By SETH J. FRANTZMAN THE MIDDLE EAST CENTER FOR REPORTING AND ANALYSIS 16 May 2020
Recent moves by Iranian-backed Liwa Fatemiyoun (لواء فاطمیون) and Liwa Zainebiyoun, two units of Afghan and Pakistani Shi’ites who serve in Syria with the IRGC, appear to correspond to new tensions between the US, Iran and Israel and may also involve moves by Russia in Syria. At the very least the recent reports indicate not only that the two units are growing more open about their presence between Albukamal and Deir Ezzor and that posturing between Tehran, Moscow, Damascus, Washington and Jerusalem tie into this presence and its ramification.
The two units sit astride a key strategic corridor for Iran and pro-Iranian groups in Syria, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq.
Weil sie einen Appell für eine Verlängerung des Waffenembargos gegen den Iran unterzeichnet hat, der auch von der Pro-Israel-Organisation AIPAC unterstützt wird, wird die umstrittene Abgeordnete des US-Repräsentantenhauses nun – mutmaßlich zum ersten Mal überhaupt – von eigenen Anhängern kritisiert. Sie sei eine „Verräterin“.
Von Stefan Frank – HaOlam 14 May 2020
A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands on the back of a pick-up truck, with a weapon installed on it, in Qamishli, Syria March 30, 2019. Picture taken March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho – RC1961AA5550
A US military report accuses Russia and the Syrian regime of using Arab discontent in eastern Syria to undermine the Kurdish-led administration. – AL MONITOR – May 15, 2020
The US military accused Russia and the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad of attempting to leverage discontent among Arab populations in eastern Syria to undermine Kurdish-led authorities affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces.
A Pentagon Inspector General report released on Wednesday cited CENTCOM as saying that unspecified “state actors in the region” were pressuring civilian populations “to realign and renounce support for the SDF.”
Fri 15 May 2020
Members of the Turkish Army Forces (TAF) standing near a military vehicle while being deployed on the Aleppo – Lattakia international “M4” highway during the eleventh Russian-Turkish joint patrol – 14 May 2020 (Enab Baladi)
Israel hat offenbar versucht, dem südafrikanischen Apartheid-Regime Atomwaffen zu beschaffen. Das berichtet der britische “Guardian” auf Basis jetzt aufgetauchter Dokumente. Es wäre der erste schriftliche Beweis für die Existenz israelischer Nuklearwaffen – und damit eine politisch brisante Blamage für Jerusalem. DER SPIEGEL – 24.05.2010, 18.08 Uhr
Atomreaktor in Dimona: Israel soll dem Apartheid-Regime die Bombe in Aussicht gestellt haben
London/Tel Aviv – Israel gilt als Atommacht, auch wenn seine Regierung seit Jahrzehnten die Existenz der Waffen weder bestätigt noch dementiert. Die Politik der Zweideutigkeit bietet einen großen Vorteil: Israel verfügt über nukleares Abschreckungspotential, ohne sich aber dem internationalen Kontrollregime unterwerfen zu müssen. 1986 wurde Israels Atomprogramm bekannt, als der Techniker Mordechai Vanunu entsprechende Informationen öffentlich machte. Erst am Sonntag wurde Vanunu in diesem Zusammenhang erneut verhaftet.
Jetzt aber sind Dokumente aufgetaucht, die Israel gleich auf doppelte Art bloßstellen könnten, sollten sie authentisch sein: Sie wären der erste schriftliche Beweis für die Existenz israelischer Atomwaffen. Und sie würden den Eindruck, Israel gehe verantwortungsvoll mit der Bombe um, ad absurdum führen.
Until recently the number of reported cases was stable and it seemed that the spread of the disease was under control. Even locations that were potential hotspots, such as the Palestinian refugee camps, reported only isolated cases. However, this past week there was a rise in the number of infections detected, raising concern over a second outbreak, and prompting the Lebanese government to impose a four-day general lockdown on the entire country.
