ANKARA/AMMAN: Turkey will send more troops into Syria’s Idlib province after striking a deal with Russia that has averted a government offensive and delighted rebels who said it kept the area out of President Bashar Assad’s hands.
The deal unveiled on Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad’s most powerful ally, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will create a demilitarised zone from which “radical” rebels must withdraw by the middle of next month.
Damascus also welcomed the agreement but vowed to continue its efforts to recover “every inch” of Syria. Iran, Assad’s other main ally, said that “responsible diplomacy” had averted a war in Idlib “with a firm commitment to fight extremist terror.”
The agreement halted a threatened Syrian government offensive. The United Nations had warned such an attack would create a humanitarian catastrophe in the Idlib region, home to about 3 million people.
The Idlib region and adjoining territory north of Aleppo represent the opposition’s last big foothold in Syria. Assad has recovered most of the areas once held by the rebels, with decisive military support from Iran and Russia.
But his plans to recover the northwest have been complicated by Turkey’s role on the ground. It has soldiers at 12 locations in Idlib and supplies weapons to some of the rebels.
Erdogan had feared another exodus of refugees to join the 3.5 million already in Turkey, and warned against any attack.
In striking the deal, Russia appears — at least for now — to have put its ties with Turkey ahead of advancing the goal of bringing all Syria back under Assad’s rule.
That goal is also obstructed by the presence of US forces in the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates that is held by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, and at a base near the borders with Jordan and Iraq.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis played down any notion the Turkey-Russia agreement had resolved the situation in Idlib.
“Idlib is one of the most complex problems in a complex theater (of conflict) right now. So I’m quite sure it’s not all sorted,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.
Analysts cautioned that implementation of the deal faced big challenges, notably how to separate extremists from other rebels — a goal Ankara has been struggling to achieve.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the “moderate opposition” would keep its weapons and the “region will be cleared of radicals.” Turkey would “make additional troop deployments” and its 12 observation posts would remain.
The deal was “very important for the political resolution in Syria.” “If this (Idlib) had been lost too, there would be no opposition anymore,” he said.
Mustafa Sejari, a Free Syria Army (FSA) official, said the deal “buries Assad’s dreams of imposing his full control over Syria.”
Yahya Al-Aridi, spokesman for the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission, expressed hope a government offensive was now off the table for good.
The Syrian government, in a statement published by state media, said it welcomed any agreement that spared blood. It also said the deal had a specific time frame, which it did not detail.
“I see it as a test of the extent of Turkey’s ability to implement this decision,” Ali Abdul Karim, Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon, said in an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV. “We do not trust Turkey ... but it’s useful for Turkey to be able to carry out this fight to rid these groups from their weapons.”
’Catastrophe averted’
Moscow said the deal “confirmed the ability of both Moscow and Ankara to compromise ... in the interests of the ultimate goal of a Syrian settlement by political and diplomatic means.”
“Is this merely a stay of execution? Or is it the beginning of a reprieve?” UN aid chief Mark Lowcock asked during a monthly meeting of the UN Security Council on Syria.
The demilitarised zone will be monitored by Russian and Turkish forces, the countries’ leaders said.
Neither Russia nor Turkey has explained how it plans to differentiate “radically minded” rebels from other anti-Assad groups. It was also not immediately clear how much of the city of Idlib fell within the zone.
Putin said the decision was to establish by Oct. 15 a demilitarised area 15 to 20 km (10-12 miles) deep along the contact line between rebel and government fighters.
Naji Abu Hufaiza, spokesman for the National Front for Liberation, said he did not have details of the agreement, but added that while he saw it as a success for Turkish diplomacy, his group did not trust Russia to uphold it.
Idlib is held by an array of rebels. The most powerful is Tahrir Al-Sham, an amalgamation of Islamist groups dominated by the former Nusra Front — an Al-Qaeda affiliate until 2016.
Other Islamists, and groups fighting as the Free Syrian Army banner, are now gathered with Turkish backing under the banner of the “National Front for Liberation.”
The area is also the last major haven for foreign extremists who came to Syria to fight the Alawite-led Assad government.
Putin said that, at Erdogan’s suggestion, by Oct. 10, all opposition heavy weapons, mortars, tanks, rocket systems would also be removed from the demilitarised zone.
Earlier this month, Putin publicly rebuffed a proposal from Erdogan for a truce when the two met along with Iran’s president at a summit in Tehran.
