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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

20-Feb-2020

Iraq

Politics

“Progress at the level of the negotiations: the cabinet to be completed within days?” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Democracy and Party Politics

On February 20, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report: “As the constitutional deadline of thirty days is nearing its end (on March 2), the appointed PM Mohamed Tawfik Allawi, is about to place the final touches on his expected ministerial team amidst speculations that his cabinet will be presented to the parliament by early next week. The extensive meetings between the different parties and political forces went on until late last night. Although the situation is not settled yet, the available information indicates that everyone has agreed on “organizing the differences” in light of a significant smoothening of the positions of the Sunni forces, headed by Speaker Mohamed Halbousi, and the Kurdish forces led by Massoud Barzani… (Read More)

“Kurds blame Baghdad for Dibis crime: ISIL pockets in Kirkuk with government’s knowledge” (Al-Mada, Iraq)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On February 20, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report from Baghdad: “Day after day, the remnants of ISIL organization are confirming their ability to wage attacks. And though they are limited ones, they are still causing the fall of civilian victims. At this level, the recent armed attack in Northern Kirkuk, which claimed the lives of 7 victims, carried the signature of the organization that is using the political crisis in the city and the attempts to fuel the nationalistic conflict in the multi-racial governorate. For their part, and despite the warnings, the authorities are continuing to ignore what is happening, and rejecting the proposals that could preserve the citizens’ lives, as per officials… Jamal Shakkur, a deputy from Kirkuk, said at this level that the governorate was still hosting “dangerous pockets” for ISIL organization “with the knowledge of the government in Baghdad… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

“Syria asks Jordan: How will you export electricity to Lebanon... without talking to us?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Energy - USA Europe

On February 19, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its Amman Office Chief Bassam Bdareen: “Jordanian Energy Minister Hala Zawati has yet to find a way to deliver electricity to Lebanon without implicating its government in “reaching Lebanon through Syria.” This was discussed with the Lebanese, Iraqis and Palestinians, but not the Syrians, knowing that exporting Jordanian electricity to Lebanon in an uncostly way urgently requires the installation of technical equipment through the Syrian territories. More importantly, it requires an agreement with a governmental side [in Syria]. At this level, the message sent by Damascus was the following: How do you intend to deliver electricity to Lebanon through our territories without talking to us? And implicitly, Damascus asked the government in Amman to inquire about that with the “American sponsor… (Read More)

Lebanon

Opinion

“Aoun, the great absentee from the scene of the Lebanese death” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Democracy and Party Politics

On February 19, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following piece by Hiyam Kosseify: “...What is going on in Baabda? Does the Head of the State, Gen. Michel Aoun, realize how the drop in the value of the Lebanese pound is reflecting on the Lebanese people’s daily life and how these people have lost their right to live in dignity? Does the president realize what is going on in the banks and the extent of the insults suffered by the Lebanese people to obtain their salaries and their money? Are the members of the [presidential] team and the Palace’s advisors informing the president of the tangible facts regarding the massive preparations for emigration and what Lebanon is going through in terms of the highest wave of prices, and the widest state of poverty and how hunger is knocking at the doors of thousands of families and how industrial and commercial institutions are shutting down and how hundreds of employees and workers are being fired? Is anyone at the Baabda Palace reading how the Lebanese people are living through the “technicalities of misery” and war in the era of peace?… (Read More)

Politics

“Did Larijani come to Beirut because Diab has not received an invitation to Al-Riyadh?” (An-Nahar, Lebanon)

Democracy and Party Politics

On February 19, the An-Nahar daily newspaper carried the following report by Ahmed Ayyash: “The visit of the Head of the Iranian Shura Council, Ali Larijani, to Lebanon is still the subject of the media’s attention. As for its actual outcomes so far, these remain confined to the media as there have been no practical steps taken at the level of the relations between the two countries... According to diplomatic pieces of information obtained by An-Nahar, there is a connection between this visit and the mystery surrounding the Gulf tour that PM Hassan Diab is planning on conducting. PM Diab had announced [he will be taking] this tour on January 22 from the Palace of Baabda immediately following the release of his cabinet’s formation decree… (Read More)

“O Lebanese people, Israel is running the SMS” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Media

On February 20, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report by Hadil Farfour: “The company that has been running the text message services at Touch for three years now conducts most of its research in Israel, and the latter finances around fifty percent of this research. This is what one can conclude when one monitors the Mavenir company that has the ability to access the highly sensitive SS7 protocol, which includes some serious gaps that allow for hacking into any account on the internet connected to the “victim’s” phone number, to spy [on the victim], access its bank accounts and its accounts on the social communication networks. Three years ago, Mavenir was born... However, a further scrutiny into this company’s history...clearly shows that this is nothing but the Israeli Comverse and that the international Mavenir “died” in 2015 when it was purchased by MiTEL. .. How did this company inherit the work in Lebanon? And what is the danger resulting from its ability to access the SS7 protocol?… (Read More)

