World

US floats sanctions warning as Arab isolation of Syria nears end

Saudi Arabia became the latest Gulf country to take a step toward normalizing ties with the Syrian regime on Tuesday after Bashar al-Assad’s top diplomat visited Jeddah. But Washington has warned that its sanctions against the Assad regime remain in place.

Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Walid Elkhereiji, welcomed Faisal Mekdad upon his arrival. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Mekdad was invited by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan ahead of this week’s Arab League meeting to discuss the war in Syria, allowing for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, and ensuring humanitarian aid gets to needed areas of the country.

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A State Department spokesperson said states should receive “tangible outcomes” that improve the humanitarian and security situation for Syrians while also pushing for regime cooperation in the political process as stated in UN resolutions.

“Our position is clear: We will not normalize relations with the Assad regime absent real progress towards a political solution to the underlying conflict,” a National Security Council (NSC) official told Al Arabiya English.

The US has stressed to Arab countries engaging with the Syrian regime that credible steps to improve Syrians’ humanitarian and security situation should be front and center in any engagement, the NSC spokesperson said.

“We have also made clear that the core architecture of our sanctions remains firmly in place,” the official added.

Riyadh is the latest in a string of Arab and Gulf nations to reopen dialogue with the Syrian government, responsible for hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and using chemical weapons against its people.

Last week, French courts charged three senior advisors to Assad with complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Despite US and European opposition to normalization with the Assad regime absent a political solution to the yearslong war, Arab countries have seen no progress with the current policy toward Syria.

During a Tuesday call with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat said Riyadh was committed to preserving Syria’s unity, security and “Arab affiliation.”

Analysts and observers have said that Arab countries want to decrease Syria’s reliance on and close ties with Iran by lifting a decade-old isolation from the Arab League.

Sanctions waivers

But critics of the Biden administration’s policy toward Syria have pinned the blame on an easing of sanctions against Assad and his cronies, including the most recent sanctions waiver by the US meant to facilitate badly needed humanitarian aid to areas impacted by devastating earthquakes in February.

The waiver, General License 23, only authorizes transactions related to providing emergency earthquake relief to those in need, the State Department official told Al Arabiya English. “It does not waive any sanctions or represent an easing of US sanctions and is not intended to support significant construction or engineering services benefitting sanctioned entities in Syria,” they said.

A convoy of trucks carrying aid from UN World Food Programme (WFP), following a deadly earthquake, enters Bab al-Hawa crossing, Syria, on February 20, 2023. (Reuters)

The earthquake destroyed large swathes of territory in northeastern Syria, which is not under the Syrian government’s control. However, a small part of the government-held territory in Aleppo was hit hard. Assad regime officials and their allies, including Iran-backed Hezbollah supporters, had claimed that American sanctions were preventing aid from getting to destroyed areas.

Asked about the Assad regime siphoning off international and regional humanitarian aid, the State Department official said the US government retains tools to monitor and respond to the diversion or abuse of these sanctions waivers.

But the spokesperson cautioned, “We also continue to remind countries that our Syria sanctions remain in force.”

The top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees have repeatedly voiced concern over the US president’s Syria policy. “Tacit approval of formal diplomatic engagement with the Syrian regime sets a dangerous precedent for authoritarians who seek to commit similar crimes against humanity,” a letter from the four lawmakers to Biden read last year.

And just last month, the same four leading members of Congress sent another letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen. “We take note of the disappointingly slow pace of sanctions under the Caesar Act and believe more can be done to ensure that perpetrators of atrocities in Syria face consequences for their actions,” they said.

A group of former senior State Department officials, including the former head of the US Central Command [CENTCOM], also penned a letter to Biden and Blinken criticizing their current Syria policy.

The State Department official said it was continuing to hold the Assad regime accountable with Syria-related sanctions in “full force,” pointing to March 28th sanctions under the Caesar Act.

The US designated six individuals, Lebanese and Syrian, for facilitating the production and export of illicit drugs in Syria and Lebanon. This marked the first time the Biden administration issued sanctions under the Caesar Act authority, legislation which sailed through Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2019.

Congressional staffers and aides have said that the new Republican-led House will double down and renew demands for accountability and sanctions against the Assad regime, regardless of any normalization efforts between US allies in the region and the Syrian government.

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM