Mideastwire.com

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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

12-Jan-2018

Egypt

Opinion

“The New York Times campaign, how can we face it abroad?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Media

On January 10, the pro-government Youm 7 newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Karim Abdul Salam: “We had previously said that the stable Egyptian position towards the Jerusalem issue will not go by without silly American reactions, which could start with the reduction of the economic and military aid, and end with a fierce campaign targeting the Egyptian administration at the level of two files, which the US Administration has always used to vent out its anger towards and dissatisfaction with Egypt’s political actions, i.e. the file of the Copts and their alleged persecution, and the human rights file… Hence, a few days ago, Congress held a hearing session over what it dubbed the status of the Copts in Egypt, featuring one of the Coptic immigrants, who have been carrying the American nationality for years, or are collaborating with the intelligence apparatuses there… (Read More)

Politics

“A loud bomb: Arabism Egypt party announces nomination of Lieut. Gen. Sami Anan for presidential elections…” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On January 11, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following report: “In what was described as a loud political bomb, the Arabism Egypt party released a statement announcing that it has selected the party’s head, Lieut. Gen. Sami Anan, to run for the upcoming presidential elections. The Party’s Secretary General, Sami Balah, said that a press conference will be held at the party’s headquarters in Doqqi, to announce this decision to the Egyptian people… (Read More)

Iran

Opinion

“Iran’s imminent pullout from the nuclear agreement…” (Website, Middle East)

USA Europe

On January 11, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily carried the following editorial: “Iran just exited the crisis of the massive protests that went on for more than ten days as people protested the tough living conditions, only to step into a new crisis, this time with the USA, knowing that the latter openly supported these protests and even hoped they would overthrow the regime in Tehran… (Read More)

Politics

“Iranian researcher: Demonstrations appeased by judiciary’s reference to them as “fight against the regime” (Website, Middle East)

Unrest

On January 11, the official Turkish Anadolu News Agency carried the following report from Istanbul by its correspondent Gulsum Incekaya: “Iranian political researcher Babak Shahed said that the announcement by his country’s judiciary that the citizen participating in the recent wave of protests were “fighting the regime” caused most of them to go back home. In an interview with Anadolu, Shahed, an expert at the Tabriz Studies Institute (in Iran’s northwest), indicated that the Iranians realized that the judiciary’s position meant that the violators would face harsh sanctions, which could reach the point of execution, adding that the protests that erupted at the end of December and lasted around 10 days were spontaneous and did not have specific demands, until some of them turned into demonstrations against the regime… (Read More)

“What’s the secret of the ‘tempting offer’ Rouhani made to Jordanian King, President Abbas in Istanbul?” (Website, Middle East)

On January 11, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following report: “Turkish political sources revealed that a “tempting offer” to cooperate in the region and the territory has been made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the Jordanian King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in return for guarantees for a security, political, and economic cooperation… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Electoral alliances: Abadi outside State of Law, engaged in tough negotiations with Al-Fatih…” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics

On January 12, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Mashrek Rissan: “Secretary General of the Islamic Dawa Party Nouri al-Maliki was not convinced by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s proposal to run in the next parliamentary elections in the context of the Maliki-led State of Law Coalition [which includes several parties]… Indeed, Al-Abadi asked to be number 1 in the Coalition, which was rejected by Al-Maliki as per a prominent source in the Dawa Party, who continued to Al-Quds al-Arabi: “Al-Abadi asked the Dawa Party’s Shura Council that he be part of and number 1 on the State of Law Coalition [list], which was rejected by Al-Maliki who said he did not want Al-Abadi in the Coalition.” Consequently, he decided to join Al-Fatih Coalition, which includes the leaders of [Popular Mobilization]… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“Is the Saudi ambassador to Jordan following in the footsteps of Al-Sabhan, Al-Qoseiby…?” (Website, Middle East)

On January 10, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily carried the following report by Farah Maraka: “During his visit to the Jordanian capital, Amman, on the margins of the six-sided committee’s meeting, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, tried to extinguish a number of fires caused by the decisions of his country’s controversial ambassador, Prince Khaled Bin Faisal, recently… Extinguishing Bin Faisal’s fires and softening the atmosphere between the Jordanian Street and Saudi Arabia necessarily means the removal of the mesh of one diplomatic crisis that could have exploded between Amman and Al-Riyadh at any given moment…… (Read More)