“Iranian offer determines fate of Lebanese government?” (Website, Middle East)

Energy

On February 18, the Lebanese privately-owned En-Nashra news website carried the following exclusive report by Abbas Daher: “This is not the first time that the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its full willingness to help Lebanon economically, seeing as how similar offers have been made upon the formation of each new Lebanese government… But no government has ever accepted Iran’s help to overcome Lebanon’s economic crises, either for regional reasons, to avoid angering the Gulf States, or for international reasons, so as not to upset the Western states, particularly the United States. But this time, Lebanon has a government of technocrats backed by one political team, and does not include any of the political powers that are historically allied with Washington or Riyadh. So, while the offer made by Head of the Shura Council Ali Larijani to the Lebanese is similar to the previous ones…, will Beirut’s answer be different this time around?… (Read More)

Middle East

Politics

“Abbas Kamel leading Egyptian security coordination to confront Turkish expansion in North Africa” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Military and Security

On February 20, the London-based Al-Arab daily carried the following report: “Security sources revealed to Al-Arab that the Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Services, Abbas Kamel, has secretly visited a number of Arab and North African countries where he worked on forming an intelligence alliance followed by an extensive military cooperation to confront a Turkish project that Kamel dubbed as the most dangerous project facing the Arab region since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s access to power. The sources added that Kamel presented highly sensitive information to his counterparts in the countries he visited about the Turkish moves and operations in Libya and Syria in addition to its military presence in Qatar… (Read More)

Qatar

Opinion

“A new push for Qatari-Russian relations” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy

On February 19, the Qatari Al-Arab newspaper carried the following lead editorial: “Qatar is proceeding in accordance with a steady strategy to consolidate its relations with the various states of the world. And though the Qatari positions might diverge from those of this or that capital in regard to some regional or international files and issues, this divergence does not prevent the strengthening of joint cooperation, which eventually serves the interests of the region’s populations and stability. At this level, the visit to Doha of His Excellency Mr. Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of the Security Council of the friendly Russian Federation, along with his accompanying delegation, marks the opening of yet another page of cooperation between the two countries in many sectors, and an opportunity to benefit from the capabilities of both sides to enhance Gulf security… (Read More)

Syria

Opinion

Abdul Bari Atwan on the Syrian developments (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security

On February 20, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following piece by Abdul Bari Atwan: “The third round of negotiations around the situation in Idlib that took place in Moscow between a Turkish and Russian military and security delegations has collapsed with the reason for this collapse being the fact that the Russian side is clinging to all its terms that consist of wiping out the terrorist armed groups, and restoring the city and its suburbs in full to the Syrian sovereignty as per the Sochi agreement provisions, in addition to rejecting the Turkish demand for the pullout of the Syrian forces to their earlier posts… (Read More)

Politics

“Syrian Air at the airport of the “economic capital” Aleppo after 8 years…” (Al-Watan, Saudi Arabia)

On February 20, the state-controlled Al-Watan newspaper carried the following report from Aleppo by its correspondent Mazen Jabbour: “The first civilian plane coming from Damascus landed yesterday at Aleppo International Airport, eight years after the operations at the airport had been halted, thus marking the end of a new chapter in the war on Syria, and the beginning of a new phase with the return of the Syrians’ economic capital in full. The plane carried the ministers of transportation and tourism, a number of directors at both ministries, and a large host of correspondents from local, Arab and international media outlets. And the plane was welcomed by Aleppo’s population with overwhelming joy and hope. Upon arriving to the VIP area at Aleppo International Airport, Minister of Transportation Ali Hamoud spoke to Al-Watan… (Read More)

Society

“Russia recruiting Syrians from Suwayda and Ghouta to fight in Libya” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On February 19, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Antakya: “Journalistic sources in Suwayda confirmed the reports surrounding the recruitment of the children of Suwayda (South) by Russian militias, so that they go fight in Libya alongside the forces of Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. At this level, an exclusive source said to Al-Quds al-Arabi that Russia had indeed started recruiting Suwayda inhabitants to send them to fight in Libya, assuring nonetheless that the number of recruits was “still very low and below the Russians’ expectations,” amid popular rejection of that step. Suwayda 24 network had revealed the involvement of the Syrian National Youth Party, which is licensed by the Syrian regime, in the recruitment process that is taking place with the support of the Russian Wagner militias [original story found in yesterday’s Daily Briefing]… (Read More)

Co-Founder: Nicholas Noe

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