Latest news with #Damascus
Jordan Times
32 minutes ago
- Business
- Jordan Times
Turkey to begin supplying Azeri gas to Syria from Saturday — minister
ISTANBUL — Turkey will start exporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Syria from Saturday, the energy minister said on Wednesday. Syria's Islamist authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the country's infrastructure and economy after almost 14 years of civil war. The conflict badly damaged Syria's power infrastructure, leading to cuts that can last for more than 20 hours a day. "We will start exporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Aleppo via Kilis", a province in southernmost Turkey near the Syrian border, Energy Minister AlparslanBayraktar said. In May, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said Damascus and Ankara had reached a deal for Turkey to supply natural gas to the war-torn country via a pipeline in the north. Gas-rich Azerbaijan is a historic ally of Turkey which maintains close ties with the Syrian transitional government.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Iraqi forces seize Captagon in Damascus drug raid
Iraqi counter-narcotics forces seized more than 1.35 million Captagon pills during a raid in Syria's capital, in a rare and significant cross-border operation, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Wednesday. The operation in Damascus was the first direct security engagement between Iraq and Syria and reflects both countries' commitment to tackle the drugs threat. An elite Iraqi unit launched the mission after gathering 'precise intelligence from sources embedded in regional drug trafficking networks', a ministry statement said. The raid was carried out "in close co-operation with the Syrian Directorate of Narcotics Control", it added. The operation led to the capture of a major international drug trafficking network and the confiscation of approximately 215kg of narcotics, it added. 'This achievement represents a significant milestone in the framework of international co-operation to combat cross-border threats,' the ministry said. It emphasised Iraq's 'commitment to tracking down drug traffickers wherever they may operate'. The statement did not reveal when the raid was carried out, how many people were arrested or their identities.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Syrian FM will head a delegation to Moscow: Sources
A Syrian ministerial delegation headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani will travel to Russia, sources told Al Arabiya on Wednesday. Russia was a strong backer of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow played a vital role in consolidating al-Assad's rule in Syria in the aftermath of the country's civil war where it intervened in the war to his favor. Russia has been seeking to retain its naval base in Tartous and its Hmeimim air base near the port city of Latakia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov visited Damascus in January after al-Assad's fall where he met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Developing
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Frustration with UK over slow-walk Damascus ties as embassy remains closed
The entrance to the Syrian embassy in London remains littered with cardboard boxes, almost a month after Foreign Secretary David Lammy declared the UK had re-established diplomatic relations in Damascus. Moisture drips over the cracked paint above the door and a plant left in the window of the first floor when the building in Belgrave Square was abandoned in 2012 has long since dried out. I would have expected an announcement, it's really essential Ranim Alwair, Syrian architect Frustration is rising with the UK's cautious approach to the new transitional government in Damascus. Mr Lammy made his first official visit to the capital this month to meet the country's President Ahmad Al Shara. The restoration of formal diplomatic relations this summer has not yet borne fruit in Belgrave Square. Weeks later an exchange of ambassadors has not happened. Observers warn London wavers between wanting to influence that transition and keeping the Syrians at arm's length. The UK government continues to rely on its Special Representative to Syria, Ann Snow, who was the first western diplomat to visit Syria after the fall of Bashar Al Assad in December. The UK set the tone for removing sanctions on Syria in March – paving the way for similar moves by the European Union and later the US. But it delayed official visits for much longer than European counterparts, with French President Emmanuel Macron hosting Mr Al Shara in Paris in May. 'They started quicker than others but then it slowed down,' said Dr Haid Haid, a fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa programme. 'The relationship did not improve in the same way as it did with other countries. You did not see Foreign Minister Assad Al Shaibani visiting London when he visited Europe earlier this year.' It is understood the delays were due in part to logistics, as the embassy residence in Damascus, which was abandoned in 2012, needs to be repaired. The mission then operated out of the embassy in Beirut. But there have also been doubts linked to the dynamics on the ground, such as the sectarian fighting that erupted in March, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of Alawites – members of a religious community who fought alongside the Assad regime during the Syrian civil war – and again this month with the Druze of Sweida. Many Syrians credit Ms Snow for having persuaded UK ministers to remove the sanctions earlier this year. She is thought to have forged relationships with 'all the relevant people' in Damascus, her frequent visits ensuring the diplomatic relationship runs smoothly. Ms Snow oversaw the UK's humanitarian aid and education programmes in north-west Syria until Mr Al Assad was ousted. When she was appointed to the role in 2023, the region was controlled by opposition and armed groups, including Mr Al Shara's now disbanded Hayat Tahrir Al Sham. She is also active in meeting Syrian communities in London, members of which have been called in to support and advise the new administration and its institutions. Risk takers John Jenkins, a former British ambassador to Damascus, believes a period of 'long consultations' with UK allies would have contributed to the delays in restoring relations. 