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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

30-Apr-2020

Iran

Opinion

“Damascus-Beirut: Six critical Iranian months” (Newspaper, Middle East)

USA Europe

On April 29, the Lebanese privately-owned Al-Joumhouria newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Tony Issa: “Even at the peak of the Syrian war, Iran was not cornered to the point of having to defend itself in the “Shi’i Crescent.” Between Baghdad and Beirut, going through Damascus, the coming months are critical, even a matter of life or death for the “empire.” According to observers, it is not surprising at all that Hezbollah is rising to defend its influence in Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government and the official bodies and institutions, seeing as how the issue is not just about its presence, as a political, sectarian and denominational component inside the Lebanese structure, but also about what it represents in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East as the strongest and most cohesive arm among Iran’s allies… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“Iran is monitoring an Iraqi plan...to end its authority over the Popular Mobilization Forces” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security

On April 30, the London-based Al-Arab daily carried the following report: “Iran is worried about an Iraqi plan that is being implemented by the Supreme Shi’i Authority, Ali Sistani, and that aims at pushing some strong armed factions away from the Popular Mobilization Forces, in bracing for labeling it as a terrorist organization. Sources that are well-informed of this sensitive file’s details indicated that parties close to Sistani are working on transferring the connection of some influential armed factions from the Popular Mobilization Forces to the armed forces’ general command. The sources stressed that Iran is worriedly monitoring these actions… (Read More)

“Leaks surrounding entry of Baghdadi’s successor remain unconfirmed” (Al-Mada, Iraq)

Terrorism

On April 30, the independent Al-Mada newspaper carried the following report: “Information has been circulating regarding the fact that new Leader of ISIL organization Ibrahim al-Quraishi, a.k.a. Hajji Abdullah, has entered Iraq, in parallel to the escalation of the terrorist operations in the liberated regions. Political analyst Ra’d Karim said at this level: “One of the reasons that might push Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s successor to resort to Iraq is the frail security in the country, and the government’s inability to contain and eliminate ISIL’s cells due to the existing political conflicts. This is not to mention the fact that the security structure in Iraq, namely the Interior and Defense Ministries, are subjected to political quotas.” However, some believe that the latter information is inaccurate. At this level, exert on terrorist groups Hisham al-Hashemi said in statements followed by Al-Mada: “I believe the information about this new leader is still unconfirmed… (Read More)

Lebanon

Opinion

“How is America using the weapon of the USD to detonate a new civil war in Lebanon...?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Financial Markets - Terrorism - USA Europe

On April 28, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following piece by Abdul Bari Atwan: “If we wish to understand what is currently going on in Lebanon in terms of violent protests and attacks on the banks mainly in Tripoli in the north, we just have to ponder the statements of David Schenker, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern affairs, to the Saudi Al-Arabiya channel. Schenker revealed three highly important points that can shed light not only on the roots of the present escalating crisis but also on its future developments… (Read More)

Politics

“Has Washington’s and Paris’ position halted the Opposition’s bet on the protests...?” (Ad-Diyyar, Lebanon)

Democracy and Party Politics - Unrest - USA Europe

On April 30, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report by Mohammad Ballout: “The developments over the past few days revealed a number of facts pertaining to the political scene and the recently escalating conflict between the government and the opposition, a conflict that started with the return of [former] PM Sa’d al-Hariri to Beirut... According to a prominent political source, the dramatic developments over the past few days where the protestors returned to the street clearly underline the major crisis that everyone has reached in light of the serious economic and financial deterioration and the mad escalation of the USD compared to Lebanese pound exchange rate… (Read More)

Libya

Opinion

“Why did Gen. Haftar abolish the Skhirat Accord...?” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Peace Process - United Nations - USA Europe

On April 30, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following editorial: “The biggest dream that Gen. Khalifa Haftar will have until the last moment of his life is for him to be crowned the president of Libya, thus succeeding over his biggest foe, Col. Muammar Gaddafi. This dream or ambition explains all the man’s actions starting with the cooperation with the US Administration and its services to oust the Libyan leader. Following the realization of this goal, the man proceeded with his cooperation with the NATO followed by his forces’ marching towards the capital, Tripoli, with the support of regional and international countries like Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, and Russia… (Read More)

“Libya: Haftar rewards himself for defeats by proclaiming himself sole ruler!” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security

