Mideastwire.com

WHAT WE DO

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

07-Jun-2024

Egypt

Politics

“Dubious consortium builds Egyptian Al-Ahly Sports City: Al-Organi and Emirati companies” (Website, Middle East)

Monarchies/Dictatorships - Tourism

On June 6, the Egyptian Arabi 21 news site carried the following report from Cairo: “On Tuesday night, in a massive celebration, the Egyptian Al-Ahly Club announced – following the approval of the armed forces – the establishment of a stadium that can accommodate 44,000 fans, within a world-class sports city built on an area of 43 acres over four years, at a cost of EGP12 billion. The city will include a museum, school, university, hotel, and hospital, and will be situated in the Sheikh Zayed area in the October 6 City (west of Cairo). So far, the news is great for all the fans of the Egyptian club. But when talking about the funding, estimated at EGP12 billion, a consortium of 15 Emirati, American, and Egyptian companies emerges, parallel to the names of six former Egyptian ministers and an Emirati media figure… (Read More)

Iraq

Politics

“A three-party Saudi, Iraqi, Kuwaiti meeting stirs suspicions of the Iraqi Shi’i forces” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy

On June 7, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “Criticism voiced by Iraqi Shi’i forces against the government of PM Mohammad Shi’a as-Sudani, for conducting talks with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait even before the contents of these talks were revealed indicates that these forces oppose any rapprochement between Iraq and any of the Gulf States out of fear that this might come at the expense of Iran, the ally of the Shi’i parties and armed factions that have often played the role of the guardians of Iran’s authority in Iraq… (Read More)

Israel

Politics

“Threats of invasion to prevent the war?” (Al-Akhbar Lebanon, Lebanon)

Military and Security

On June 7, the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper carried the following report by Yahya Dbouk: “Threats represent an Israeli weapon that is often employed to confront Tel Aviv’s enemies to realize political, security-related, or economic objectives to the extent that this weapon has turned into an unbreakable part of Israel’s identity and security dogma… If Israel is also hoping that the threats will favor its interests during the present phase, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these threats are prone to be implemented in the phase of the war itself, especially if these threats…are being made to prevent the comprehensive war that Israel is, in paradox, threatening to launch!… (Read More)

Lebanon

Politics

“Awkar between fire and explosion…” (Website, Middle East)

Terrorism - USA Europe

On June 7, Jean Aziz wrote the following report in the electronic Asas Media daily: “…A few hours prior to revealing the identity of the man who opened fire against the US embassy in Awkar, North Beirut, one source who has been following up on the international communication around Lebanon was announcing the failure of all the efforts, attempts, and initiatives. Nothing was realized through Le Drian’s visit, and nothing is expected from the Normandie Summit. Even the French envoy and his American counterpart do not hesitate to express their boredom with Lebanon’s crisis to being sick of it… (Read More)

“Targeting of US embassy: Awakening of sleeper cells…” (Website, Middle East)

Terrorism - USA Europe

On June 7, the Lebanese privately-owned En-Nashra news site carried the following exclusive report by its correspondent Tony Khoury: “From September 2023 until June 2024, around one year went by while the American Embassy in Lebanon continued to attract bullets. In the first case, the official conclusion was that the attack resulted from a personal dispute and a “retaliation” by a delivery man, which was not convincing to many… But what happened yesterday seemed more serious and could not be disregarded for two main reasons: The first is that it clearly showed the implication of Syrians belonging to the terrorist ISIL organization in carrying it out, and the second is that the army – this time around – was more ready to deal with the incident and was arrest one of the assailants… (Read More)

Middle East

Politics

“Features of an Iraqi solution to the PKK issue…” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Terrorism

On June 6, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “Features of a major rapprochement are emerging between Turkey and Iraq regarding the issue of the PKK, which is using areas in North Iraq as a haven for its fighters and a main launching pad for its ongoing war against the Turkish army since four decades. Baghdad is no longer opposed to being part of settling the file of this party. However, Baghdad wants to apply its own way, which consists of peacefully disarming the party and pushing its members to vacate their positions, while encouraging them to leave voluntarily. This is reminiscent of two earlier experiences that Baghdad had when it dealt with the file of the Kurdish fighters opposing the Iranian regime… (Read More)

