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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

05-Apr-2016

Egypt

Opinion

“The Panama Papers and the corruption of Mubarak’s family” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Corruption

On April 5, the independent Egyptian Ash-Shorouk newspaper, carried the following opinion piece by Imad Eddin Hussein: “Yesterday, the entire world woke up to the scandalous leaking of 11.5 million documents from the Panama-based Mossack Fonesca law firm, which revealed the existence of accounts for 140 leaders and politicians and 214,000 offshore companies in more than 200 states, mostly secret accounts, or ones aiming to evade the payment of taxes or pay less taxes, from Russia and Iceland to Libya, Syria and Qatar, going through Egypt and the Mubarak family. No one knows who stands behind this massive leak, though there are speculations saying that American sides may have played a role in it, due to the presence of individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the head of those accused of having resorted to these “safe tax havens… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Sources reveal Shi’i-Kurdish alliance to topple Al-Abadi” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On April 3, the pan-Arab Abu Dhabi-based Erem News website carried the following report: “Today on Sunday, Iraqi sources revealed the existence of an agreement between the leaders of the Kurdish alliance and the Shi’i Supreme Council bloc to topple Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, by withdrawing confidence in his government before parliament. Hence, a source close to the Shi’i Alliance said to Erem News: “Leader of the pro-Iran Supreme Council Ammar al-Hakim has earned guarantees from President of the Republic Fuad Masum that he will not obstruct the attempts to remove him [Al-Abadi] from the premiership within a period not exceeding one month.” The member in the Shi’i Alliance’s political committee continued on condition of anonymity: “The two sponsors of the agreement to oust Al-Abadi from the premiership are Kurdish leader and current Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari, and leader of the Supreme Council Ammar al-Hakim… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“Will the fire of the Deraa front backfire against Jordan?” – Part two (As-Safir, Lebanon)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On April 2, the independent, leftist As-Safir daily carried the following report: “The reason why the general command of the An-Nusra front has decided to transfer the “Jordanian Prince” Abou Jalibib from his post as a “prince” on Deraa and to appoint him on the coast where only a few small villages are still under the front’s authority is unclear. Abou Jalibib is famous for the saying “Jordan is a red line,” which indicates that he wouldn’t allow any damage to the Jordanian security or any mistakes on the Jordanian borders. This gave him the wide reputation of being an agent of the Jordanian services… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“Moscow to Al-Hariri: No to federalism” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Arab Diplomacy

On April 4, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “[Former] PM Sa’d al-Hariri explored the Russian positions regarding the developments in Syria during his visit to Moscow. According to sources informed of the visit, he was informed of a Russian rejection of federalism in Syria and the region… Before the expected visit of Saudi King Salman Ben Abdul Aziz to Russia, PM Sa’d al-Hariri took the Lebanese crisis to Moscow where he held a number of meetings mainly with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, two days ago… (Read More)

“This is how ISIL is working on establishing an independent organization in Ain el Helweh” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Terrorism - Unrest

On April 4, the Lebanese Al-Joumhouria daily newspaper carried the following report: “Suddenly the roving clashes returned to the Ain el Helweh camp… When trying to explore the recent developments, it clearly turns out that the camp’s factions and the Lebanese security services have a tendency to say that these were mere individual clashes and that everything is under control. However, these clarifications do not really express the reality in the camp, which is being covered for well-known reasons. In reality, the truth behind the Ain el Helweh developments…was summarized by trusted sources that spoke to Al-Joumhouria as follows… (Read More)

Middle East

Opinion

“Panama Papers and scandals of Arab rulers” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Corruption - Financial Markets

On April 5, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following opinion piece by Muhammad Ayesh: “At a time when seven million Syrian refugees are suffering on the pavements of the border checkpoints and in old death boats, and living off the donations of the poor Europeans, we have learned that Bashar al-Assad and his family have been enjoying smuggled money, laundered and recycled by a company in Panama, which has been managing dirty businesses away from the spotlight for many years, even decades. This is not just about Syria’s stolen money, but also that of many Arab countries, as it turned out that 72 corrupt world leaders, rulers and politicians, mostly Arabs, have been playing with millions and billions of smuggled dollars, far away from any control or their people’s eyes, at a time when the Arab populations are drowning in the mud of poverty, ignorance, unemployment and injustice… (Read More)

Palestine

Opinion

“Abu Marzook: Our relationship with Fatah is unstable despite the dialogues…” (Al-Quds, Palestine)

