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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

09-Aug-2019

Iran

Business

“Iranian official: Commercial relations with UAE are growing” (FARS News Agency, Iran)

Financial Markets

On August 8, the Arabic page of the Iranian Fars News Agency carried the following report: “Chairman of the Iranian-Emirati Joint Chamber of Commerce Farshid Farzankan assured that the commercial relations between the two countries was growing, adding in a statement that the United Arab Emirates was aware of the fact that its prosperity was linked to stability in the Persian Gulf region. The chairman of the Iranian-Emirati Joint Chamber of Commerce also indicated that in light of the presence of a large number of Iranian businessmen in the UAE, particularly in the Dubai Emirate, and their influential role in the country, the UAE wished to ensure cooperation with Iran. And he commended the role being played by the Foreign Ministry and the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran to develop the relations with the neighboring states, including those sharing a maritime and land border with Iran… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Al-Baghdadi nominates Iraqi from Mosul as his successor at the head of ISIL” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On August 8, the official Turkish Anadolu News Agency carried the following report from Baghdad by its correspondent Amer al-Hassani: “The media affiliated with the terrorist ISIL organization mentioned that Leader of the organization Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi nominated Iraqi national Abdullah Qardash as his successor. Amaq News Agency, the media arm of ISIL, thus carried a report on Tuesday night saying that Al-Baghdadi nominated Abdullah Qardash of Turkmen origins from Tal Afar District in West Mosul to “care of the affairs of the Muslims,” as per his terms. For his part, Iraqi security expert Fadel Abu Raghif wrote on Twitter that Al-Baghdadi’s successor was arrested at Boca prison (in Basra Governorate), previously held a key religious post in Al-Qa’idah organization, and was a graduate of Imam al-Aazam Faculty in Mosul City… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“A new action by the Lebanese Forces under the headline of reviving the March 14 team!” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On August 8, the electronic El-Nashra daily carried the following report: “Since prior to the launching of President Michel Aoun’s term, the vertical division in Lebanon officially and practically ended between what used to be known as the March 8 and March 14 forces... The Lebanese Forces played a leading role at the level of this “coup” by endorsing the nomination of their historic enemy for the post of president and signing the document that came to be known as the “Me’rab Understanding” with the Free Patriotic Movement. Then, the Future movement joined through the “presidential settlement” followed by the Progressive Socialist Movement, in an attempt at avoiding isolation… (Read More)

“Junblatt is hindering the solution” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Democracy and Party Politics - Judicial Affairs

On August 9, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “...After his meeting with the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, PM Sa’d al-Hariri indicated that “the good news is no longer distant” and further expressed his optimism “more than before” in solving the crisis that has been preventing the council of minister from convening for more than a month. The meeting and its positive outcomes were the fruit of the efforts that Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim had been carrying out until all the initiatives were reportedly halted. Indeed, Ibrahim had moved from seeking to find a technical-political solution to the matter of referring the Qabreshmoun crime to the Judicial Council, into looking for deeper solutions by communicating with the president of the republic, the prime minister, and Hezbollah. As a result, it turned out that the escalation that reached a pinnacle in the past two days had sped up the solutions that were concluded with the Baabda encounter where Ibrahim was present… (Read More)

Middle East

Politics

“International MB organization longing for Tunisia after losing Sudan” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On August 8, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following piece by Mohammad Aboul Fadel: “The En-Nahda movement in Tunisia gained a good political presence thanks to its flexibility in dealing with many controversial matters. It also made sure to say that a distance separates it from the MBs and other movements affiliated to the loose current of the political Islam because it [i.e. En-Nahda] is convinced of the specific nature of the Tunisian experience and also because it tried to avoid a number of minute problems mainly the quick and loud fall of the MBs in Egypt. The leaders of the international organization had thought that seizing power in Sudan has reduced their marginalization. Thus, Khartoum turned into a safe haven for many fleeing officials from Egypt and a place where the region’s Islamists of all kinds could come together. The MBs are hoping to control the official decision making process in Tunisia, and to take advantage of the remarkable development that consists of the civil society’s openness towards the Islamists as long as they abide by the law and its firm provisions... Thus, En-Nahda managed to increase its infiltration rate of the society’s base through its active participation in the municipal elections last year… (Read More)

Saudi Arabia

Politics

“Will the Saudi leadership revert to dialogue with Houthis...?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security - Peace Process - USA Europe

On August 8, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily carried the following editorial: “The report published by the American Wall Street Journal, which is close to the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad Bin Salman, did not come as a surprise to us; the report included a statement by a high-ranking Saudi official who revealed that his government is studying “suggestions” to conduct direct talks with the Houthis because it doesn’t want to be lured into a long and costly war. The reason why this came as no surprise to us is because the Saudi government now has very limited options as its Emirati ally has pulled out most of its forces from Yemen and as the Houthist rocket attacks on the airports of the Saudi south are on the rise thus disrupting the navigation there, as the [Yemeni] forces have penetrated into the border areas of Jazan, Najran, and Assir, and as the chances of war are increasing in the Gulf in light of the Iranian-American tension… (Read More)

