#15 (12/09/2024-12/16/2024) US in search to make head or tail of the New Middle East
Issa Adeli
Researcher, Policy Advisor | US Foreign Affairs and the Middle East | Security and Defense Policy
Edited by Issa Adeli (isadeli.bsky.social)
Last week, the Biden administration sent two of its diplomats to negotiate on the new arrangement in Syria and elsewhere. At the same time, the US Congress could not come to a conclusion about the removal of HTS from the US list of terrorist groups. Here are all the headlines about the US foreign policy and the Middle East in the last week:
16
December
The Pentagon also considering redesignating Iranian-backed Houthis as a terrorist group.?Tim Lenderking, the US special envoy for Yemen, last week visited Djibouti where the UN Verification and Inspection Mission for Yemen (UNVIM) is based on the opposite side of the Red Sea. UNVIM’s chief focus is on inspecting ships for armaments entering Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports (Read more at?Guardian).
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16
December
He said they?discussed the need to complete Israel’s victory.?A Trump spokesperson on Sunday declined to give further details about the call (Read more at?Guradian).
15
December
The security operation to regain control in the city of Jenin and its refugee camp from militants is the largest conducted by Palestinian security forces in years.?Palestinian and U.S. officials said Palestinian leadership launched the operation out of fear that Islamist militants — emboldened after armed rebels?took control of Syria?— could try to overthrow the Palestinian Authority (Read more at?Axios).
14
December
Egypt's Sisi discusses Gaza ceasefire efforts, hostages with top US officials
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk, the US Middle East and North Africa Coordinator, in Cairo and?attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Hassan Rashad, and US Ambassador to Egypt Herro Mustafa Garg, focused on recent regional developments and joint efforts to establish a cease-fire and facilitate the exchange of detainees in Gaza (Read more at?Anadolu Ajans?)
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14
December
“The problem is, what comes next?”, said Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.?Republican and Democratic US senators say it is too soon to consider lifting sanctions on Syria (Read more at?Arab Weekly).
14
December
The Trump Organisation plans to build a Trump Tower in the Saudi capital Riyadh as part of a real estate expansion in the region.?London-listed Dar Global’s chief executive said the other new joint project planned in Riyadh is a Trump Golf community similar to one launched in Oman in 2022 (Read more at?Arab Weekly).
13
December
Travis Timmerman, 29, was imprisoned in Syria after crossing into the country on a Christian pilgrimage in June. United States officials have revealed that?Travis Timmerman who disappeared into the Syrian prison system seven months ago, has been released and taken out of the country (Read more at?Aljazeera).
13
December
The arrests occurred during a sit-in at NYU, where students were nonviolently blocking access to the Bobst Library. According to the American Association of University Professors, the professors were not involved in the protest itself but were there to ensure the safety of the student demonstrators (Read more at?Middle East Eye).
13
December
Washington sees this moment as an opportunity to further push back Iran’s influence in the region.?Blinken visited the US embassy in Baghdad and said he spoke to Sudani about the situation in Syria.?Blinken and Sudani discussed “the conviction of so many countries in the region and beyond that, as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy, it does so in a way that, of course, protects all of the minorities in Syria that produces an inclusive, non-sectarian government,” Blinken said, adding that Syria should not become a “platform for terrorism” (Read more at?Arab Weekly).
12
December
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Jordan’s King Abdullah in the Red Sea town of Aqaba on Thursday as he arrived in the region for talks on Syria following the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad,?Reuters?has reported. He will also meet Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi today before heading for Turkiye (Read more at?Middle East Monitor).
12
December
Additionally, the package covers cables, wiring harnesses, hydraulics, fuel oil pumps, starters, generators, AGT1500 engine parts, testing and limited repair services for communication systems, fire control, night vision, and laser devices (Read more at?Army Technology).
12
December
Mufid Abdulqader was convicted in a terrorism case civil liberties groups say highlights the US's disproportionate targeting of Muslim charities.?In 2020, Abdulqader?had put in a?plea?for compassionate release on the grounds of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was tearing through the Seagoville federal prison in Texas where he was serving his sentence (Read more at?Middle East Eye).
12
December
"What Israel is doing is trying to identify potential threats, both conventional and weapons of mass destruction, that could threaten Israel, and, frankly threaten others as well," Sullivan told a press conference in Tel Aviv following a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Read more at?Reuters).
12
December
“We’re now looking to close a hostage release deal and a cease-fire, which would stop the war and reunite hostages with their families,” Sullivan said. “Just over one year ago, we reached a deal that brought 78 hostages out of Gaza and home to their families. It’s time to finish the job and bring all of the hostages home.”?Sullivan will travel to Doha and Cairo from Jerusalem to advance these negotiations (Read more at?Media Line).
12
December
The US is mounting a fresh diplomatic effort in the Middle East, hoping to end the war in Gaza and push rebels who have taken power in?Syria?to form a “credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance” (Read more at?Guardian).
12
December
The clashes in Manbij, an Arab-majority city, have killed 218 combatants since?Turkish-backed groups launched offensives in the north?following the ouster of Assad on Sunday.?Syrian Democratic Forces commander?Mazloum Abdi said,?“Our goal is to reach a ceasefire across Syria and start a political process for the future of the country” (Read more at?Defense Post).
12
December
A two-pronged diplomatic push sees Blinken covering Jordan, and Turkiye, while Sullivan holds talks in Israel, Qatar and Egypt.?Washington has acknowledged Ankara’s right to defend itself from what it perceives as a security threat but has also said it will continue working with the SDF (Read more at?Aljazeera).
11
December
For the second time in 10 days, the U.S. military said it defeated attacks by Houthi militia. Destroyers USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane turned back a range of Houthi missiles and drones Dec. 9-10 in the Gulf of Aden (Read more at?Freight Waves).