Arab Diplomacy

On April 5, the Al-Quds daily newspaper carried the following report: “Dr. Moussa Abu Marzook, the vice president of the Hamas movement’s politburo, told Al-Quds.com: “What we have with Egypt are connections and interests. We have opened a clean slate where we will be writing the best of what we have in terms of words and deeds. We both need a new language and we will do it.” On the news carried by some media outlets regarding Egypt’s request that Hamas should open the file of the detained soldiers, Abu Marzook indicated that this file has not been opened or mentioned by anybody. He added that all that is being said through the media is mere speculations… (Read More)

Politics

“Second largest PLO factions…launches violent attack against Abou Mazen…” (Website, Middle East)

Media - Peace Process - Terrorism

On April 4, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily carried the following report: “As a way of clearly leaving the square of the “soft dispute” that had been reigning over the relationship between the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine organization and President Mahmoud Abbas, Abou Mazen, a prominent official from the organization, which represents the second [largest] PLO organization, asked Abou Mazen to resign following heavy worded statements against him indicating that he has “crossed all the red lines… (Read More)

Saudi Arabia

Opinion

“The Gulf is not a scoop” (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Media

On April 4, the pro-monarchy Okaz newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Muhammad al-Osaymi: “Like all the riffraff that are active in the Lebanese towns and suburbs as a result of the decay generated by Hezbollah’s actions there, another meaner type of riffraff is also actively destroying and sabotaging every Lebanese or Arab interest, which is believed to go against the agent in the suburb, or the agenda of the Wali-e Faqih in Iran. The latter are stripped of any patriotic or national value, and think they can control the situation by terrorizing the people and wrecking public and private property. And it is in this context that one can place the attacks on the headquarters of Al-Arabiya channel and Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in Beirut, and the earlier attack on the headquarters of Future TV. They are the suburb’s “hooligans” and the saboteurs of Lebanon, which used to be the Arabs’ most beautiful sibling, before it became – due to Iranization – one of their ugliest and unruliest… (Read More)

Syria

Opinion

“When America goes back to maneuvering with the file of the war against Syria!” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Peace Process

On April 4, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily carried the following piece by Hesham al-Hbeishan: “The fact that America and its allies are proceeding with the indirect war on Syria irrefutably indicates that any talk about the conferences aimed at finding a political settlement to the war on the Syrian state (Geneva 3) is nothing but mere talk and statements that are void of any implementable contents on the ground. America and its allies in the West and the region are still playing a part and trying to shove the Syrian state into a long war, one that will end in portioning Syria. Until America and its allies are convinced that the time for settling the war on the Syrian war has come, Syria will keep revolving in a bloody circle… (Read More)

Tunisia

Politics

“Zouhair Hamdi: Essebsi and Ghannouchi agreed to hide truth behind assassinations in Tunisia” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics - USA Europe

On April 5, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Tunis Hassan Salman: “Secretary General of the People’s Movement and leader in the Tunisian Popular Front Zouhair Hamdi said that President Beji Caid Essebsi and leader of Ennahda Movement Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi agreed in 2013 to divide power and conceal the truth behind the political assassinations in the country. He also pointed to the existence of an “international will” to divide power between political Islam and the remnants of the old regimes in the Arab spring countries, believing it was likely to see the repetition of the Tunisian scenario in Libya and Syria. He hinted on the other hand to the fact that Caid Essebsi’s stay in power was “no longer justified, after he recognized his failure to run the country… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“Sources very close to Khaled Bahah to Rai al-Youm: Hadi’s latest decisions are suicidal…” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Peace Process

On April 4, the electronic Rai al-Youm newspaper carried the following report: “Many Yemeni circles are living through a state of “shock” following the decisions of their “president” Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, whereby Lt. Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar was appointed as a vice president while Mr. Ahmad Obeid Ben Degar was appointed prime minister in succession to Mr. Khaled Bahah. The two are among the most controversial Yemeni figures and do not enjoy a wide popularity among the majority of the population due to their controversial personal and political histories… (Read More)

“Imminent agreement being negotiated with Houthis in Riyadh...” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Peace Process

On April 5, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Riyadh Suleiman Nemr: “Al-Quds al-Arabi has learned from Yemeni sources in the Saudi capital that a formula for a political solution to end war in Yemen was being negotiated with the Houthi delegation, whose presence in Riyadh was announced by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. And the sources expected seeing an agreement over the solution formula in Riyadh, which will be announced during the UN-sponsored talks between the Yemeni sides in Kuwait on April 18, and will confirm the return of the legitimate authority to Sanaa and recognize the Houthis as a key political and social component in Yemen… (Read More)

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