Sudan

Opinion

“Sudanese “Rapid Support [Forces]” for hire in Libya after Yemen?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On August 9, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: “Sources affiliated with the Libyan Government of Accord mentioned that the number of dead from among General Khalifa Haftar’s forces had exceeded 1,100, that most of them were Sudanese “mercenaries,” that some of those Sudanese fighters were captured, and that the Libyan governmental forces documented their names and photos, informed the relevant international organizations about them, and allowed their families to visit them during the last Eid el-Fitr. This information indirectly confirms what had been mentioned by British news reports regarding the dispatch of 1,000 Sudanese Rapid Support Forces to East Libya to fight alongside the forces of retired Libyan General Khalifa Haftar against the internationally-recognized Government of Accord… (Read More)

Tunisia

Politics

“Tunisia: Ennahda opponents revive “secret organization” accusation to influence its chances in elections...” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics

On August 9, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Tunis by its correspondent Hassan Salman: “The presidential battle in Tunisia has taken a new turn, reflected by the security forces’ storming of the house of a leader in Ennahda in an attempt to revive the alleged “secret organization” file. Some viewed this as the first reaction by the prime minister to the fact that the Islamic movement did not give him its support... At this level, Head of Ennahda’s parliamentary bloc Noureddine Bhiri wrote on Facebook: “A message to the Interior Minister: What happened on Tuesday in terms of the terrorization of the family of brother Abdelaziz Daghsni, the regional Shura Council director in Ben Arous..., by a security team that stormed his house without prior notice and without a judicial order or justification, is legally and morally rejected… (Read More)

Turkey

Opinion

“Has Erdogan exhausted the Syrian refugees card?” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

Human Rights - Refugees

On August 9, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Syrian writer Akram al-Banni: “Far away from the humanitarian claims, there are four goals which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed to achieve from playing with and using the Syrian refugees’ card. Firstly, to blackmail the international community and especially the European countries, as the one controlling the flow of refugees through the Turkish border and playing the biggest part in containing illegal immigration to the West. This produced an agreement, by which the European Union is still paying billions of dollars to Ankara annually, without this preventing Erdogan from accusing some European states of not meeting their commitments, or one of his ministers from threatening that Turkey could drown Europe with refugees… (Read More)

United Arab Emirates

Politics

“The transformation in the UAE’s policies: three reasons, one motive” (Website, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security - Peace Process

On August 8, the electronic Al-Modon daily carried the following report: “In the past few weeks, the UAE made a number of steps indicating that a potential transformation will be taking place at the level of its policies regarding a number of regional issues... The indications to the transformation at the level of the UAE’s regional policies started from Yemen. Abu Dhabi announced on July 8, 2019 its plan to reduce and re-deploy its forces in Yemen, more than four years following its engagement in the war there, adding that it is moving from the military strategy first, to the strategy of peace first... And on July 30, 2019, a high-ranking Emirati military delegation arrived to Tehran headed by the commander of the Coastal Guards, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Mosleh al-Ahbabi, to meet with the Iranian commander of the Border Guards, Maj. Gen. Qassem Ridaii... The work of the joint border committee between the UAE and Iran was thus reactivated after a halt that went on for six years… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“Yemeni minister reveals to Al-Jazeera the reality behind the Saudi-Emirati dispute in Aden” (Al-Jazeera.net, Qatar)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security

On August 8, the Al-Jazeera.net website carried the following report: “A minister at the Yemeni legitimate government revealed the truth about the Saudi-Emirati dispute in Aden, and also the reason behind the extensive hovering of the war jets since yesterday in the skies of the temporary capital, Aden, in the south... The Yemeni minister who spoke to Al-Jazeera.net but asked that his name remains secret, said that the war jets that hovered until late last night were Saudi rather than Emirati contrary to what some media outlets had indicated… (Read More)

“UAE proceeds with battle to expel Hadi from Aden...” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Arab Diplomacy - Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security

On August 9, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Ta’iz by its correspondent Khaled al-Hammadi: “On Thursday at noon, the armed confrontations resumed in a more violent way between the secessionist Transitional Council militias in South Yemen, and the Presidential Guard forces affiliated with President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Crater in the temporary capita Aden, near the entrance of Al-Maashiq neighborhood that hosts the Presidential Palace, i.e. the symbol of what is left of the legitimate governmental institutions in Yemen. At this level, local sources said to Al-Quds al-Arabi: “...This was seen after the secessionist militias infiltrated the streets and alleys to control the only entrance into Al-Maashiq presidential neighborhood, but also the Yemeni Central Bank in Aden, around which many vehicles and tanks affiliated with the Presidential Guard are deployed… (Read More)

Co-Founder: Nicholas Noe

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