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December
U.S. troops will be staying in Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad as part of a counter-terrorism mission focused on destroying Islamic State militants, a top White House official said on Tuesday (Read more at?USNews).
11
December
Washington was caught off guard by the rapid overthrow of Assad by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-aligned forces, which occurred in just 11 days. Reports?suggest?that US officials had been attempting to negotiate a deal with Assad that would have normalised his position in exchange for severing ties with Hezbollah and Iran.?The US has expressed concern over Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) operations targeting the SDF, a US partner force (Read more at?Middle East Eye).
11
December
Tom Barrack, the chair of his 2016 inaugural committee, has been chosen as?the next ambassador to Turkey. He is a longtime friend of the Republican president-elect. He’s also a private equity executive and has previously been charged with unlawfully acting as an agent of the United Arab Emirates and was acquitted in 2022 of all nine counts he faced (Read more at?Cyprus Mail).
11
December
They?call for an independent US-led probe into her killing.?Ay?enur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Seattle resident and a new graduate of the University of Washington, was fatally shot by Israeli forces during a protest in the West Bank against illegal Israeli settlements on September 6 amid Israel’s war in Gaza.?“For the last three months, Blinken and State Department officials have repeatedly told us to wait for Israel, the government whose army perpetrated the crime against Ay?enur, to investigate itself. This cannot stand,” ?zden Bennett, Eygi’s sister, said in a statement (Read more at?Turkish Minute).
11
December
He also claimed Iranian intelligence had sent warnings to the Assad government about a possible attack for three months and predicted Syrian youth would eventually recapture the country, remarks that are unlikely to make it easier for Iran to build strong relations with the new leaders in Damascus (Read more at?Guardian).
11
December
Biden’s new document orders various arms of the US government to restructure groups currently organised by region to better focus on issues linking the four countries that span Europe and Asia.?The document’s strategies and policy suggestions could be implemented — or rejected altogether — by President-elect Trump (Read more at?Selangor).
11
December
The lawmakers wrote that while keeping sanctions on former government officials was important, they believed "that other parts of the legislation - such as sectoral sanctions and sanctions related to reconstruction - should be suspended".?The letter said the U.S. must issue waivers and general licenses to encourage economic development and foreign investment and "build good will" without impacting sanctions on designated terrorist groups (Read more at?New Arab).
11
December
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin?in a phone call,?"We are hoping for the release of all the hostages, including US citizens." (Read more at?Barrons)
10
December
He said the US?would recognize a future Syrian government that amounts to a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governing body.?It is the clearest definition outlined by Washington since Syria's opposition militias overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.?Blinken's statement did not mention HTS (Read more at?Reuters).
10
December
The US Justice Department announced charges against two former Syrian intelligence officials, Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, for war crimes related to their roles in the torture of detainees during the Syrian civil war. The charges stem from their actions at Mezzeh Military Airport, near Damascus, where they oversaw the brutal treatment of prisoners, including US citizens (Read more at?Anadolu Agency).
09
December
Meanwhile, Jordan's King emphasised importance of covert US support for the Syrian Free Army during his Washington DC visit.?Ahmed al-Sharaa, commonly known as Jolani, has been designated as a terrorist by the United States since 2013, whilst his organisation, HTS, was proscribed by the Trump administration in 2018 when a $10m bounty was placed on his head (Read more at?Business Standard).?
09
December
The Biden administration is reaching out to partners in the region such as Turkey to help kick start informal diplomacy.?U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been working the phones and speaking with regional leaders and has twice over the past four days spoken with Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister of Turkey, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller?said? (Read more at?USNews).
09
December
But he said the United States is determined not to let that happen.?Mr Blinken said Syrians have to choose their future, adding that statements by rebel leaders towards building inclusive governance are welcome but that the real measure will be in the action they take, not just what they say (Read more at?Strait Times).
09
December
Just a day after opposition fighters led by the?Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)?group took control of Damascus, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that finding missing journalist Austin Tice is a “top priority”, while State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that an envoy had been sent to Beirut as part of “intensive efforts” to find Tice. Austin Tice has been missing since 2012 when he was abducted in Damascus while reporting on the popular uprising against al-Assad (Read more at?Aljazeera).
09
December
Steve Witkoff, who will formally take up the position when Trump's administration starts, said he hoped and prayed there would be a ceasefire in Gaza between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.?"You heard what the president said, they better be released," he said, referring to Trump.?"Listen to what the president has got to say. It's not a pretty day if they're not released," Witkoff added (Read more at?ArabNews).
09
December
The United States and Turkey reached an agreement to ensure the safe withdrawal of U.S.-backed Kurdish-Syrian forces (SDF) from the northern city of Manbij after an advance by Turkey-backed rebels.?The Turkey-backed Syrian opposition groups had earlier taken control of Manbij from the SDF, a Turkish security source said, a day after rebels in the southern capital of Damascus declared Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster (Read more at?Reuters).
09
December
Speakers include the president-elect's son Eric and billionaire Steve Witkoff, the new White House envoy for the Middle East and co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform launched in September that Donald Trump and his family helped form (Read more at?MSN).
09
December
U.S. investment management firm Polen Capital said on Monday that it received preliminary approval for a license to operate from the ADGM, Abu Dhabi's financial centre, as it looks to capitalise on growth opportunities in the region.?Rising company registrations, the appeal of sovereign wealth funds, and the relative ease of obtaining a license to operate compared with other financial centres have enhanced ADGM's attractiveness for global firms.?Polen Capital, which had approximately $63 billion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, will join other global asset managers and hedge funds in setting up in the ADGM (Read more at?USNews).
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Edited by Issa Adeli (isadeli.bsky.social)