Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, political commentator The political solution to the Syrian conflict is the task at hand for the constitutional committee that has been meeting in Geneva since October 30.  The co-chairs are Ahmad Kuzbari from the Syrian government and Hadi Albahra from the opposition.  The Mini-Committee continued activities on Wednesday for the fourth successive day at the UN headquarters in Geneva while working towards amending the constitution for Syria, which is seen as the roadmap to recovery. The 45-member committee equally divided between the Syrian government, the opposition and civil society will hold a four-hour session per day. The full…

by Tim Korso The majority of the country’s oil fields are currently controlled by the US military, illegally stationed in the Arab Republic, and the Kurdish militia. Washington recently reaffirmed its intentions to “keep” the Syrian oil, despite objections from Moscow. The Syrian Army started deploying its forces near the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, and specifically near the village of Mulla Abbas, claiming the Rumailan oilfield, which was lost to Damascus several years ago, during the civil war, SANA news agency reported. The area is located on the Turkish-Syrian border. The US to Remain to “Keep” Syrian Oil, Despite…

Israel’s deputy foreign minister has admitted aiding Kurdish militants in Syria amid a Turkish incursion into the Arab country. On October 9, the Turkish military launched a cross-border operation in northeastern Syria in an attempt to clear the Syrian border areas of Kurdish militants of the so-called People’s Protection Units (YPG), whom Ankara views as terrorists linked to the autonomy-seeking Kurdish militants at home. The incursion began after the US announced it was withdrawing its forces from northeastern Syria, effectively abandoning its longtime Kurdish allies there and giving NATO partner Turkey the go-ahead for the operation. The withdrawal of the…

North Korea slammed Washington on Wednesday for planning to conduct a joint military exercise with Seoul next month. The allies cancelled the combined air exercise known as Vigilant Ace, along with several other joint drills, last year amid a rapid diplomatic thaw with the North, which considers them a rehearsal for invasion. However, Pentagon spokesman David Eastburn said this week that the US had “no plans to skip upcoming combined exercises” this year. A senior North Korean official said on Wednesday that the announcement was equivalent to a “declaration for confrontation” that could jeopardize the diplomatic process, AFP reports. “The joint military…

According to the conditions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, the country can’t enrich Uranium above 3.67%. But Tehran started to roll back its commitments this year due to the US sanctions against its oil and banking spheres. Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi has announced that the country will start enriching uranium up to 5% at the Fordow nuclear site on 6 November. The official added that the process of injecting gas into the centrifuges, enriching uranium, will be monitored by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy…

Moscow has slammed Washington’s “illegal” presence in Syria amid reports that the US is building two military bases in the Arab country’s oil-rich east. “Any actions whatsoever – we are not talking about anything in particular now – that the United States undertake to keep themselves militarily present in Syria are unacceptable and illegal from our point of view and under international law,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said on Tuesday. Vershinin made the remarks addressing recent Turkish media reports claiming that Washington was building two new bases in Syria’s eastern oil-rich province of Dayr al-Zawr. Turkey’s Anadolu Agency has reported…

Riyadh is in talks with Houthi rebels in a bid to end Yemen’s civil war, a Saudi official said Wednesday in the first official confirmation of dialogue between the two sides. The comment comes after Saudi Arabia brokered a power sharing agreement between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and southern separatists, which observers say could pave the way for a wider peace deal, AFP said. “We have had an open channel with the Houthis since 2016. We are continuing these communications to support peace in Yemen,” a senior Saudi official, who declined to be named, told reporters. “We don’t close our doors with…

Turkish forces have captured the wife of former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. He also confirmed that Turkey had detained al-Baghdadi’s sister and brother-in-law in Syria. “The United States said al-Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel. They started a communication campaign about this,” Erdogan said on Wednesday during a speech at Ankara University. But, I am announcing it here for the first time: We captured his wife and didn’t make a fuss like them. Similarly, we also captured his sister and brother-in-law in Syria. Earlier reports citing unnamed Turkish officials claimed that al-Baghdadi’s wife,…

The news comes amid another surge of unrest in the Middle Eastern country, as protesters are taking to the streets to oppose the government, with numerous violent clashes resulting in deaths. According to Reuters, Iraqi protesters have blocked the entrance to an oil refining facility in the city of Nasiriyah, which is located about 370 kilometres (225 miles) southeast of Baghdad. The agency reported, citing sources, that the blockage has already resulted in fuel shortages across Dhi Qar province. Mass rallies broke out again in the country this autumn, as numerous people protested against deteriorating public services and corruption, urging for the resignation of the…

by Tim Korso The US is keeping a military presence in Syria despite achieving its stated goal of defeating Daesh*, prompting several countries, including Syria itself, to slam it as illegal. The Pentagon has argued that troops will stay in the Arab Republic to defend oil facilities from Daesh* remnants, but Moscow insists this should be done by Syrian forces. US President Donald Trump announced early in October his intention to bring the US troops stationed in Syria “back home”, but, according to the latest reports, a significant American contingency remains stationed in certain regions of Syria that are controlled by the Kurdish…