Trump’s ‘success’ in Syria cedes region to Russia

Russian military police members stand outside an armoured vehicle along a road in the countryside near the northeastern Syrian town of Amuda in Hasakeh province. (AFP)
Updated 25 October 2019
Follow

Trump’s ‘success’ in Syria cedes region to Russia

  • “The US has essentially ceded its influence and power in Syria to the Russians, the Turks and the Iranians,” says expert

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump declared success in Syria and created a bumper-sticker moment to illustrate his campaign promise to put a stop to American involvement in “endless wars.”

But with his abrupt withdrawal from what he called “bloodstained sand,” the Republican president ceded American influence over a huge swath of the region to rivals and may have spun the Middle East into a new season of uncertainty.

In remarks at the White House, Trump made the case that American administrations before him wasted too much money and blood on sectarian and tribal fighting in which the US had no place meddling.

“We have spent $8 trillion on wars in the Middle East, never really wanting to win those wars,” Trump said on Wednesday. “But after all that money was spent, and all those lives lost, the young men and women, gravely wounded so many, the Middle East is less safe, less stable and less secure than before these conflicts began.”

But analysts and lawmakers said Trump declared victory for a crisis along the border of Turkey and Syria that was arguably of his own making, while underplaying the reality that he has strengthened the hand of Russia.

Critics also say the move will roll back advances made by US-led forces in the fight against Daesh. The president also still has work to do to repair the political damage he’s done within his own base among those who say he abandoned the Kurds, longtime US allies who fought side-by-side with American forces to beat back the IS group in northeast Syria.

SPEEDREAD

By implicitly applauding Russia for partnering with Turkey to patrol the Syrian border, Trump seemed to endorse Moscow’s ambition to gain greater influence in Syria.

The president’s declaration of success came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached a deal on divvying up control of an area along the Turkey-Syria border.

Turkey is to get sole control over areas of the Syrian border captured in its invasion. Turkish, Russian and Syrian government forces would oversee the rest of the border region.

And America’s former allies, the Kurdish fighters, are looking to Russia and Syria to preserve some pieces of Syrian Kurdish autonomy in the region.

“The only question remaining is whether President Trump is acting directly at the behest of Russian and Turkish leaders, or whether he is willfully blind to his own failures,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The president punched back at his skeptics.

“The job of our military is not to police the world,” Trump said. “Other nations must step up and do their fair share. That hasn’t taken place. Today’s breakthrough is a critical step in that direction.”

This is the newest version of an old Trump gripe about a penny-pinching Europe that leaves the bill for their American friends. But in this particular case, it seems he is making a virtue of having ceded political and military influence in the Middle East to Russia.

By implicitly applauding Russia for partnering with Turkey to patrol a portion of the Syrian border, Trump seemed to endorse Moscow’s ambition to gain greater influence in Syria.

In doing so, the president is turning upside-down Washington’s previous effort to limit Russia’s sway in the only Middle Eastern country in which it has a permanent military presence. The Pentagon during the Obama years refused to cooperate with Russia after it intervened militarily in Syria in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“The US has essentially ceded its influence and power in Syria to the Russians, the Turks and the Iranians,” said Seth Jones, a counterterrorism expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “I think the biggest single issue long-term is the major great power in the region is not the United States — it is the Russians.”

Trump’s own Pentagon chief, Mark Esper, recently bemoaned what he suggested was Turkey’s turn away from the West in favor of closer relations with Russia.

“The arc of their behavior over the past several years has been terrible,” Esper said of the Turks in an Oct. 13 Fox News interview. “I mean, they are spinning out of the Western orbit, if you will. We see them purchasing Russian arms, cuddling up to President Putin. We see them doing all these things that, frankly, concern us.”

Trump also seems to have let slide Turkey’s defiance last summer of Washington’s insistence that it drop plans to purchase a sophisticated Russian air defense system that is incompatible with NATO, of which Turkey is a long-standing member. That arms purchase was supposed to trigger US economic sanctions against Turkey, but no such penalties were enacted.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the US military’s partnership with Syrian Democratic Forces was fundamental to preventing the IS group from reemerging in the region.