Saudi Arabia

Politics

“Al-Riyadh is angry: Nasrallah broke the self-distancing on the Palestinian level?” (Ad-Diyyar, Lebanon)

Arab Diplomacy

On January 12, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report by Ibrahim Nasseredine: “…Saudi Arabia has went back to heating up the front with Hezbollah on the backdrop of the Party’s success in creating a gap in the wall of Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s strategy, not from the Yemen gate this time but rather through the Palestinian file, which Al-Riyadh is exploiting to construct a wide front that includes Israel to confront Iran… (Read More)

“Detained Saudi prince under corruption charges tried to commit suicide” (Ad-Diyyar, Lebanon)

On January 11, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report: “Prince Mohammad Bin Mutaib Bin Abdullah, i.e. the son of Prince Mutaib, the former commander of the National Guards, tried to commit suicide by breaking the glass window of the room where he is being held at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Al-Riyadh and jumping from the seventh floor… (Read More)

Syria

Politics

“What is the purpose of Al-Qa’idah’s official announcement of its presence in Syria?” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security

On January 11, the Lebanese privately-owned En-Nashra news website carried the following exclusive report by Maher al-Khatib: “For the first time since July 2016, when Leader of the terrorist An-Nusra Front Abu Muhammad al-Julani announced his disengagement from Al-Qa’idah organization, the latter officially re-announced its presence in Syria in a message addressed to its supporters under the headline “incumbent upon Us was support of the believers.” In its message, the organization called on its supporters to cooperate with the “honest Mujahedeen” and not to attack any faction or group, which points to the possible developments that the Syrian arena might witness in the coming stage. This step was seen against the backdrop of deep disputes between leaders affiliated with Al-Qa’idah on one hand…, and the command of the Levant Liberation Committee led by Al-Julani on the other… (Read More)

“Why did Israel target a Syrian ballistic missiles post?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On January 12, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Aleppo: “The Israeli bombing recently seen in Syria was not the first of its kind. But it was the first in terms of the nature of the position it targeted, seeing as how Israeli warplanes struck on Tuesday at dawn a regime-affiliated military post, used for the launching of ballistic missiles near Al-Qutayfah City (40 kilometers north of Damascus). At the level of the details, sources assured Al-Quds al-Arabi that the 155th Regiment, which is considered to be the long arm of the Syrian regime, was the object of Israeli strikes. And this was confirmed by the regime, which claimed in a military statement that its air defenses hit one of the assailant planes. Asked about the reasons behind the bombing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s policy was to prevent Iran’s use of the Syrian territories to transfer high-quality weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“Tarek Saleh surprises Houthis with first appearance, pledges to uphold his uncle’s commandments…” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On January 12, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following report from Sana’a: “After almost a month of conflicting reports regarding his fate, General Tarek Mohammad Saleh, the commander of the guard and nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, was seen in a video clip circulated by activists and media outlets, extending his condolences to the family of Secretary General of the General People’s Congress Party Aref Zouka. Tarek’s appearance undermined the Houthi militias’ attempts to control the GPC and its decisions, and reshuffled the cards of the group and the GPC command in Sana’a, whose decision is said to be “hijacked…” In the brief clip circulated on instant messaging applications, Tarek pledged – amid cheers – to uphold the course of his uncle and his companion Zouka, and not relinquish Saleh’s last commandments, in reference to the content of his last speech before he was killed… (Read More)

“Saudi invasion of Al-Mahrah: A Salafist “princedom” on Oman’s borders?” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Military and Security - Religion

On January 11, the Al-Akhbar daily carried the following report by Douaa Suweidan: “…The Al-Mahrah governorate located in the Yemeni east is witnessing an active Saudi movement on all the different levels, a movement that now exceeds the one launched by the UAE some months ago in that governorate that has so far not been affected by the fire of the war. This movement has become so wide, varied and extensive that it has become hard to overlook it or to consider that it has no political and security related objectives especially that, since late November, it has taken on an escalating pattern, a pattern that once again sounds the alarm bell for the Sultanate of Oman, which enjoys long borders and solid relations with Al-Mahrah… (Read More)

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