Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and President Barack Obama will discuss the fight against Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) on Tuesday at a White House meeting likely to be dominated by Iraqi requests for US arms and tension over Iran’s role on the battlefield. Abadi is expected to seek billions of dollars in drones and other US weapons to combat ISIS. Obama’s administration, which welcomed Abadi’s ascension after a tricky relationship with former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, may not agree to all of the requests. Iraq is facing a budget deficit this year of $22 billion, a gap in a total budget of $105 billion. Iraqi officials are counting on substantial international support, which includes the ability to draw on more than $2.4 billion in the currencies of some members of the International Monetary Fund and $2 billion in assistance from the World Bank. Iraq would also like to obtain substantial loan guarantees from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to finance the purchase of Boeing planes for Iraqi Airways. [NY Times, AP, Reuters, AFP, 4/14/2015]
EGYPT | LIBYA & THE MAGHREB | SYRIA & ITS NEIGHBORS | YEMEN & THE GULF | ECONOMICS
No Egyptian ground troops in Yemen says military spokesman
Egypt’s military has said that it has not deployed ground troops to war-torn Yemen as part of the Saudi-led military offensive against Houthi rebels there. The military spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday that Egypt, which is part of the coalition, had only sent naval and air forces to Yemen. He also said that media reports claiming that Egyptian soldiers have died in Yemen are false. [Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, Egypt Independent, 4/14/2015]
Washington says release of military aid not endorsement of Cairo’s human rights record
Washington has said that a recent decision by President Barack Obama’s administration to lift its hold on military aid to Egypt is not an endorsement of the country’s approach to domestic dissent. “The recent decision regarding military assistance to Egypt neither… suggests that the human rights situation in Egypt has not improved nor represents some sort of endorsement of the Government of Egypt’s approach to domestic dissent,” US State Department Spokesperson Marie Harf said Monday. The White House said late in March that Obama was ending a freeze on its supply of military equipment to Egypt in efforts to support the interests of the US and bolster Cairo’s ability to counter the extremist threat in the region. [Ahram Online, 4/14/2015]
Media City, October 6 City targeted by multiple bombs; Journalists arrested at blast site
Six improvised bombs detonated late Monday night at two electricity pylons, located four kilometers away from the Egyptian satellite company Nilesat, causing a temporary power outage and forcing several TV channels off air. Electricity was restored early Tuesday and no injuries were reported. Egypt’s top prosecutor tasked Homeland Security and Criminal Investigation Authority on Tuesday to investigate the Media City attack. On Tuesday, another explosion at an electricity pylon in Egypt’s October 6 City led to power cuts at nearby factories. According to a security source, another four bombs targeting electricity pylons were defused. Security forces prevented journalists from accessing the blast site upon an order from Major General Magdy Abdel Aal, deputy head of the Giza Investigations General Directorate. Two reporters from a Kuwaiti channel were arrested and transferred to October 6 Police Station. They are accused of working for Al Jazeera, which the reporters deny, stressing they obtained a permit from the Interior Ministry to work in Egypt. [DNE, Ahram Online, 4/14/2015]
Two judges referred to investigation for proposing an anti-torture draft law
The Cassation Court decided on Monday to refer two judges to investigation for proposing an anti-torture draft law, the private al-Watan newspaper reported. In March, the two judges, Assem Abdel Gabbar from the Appeals Court and Hisham Abdel Raouf from the Cassation Court, both participated in an initiative led by the civil society organization United Group to draft a bill criminalizing torture in police stations and detention facilities. Gabbar, one of the two judges referred to investigation, said that he was not officially notified about the investigation, but added that he got confirmation from journalists that the Cassation Court had decided to appoint a judge to conduct the investigation. [Mada Masr, 4/13/2015]
For more in-depth Egypt news, please visit EgyptSource
Fresh round of Libya talks under way in Algiers
Libyan politicians from the rival Tobruk-based and Tripoli-based governments, along with other leaders, began a new round of UN-sponsored talks in Algeria on Monday. UN Special Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon insists that the Algiers meeting is significant because it considers all the players as having an important role in lobbying their constituencies on behalf of the dialogue. On Wednesday, the representatives from the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and the Tripoli-based General National Congress will resume their own negotiations in Skhirat, Morocco. [Libya Monitor (Subscription), Libya Herald, 4/14/2015]
Tankers dock at Libya’s Hariga oil port
