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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-Oct-2016

Egypt

Opinion

“My advice to Ahmed Ezz” (Al-Masry al-Yawm, Egypt)

Corruption

On October 4, the independent Al-Masry al-Yawm newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Muhammad Amin: “I do not think that when he sent his controversial article to be published in Al-Masry al-Yawm, Engineer Ahmed Ezz wanted to return to political life through the economic door. And I do not think that addressing this issue is beneficial to him in any way, or to political life itself. So, if he were to seek my advice, I would tell him not to go there… As for the media’s talk about this issue, it does not make the return acceptable. Quite the contrary, it might turn it into a thorny question, and create enmity towards the idea... Three years ago, Minister Muhammad Ibrahim Suleiman unilaterally decided to return to the scene, and tried to put his case forward in the media before being acquitted by the courts. Coincidentally, those who undertook that task were the same sponsors… (Read More)

Politics

“MB holds Es-Sisi responsible for death of leader in the group Muhammad Kamal” (Quds Press Agency, United Kingdom)

Human Rights

On October 4, Quds Press news agency carried the following report from London and Cairo: “Deputy General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt Dr. Ibrahim Munir assured that the Egyptian security forces’ killing of prominent leader in the group Muhammad Kamal marked a continuation of what he dubbed the “eradication approach,” which he said “President Es-Sisi is adopting against whoever seriously opposes his authority.” In exclusive statements to Quds Press, Munir indicated: “The killing of the group’s Guidance Bureau member, Muhammad Kamal, is not the first crime committed by the Egyptian regime. It is part of a policy launched by President Abdul Fattah es-Sisi since his coup against the democratic course in July 2013.” Munir then questioned the Egyptian Interior Ministry’s tale surrounding the eruption of confrontations with Muhammad Kamal… (Read More)

Iraq

Society

“Tribal leader calls for revealing fate of more than 300 detainees held by Popular Mobilization” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On October 5, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Baghdad Ra’ed Hamed: “A tribal leader revealed that the fate of 47 kidnapped from the Shammar tribe remained unknown, after they were taken by armed groups affiliated with Popular Mobilization from the Naema village east of Tikrit City to an unknown location more than a year and a half ago, in addition to 270 others from the Ad-Daur district in the Saladin governorate. In exclusive statements to Al-Quds al-Arabi, Sheikh Imad Naji al-Hassan, a senior leader of the Arab Shammar tribe in Iraq, said that “the Iraqi Hezbollah brigades were behind the kidnapping, after they entered the Naema village that was under the [Islamic] State organization’s control in March 2015,” adding: “270 other people from the Shweikhat sub-tribe of the Jabouri tribe were also arrested the same way in Ad-Daur District… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“The full story behind the “most dangerous” Jordanian partisan statement…” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics

On October 5, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its Amman Office Chief Bassam Bdareen: “For one reason or another, the angry reactions provoked by the new Jordanian Senate’s structure were not limited to statements issued by some tribes addressing the Royal Palace, and accusing the state’s kitchen of exclusion or shortcomings. Indeed, a statement, which might be the most powerful and the harshest, with an unexpected and unprecedented high ceiling, was issued by one of the most important centrist parties led by Amjad al-Majali, the son of a late former prime minister, minister, deputy and senator. The statement of the Jordanian United Front Party regarding the overall “situation in the country” practically announced the birth of a fierce opposition from the womb of the centrist movements… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

"Al-Hariri: I am the bloc's head" (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Democracy and Party Politics

On October 4, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report by Maysam Rizk: “It seems that [former] PM Sa’d al-Hariri who is staging a strong comeback to the political scene is keen on preventing the differences between the two Future movement “wings” from disturbing the serenity of his return. He is also keen on preventing the emergence of any position from within the movement that could “scratch” his latest actions at the level of the presidential file… (Read More)

Middle East

Opinion

“From the Syrian Accountability Act to the JASTA” (An-Nahar, Lebanon)

Financial Markets - Terrorism

On October 4, Amin Kamourieh wrote the following piece in An-Nahar daily: “Without any prior warnings, the U.S. Congress passed the Justice against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) thus overriding the veto of President Barack Obama who had rejected the act in light of the negative repercussions it could bring to the USA. The JASTA law allows families of victims of the terrorist attack to sue foreign countries. Officially, this law means that no foreign country is immune to the U.S. judiciary authorities against any complaint demanding financial amends from a foreign country for physical injuries affecting individuals or property and resulting from a terrorist action… (Read More)

