Week in Review: MENA – March 7, 2014 Share This /

The U.S. conducted drone strikes in Yemen, sent an aircraft carrier through Turkey to the Black Sea, reengaged on Middle East peace talks and continued its involvement in Iran and Syria. 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:

• A drone strike on Monday killed a suspected al-Qaeda fighter in Yemen’s eastern province of Mareb, local media reported. Another report claimed that a U.S. drone strike in northern Yemen killed 4 suspected al-Qaeda members on Wednesday.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House on Monday where he discussed the Middle East peace process with President Obama, who spoke about Israel’s future in an hour long interview over the weekend. Netanyahu also spoke at the AIPAC convention where he called for more pressure on Iran to dismantle its nuclear program.

• As negotiations over its nuclear program continue, Iran is upgrading its military capabilities. Reports indicated that Iran acquired four different missiles with multiple warheads. U.S. officials maintain that Iran will be able to field ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. within the next year. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Europe encouraged a separate effort by the International Atomic Energy Agency to investigate allegations that Iran was conducting research on building a nuclear weapon.

• A UN human rights investigation accused both Syrian authorities and rebel groups of committing atrocities, shelling civilians, and applying siege tactics to prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid. The report came amidst a week of heavy fighting: rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria retreated from the town of Azaz on the northern border with Turkey, a move which might presage future intra-rebel fighting. Fighting in the Damascus district of Yarmouk interrupted aid distribution to Palestinian refugees.

• President Obama’s 2015 budget contains $1.5 billion in aid to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Syria. The budget proposal would also increase enduring Foreign Military Financing, International Military Education and Training, and International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement assistance to the MENA region. SAM will publish the budget’s data and further analysis shortly.

• The Syrian government, which missed its original December 31 deadline for shipping its most toxic chemical weapons overseas for destruction, has sped up deliveries recently and has proposed completion by the end of April, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons reported on Tuesday. Another report released on Thursday, however, said that the Syrian government will miss another deadline to destroy 12 other chemical arms sites. So far, the Syrian government has relinquished about a third of its chemical weapons stockpile.

Other top security stories:

• Armed rioters stormed the Libyan Parliament on Sunday, wounding a Member of Parliament, looting furniture, and setting fire to the grounds. The rioters were frustrated with the government transition, which was supposed to finish writing a constitution in February.

• Ibrahim Mahlab, Egypt’s new Prime Minister, declared that security and countering terrorism were his top priorities upon assuming office. Mahlab also urged Egyptians to stop protests and demonstrations so that Egypt can start focusing on reviving its economy.

• Michel Sleiman, Lebanon’s new President, spoke to members of the International Support Group for Lebanon and stressed the importance of the international community’s assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). France declared that it was preparing to seal a multi-billion dollar deal to help modernize the Lebanese army. In addition, Lebanese Army Chief General Jean Kahwaji met with Italian Defense Minister Luigi Mondelli to discuss a five-year plan for Italy to bolster the LAFs logistical and defensive capabilities.

• Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), co-chairman of both the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus and the Missile Defense Caucus, is trying to overturn almost $200 million in cuts to U.S. aid for Israeli missile defense systems.

• The House voted on Wednesday to pass the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, H.R. 938, by an overwhelming majority of 410-1. Among the security-related provisions in the bill are amendments to increase U.S. defense stockpiles stored in Israel, to transfer more obsolete or surplus Department of Defense items to Israel, to expand U.S.-Israeli cooperation in various fields including missile defense, and to examine the possibility of establishing a U.S.-Israel Cyber Security Center.

• On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces intercepted and raided a cargo ship carrying an Iranian shipment of Syrian-made surface-to-surface M-302 rockets. The ship, traveling under a Panamanian flag, was on route to Gaza, though it was not clear the shipment was intended for Hamas. Israel and the U.S. coordinated their intelligence efforts in monitoring the transfer of the weapons.