Syria’s Idlib spared attack, Turkey to send in more troops
Syria’s Idlib spared attack, Turkey to send in more troops
- Damascus also welcomed the agreement but vowed to continue its efforts to recover “every inch” of Syria
- The Idlib region and adjoining territory north of Aleppo represent the opposition’s last big foothold in Syria
Pakistan army commanders express ‘complete solidarity’ with Palestine, condemn Israeli ‘war crimes’
- The corps commanders’ meeting vowed not to allow anyone to disrupt peace in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province
- The army chief says ‘there is no space for terrorists and their facilitators in Pakistan’ while asking for greater vigilance
KARACHI: Pakistan’s top army generals on Friday expressed “complete solidarity” with the Palestinian people and condemned Israel’s “war crimes” in Gaza during a corps commanders’ meeting held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the military’s media wing said.
The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has continued despite repeated international calls for a ceasefire. The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 50,000 in the conflict, with women and children accounting for a significant portion of the casualties.
Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has consistently advocated for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders. It has also raised concern over the Gaza war at global forums, including the United Nations Security Council, and demanded a ceasefire and accountability for Israeli actions.
“The forum expressed complete solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemned serious human rights violations and war crimes being perpetrated in Gaza,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement released after the 268th Corps Commanders’ Conference.
“The forum also reiterated unequivocal diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of Palestine,” it added.
Chaired by Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, the high-level meeting reviewed national security challenges and received a comprehensive briefing on the evolving geo-strategic environment.
Participants reaffirmed the military’s resolve to eliminate “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” and said no one would be allowed to disrupt peace in Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province plagued by separatist violence.
The commanders vowed to thwart the designs of “foreign-backed proxies” and their “political supporters” attempting to destabilize the province.
“There is no space for terrorists and their facilitators in Pakistan,” the army chief said on the occasion.
He vowed to extend full support to the government and law enforcement agencies to take strict legal measures against illicit economic activities, noting they were intrinsically linked to the financing of militant violence in the country.
General Munir also directed field commanders to maintain “the highest standards of operational readiness and professional excellence,” stressing continuous training to ensure combat preparedness.
Postecoglou plays dangerous game with gestures to Tottenham’s disgruntled fans
- Postecoglou was asked about his actions after Sarr’s “goal” and, in his unique style, said “I wanted them to be happy, mate”
- “We’d just scored a cracking goal,” he said. “I wanted them to cheer because they hadn’t had a lot to cheer about”
LONDON: By cupping his ear and waving sarcastically, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou went head-first into a confrontation with his critics.
Unfortunately, those critics were the club’s hard-core fans.
Postecoglou, whose future at Tottenham has been looking increasingly uncertain in a tough season for the underperforming London team, might have gone a step too far Thursday when he appeared to goad his own supporters during the 1-0 loss at Chelsea — even though he later denied having that intention.
Tottenham’s away contingent had serenaded Postecoglou with a chant of “You don’t know what you’re doing” after the combative Australian coach made two substitutions in the 64th minute at Stamford Bridge, including bringing on Pape Sarr to replace fellow midfielder Lucas Bergvall.
Within five minutes, Sarr scored a goal from long range and Postecoglou reacted by facing the end containing Tottenham’s fans, cupping his hand to his ear and then waving.
Unfortunately for Tottenham and Postecoglou, the goal was disallowed and Chelsea went on to secure a 1-0 win that consigned Spurs to a 16th loss in 30 Premier League games this season.
Postecoglou was asked about his actions after Sarr’s “goal” and, in his unique style, said “I wanted them to be happy, mate.”
“We’d just scored a cracking goal,” he said. “I wanted them to cheer because they hadn’t had a lot to cheer about.”
Tottenham fans sure will attest to that this season.
And his explanation might not wash with many fans who appear to have turned against their manager, maybe because of the team’s results, maybe because of his style of play, and maybe because of increasingly unhappy demeanor.
It was only a couple of months ago, after a 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Leicester, that he attempted to confront a fan who had directed criticism the Tottenham manager’s way as he walked down the tunnel.
That is one thing, however. Appearing to taunt supporters — though he denied doing so again in a news conference on Friday, maintaining his actions did been misinterpreted — is another.
“I’d heard the supporters weren’t happy with my decision, which is fine,” he said, “and my response was to celebrate and get them to make some noise and get them behind the team.”
Postecoglou, who is coming to the end of his second season at Tottenham after joining from Celtic, said he wasn’t affected by fan criticism.
“I have been fighting my whole career,” he continued, “and I’ll continue to fight until I’m told to stop by someone.”