“The Arab absence” (Al-Khaleej, United Arab Emirates)

On October 4, the Al-Khaleej daily newspaper carried the following editorial: “Ruling out the Arab system including the League, countries and institutions, from the developments taking place at the level of the Arab scene for more than five years now is not a strange thing or something that needs to be questioned. Those who decided to shy away from their nationalistic duty and to allow the Arab arena to turn into an area of a strategic void, cannot be asking for a role or a mission but should rather confine themselves to the frontiers where they are allowed to move either as a minor player or a chess piece in the game of the nations, which is taking place throughout the Arab arena… (Read More)

Politics

“Al-Hariri in Moscow: targeting at the right time and place” (Ad-Diyyar, Lebanon)

On October 4, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report by Dolly Bachaalani: “This is not the first visit to be made by the head of the Future movement, MP Sa’d al-Hariri, to Moscow to meet with officials there with the aim of stirring the presidential file now that the void has stepped into its third year. Al-Hariri had visited Moscow by late March in the context of his then Arab and international action aimed at ending the void at the level of the presidency. However, the official visit that he will be starting today, Tuesday, has a different taste as per concerned political parties especially since Al-Hariri has recently opted for the politics of openness on the local arena… (Read More)

Palestine

Opinion

“Is the intifada against Abbas and his Authority now imminent…?” (Website, Middle East)

On October 3, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following editorial: “Most of the predictions on the possible launching of an intifada against the Israeli occupation at the West Bank may have not been realized despite several signs such as the “uprising” of the knives that led to reviving the hopes in this regard. However, the one certain thing is that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas might have sparked a political intifada against him personally after his shameful participation in the funeral of Shimon Peres, the most dangerous Israeli president on the Arabs and Muslims, and the war criminal who was involved in a number of massacres in Lebanon, Gaza, and the occupied Palestinian lands in general… (Read More)

Saudi Arabia

Politics

“Obama and Saudi Arabia: No chemistry” (Ad-Diyyar, Lebanon)

Terrorism - USA Europe

On October 4, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report by Nour Nehmeh: “Since Barack Obama was elected as the president of the USA and until the last month of his now ending term, he has been adopting non-traditional American politics to deal with the crises that are reigning over our region as well as the alliances and relations with the Middle Eastern countries. He thus drew closer to Iran and “turned cold” with Saudi Arabia… (Read More)

“King Salman freezes princes’ privileges…” (Website, Middle East)

On October 3, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following report: “The Saudi Monarch, King Salman Ben Abdul Aziz, decided to revoke all the privileges enjoyed by the princes including the extra financial support. He decided to only maintain the salaries that the princes get. He might also reconsider the salaries of the rich princes who have amassed hundreds of millions of dollars… (Read More)

Tunisia

Politics

“Mohamed Qumani: Tunisian Ennahda has become social party, Islamic identity no longer a priority” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics - Religion

On October 5, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Tunis Hassan Salman: “Ennahda Movement’s new politburo member, former Secretary General of the Reform and Development Party Mohamed Qumani, said that the recent accession of leftist and liberal figures to the movement confirmed that the slogan surrounding the “separation of political action from the religious call,” which was lately adopted during the tenth conference, was not just a “makeup [layer]” to improve the Islamic movement’s image… He added in exclusive statements to Al-Quds al-Arabi: “… It was rather a preliminary step in implementing the conference’s recommendations, including openness to other circles from outside the movement. And I expect to see the accession of new figures in the coming months… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“Who is Bin Habtour, who was chosen by the Houthi militia?” (Al-Arabiya.net, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On October 3, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya.net news website carried the following report by its correspondent in Sanaa Kamel al-Matri: “Observers believed that the issuance by the insurrectionist council affiliated with the militias in Sanaa of a decision assigning Southern leader Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour to form a national salvation government, was a defiance of the international community and a practical rejection of the political settlement efforts. Moreover, it is like a reward to the man for all the services he performed in favor of the Houthis and deposed [President] Saleh during his time as governor of Aden. The so-called Supreme Political Council recently formed by the Houthis and the deposed [president] as a coalition insurrectionist authority, had issued on Sunday a decision assigning Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour to form what they dubbed a National Salvation Government… (Read More)

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