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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

11-Oct-2019

Iran

Opinion

“The Hormuz Peace Initiative: The project for hope” (Al-Rai al-Aam, Kuwait)

Peace Process

On October 10, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Dr. Mohammad Jawad Zarif, wrote the following piece in the Al-Rai daily newspaper: “The Hormuz zone enjoys a strategic importance at the levels of international commerce and energy. Around 15 million barrels of oil are daily pumped from this zone to the users. In addition, massive amounts of goods are exchanged between the countries connected to this zone and beyond. Ensuring security and stability with the aim of securing the communication with the international markets is an undeniable need. For centuries, the region’s countries have been securing and guaranteeing the security of this zone in order to reach the international markets, which is an urgent need and a need that cannot be realized without cooperation and constructive dealing… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guards’ forces in Iraq...” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security - Unrest

On October 11, the London-based Al-Arab daily carried the following report: “Well-informed Iraqi sources said that thousands of Revolutionary Guards forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters are present in Iraq as a backup striking force to rescue the regime there in the event that the threats were to reach a full extent. This comes amidst an unprecedented wave of protests that erupted earlier this month and was subjected to a violent governmental oppression. In addition to the 7,000 Revolutionary Guards troops who were said to be providing protection to the Iranian visitors who will be performing the Imam Hussein pilgrimage in Karbala, activists have indicated that forces affiliated to the Lebanese Hezbollah have entered Iraq with the aim of shielding the government against the protests… (Read More)

Israel

Opinion

“What is the secret behind the Israeli anger towards the Turkish operation?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On October 11, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: ““Israel strongly condemns the Turkish military invasion of the Kurdish governorates!” It is with these words that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the military operation launched by Turkey yesterday along its border with Syria, warning Ankara and its “agents” against engaging in “racial cleansing against the Kurds,” and promising that Israel “will deploy all possible efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the courageous Kurdish people.” But the most controversial statement was made by former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who said: “Our national memory requires us to revolt against violence directed against another nation,” adding: “It is in the interest of both Israel and the United States, for the security and stability of the region, that a Kurdish state be established… (Read More)

Politics

“The main event is in North Syria but the wailing is in Tel Aviv!” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Military and Security

On October 11, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report by Ali Haidar: “The position of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that sympathizes with the Kurdish forces in Northeastern Syria, constitutes an extension to the traditional Israeli bet on the Kurdish card as a partitioning card in the regional environment with the aim of re-producing a new political map and equations based on alliances where Israel can enhance its strategic position in the region. Moreover, the Israeli reactions that mostly reflected a state of deception as a result of the USA’s abandoning of its Kurdish ally, underline the level of concern that is currently prevailing over the Israeli political scene when it comes to the future developments on the Syrian and regional arenas. Israel seems to be locked in a race with these developments in a direction that opposes its earlier desires, which is pushing its officials to increase the level of warnings against suffering some harsh blows, in addition to calling for securing more resources in bracing for the more dangerous scenarios… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“Is Jordan seeking the ‘Egyptian expertise’ in the field of counter-political Islam and MBs...?” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Religion - Unrest

On October 10, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily carried the following report: “As rapid preparations are being made for a visit that is said to be important and that the monarch, King Abdullah II, will be making today, Thursday, to Egypt, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ayman Safadi, made statements were he objected to what Safadi called the Turkish attack on the Syrian Republic. And contrary to the usual norm, Minister Safadi did not use the term “Syrian regime.” He rather called for halting the Turkish attack on the Syrian Arab Republic immediately and settling all matters through dialogue and in the context of the international legitimacy. Safadi further said that his country calls on Syria to halt its attack on Syria immediately, rejects any violation of Syria’s sovereignty, and condemns any attack that threatens its unity… (Read More)

Lebanon

Opinion

“Is there a new Arab approach for Lebanon?” (An-Nahar, Lebanon)

Arab Diplomacy - Financial Markets

On October 10, Ali Hamadeh wrote the following piece in An-Nahar daily: “PM Sa’d al-Hariri has returned from Abu Dhabi carrying the first step on the long road to regaining the Arab trust in Lebanon. Thus, the United Arab Emirates lifted the travel ban to Lebanon that it had imposed on its nationals, a ban that was decided upon the increasing security threats targeting the Arab nationals and the increase in Hezbollah’s hostility in the region in addition to the failure of the successive Lebanese cabinets to guarantee the security of the Arab nationals and, most importantly, their failure to obtain a serious guarantee from the Party on reducing its regional hostility, which had repercussions on the local arena… (Read More)