'We would have had to consult with the Americans and with the Israelis, who are risk averse on Syria,' he said. The Israelis may have felt they 'can't certify' Mr Al Shara, fearing that though he may be taking steps at inclusivity, he may not be able to curtail the more hardline elements within his government, Mr Jenkins added. Questions remain about who could serve as the channel for communication between the UK government and Mr Al Shaibani, as Damascus seeks to re-establish its embassy in London. Dr Haid said the meeting between Mr Lammy and Mr Al Shara last week included a call to reopen the embassies on both sides – though a date for this has not been set. But there are concerns that the UK government has become too reliant on back-channel diplomacy. The negotiations with the transitional administration are believed to have been conducted by Inter Mediate, a UK-based conflict mediation charity which first established contact with Mr Al Shara in 2015. It's founder and former chief executive Jonathan Powell resigned from the group in November when he was appointed Britain's National Security Adviser. The National previously reported he had met Mr Al Shaibani's delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, in an unofficial capacity. Though Inter Mediate is often praised by sources for their work in Damascus, its under-the-radar nature has also been criticised by UK MPs, who say it allows the government to bypass scrutiny. One Conservative shadow spokesman has raised fears the government is covering up the precise nature of Inter Mediate's work in Syria. 'When asked what meetings Inter Mediate has had with the Foreign Office in the last year, ministers have refused to comment on 'private discussions' on its role in Syria,' wrote Conservative MP Alex Burghart in a parliamentary letter. 'This approach is contrary to the expectation of transparency,' he said in a letter to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, seen by The National. Help needed But for British-Syrians seeking to support their country back home, the absence of diplomatic missions on both sides is a major obstacle. The Syrian embassy building in Belgrave Square has been empty since 2012, with no signs of repair to this day. Syria's former flag has been removed. London-based architect Ranim Alwair, who fled Homs in 2012, said a Syrian embassy reopening in London was 'really essential'. Since Al Assad's downfall, she and her sister – a paediatric pharmacist at a major London hospital – have attempted to have their UK qualifications certified in Syria so that they can one day return and work there. But their efforts have been costly, as they were forced to send their documents for certification to the Syrian embassy in Paris. 'In the end, we lost them.' Ms Alwair has been advising Syrian government officials on the best ways to integrate AI into their public administration and on domestic upskilling. She is disappointed that no announcement was made with regards to reopening the Syrian embassy in London after Mr Lammy's visit. The presence of a diplomatic and consular team at a British embassy in Damascus would amount to vital reassurance in case anything goes wrong when they return as British citizens ready to help Syria rebuild. The fledgling government has struggled to bring to a close an outbreak of violence in the southern city of Sweida that has pitted the local majority Druze population against Bedouin tribes and forces loyal to the leadership in Damascus. 'I would have expected an announcement, it's really essential,' Ms Alwair said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
French Prosecutors Seek New Arrest Warrant against Bashar Assad
French prosecutors said Monday they have requested a new arrest warrant against Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad over a deadly 2013 chemical attacks after a previous one was cancelled, AFP reported. It is now up to investigating magistrates to decide whether to issue the new warrant. French investigators have since 2021 been looking into a suspected Syrian government sarin gas attack that killed more than 1,000 people, according to US intelligence, on August 4 and 5, 2013, in the areas of Adra and Douma outside Damascus. The Court of Cassation, France's highest court, on Friday ruled there were no exceptions to presidential immunity, even for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, annulling a French warrant against Assad issued in 2023 when he was still leader. It however added that, as Assad, who was toppled in December, was no longer president, new warrants could be issued and the French investigation could continue. In November 2023, the French judiciary issued an arrest warrant against Assad on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes, in connection with the chemical attacks attributed to the Syrian government under his rule. The French judiciary tackled the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, whereby a court may prosecute individuals for serious crimes committed in other countries. An investigation – based on testimonies of survivors and military defectors, as well as photos and video footage – led to warrants for the arrest of Assad, his brother Maher – then head of the Syrian army's fourth division – and two generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan. Public prosecutors approved three of the warrants, but issued an appeal against the one targeting Assad, arguing he should have immunity as a head of state. The Paris Court of Appeal in June last year however upheld it, and prosecutors again appealed. Assad and his family fled to Russia, according to Russian authorities, after opposition fighters seized power on December 8. Another French warrant is already out for Assad's arrest, issued in January for suspected complicity in war crimes for a bombing in the Syrian city of Daraa in 2017 that killed a French-Syrian civilian.