COVID-19 infections detected in Lebanon between April 30 and May 11, 2020
(website of the Lebanese ministry of information, May 13, 2020)
Picture from the video of the reception held by the residents of the al-Jalil refugee camp for a fellow resident who had recovered from COVID-19 (Facebook page of the
al-Badawi refugee camp, May 6, 2020).
[1] For further information see the April 1, 2020 bulletin, “Hezbollah’s coping with COVID-19: A test case of the conduct of the mini-state established by Hezbollah in Lebanon.” ↑
[2] For further information see the April 12, 2020 bulletin, “The fight against the spread of COVID19 in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.” ↑
Veröffentlicht am 12. Mai 2020 von Daniel Heiniger
Die jemenitische Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Tawakkol Karman wurde als eines von 20 Mitgliedern des neuen Gremiums ausgewählt, hat aber in der Vergangenheit bereits ihre Unterstützung für die islamistische Organisation bekundet. – Donna Rachel Edmunds, 11.5.2020, Jerusalem Post aus dem Englischen von Daniel Heiniger
Die Mitbegründerin von Journalistinnen ohne Ketten und Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Tawakkol Karman hält am 2. Februar 2018 am Warwick Economics Summit eine Rede. (Bildquelle: Wikimedia Commons)
Ein Mitglied des neuen Aufsichtsgremiums von Facebook, das die Kontrolle über den Prozess der Inhaltsmoderation für die Social-Media-Plattform haben wird, hat in der Vergangenheit laut dem Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) und Medienberichten ihre Unterstützung für die Muslimbruderschaft zum Ausdruck gebracht.
The ceasefire in the Idlib region was violated this week by an attack of jihadi organizations affiliated with Al-Qaeda against positions of the Syrian army and the forces supporting it. This was the most serious incident since the Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement. There were also exchanges of artillery fire between the Syrian army and rebel organizations. However, the joint patrols of the Syrian and Turkish armies continued in accordance with the ceasefire agreement between them (March 5, 2020). The ceasefire is still maintained but the intensity and severity of the incidents have recently been on the rise.
The area in the northern Al-Ghab Plain attacked by jihadi organizations
(marked with an icon of an explosion) (Google Maps)
Iraq continues to be the main arena of ISIS’s global activity, while ISIS takes advantage of the spread of COVID-19[2] and the decrease in the scope of activity of the US-led International Coalition. This week, ISIS’s activity continued in the forms characterizing past weeks: activation of IEDs, mortar shell fire, sniper fire, and targeted killings. The most prominent attack was the detonation of five IEDs in Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad. In addition, this week, ISIS set fire to wheat fields as part of a modus operandi which it calls the “economic war” against its enemies.
ISIS did not claim responsibility for setting fire to the fields and abducting the farmers. However, in the ITIC’s assessment, this can be viewed as part of the “economic war” waged by ISIS against its enemies. As part of this war, ISIS recently blew up IEDs to sabotage high voltage lines, including lines supplying electricity from Iran to Iraq.
The Shiite areas where IEDs were detonated in Baghdad: Al-Amin neighborhood (marked in pink), Al-Amel neighborhood (marked in black), Al-Za’afraniyah (marked in blue), Abu Dashir neighborhood (marked in red), and the Al-Ma’alef area (marked in purple).
In the ITIC’s assessment, the combined attack in Baghdad was intended to cause as many casualties as possible among the Shiite population, undermine security in the Iraqi capital, and signal to the Iraqi regime and the entire Iraqi public that ISIS’s audacity was growing stronger and its operational capabilities were improving. Even if these goals were not achieved in full, the attacks indicate that concurrently with its “routine” guerrilla activity, ISIS strives to carry out showcase attacks with political and media repercussions in the Iraqi arena.
Diyala Province
Kirkuk Province
Baghdad Province
Babel Province
Salah al-Din Province
Erbil Province
Al-Anbar Province
Nineveh Province
|
|
« neuere Artikel / next articles ältere Artikel / previous articles »