Two tankers have been able to dock at the Hariga oil port in northeast Libya after being delayed by adverse weather. One of the tankers was loading up to one million barrels of crude, while the second was delivering fuel for the local market, according to a source. Earlier this week a spokesman for the Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO), which runs Hariga and various eastern oilfields, said its output was currently 260,000 barrels a day (bpd). This is a decline from the update given on previously in April, when AGOCO said it was pumping 317,000 bpd. [Libya Monitor (Subscription), 4/14/2015]
Jordan voices support for Libya’s anti-terror fight
Jordan’s King Abdullah received General Khalifa Haftar, the army chief of Libya’s Tobruk government, on Monday and discussed the latest developments in the region, especially conditions in Libya and ways to deal with them. King Abdullah stressed his desire to stand with Libya in its endeavors to restore security and stability, while fighting terrorist groups. They also discussed bilateral military cooperation and ways to improve it. [Jordan Times, 4/13/2015]
South Korea moves Libyan embassy staff to Tunisia after attack
South Korea has temporarily relocated its Tripoli embassy staff to Tunisia, following an attack by gunmen claiming loyalty to the Islamic State earlier this week that killed two local security guards. The South Korean foreign ministry said that the temporary office will continue to provide consular service to the thirty-two South Korean nationals who remain in Libya. South Korea was one of the few remaining countries to keep its embassy in Tripoli. [Reuters, 4/14/2015]
Tunisian university professors begin strike; No agreement reached between UGTT and Essid
Tunisian university professors are expected to begin a strike today to protest against the non-implementation of several agreements signed earlier. Their major demands include the implementation of previous agreements with the ministry of higher education, the revision of the principal act academics, and rehabilitation of marginalized universities. Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) Houcine Abbasi met with Prime Minister Habib Essid and said that no agreement was reached concerning increased wages in the public sector. [L’Economiste Maghrebin (French), 4/14/2015]
President Obama, Iraq’s Prime Minister Abadi to discuss ISIS fight in Washington
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and President Barack Obama will discuss the fight against Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) on Tuesday at a White House meeting likely to be dominated by Iraqi requests for US arms and tension over Iran’s role on the battlefield. Abadi is expected to seek billions of dollars in drones and other US weapons to combat ISIS. Obama’s administration, which welcomed Abadi’s ascension after a tricky relationship with former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, may not agree to all of the requests. Iraq is facing a budget deficit this year of $22 billion, a gap in a total budget of $105 billion. Iraqi officials are counting on substantial international support, which includes the ability to draw on more than $2.4 billion in the currencies of some members of the International Monetary Fund and $2 billion in assistance from the World Bank. Iraq would also like to obtain substantial loan guarantees from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to finance the purchase of Boeing planes for Iraqi Airways. [NY Times, AP, Reuters, AFP, 4/14/2015]
ISIS loses territory as Iraqi offensive persists
ISIS has lost more than a quarter of its territory in Iraq since the US-led coalition air campaign began in August, Col. Steve Warren said on Monday. Adding that it was too early to say the tide was turning, but that airstrikes and Iraqi ground forces had “unquestionably inflicted some damage.” A Pentagon map showed that ISIS had “lost large areas where it was once dominant” and the frontline had been pushed either west or south, depending on location, in the provinces of Irbil, Babil, Baghdad, and Kirkuk. The corridor north of Tikrit had been “substantially retaken by friendly forces” and the city was expected to be cleared of terrorists “relatively soon.” In related news, Iraqi security forces launched a counterattack on ISIS in the western province of Anbar on Monday, seeking to reverse an early setback in a new campaign to recapture the country’s Sunni heartland.[AP, BBC, AFP, 4/14/2015]
Southern Syria rebels set collision course with the Nusra Front
Western-backed fighters in southwestern Syria, the one part of the country where they are strong, have spoken against the Nusra Front. Southern Front groups issued strong statements condemning Nusra’s ideology and rejecting any cooperation with it, stressing that the Southern Front is the single military entity representative of the Syrian revolution in the south. Tensions with the Nusra Front have risen across southern Syria this year, with residents of Damascus suburbs demanding their withdrawal and rebel groups accusing Nusra members of seizing goods and threatening their members. [Reuters, 4/14/2015]
Strong evidence of Syrian regime chemical attacks
Eyewitness accounts and evidence collected from Idlib province and Idlib city “strongly” suggest regime forces dropped toxic chemicals on civilians several times last month, according to the Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch said the chemicals appeared to have been packed into crude explosives-filled barrels that were dropped by military helicopter on rebel-held areas during heavy fighting for the city of Idlib. It called on the UN Security Council to investigate what would be a breach of both its own resolutions and Damascus’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. A Syrian security official denied the claim, saying the accusations were “lies the insurgents say when they incur losses.”[AFP, 4/14/2015]
