rest without any noise… (Read More)

On December 16, the Egyptian Arabi 21 news website carried the following interview with Islamic intellectual and Chairman of the “Centrist Forum” in Morocco Mohamed at-Talabi by its correspondent Taha al-Issawi… (Read More)

On December 16, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: "The statements of the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita - where he stressed that his country will keep working on the diplomacy of the consulates in the Kingdom's southern territories – reflect Rabat's desire to channel its diplomatic efforts towards obtaining an international, wide and direct acknowledgment of the Moroccan identity of the Sahara following the American identity… (Read More)

On December 13, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Ramallah by its correspondent Kifah Zboun: “A knowledgeable sources in Hamas Movement revealed to Asharq al-Awsat there was no breakthrough in the prisoner swap file, unlike what was being promoted by Israeli media outlets, adding: “What was proposed will not do the trick.” He continued that Israel made a new offer, which Hamas classified as unacceptable, even as not being serious, indicating: “There are talks with mediators but no breakthrough so far. The movement is interested and will listen to and discuss any serious offer. However, it will not seal a deal except at the asking price.” And the source denied the existence of an inclination to show leniency in exchange for the introduction of what was needed to deal with the corona pandemic, saying this was a completely separate file… (Read More)

On December 16, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: "The decision of the Sudanese authorities to pull away the Sudanese passports that had been obtained by non-Sudanese people in the era of the former regime has been suffocating for scores of Islamists who had fled court sentences in their countries of origin and sought refuge under the Omar al-Bashir regime. The recent decision has thus caused them to lose their legal IDs… (Read More)

On December 16, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: "A few days prior to the completion of year two of the "December revolution" that toppled former President, Omar al-Bashir, the name of Sudan was crossed out of the list of the terrorism-sponsoring countries knowing that Sudan's name was placed there around three decades ago by the US Administration. This development will leave a number of major repercussions on the actions of the transitional cabinet especially as it represents a lifeline to the latter cabinet following its failure to improve the problematic economic situation, which led to further deepening the suffering of the people in their quest to obtain life's basic requirements… (Read More)

On December 17, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Damascus by its correspondent Hiba Muhammad: “Although more than two and a half years have gone by since the Syrian regime seized Homs Governorate in the country’s center, it has yet to tighten its security grip over the governorate, seeing as how the is still some sort of rejection of its troops’ control. Hence, just as it happened in Daraa in southern Syria, a military security post affiliated with the Syrian regime’s forces in Homs was the object of an armed attack yesterday, using light weapons, hand grenades, and mines, which resulted in four deaths, including that of an officer, and the injuring of a number of soldiers. This was seen in the city of Rastan in the Northern countryside of the governorate in the center of Syria... In an official statement on social media, an armed group going by the name “Resistance Brigades in Homs” claimed responsibility for the operation… (Read More)