Week in Review: MENA - February, 14 2014 Share This /

U.S. policy in the region comes under fire this week as the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, anxieties grow over the nuclear deal with Iran, and al-Qaeda resurfaces in various parts of the Middle East. Below is a roundup of these stories and some of the other top articles and news highlights from around Central Eurasia over the last week:

United States Policy:

• The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on “United States Security Policy and Defense Posture in the Middle East,” on Tuesday, in which three prominent government officials were asked to illustrate the extent and manner of U.S. engagement in the region. Many questions asked by committee members probed the witnesses on the ongoing negotiations with Iran and what lessons the U.S. could learn from the withdrawal from Iraq as the U.S. prepares to draw down troops in Afghanistan. In other Congressional news, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) wrote a letter to President Obama demanding that the text of the nuclear deal with Iran be made public. Finally, in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper remarked on the growing strength of al-Qaeda.

• As negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over a permanent nuclear deal draw near, companies worldwide remain confused as to whether or not the international sanctions regime still applies to their business sectors. Many companies made contact with Iran to explore business opportunities, a trend that was strongly rebuked by President Obama. Meanwhile, Iran touted its conventional military force by testing two new long-range missiles and sending warships close to the U.S. maritime border for the first time.

• A growing chorus of voices is calling U.S. policy in Syria a failure. Initial optimism over a temporary ceasefire to allow citizens to peacefully leave the city of Homs fell into disrepair when aid convoys were attacked on their way into the city. A diplomatic initiative to secure more ceasefire agreements in order to safely supply critical aid was stalled when Russian and Chinese delegates failed to show up. Also, during a second round of peace talks in Geneva, members of the Syrian opposition surprised many when presenting a detailed peace plan that did not explicitly call for the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Finally, some U.S. officials are voicing concern about American citizens returning to Syria to fight in the civil war.

• President Obama is planning a series of high-level meetings with different heads of state in the Middle East in an effort to harmonize U.S. policy and assuage anxieties about U.S. disengagement from the region.

Other top security stories:

• Following a proposed U.S. Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for air traffic control and landing systems, the Iraqi Air Force signed deals with Pakistan to supply basic trainer aircraft and help train its personnel. Similarly, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with his Azerbaijani counterpart as the two countries consider cooperation on counterterrorism issues.

• After it passed a new constitution, Tunisia is concentrating on improving security throughout the country in an effort to carry out its democratic transition and to create the conditions for a stronger economy.  

• The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed that Libya successfully destroyed its chemical cache last week, but reports indicate that 850 tons of chemical-arms ingredients remain in a monitored arms facility in the country.

• Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to enter talks with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri regarding prospects for a purchase of small to medium sized submarines.

• Armed escalation between Israel and militant factions in the Gaza Strip threatens to undue the shaky truce that has held between Israel and Hamas since the last large-scale confrontation in 2012.
• Egyptian security forces arrested an Egyptian employee of the United States Embassy. Egyptian government officials accuse the man, who was serving as a liaison between the U.S. Embassy and Muslim Brotherhood, of “communicating with an outlawed group.”

• Saudi Arabia is reconsidering its policy of actively serving as a main conduit for weapons and cash to rebels in Syria as fears grow of a militant backlash and a strengthening of al-Qaeda support within Saudi Arabia.

• Egyptian Defense Minister Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday on a rare State visit. Reports indicate that al-Sisi will discuss bilateral relations with his Russian counterparts, including a possible arms deal for a $2 billion air defense system.