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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

14-Dec-2021

Egypt

Politics

"Egypt re-arranges its political positions vis-à-vis a different Gulf" (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Monarchies/Dictatorships

On December 13, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: "The ongoing transformation at the level of the relations between the GCC countries is forcing Cairo to re-arrange its political positions in order to deal with a different region than the one it experienced in the past phase. The Gulf summit, which is scheduled to be held in Al-Riyadh on Tuesday and will be attended by Egypt might actually reveal a great deal of the understandings between the Gulf States and their main allies specifically Egypt knowing that the latter has been employing a discourse stressing that the security in the Gulf is part of its own national security… (Read More)

Jordan

Politics

"…Did the Jordanian crown prince, Hussein, visit Saudi Arabia twice…?" (Website, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy

On December 13, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following report: "Some details and new developments indicate that differences have grown and increased behind the curtain and in the backstage between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in a way that cast some shadows on the relations between Jordan and Saudi Arabia making the relations between Al-Riyadh and Amman quite strained knowing that the rapprochement attempts have reached a dead end on several instances… (Read More)

“Mystery of “American message” that forced Jordanian Irrigation Minister to “travel and sign”...” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Energy - USA Europe

On December 13, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report from London: “Ministers in the Jordanian government have started to actively offer explanations behind the scenes and outside the meeting rooms to some deputies in Parliament, two nights before the stormy session that should discuss and interrogate the government about the so-called “declaration of intent,” or the controversial Emirati agreement. Indeed, direct instructions were issued by Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh to some members of his team, asking them to present explanations to the deputies prior to Wednesday’s session, which had been postponed after the legal quorum could not be secured because deputies abstained from attending to discuss the agreement in the presence of Minister of Irrigation Mohammed an-Najjar, who is accused of normalization… (Read More)

Lebanon

Opinion

"Hamas and its dangerous weapons on Lebanon" (Newspaper, Middle East)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On December 14, the London-based Al-Arab daily carried the following piece by Khayrallah Khayrallah: "The explosion at a weapons warehouse belonging to the Hamas movement at the Borj al-Shamali camp near the city of Tyr gives an idea about the actions of the movement that has taken upon itself the task of distorting the image of the Palestinian people wherever it goes. At least two people were killed and others were injured as a result of the explosion while fire ravaged a weapons' and explosives' warehouse belonging to Hamas in one of the camp's mosques in north Lebanon… (Read More)

“Who wants to ignite Lebanon?” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Military and Security - Unrest

On December 14, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following opinion piece by Palestinian writer Muhammad Ayesh: “The horrific crime and brutal massacre that occurred in Burj Shemali camp in South Lebanon cannot be isolated from the attempts to ignite strife and undermine stability in it, the siege to which Lebanon is being subjected, the unprecedented instigation campaign targeting Hezbollah and its friends, or the attempts to thwart whichever progress in the political process. The massacre in Burj Shemali is yet another attempt to ignite the situation in the country. And what is certain is that those standing behind it were recollecting the 1975 Ain ar-Remmaneh massacre, which was the spark that ignited the destructive civil war in Lebanon. We could even say that the fire that consumed the mosque, then a warehouse containing aid for corona patients, was also provoked… (Read More)

“Phalanges Party trying to steal Hezbollah’s “gift” to Bassil” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Refugees

On December 12, the independent Lebanese Daraj media platform carried the following opinion piece by Tarek Ismail: “There is no topic over which the public opinion in Lebanon is not divided. That is a Lebanese specificity. And the latest topic of the sort was the decision of Minister of Labor in the Lebanese Government Mustafa Bayram to allow the Palestinian and Syrian refugees to practice professions that used to be exclusive to the Lebanese citizens. Between the positive and negative perceptions of the minister’s decision, political exploitation found its place. And because Minister Bayram is affiliated with Hezbollah in the government, one must look into the contexts of this capitalization among some political powers, far away from the strong sentiments of those rejecting the decision, also for political reasons… (Read More)