On April 30, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following lead editorial: “Rebellious Libyan General Khalifa Haftar clarified what many states trying to mediate in the Libyan crisis were intentionally ignoring. This inconsistent man, who served many authorities from the late leader Muammar Gaddafi to the US intelligence that saved him from captivity in Chat, going through the UAE, Egypt, France and Russia that are currently sponsoring him, practically upheld the course of his mentor Gaddafi. Indeed, he believes in crushing force and military coups as the only way to control the country and the people, regardless of the multitude of and changing sponsors and operators, and with total disregard to all the efforts and other political sides, including those supporting his call or walking in his footsteps… (Read More)

Middle East

Opinion

“What if America were to collapse?” (Al-Khaleej, United Arab Emirates)

USA Europe

On April 30, Al-Khaleej newspaper carried the following opinion piece by Jamil Matar: “We owe coronavirus. We actually owe it many things. One of them is that some people learned how beautiful the cities were and how generous nature was before they ruined them. Another thing we owe it is that it pushed a writer or researcher to sit down and write an article or study under the headline: What if America were to collapse? Academically-speaking, political experts have tackled the subject many times in the years that followed the independence of dozens of colonies, thus wondering whether or not these colonies could survive as a state after the world recognized the sovereignty of their local rulers. We, in the Arab world, as students of political sciences, have always wondered among ourselves and with our professors about the ability of Arab countries born after the withdrawal of English and French colonialism, to persist in the face of responsibilities that became incumbent upon their rulers… (Read More)

Sudan

Politics

“Sudan - The conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the army: Who shall win the Street over?” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security

On April 30, the London-based Al-Arab daily carried the following report: “...At the heart of the sometimes hidden and sometimes open conflict between the Higher Commander of the armed forces, Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo aka Hemedti, there’s a near consensus indicating that the privileges obtained by the Rapid Support Forces constitute the main reason for the army troops’ feeling of unfairness and the subsequent exacerbation of the crisis. An army officer who chose to keep his identity concealed told Al-Akhbar that the relationship between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces can currently be dubbed “competitive and hostile” especially as the latter forces “emerged as a parallel power.” He added: “Weakening the army had been the Islamists’ systematic plan to prevent the army from carrying out a coup against the ousted regime. For this reason, massive amounts of money were dedicated to form these [Rapid Support] Forces… (Read More)

Syria

Politics

“Washington establishes local brigade to protect oil wells in East Syria…” (Agencies, Middle East)

Military and Security - USA Europe

On April 29, the Arabic page of the official Turkish Anadolu News Agency carried the following report from Hasakah by its correspondent Mohammad Masto: “The United States has started establishing a special military unit composed of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to protect the oil fields in East Syria. Local sources revealed to Anadolu’s correspondent that the latter unit will be part of the SDF formations controlled by the terrorist YPG/PKK organization, but will receive direct orders from US officers in the region. Also according to the sources, the unit will be essentially in charge of protecting the oil fields, but will play a role in whichever potential confrontation with the terrorist groups affiliated with Iran on the western bank of the Euphrates River, adding that the number of elements in the unit will reach 1,000, and that they will receive a monthly salary of $350, whereas the SDF elements receive a monthly salary of $100… (Read More)

Tunisia

Politics

“Pressures hindering En-Nahda’s efforts to expand Qatar’s, Turkey’s authority in Tunisia” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Democracy and Party Politics

On April 30, the London-based Al-Arab daily carried the following report: “The pressures exerted by a number of parties, political figures and civil society organizations, succeeded in preventing the holding of a parliamentary session to vote for two, allegedly “suspicious” agreements with Turkey and Qatar amidst accusations targeting the Parliament Speaker, Rached Ghannouchi, indicating that the man is usurping power to allow the two countries to further infiltrate [Tunisia] and to tighten their grip over the Tunisian economy… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“Yemen: Transitional Council losing popular base in South due to daily acts of thuggery by militias” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security

On April 30, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from Ta’iz by its correspondent Khaled Hammadi: “Local sources in Aden in South Yemen mentioned that the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council was losing its popular base in the Southern governorates, over which it proclaimed “self-administration” on Saturday. Therefore, it is unable to secure any actual presence on the ground in those governorates, with the exception of Aden, Lahj and Dali’, which it had seized in August with the help of the Emirati forces positioned in Aden under the umbrella of the Arab Coalition for Yemen. At this level, a political source said to Al-Quds al-Arabi on condition of anonymity for security reasons: “The Southern Transitional Council is doing the wrong things at the wrong time and in the wrong place… (Read More)

Co-Founder: Nicholas Noe

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