Week in Review: MENA – April 25, 2014 Share This /

The United States and Yemen engaged in a joint operation that resulted in the deaths of dozens of al-Qaeda members, Syria neared the completion of its chemical weapons arsenal shipments, and Congress began to consider the repercussions of a possible Palestinian reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.  Below is a roundup of some of the top articles and news highlights from around the Middle East and North Africa over the last week:

United States Policy:

• President Obama signed legislation, passed unanimously by the Senate, which prohibits the U.S. government from issuing a visa to any potential United Nations representatives who has engaged in terrorist activities. The move specifically targeted the nominated Iranian ambassador to the UN, who was involved in the Iran hostage crisis between 1979 and 1981.

• Sources say that the CIA has ramped up its operations to arm Syrian rebels with more sophisticated, lethal arms, such as TOW missiles. The operation to support the rebels is strengthening at a time when, despite parting with more than 90 percent of its chemical weapons arsenal, accusations arise that the Syrian regime is using chlorine gas against rebel outposts.

• The U.S. and Yemen coordinated a three-day long counterterrorism operation that killed approximately 66 al-Qaeda affiliated militants. Reports indicate that U.S. drones and Yemeni counterterrorism forces both took part in the operation, in addition to other unidentified U.S. support. It is believed that al-Qaeda’s chief bombmaker was killed, though officials continue to try to identify the casualties.

• Al-Qaeda linked militants in Libya took over a U.S. training facility used to train Libyan special operations forces, the Daily Beast Reported on Wednesday. During a visit to Libya this week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said that Libya was increasingly vulnerable to mounting pressure from militants.

• Secretary of State John Kerry certified that Egypt was sustaining its strategic relationship with the U.S. and upholding the peace treaty with Israel. Upon making this certification to Congress, the U.S. released 10 Apache helicopters and $650 million in military assistance that was held since October. Egypt is expected to receive the helicopters in approximately two weeks, while the released funds will be used to pay for existing contracts and new expenses in the areas of counterterrorism, border security and nonproliferation. Nonetheless, Secretary Kerry noted, “he is not yet able to certify that Egypt is taking steps to support a democratic transition.”

• U.S. members of Congress, as well as State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki, said that U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority would be in jeopardy should an announced reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization, result in a unified Palestinian government.

• The USS George H.W. Bush, an aircraft carrier carrying 5,000 sailors, arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday for a scheduled recreational port visit.

Other top security stories:

• A group of Russian military advisers is in Cairo to try and sign a sales agreement with Egypt for MiG-29 planes, Mi-35 helicopters and other hardware, worth over $3 billion.

• Militants belonging to al-Qaeda’s North Africa branch, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, killed at least 14 Algerian soldiers in what was one of the deadliest attacks on the Algerian military in years.

• The Iranian army disclosed new designs and domestic products such as a home-made battle tank, machine gun, armor, and a super-heavy tactical vehicle.

• A report published in the Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News claims that U.S. and European defense firms such as Eurosam, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin told Turkish defense executives that they would not partner with Turkey if Turkey proceeds with an anti-missile system deal with China.