Week in Review: MENA – February 21, 2014
Syria and Iran featured prominently in regional news as delegations from the P5+1 and Iran met for a first round of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement, while the United States reconsiders its Syria policy. Below is a roundup of these stories and some of the other top articles and news highlights from around the Middle East and North Africa over the last week:
United States Policy
- Delegations from the P5+1 and Iran met on Tuesday for the first round of negotiations in an effort to come to a comprehensive agreement regarding the Iranian nuclear issue. The meeting was off to a slow start and most of the discussion revolved around setting up a framework for the next six months, officials said, as the interim deal with Iran is slated to expire in late July. U.S. officials said that all issues of concern to the U.S., such as “uranium enrichment, Iran’s heavy-water reactor project and its suspected nuclear military research and ballistic missile program,” are on the negotiating table. For the next four days, Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman will be traveling to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to speak with U.S. allies about the progress of the negotiations.
- Though he remains weary of arming the Syrian rebels, President Obama is reportedly seeking a new Syria policy following the floundering of peace talks in Geneva. Secretary of State John Kerry blamed the Syrian government delegation for obstructing progress on peace talks and castigated Russia and Iran for blocking an agreement on delivering humanitarian aid inside Syria. Despite the failure of the peace talks, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces are advancing and brokering separate cease fires throughout the country, though analysts are debating the motivation behind the government’s actions.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials met with several regional intelligence chiefs to discuss the option of significantly increasing military aid to moderate Syrian rebels. This followed reports that the U.S.-backed leader of the Free Syrian Army, General Salim Idriss, was voted out by rebel commanders and replaced by Saudi-backed Abdul-Illah al-Bashir. By Friday the U.S. and its allies came to an agreement regarding the guidelines for transferring lethal aid to rebels. Disagreements persist, however, as Saudi Arabia plans to supply rebels with Chinese made man-portable air defense systems, or Manpads, a decision the U.S. opposes.
- President Obama met with King Abdullah II of Jordan and announced his intent to renew a five-year aid package, worth an annual $660 million in economic and military assistance. In addition, President Obama pledged $1 billion in loan guarantees to assist Jordan wits its massive intake of Syrian refugees and the costs associated with the loss of natural gas from Egypt.
- The Tunisian government has approached the U.S. with a request for security assistance, following Secretary of State John Kerry’s commitment to support Tunisia’s democratic transition and provide security assistance. In the meantime, U.S. officials are preparing to supply Tunisia with a mobile command post vehicle for conducting terrorism investigations, and a mobile crime lab.
Other top security stories:
- Saudi Arabia signed an order for armored vehicles worth $10 billion with the Canadian subsidiary of U.S. arms maker General Dynamics, Canada's Trade Minister Ed Fast announced Friday. If all options are exercised on the deal, the total may increase to $13 billion.
- Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi flew to Moscow to negotiate a $3 billion arms deal with Russia. The final deal may supply Egypt with stealth fighters, advanced fighters and other advanced operational systems.
- Five Yemeni soldiers and three gunmen were killed as secessionist forces ambushed a Yemeni army convoy, attacking the vehicles with anti-tank rockets and automatic rifles. Separatists are mounting a violent campaign against the Sanaa-based government.
- Libya escaped a coup attempt after an ultimatum by two heavily armed militias demanding that the Libyan Parliament hand over power in five hours turned out to be an empty threat.
- Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a militant group based in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, claimed responsibility for bombing a tourist bus near the Taba border crossing which killed four people. Egyptian military sources claim to have retaliated with arrests and airstrikes directed at members of the militant group.