Given the growing disconnect between Postecoglou and the fans, winning the Europa League — and thereby ending Tottenham’s 17-year wait for a major trophy and securing a place in next season’s Champions League — might be the only thing that keeps him in his job.
Tottenham play Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarterfinals, with the first leg on Thursday.
Lose and Tottenham just have Premier League games left to play. The team are in 14th place in the 20-team league, making it a woeful campaign for a team among the so-called “Big Six” in England and which were one of the clubs pushing to join a breakaway Super League four years ago.
Postecoglou, who has previously blamed injuries for his team’s poor results this season, said Friday he understood the criticism heading his way and didn’t want to “say something that somehow will change the mood of the fans.”
“I still believe we’ve got a massive opportunity for ourselves this year,” he said, “and I’m not going to let that slip away — whether that’s from external or internal pressure.”
New humanitarian crisis looms in Afghanistan as Pakistan forces refugees to return
- Mass deportation coincides with huge foreign aid cuts under new US policies
- Deadline for hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave Pakistan was March 31
KABUL: Pakistan’s plan to expel most of its Afghan refugees this year will trigger a new humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, aid groups warn, as foreign funding has been slashed and existing infrastructure is inadequate to support returnees.
Pakistan is home to about 3 million Afghans, many of whom fled their country during decades of war. This number includes Afghans born in Pakistan, as well as those who sought shelter after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
They are the main group facing deportation under the Pakistani government’s nationwide crackdown to force out foreigners living in the country illegally. The drive also includes Afghan Citizen Card holders, who were given a deadline to leave by March 31. Pakistani authorities confirmed last week they were not extending the deadline.
According to UN data, 800,000 people with Afghan Citizen Cards and 1 million undocumented Afghans are currently set to be expelled. Since the launch of the crackdown in 2023, more than 843,000 Afghans have returned to their homeland.
“If they come in hundreds of thousands or millions, it will create another crisis in the country,” Abdul Fatah Jawad, director of Ehsas Welfare and Social Services Organization, told Arab News.
“Finding houses, jobs, and educational opportunities will be very difficult for this huge number of returnees. Health is another challenge.”
Over the past two months, more than 200 health facilities across Afghanistan have been either suspended or closed, and another 200 will shut by June due to external funding shortfalls, which come amid massive US aid cuts under the Donald Trump administration.
The US, which invaded Afghanistan in 2001, was its largest aid donor. It has been cutting its support since 2021. Washington withdrew its troops from Afghanistan after the collapse of its Western-backed regime and imposed sanctions on the country’s new rulers. It also froze all projects after spending billions on two decades of military and development operations.
The moves led to Afghanistan’s economic collapse and the disruption of basic services such as healthcare, education, and food distribution. Millions of people were left without essential support due to the collapse of institutions and infrastructure.
As the economy continues to reel and new aid cuts are implemented, the return of refugees will place an additional strain on a system that may not be able to bear it.
“With the overall shortage of donors’ financial aid, especially after the recent US funding cuts, Afghanistan is not prepared to receive large numbers of returnees at once and provide them with housing and livelihood facilities. This is a significant challenge and will certainly exacerbate the ongoing crisis in the country,” said Fareed-ud-Din Noori, country director of Women for Afghan Women, a US-based organization that has been providing shelter, protection and food services to returnees.
“Several international and national organizations that provided critical services to returnees in resettlement and reintegration areas in the country were forced to either close their offices or suspend their projects due to unavailability of funds.”
The prospect of immediately finding jobs for hundreds of thousands of families is unlikely.
“With unemployment levels skyrocketing across the country and livelihood prospects looking grim, these returnees will face significant challenges in starting a new life in the country. Afghanistan’s aid-dependent economy will come under increasing pressure,” Noori said.
“The international community’s financial support is compulsory to enable a proper response to the influx of returnees.”
The Afghan government, too, does not have a clear plan of how to handle the number of returning nationals and integrate them with the rest of the society. Its Refugee and Repatriation Minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir said last month that Afghanistan would encourage its nationals to come back to the country, but they should be given time and return “according to an organized and gradual mechanism instead of forced deportation.”
Dr. Tayeb Khan, economist and lecturer at Kateb University in Kabul, warned that refugee children in particular will be affected by the forced migration.
“All of this is putting increasing pressure on the country’s fragile economy, leading to greater dependence on humanitarian aid and deepening the poverty situation. The government alone will not be able to integrate children of these returnees into schools and provide them with essential health services,” he said.
