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While there is a broad range of Arabic language media outlets reporting stories from and about the Middle East, there is currently no affordable and reliable means for English speakers to gain access to this content. As a result, many English speaking businesspersons, students, journalists and others who have an interest in the affairs of the region are largely unaware of what the Middle East media is covering and how they are covering these stories.

Mideastwire.com aims to close this gap by offering a daily menu of translations covering some of the key political, cultural, economic and opinion pieces appearing in the media of the 22 Arab countries and the Arab Diaspora. Through this effort, we hope to address at least one aspect of a global disconnect that continues to threaten a wide spectrum of socio-political and economic relationships, both here in the region and beyond.

It is also important to note that, since our founding in 2005, Mideastwire.com is wholly funded by the content license fees paid by individuals and organizations. As such, there is no government, commercial or non-profit support, an aspect that we believe provides a relatively independent platform for better understanding.

Our Corrections Policy: We adhere to an honest and open corrections policy. Please email info@mideastwire.com if you notice any typo or if you disagree with our translation choices. Since we do not produce our own content, we only will consider corrections that highlight typos or dispute our translations, not the veracity or accuracy of the original content. Accepted corrections are applied directly to the relevant translations as soon as they are approved by the editor and our database is updated accordingly for all subscribers.

TODAY’S DAILY BRIEFING

20-Dec-2024

Algeria

Opinion

“Algeria and Paris, relations hang on a knife-edge” (El-Khabar, Algeria)

Arab Diplomacy - USA Europe

On December 19, the independent El-Khabar newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Chief Editor Jallel Bouati: “Will diplomatic relations between Algeria and France grow out of control and take an unwanted turn? Or in clearer terms, will there be a severance of the relations between the two countries? This is a major and alarming question to many observers and followers of the behavior of the French regime, which has yet to find the best way to deal with the new Algeria and is instead choosing to adopt an old approach featuring blows below the belt and blackmail. Using Algeria’s economic and financial problems and the fact that the decision-making process in it is controlled by lobbies and pressure groups operating in the corridors and tunnels of the deep state, French President Emmanuel Macron is continuing to settle scores with his political opponents by exporting crises to the Algerian arena, which has long been a fertile ground for election campaigns and demonization operations… (Read More)

Iran

Politics

“Experts: Tehran wants to return to Damascus through weapons and anarchy” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security

On December 19, the UAE-based Erem News site carried the following report: “Experts believed it was likely that Iran would ignite a civil war in Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, similar to what it did in Iraq after 2003 when it supported the armed militias that targeted the Iraqi fabric… Academic and expert on Iranian affairs Farhad Sadeghi told Erem News in this regard: “Tehran deals pragmatically with external files that carry a geostrategic dimension. It always engages in wars by proxy and tries to stay away from any direct confrontation with the United States or Israel, or even with extremist groups such as ISIL organization.” He added: “Iran could never accept the loss of its influence in Syria and the failure of its project there after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Iraq launches measures to repatriate hundreds of Syrian military men to their country” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security

On December 19, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Safa’a al-Kabissi: “Iraqi officials announced the launching of the process of repatriating the Syrian soldiers who entered the country before the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, confirming that the return was voluntary and that the soldiers had a choice to stay or leave. Iraq had officially received hundreds of Syrian soldiers who fled the fighting, housing them in a camp on the border of the Al-Anbar Governorate in western Iraq. They were supposed to be repatriated by plane to Damascus, but the fall of the Al-Assad regime delayed their deportation until now. An Iraqi security official confirmed that the majority of Syrian soldiers wish to return to their country… (Read More)

“Baghdad receives American request to “disband Mobilization,” Framework maneuvers” (Al-Mada, Iraq)

Religion - USA Europe

On December 19, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Tamim al-Hassan: “When Leader of the Sadrist Movement Muqtada as-Sadr, who distanced himself from politics more than two years ago, called for “merging [Popular] Mobilization - a request which he later repeated several times - his call was described by the factions as a “conspiracy”… Later, these groups became involved in regional wars, as opposed to the government’s decisions, within a context created by Tehran under the name “unity of the arenas”… Former Deputy Dhafer al-Ani commented on that by saying that the international calls to disband the armed factions loyal to Iran were due to the fact that the latter factions are “part of a regional axis, not a national one… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“Why is Jumblatt speeding up the weaving of relations with the “new Syria?” (Ad-Diyyar, Lebanon)

