Iraqi PM meets Syria's Al Shara in secret Doha talks
News
MENA
First known meeting addresses 'rapid developments' since fall of Assad regime
The President of Syria and Prime Minister of Iraq have held their first known meeting since rebels led by the formerly Al Qaeda-linked group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) took control in Damascus, it was revealed on Thursday.
The meeting in Doha took place on Tuesday, an Iraqi government official told The National. It involved Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara, Iraq's Prime Minister Shia Al Sudani and Qatar 's Emir Sheikh Tamim.
The three-way talks were not publicised at the time of Mr Al Shara's visit to Qatar. But the Iraqi News Agency revealed on Tuesday that Mr Al Sudani was also present for what it called a discussion on "rapid developments in the region, particularly the ongoing situation in Syria".
It said Mr Al Sudani said Iraq is "closely monitoring the developments in Syria" as he called for a "comprehensive political process" in the country. An administration led by HTS replaced former president Bashar Al Assad in December.
Mr Al Sudani made an appeal to 'protect Syria's diverse social, religious, and national fabric as well as safeguarding holy sites, houses of worship, and places of prayer", the agency said. It said the Iraqi leader stressed the importance of Syria 'taking practical and serious steps to combat the terrorist organisation ISIS".
Speaking a day later at the Sulaimani Forum in Iraq, Mr Al Sudani revealed he had invited Syria's President to attend the Arab Summit in Baghdad next month.
'Yes, a formal invitation has been delivered to him, and he is welcome to attend and participate in the Arab Summit,' Mr Al Sudani told The National 's Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi during a discussion at the forum in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
The Syrian and Iraqi leaders have held one known phone call since the transfer of power in December. Iraq has long sought stability along its border with Syria, where ISIS remnants and drug trafficking networks continue to pose serious security challenges.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
12 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Syria closes controversial Rukban refugee camp near Jordanian border
Syrian authorities have shut down a controversial refugee camp near the Jordanian border that has long faced criticism over dire conditions for its residents. A spokesperson for the Syrian Emergency Task Force, which coordinated activity related to Rukban camp, said all those previously hosted there had returned home and the camp is now 'closed and empty'. Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said on X on Saturday that the closure of the camp, established in the early years of the Syrian civil war in 2011, marked the end of "a tragic and sorrowful chapter of displacement stories created by the bygone regime's war machine". At its height, the camp hosted as many as 100,000 inhabitants. But over time, many left due to the poor conditions, returning either to government-held areas or other parts of Syria with the help of smugglers. Numbers also dwindled after Jordan closed its border and stopped regular aid deliveries in 2016. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters With little to no aid coming in, residents lacked access to food staples, basic medical supplies and health infrastructure. They were forced to live in makeshift dwellings without access to running water or basic sanitation, while the school system was all but nonexistent. "Rukban was not just a camp, it was the triangle of death that bore witness to the cruelty of siege and starvation, where the regime left people to face their painful fate in the barren desert," added Mustafa. Armed groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham overthrew the government of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Since then, many Syrians living in exile or in camps have begun returning to their original homes, no longer fearing reprisals from Assad's government. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says around 1.87 million Syrians have returned to their places of origin since December. However, the IOM says the "lack of economic opportunities and essential services" still poses a challenge for returnees.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Aftermath of Israeli air strike revealed after Beirut building reduced to rubble
The National reports from the scene of an overnight air strike on the Lebanese capital
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Middle East Eye
US to investigate army vehicle displaying word ‘kafir' in northeast Syria
The US-led coalition in Syria has launched a formal investigation after 'unapproved symbols or language' were observed on a US military vehicle in northeast Syria, the coalition said in a statement to Middle East Eye on Friday. On Thursday, MEE reported that a US military vehicle patrolling near the city of Hasakah last weekend displayed the word "kafir" - infidel in Arabic - on its front next to a Christian cross. The term "kafir" gained global notoriety during the Syrian war, frequently used by the Islamic State (IS) and other extremist groups to justify violence against those deemed non-believers - including Muslims who did not share their ideology. Local residents described the graffiti as "offensive" and a 'provocation', particularly as IS no longer has a presence in the region. "Markings of this nature violate U.S. Department of Defense policy," the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a written statement. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "CJTF-OIR has initiated a formal inquiry and will implement appropriate disciplinary measures under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. "This incident does not reflect the professionalism of our personnel or our respect for the Syrian people. While fact-finding is underway, our mission remains unchanged, enabling the enduring defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq." The CJTF-OIR began operations in October 2014 as the US-led coalition to defeat IS in Syria and Iraq. Earlier this week, the US special envoy to Syria announced that the United States would reduce its military presence in the country, scaling down from eight bases to three in Hasakah. Speaking to MEE, Jihan, a 34-year-old Kurdish woman, said it was hard to discern the intended message behind the markings. 'We have nothing to do with IS, we don't consider Americans to be kuffar [plural of kafir], and even less so the Christians who have always lived in Syria," she said. There are currently an estimated 2,000 American troops in Syria, with the number expected to be halved in the coming months.