Politics

“Safadi turns on Al-Hariri...” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On October 10, the Lebanese Beirut Observer news outlet carried the following report: “Almost one and a half years since the conclusion of the parliamentary elections, many faces have stepped down from the political arena. However, quite remarkable was the absence of someone of the stature of Former Minister Mohammad Safadi, who used to have an acceptable weight in the city of Tripoli… (Read More)

“A settlement of scores in Tripoli?” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Unrest

On October 10, the Lebanese privately-owned En-Nashra news website carried the following exclusive report by Abbas Daher: “The modest popular protests staged in the last few days in some Lebanese regions was not odd…, as the complaints seen on social media confirm the existence of massive popular disgruntlement. However, the political and sectarian reality is imposing popular laziness, in the absence of any hope of seeing these protests leading up to anything, especially since their compass is unknown and their goals uncertain. Some might think that the Lebanese fear the repetition of the experiences of the Arab populations that drowned in anarchy following the Arab Spring. But the knowledgeable among them believe that the main cause of the failure of whichever popular or social revolution in Lebanon is the sectarian regime, which is protecting the entire political system and preventing any attack on it… (Read More)

“American economic, not political leniency” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - USA Europe

On October 10, the Lebanese privately-owned Al-Joumhouria newspaper carried the following report by Johnny Menayyar: “Despite the major regional devlopments and the difficult and dangerous files threatening the pillars of the Lebanese state, quasi-calm is prevailing over the political positions and relaxation is seen across the political axes… In parallel, the economic and financial crisis is raging, amid calls being made by the various sectors to go on strike, and extreme fear towards the near future. This may have been the reason why the United States moved behind the scenes and conveyed to a number of Gulf States its approval of the placement of financial deposits in Lebanon. As a result, the United Arab Emirates will be able to do so later on, after it has already lifted the travel ban it had imposed on Lebanon. And it will be followed in that by other Gulf States, amid talk saying that Bahrain will place a symbolic deposit… (Read More)

Syria

Opinion

“The Turkish war in Syria” (Asharq al-Awsat, United Kingdom)

On October 10, the Saudi-owned London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper carried the following opinion piece by former Chief Editor of the newspaper and former General Director of Al-Arabiya Channel Abdulrahman ar-Rashed: “The Safe Zone drawn up by Turkey behind Syria’s border features a series of goals, namely to secure the border for Turkey, get rid of the Syrian refugees by force, and turn the refugees into a protection barrier against the Kurdish armed men. The zone will be dangerous for its inhabitants, who are mostly Syrian Kurds, and though the area that is the object of military incursion is less than 30 kilometers deep, it will inaugurate a new stage in the conflict inside Syria. Indeed, in the largest reversed displacement in modern history, Ankara is planning on getting rid of around two million Syrians, mostly Arab, by forcing them to settle in different ethnic regions, mainly Kurdish… (Read More)

“The last chance” (Al-Watan Syria, Syria)

Military and Security - Peace Process

On October 10, the state-controlled Al-Watan newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Chief Editor Waddah Abed Rabbo: “Until these lines were written, it was not yet clear whether or not some of the reckless leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] have realized the size of the catastrophe they have created as a result of their collaboration with the Americans and their betrayal of the Syrian people. They were warned, cautioned and notified dozens of times that they were nothing but a card played by Washington, and that they will be cast aside once it is done with them. And they were advised dozens of times that the Syrian Army was the only side capable of protecting the land and people, and that any other wager was pointless. But their obstinacy and arrogance led them to participate with the Americans in imposing an economic siege on the Syrian people… (Read More)

Tunisia

Politics

“Second round of 2019 presidential elections: Movement of Tunisia’s Project chooses neutrality” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On October 10, the Tunisian Assabah newspaper carried the following report: “The executive bureau of the Movement of Tunisia’s Project issued a statement saying it was leaving it up to the voters to freely choose whichever candidate they wanted in the second round of the presidential elections. The statement assured: “In its meeting today on Thursday 10 October 2019, the executive bureau of the Movement of Tunisia’s Project went over the legislative elections and the second round of the presidential elections. The executive bureau confirmed that the Movement of Tunisia’s Project respected popular will and accepted the results produced by the ballot boxes, despite the troubled context of the elections, whether at the level of the intertwining calendars or the violations and legal breaches that were registered… (Read More)

Co-Founder: Nicholas Noe

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