MENA Week in Review - January 24, 2014

01/24/14
Amit Paz
Middle East and North Africa
Security, Politics and Security, U.S. Policy

Below is a roundup of top articles and news highlights from around the region over the last week:

United States policy:

  • The second round of peace talks aimed at ending the Syrian civil war, known as Geneva II, opened on Wednesday. In the opening session, tensions mounted as Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem rejected the inevitability of a transitional government that does not include Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Secretary of State John Kerry used the occasion to confront the Syrian regime over allegations of widespread torture and other war crimes. Reports indicate that the Syrian delegation has threatened to abandon the peace talks if “serious progress” is not made soon. Other reports suggest the Syrian government might be ready to compromise.
  • Before commencing, Geneva II tested another regional dynamic when United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon decided to invite Iran to be a member of the peace talks without notifying U.S. officials in advance. The U.S. objected to Iran’s presence on the grounds that Iran has yet to accept the previously agreed upon basis to establish “by mutual consent” a transitional body to govern Syria. Ban later rescinded the invitation, saying that Iran’s public statement in response to the invitation was “not consistent” with assurances he received from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
  • Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi at the Pentagon as part of an ongoing discussion between American and Iraqi government officials over the possibility of increasing U.S. security assistance. The last reported piece of coordination between the U.S. and Iraqi Army stated: “A massive C-17 cargo plane landed in Baghdad on a recent evening to deliver ammunition — this time, 2,400 rockets — for Iraqi helicopters…” In addition, Congress approved the sale of more Hellfire missiles to Iraq in order to help the Iraqis beat back extremist forces two years after the withdrawal of American forces.
  • As Egyptians overwhelmingly approved the country’s new constitution, U.S. policymakers began to debate whether or not the caretaker Egyptian government and its successor will govern in a democratic and inclusive manner. This assessment has more than just rhetorical consequences, as recent legislation written into the omnibus budget passed on January 16 states that close to USD 1 billion in economic and military aid can be released only if Secretary Kerry certifies that a democratic transition is underway in Egypt.
  • U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs William R. Brownfield met with the Jordanian Minister of Interior Hussein Majali in Amman on Wednesday where they discussed different issues of bilateral importance, including ways of combating crime and narcotics trafficking. Previous reports have mentioned Jordan as a training ground for Iraqi-U.S. counter-terrorism sessions as well as a base for Syrian-centered humanitarian efforts. 
  • Libya submitted an official request for U.S. training, equipment and logistics support. In a notification to Congress required in advance of a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated support would include the following provisions:
    • Training services, not surpassing USD 600 million, for 6,000-8,000 Libyan personnel. If approved, this would entail sending approximately 350 U.S. government and contractor personnel to a training site in Bulgaria.
    • Facilities sustainment and improvements, 637 M4A4 carbines and small arms ammunition, U.S. government and contractor technical and logistics support services, organizational clothing and individual equipment.
  • Oman signed a contract with Raytheon, pledging to purchase an air defense system known as the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).  The deal, purportedly worth USD 2.1 billion, is only one weapons upgrade among others requested by Oman since October 2011. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Oman also requested Surface-Launched Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) systems with AIM-120 290 missiles, as well as Boeing AN/TWQ-1 Avenger mobile air defense systems with 266 missiles.

Other top security stories:

  • An unconfirmed report states that Saudi Arabia has donated USD 100 million to the UN Center for Counterterrorism. The UN Center has yet to confirm it received the donated sum, though it was also reported that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thanked Saudi Arabia for its support to the center.
  • Iraqi helicopter gunships, bolstered by recently delivered U.S. Hellfire missiles, began bombing parts of Fallujah, a mostly-Sunni city in Iraq’s Anbar province. Fallujah was overrun by ISIS, an al-Qaida offshoot, and other militias earlier this month. It is unclear whether this attack presages a larger Iraqi assault on the city. So far, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Malik has relied on tribal leaders in Fallujah to counter the spread of jihadists’ control.
  • Amnesty International issued a report condemning what it concluded was an “unprecedented scale” of violence in Egypt since the military forced President Morsi out of office. The report describes human rights abuses including the killing of more than 1,400 people and the unjustified detainment of political protestors and activists.
  • Violence continues to plague southern Libya as at least 86 people were killed in fierce clashes between different tribes, government forces, and former Gadhafi loyalists, said one hospital official.
  • U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale pointed to Hezbollah as a source for instability and violence in Lebanon. Hale deflected suggestions that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a consultative body composed of Lebanon’s political factions and tasked with forming a new national government, was to blame for security conditions inside the country.