“Most of these refugees have established their own lives and businesses over the years they have lived abroad … When they are forced to return to Afghanistan against their will, they will struggle with finding a job or work at first. Tens of thousands of people in the country are already finding it very difficult to get employed, especially after development projects were suspended following the withdrawal of international funding from Afghanistan.”
Reviving heritage — the story of Bayt Isa
- Historic house in the Irqah district has been restored to its former glory
- Members of the public can visit and experience the traditional life of the Najd region for free
RIYADH: The historic Bayt Isa — named after Isa bin Mugayel — in Riyadh’s Irqah district is now open to members of the public following major restoration.
Born in 1873, Isa was one of the sons of Irqah. His grandson, Bader Al-Mugayel, spoke to Arab News about the deep connection to his ancestors’ legacy that led him to renovate the building in 2022.
“Three years ago, I saw the area. Of course, what made me interested was my grandfather,” he said.
After 16 months of hard work, the historic house is now open to visitors free of charge.
“We wanted this project to be Saudi-made and with local products,” explained Al-Mugayel. “The goal isn’t investment; the goal is that this place doesn’t die.”
Highlighting the architectural techniques used in the traditional houses, he added: “Any house has something in it. It has engineering. It’s impossible to build a house that lasts for a long time without a solid foundation.”
Some of the houses in the area date back 200 years. The distinctive Najdi architecture plays a crucial role in the heritage of Irqah and is characterized by flat roofs, thick walls and intricate geometric patterns.
The restoration of Bayt Isa adhered to these architectural principles, ensuring it reflected the traditional building techniques of the Najd region.
“When we came to restore, we found that they actually followed certain measurements. they didn’t exceed 3.5 meters,” said Al-Mugayel.
The resilience of the materials used, especially wood that can bear heavy loads, underlines the ingenuity of generations past.
Al-Mugayel’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the structures is clear in his approach — very little has been changed.
Future plans include a motel, to allow guests to experience a taste of life in another time. He also hopes to include local cafes and markets, prioritizing the involvement of local producers and families. The initiative aligns with the broader objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to promote tourism and cultural heritage.
“Our strategy is to ensure that local families benefit from this project,” said Al-Mugayel, who has engaged with those producing traditional Najdi food.
“We want everyone to come and witness how people lived in the old days,” he told Arab News.
“We opened it for free. You come, walk around, have coffee, tea, and see the house.”
IMF team arrives in Pakistan for second phase of anti-corruption and governance review
- The IMF team conducted its preliminary Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment in February
- It is expected to meet finance division, central bank, tax authority and election commission officials this time
KARACHI: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team has arrived in Pakistan to carry out the second phase of its Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA), part of the country’s $7 billion loan program, the finance ministry confirmed on Friday.
The GCDA is a detailed assessment tool used by the global lending agency to identify governance vulnerabilities in areas such as fiscal management, financial oversight and the rule of law. It is designed to support targeted reforms to improve transparency, accountability and institutional performance.
The IMF conducted the preliminary phase of the assessment in February at the request of the Pakistani government. Following the visit, it praised the country’s commitment to governance reform.
“Yes,” a ministry official said in a brief response on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak to the media about the issue, when asked if the IMF team had arrived in the country.
Another ministry official corroborated the arrival of the IMF team, saying it was the continuation of its first trip to Pakistan in February.
The three-member IMF team that visited Islamabad earlier had initiated its evaluation of corruption vulnerabilities across six core state functions in Pakistan.
That visit coincided with a separate IMF mission reviewing Pakistan’s economic performance under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which later led to a staff-level agreement expected to unlock a $1 billion disbursement.
Pakistan, a regular borrower of IMF funding, is undergoing the GCDA to identify priority structural reforms required under the EFF to help revive its fragile economy.
During the February visit, the IMF GCDA delegation met with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi to discuss the functioning of the judiciary.
In this second round, the IMF team is expected to engage with officials from the finance division, central bank, tax authority as well as institutions such as the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Auditor General of Pakistan, Election Commission and the law ministry.
After completing its review, the IMF team will file a report and recommend steps for addressing corruption vulnerabilities and strengthening integrity and governance.
Its findings are expected to assist the Pakistani government in implementing reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, building institutional capacity and achieving inclusive and sustainable growth.
Pakistan aims to expand its economy by 3.6 percent in the current fiscal year ending in June, in a bid to generate jobs for its large youth population.
The country, home to over 240 million people, has faced a significant brain drain amid economic instability and limited employment opportunities.
The finance ministry officials denied local media reports suggesting that the visiting IMF team would provide input in the government’s ongoing budget formulation process.