Politics

"Jumblatt to Al-Bilad: Hezbollah is responsible for Lebanon's crises" (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On December 12, the Al-Bilad newspaper carried the following report: "The Head of the Progressive Socialist Party in Lebanon, Walid Jumblatt, told Al-Bilad that Hezbollah is the party responsible for the successive crises that Lebanon is going through, adding that the Party, its sponsors, and its local allies have taken Lebanon to a place that differs from its natural position and that clashes with the very essence of its existence thus placing Beirut in a completely opposite place to Arabism as reflected by the latest crisis with the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] and the Gulf States… (Read More)

Libya

Politics

“What is the role played by Al-Menfi, Stephanie, to support the organization of elections?” (Website, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On December 13, the Egyptian Arabi 21 news site carried the following report from Tripoli by its correspondent Ala’ Farouk: “United Nations Advisor on Libya, American national Stephanie Williams, held several meetings a few hours after she landed in the Libyan capital Tripoli. And she started by meeting with Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi to discuss the latest developments affecting the political and electoral process. The fact that Stephanie chose to meet with Al-Menfi first, and that she confirmed to him the support given to the elections, raised questions surrounding the role that could be played by both to push towards the organization of the electoral process, and whether or not Al-Menfi represented a strong local ally for the United Nations when it comes to the elections… (Read More)

Palestine

Politics

"Hamas disrupts Cairo's plan for the reconstruction in Gaza" (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Democracy and Party Politics

On December 13, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: "The representative of the Ministry of Public Works in Gaza, Naji Serhan, revealed on Sunday that there have been some differences between the Hamas movement and Cairo regarding the Egyptian plan for comprehensive appeasement with Israel concomitantly with the launching of the second phase of reconstruction in the territory, which speaks of the potential failure of the Egyptian efforts to reach long-term appeasement between Hamas and Tel Aviv… (Read More)

Syria

Politics

“Following air landing and killing of 4 in Busayrah, SDF imposes curfew, deploys in the city” (Website, Middle East)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On December 13, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights carried the following report from Deir Ezzor Governorate: “Troops affiliated with the SDF imposed a curfew in the city of Busayrah tonight, informing the citizens about this measure through loudspeakers. In parallel, the SDF elements deployed inside the city’s neighborhoods, looking – as per information acquired by the Syrian Observatory – for wanted individuals, one of whom escaped a prison in As-Sur town in Deir Ezzor’s countryside. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also acquired additional details surrounding the security operation carried out by the International Coalition Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces in Busayrah City in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside a few hours ago, as activists revealed to the Observatory that the purpose of the operation was to arrest wanted elements on charges of “weapon smuggling and belonging to the Islamic State organization… (Read More)

Tunisia

Opinion

"Sheik Ghannouchi might have set himself on fire" (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On December 14, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following piece by Farouk Youssef: "The Islamic En-Nahda movement doesn’t have what it takes to start a dialogue based on national bases with President Kais Saied or with the political movements that support the July 25 decisions… It became clear since that date that En-Nahda has lost its ability to move and has been locked out of political life… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

“… To face defeats, Houthi resorts to Al-Qa’idah” (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Military and Security - Terrorism

On December 14, the pro-monarchy Okaz newspaper carried the following report from Jeddah by its correspondent Ahmed ash-Shmeri: “Reliable sources in Sana’a revealed that coordination has increased between Al-Qa’idah and the Houthi militia lately, adding to Okaz that the coup [authority] gave a number of Al-Qa’idah leaders in Al-Bayda high military ranks, and sealed a deal to ensure their participation in the military operations in Ma’rib and the western coast. They also revealed that a meeting was held last week in Sana’a between Al-Qa’idah’s commanders in Al-Bayda and Houthi leaders Arej Majali and Muhammad Ali al-Houthi, during which an agreement was reached over the participation of the members of the terrorist organization (Al-Qa’idah) in the fight alongside the militias in Ma’rib… (Read More)

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