Middle East Monitor - The Latest from the Middle East
Monday, March 02 2015
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March Guest Writer
News from the Middle East
Turkey, Saudi Arabia to boost support for Syrian opposition
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud have agreed on the need to increase support for the opposition in Syria.
Egypt receives a delegation from Yemen’s Houthi rebels
A member of the Houthi political bureau Abdul-Malik Al-Ajri yesterday said a delegation headed by Hussein Al-Izzi arrived this morning in Cairo to meet with Yemen's representative at the Arab League to discuss the latest political developments in Yemen and ways to enhance mutual ...
Yemen's Hadi accuses Saleh of conspiring with Iran
Yemeni President Abed Rabbuh Mansour Hadi yesterday accused his predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh of conspiring with Iran in cooperation with Shia Houthi rebels to thwart a deal backed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to transfer power to him in 2011.
UNICEF: Israel violates international law in treatment of Palestinian children
In its annual report entitled "Children in Israeli Military Detention Observations and Recommendations" , UNICEF has said that Israeli treatment of Palestinian children is "in violation of international law".
Jordan King: Palestinian issue key to fighting terrorism
King Abdullah II of Jordan said on Sunday that "if we did not solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict... our hands would be restricted while we are fighting terrorism."
Iraqi forces prepare to liberate Tikrit
The Iraqi forces are preparing to launch a wide scale military operation to restore the city of Tikrit, in the Anbar province, from militants affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), the Anadolu Agency reported.
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News from Africa
Egyptian public debt up $26bn in a year
Egypt's public debt is reported to have increased by 200 billion Egyptian pounds ($26.2 billion) to reach 1.9 trillion Egyptian pounds ($0.25 trillion) by the end of September 2014 compared to 1.7 trillion Egyptian pounds ($0.22 trillion) at the end of the same period in 2013.
New Sisi leaks exposes UAE support for military coup
VIDEO
Egypt's Mekameleen TV channel released a new leaked audio recording exposing how the UAE supported and funded the military regime in Egypt and helped them and other civilian movements to stop the Arab Spring there.
Libya's Tobruk-backed army slams UK diplomat
The command of the Tobruk-backed army on Saturday denounced remarks made earlier by a British diplomat before the United Nations Security Council on Libya.
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News from Europe and Russia
Two guilty of assaulting pro-Palestinian activist
VIDEO
Two members of an extremist Jewish organisation have been found guilty of assaulting pro-Palestinian activists in London.
Italy begins naval drills off Libyan coasts
Italy is to begin annual naval drills near the coast of Libya on Monday amidst fears of terrorist attacks by extremist militants in the region, various new agencies reported.
Erdogan welcomes 'call on terror group to disarm'
A call towards disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, marks the realization of a key expectation of the Turkish government but what matters is implementation, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.
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News from Asia, the Americas, & International Organisations
PLO, PA to appeal against US court that sued Palestinians
A senior member of Fatah's Central Committee, Nabil Shaath, said on Wednesday that the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are going to appeal against the US jury that ordered them to pay $218.5m for Israeli-Americans hurt or killed in Palestinian attacks in Israel between 200...
UNSC backs Hadi as Yemeni president
The UN Security Council has given unanimous backing to Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi as "the legitimate president of Yemen" and reaffirmed its strong commitment to the country's unity, AP reported yesterday.
Kerry, Abbas discuss Israeli withholding of Palestinian tax revenues
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas discussed on Wednesday in a telephone conversation Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, a senior Palestinian official said.
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Latest In-Depth Articles
Inside Conservative Friends of Israel
A wine-spattered copy of the parliamentary guest list for the Conservative Friends of Israel's "Annual Business Lunch", which took place in December last year, has made it onto my desk. For those of you who don't know, CFI is a pressure group for pro-Israel interests in Westminst...
Saudis have concerns about Egyptian foreign policies
As Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi concluded his first official visit to Saudi Arabia since King Salman Abd Al-Aziz came to the throne, arguments about the results of the visit continued. Some commentators have focused on the fact that it only lasted a few hours and newspa...
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MEMO Commentary & Analysis
A perfect gift for Egypt's failing regime
The callous murder of 21 Copts in Libya over the weekend was a welcome gift to the military-led regime in Egypt. Like the senseless killings in Paris, it offered an opportunity for the government in Cairo to present itself as a deserving and credible partner in the great "war on ...
DEBATE by Ben White
NGOs slam 'disarmament for development' as Gaza lies in ruins
Leading NGOs have heavily criticised attempts to link the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip with its demilitarisation, ahead of a debate about the issue in Westminster today.
INQUIRY by Asa Winstanley
Spy Cables show America's hypocrisy on Hamas
The publication by Al Jazeera and The Guardian this week of a cache of cables leaked from the files of the South African intelligence services has been enlightening.