“Iraqi mediation between Turkey, Al-Assad regime” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Peace Process

On June 7, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper carried the following report from Doha by its correspondent Othman al-Mukhtar: “The announcement by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ as-Sudani of an Iraqi mediation between Turkey and Al-Assad’s regime in Syria during an interview with a Turkish television channel last Friday, confirmed leaks circulated among Iraqi political circles regarding a governmental action toward Turkish officials and members of the Syrian regime to “coordinate the positions regarding common files,” namely the Kurdistan Workers’ Party that is opposed to Ankara, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian refugees, and the Euphrates River water, with Baghdad presenting itself as a common party between both sides… (Read More)

Palestine

Opinion

“Terrorist questions” (Al-Quds al-Arabi, United Kingdom)

Terrorism

On June 7, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following opinion piece by Kuwaiti academic and journalist Dr. Ibtihal al-Khatib: “Life, by nature, is opposed to vacuum. This is due to the fact that every nothing is something, and every vacuum must be filled momentarily. And if it is filled by something that is angering, upsetting, or opposed to the principles, the blame equally falls on whoever created the gap and vacuum, and whoever ignored them while they were being formed… For years now, the Lebanese domestic scene has been vacant of any real and dedicated political content that serves the people… And because nature abhors a vacuum, it was filled by several parties, each more violating and exploitative of the Lebanese people, reaching Hezbollah, whose ties and sources of funding are known… (Read More)

Politics

“The devil is in the details: Did Biden secretly change the articles of the Gaza appeasement proposal…?” (Website, Middle East)

Arab Diplomacy - Peace Process - USA Europe

On June 7, the electronic Rai al-Youm daily newspaper carried the following report: “Mystery is still prevailing around the surprise initiative proposed by US President Joe Biden to obtain a ceasefire in the Gaza Territory and swap the prisoners between the Hamas Movement and the Israeli side. Even though Biden’s proposal is actually an “amended” Israeli initiative, it is being met with a categorical rejection on the part of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, which is further intensifying the mystery around the essence and secret clauses of the deal… (Read More)

“As-Salhi: Israel’s battle in the West Bank as dangerous as in Gaza…” (Agencies, Middle East)

Military and Security

On June 6, the Arabic page of the official Turkish Anadolu News Agency carried the following report from Ramallah by its correspondent Qais Abu Samra: “Palestinian Leader Bassam as-Salhi said that Israel was waging a fierce battle in the occupied West Bank, which was as dangerous as the one taking place in Gaza. However, the heated situation in the Strip was overshadowing the developments in the West Bank. As-Salhi, the secretary general of the Palestinian People’s Party (one of the largest parties of the Palestine Liberation Organization), added in an interview with Anadolu that the PLO and the Palestinian factions were working on ending the Israeli genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, clarifying that Israel was proceeding “with its fierce war in the West Bank alongside its insane war in the Strip”… (Read More)

Syria

Politics

“Autonomous Administration postpones municipal elections: Turkish threats, US pressures” (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics - Military and Security - USA Europe

On June 7, the Qatari-owned London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper carried the following report from Gaziantep and Qamishli by its correspondents Mohammad Amin and Madin Alyan: “The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria announced on Thursday the postponement of the municipal elections that were supposed to be held this June “in response to the demands of the parties and political alliances.” But the facts indicate that the Autonomous Administration postponed the municipal elections because of the American non-welcoming of that step and the Turkish threats to wage a military operation to undermine the Administration… Clearly, the latter failed to secure the needed local, regional, and international cover for the elections, which were rejected by all the sides involved in Syrian affairs and boycotted by the main powers on the Syrian Kurdish scene, namely the Kurdish National Council… (Read More)

Yemen

Politics

"Unannounced boycotting by Aidarus al-Zoubaidi of the Legitimacy institutions..." (Newspaper, Middle East)

Democracy and Party Politics

On June 7, the London-based Al-Arab daily newspaper carried the following report: “Well-informed Yemeni sources said that the Chairman of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, has reduced his participation in any activities as the Vice President of the Presidential Leadership Council, which represents an unannounced boycotting that sends a powerful sign to the concerned parties indicating that he cannot proceed in an unbalanced partnership where the Southerners keep their promises while the partners do not… (Read More)

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