Arab Diplomacy - Democracy and Party Politics

On December 19, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report by Paula Mrad: “The former Head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, was the first Lebanese official to contact Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Julani), the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group that took over power in Syria, to congratulate him for the fall of the regime. In two days, the man will also be the first leader to head from Lebanon to Damascus to meet with Al-Sharaa who has apparently appointed himself as Syria’s president until the date of the elections is determined and until an agreement is reached over the shape of the new regime there… (Read More)

“…The Future [Movement] returns to the limelight after Al-Assad’s fall” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Arab Diplomacy - Democracy and Party Politics

On December 20, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “Contrary to the majority of the forces that once formed the March 14 group, it appears that the Future Movement is being the most careful in dealing with the Syrian file. Although the list of the Blue Movement’s accusations against the former Syrian regime is the longest, topped with the accusation of assassination of PM Rafik al-Hariri, the Movement is not in a hurry to voice decisive stands although it does consider the fall of Bashar al-Assad “a divine victory…” as per its officials… (Read More)

“Syrians go back to interfering in Lebanon in new form” (Website, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security

On December 18, the Lebanese privately-owned En-Nashra news site carried the following exclusive report by Tony Khoury: “The “mother of all surprises” was the sudden fall of the Al-Assad regime in Syria at a record speed that could do down in the “Guinness Book of Records”… Today, a rule that lasted more than half a century in Syria has ended, and Ahmad ash-Shara, known as “Abu Muhammad al-Julani,” has become the new face of Syria, preparing to officially seize power with Arab and international blessing. If we set aside the man’s history that is filled with dark pages, before regional and international whitening agents erased the stains from his record, a statement he made about the Lebanese presidency caught attention. He said that he would support the army commander if the Lebanese people chose him as their president… (Read More)

Syria

Opinion

“Remember the minister’s statement forty days ago!” (Website, Middle East)

Media

On December 20, the privately-owned Asas Media website carried the following piece by jean Aziz: “…We must recall the statement made by the Israeli foreign minister forty days ago! Today, his statement is being translated, its danger is crystallizing, and its dimensions and repercussions can be understood. On November 10, Gideon Sa’ar had been newly appointed to the post of foreign minister in the Netanyahu cabinet… (Read More)

“Syria, where to?!” (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Democracy and Party Politics - Governmental Reform - Military and Security - Peace Process

On December 17, the pro-monarchy Okaz newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Talal Saleh Banan: “Within 11 days, one of the most powerful regimes in the region collapsed in a way which no one expected… At a time when Al-Assad’s regime appeared to be reintegrating the region and the world… after a boycott and political isolation that went on for more than 10 years, Al-Assad’s regime fell in a “dramatic” way… Even the revolutionaries themselves did not anticipate the major military accomplishment they achieved in the field, at a time when everyone was hoping to see a political breakthrough… that could lead to a political settlement between the regime and the opposition. But maybe the calculations of the opposition, which started from a pocket in northwestern Syria (Idlib), were accurate enough to achieve the desired political objective from the risk it was about to take… (Read More)

Politics

“…Features of emerging differences between the Hayat and the opposition’s Syrian Coalition…” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On December 20, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following report: “While the diplomatic, mainly Western, delegations are coming to the Syrian capital, Damascus, to learn the plans of the new rulers in Syria and the directions of the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Ahmed al-Sharaa aka Al-Julani who has seized power in the country and toppled the former regime, Al-Sharaa is seeking to reassure the Western delegations by establishing the headlines of the upcoming phase where he is trying to remove Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from the terrorism lists first, following by dropping the US and Western sanctions imposed on the Syrian people… (Read More)

Turkey

Politics

“Turkey exploits the Syrian win: “Offensive” steps in Africa” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Military and Security

On December 20, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “Concomitantly with its expansion on the Syrian lands since earlier this month, Turkey has reinforced its footholds in the African Horn after the success of the third round of talks between Ethiopia and Somalia in reaching an agreement where each state pledges to respect the other state’s sovereignty, independence, and unity of its lands, in addition to allowing Ethiopia to obtain a sea port on the Somali lands all the while respecting the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“Israeli raids place Houthis in the face of a difficult choice…” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security

On December 20, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “The focused Israeli bombing of vital facilities in the Houthi-controlled areas placed the Iran-affiliated group in the face of a difficult choice between appeasement or halting their targeting of internal Israeli areas using ballistic missiles and drones, which means that they would no longer be supporting the Gaza Territory and the Hamas Movement as per their claims… (Read More)

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