Iran proposes peace plan as Houthis suffer losses
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, put forward a peace proposal involving a ceasefire, humanitarian assistance, a dialogue between Yemeni factions, and a broad-based government. On the battlefront, militiamen loyal to deposed President President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi said they had pushed back Houthi fighters at several points in southern Yemen, including districts of the port city of Aden. After prolonged street fighting, Houthi fighters withdrew from Aden’s Khor Maksar district, where the international airport and foreign missions are located. The pullout deprives the Houthis of a bridge to downtown areas where they face heavy resistance from local fighters. [Reuters, Al-Masdar, 4/14/2015]
Arms embargo against Houthi rebels proposed at UN
An Arab-backed resolution calling for an arms embargo on Yemen’s rebels moved toward an expected UN Security Council vote Tuesday, but the measure could face challenges from Russian demands for a wider block on arms. The UN measure, sponsored by Jordan, seeks to halt any arms shipments to the rebels, and specifically mentions Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi and four others, including ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son. But it remains unclear how Russia, a veto-bearing country in the fifteen member Security Council, would vote. Russia has called for an arms embargo imposed on all sides in the conflict, not just the Houthis. [Reuters, AP, Khaleej Times, 4/14/2015]
French company denies claims that gas terminal was seized by rebels
Yemen’s only gas export terminal is still being controlled by operators Yemen LNG, said French energy company Total on Tuesday, after reports it had been seized by armed tribesmen. “Yemen LNG informs us that no intrusion has been made through the perimeter of the factory. The security of the site has been maintained,” said a spokesman for Total, which holds a 40 percent stake in Yemen LNG, apparently contradicting claims by a local military source who said soldiers protecting the site had abandoned their positions. [AFP, Al-Masdar, 4/14/2014]
Iran halts pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia
As hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Saudi Embassy in Tehran on Monday, Iran ordered a halt on pilgrimages to the holy city of Mecca in response to accusations that two teenage boys were sexually harassed by airport officials in Saudi Arabia last month. The ban on religious travel, ordered by President Hassan Rouhani, applies to umrah, a pilgrimage that can be taken to Mecca any time of the year. For now, all minor pilgrimages, which according to religious tenets are recommended but not obligatory, are canceled. About 500,000 Iranians visit Mecca each year, often in trips booked long in advance. [New York Times, 4/14/2015]
Iraqi Prime Minister, in Washington, seeks billions to overcome deficit
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi used his first official visit to Washington this week to pursue billions of dollars in loans and international assistance as his government struggles with plunging oil prices and a large budget deficit. A major priority for Abadi is laying the groundwork for financial support to help the Iraqi government as it struggles to take back territory from the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). Iraq faces a budget deficit this year of $22 billion, a sizable gap in a total budget of $105 billion. Oil revenue, which accounts for a vast majority of government income, has declined while the government tries to restore essential services and rebuilding areas damaged in the fight against the ISIS. Iraqi officials are counting on substantial international support from the United States, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. [New York Times, 4/14/2015]
Study shows Saudi military spending rose 17 percent in 2014
Saudi Arabia’s military spending grew 17 percent in 2014 to $80.8 billion, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed on Monday, the biggest annual hike by any of the world’s top fifteen military spenders. The kingdom’s 2014 military spending represents more than 10 percent of Saudi GDP. The report by SIPRI cited worsening security situations, corruption, and “vested interests and autocratic governance” as reasons for military buildup in the region. [Reuters, 4/12/2015]
Egypt to import $3.55 billion worth of LNG in 2015-16
Egypt will import around $3.55 billion worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the 2015-16 financial year, an official at state owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) said. Egypt moved closer to easing its chronic power shortages this month with the arrival of a floating import terminal marking the start of imports of LNG. Egypt has exported LNG in the past, but the new terminal will allow the country to begin imports. [Reuters, 4/14/2015]
Libyan government in Tobruk pledges more funding for southern region
Libya’s eastern government in Tobruk pledged $68 million for southern Libya, on top of the $12 million that was promised last month, in a cabinet meeting. An additional $28 million was approved for the “emergency committee in Bani Walid.” However, it is unclear how the Tobruk government plans to finance these pledges, as it has limited access to Central Bank accounts. [Libya Monitor (subscription), 4/14/2015]