“I do not trust or believe that Turkey, Russia or Assad have the capability or the desire to protect America from radical Islamic threats like Daesh,” said Graham, a Trump supporter who has been critical of the Syria withdrawal.

The crisis began earlier in October when Trump ordered the bulk of the approximately 1,000 US troops in Syria to withdraw after Erdogan told Trump in a phone call that Turkish forces were set to invade northeastern Syria. Turkey’s goal was to push back the Kurdish fighters. Turkey views the Kurds as terrorists and an ever-present threat along its southern border with Syria.

Trump announced sanctions against Turkey last week following its military assault on the Kurds. But on Wednesday, he confirmed that they would not be imposed after Ankara agreed to a permanent cease-fire with the Kurds.

But even Trump seemed to question the durability of the peace.

“You would also define the word ‘permanent’ in that part of the world as somewhat questionable. We all understand that. But I do believe it will be permanent,” Trump said.

As Trump declared victory, some complained that Trump let Turkey off the hook without consequence.

“It’s unthinkable that Turkey would not suffer consequences for malevolent behavior which was contrary to the interests of the United States and our friends,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said in a tweet.

But Trump sloughed off criticism from those who say he abdicated American responsibility in one of the world’s most complicated neighborhoods.

“The same people that I watched and read — giving me and the United States advice — were the people that I have been watching and reading for many years,” Trump said. “They are the ones that got us into the Middle East mess but never had the vision or the courage to get us out. They just talk.”

And for Trump, getting out — however messy it may look — is all that matters.


‘Out-of-control’ waterborne disease outbreak kills 24 in Sudan

Updated 9 sec ago
Follow

‘Out-of-control’ waterborne disease outbreak kills 24 in Sudan

  • The outbreak has overwhelmed the cholera treatment center at Kosti Teaching Hospital, the French-based charity said, with patients suffering from “acute diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, and sunken eyes”

PORT SUDAN: An “out-of-control” waterborne disease outbreak in southern Sudan has killed at least two dozen and left more than 800 others in hospital over the past three days, Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF, said.
The outbreak in White Nile state followed a reported drone strike on the Um Dabakar power station — 275 km south of Khartoum — which disrupted access to clean water in the city of Kosti.
It comes with Sudan’s
healthcare system crippled by the country’s brutal civil war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people.
“The most likely source of infection is the river, where many families have been collecting water using donkey carts after a major power outage in the area,” the medical charity said.
Officials have since banned the practice and urged stronger chlorination of the water distribution system. Most local restaurants and Kosti’s market have closed as a precaution.
The outbreak has overwhelmed the cholera treatment center at Kosti Teaching Hospital, the French-based charity said, with patients suffering from “acute diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, and sunken eyes.”
“The situation is really alarming and is about to get out of control,” Dr. Francis Layoo Ocan, MSF’s medical coordinator in Kosti.
“We’ve run out of space, and we are now admitting patients in an open area and treating them on the floor because there are not enough beds,” he added.
MSF, which has been supporting cholera care in the region since October, reported a sharp rise in admissions from Wednesday night, when 100 new patients arrived at the cholera treatment center.
By Friday afternoon, that figure had swelled to more than 800. At least 24 people have died, including one patient who was dead on arrival. Forty-eight others have been discharged.
“The numbers continue to rise, and keeping a detailed tally has become difficult for the team,” MSF said.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a conflict between army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The fighting has taken a toll on the country’s health infrastructure with 80 percent of health facilities in conflict-affected areas no longer functioning, according to official figures.
Sudan declared a cholera epidemic last year, with nearly 25,000 cases and 699 deaths recorded by October, according to government data.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that cholera can kill within hours if untreated, though most cases can be managed with oral rehydration and antibiotics.
The International Committee of the Red Cross last month highlighted a “disturbing pattern of attacks” on civilian infrastructure, including power stations, further worsening living conditions for millions already affected by the conflict.
White Nile state, which stretches from south of Khartoum to the South Sudanese border, has seen escalating violence this week.
A three-day RSF assault on villages about 200 kilometers north of Kosti killed more than 200 people earlier this week.

 


US team tells Aoun: ‘We want to see a new phase of stability in Lebanon’

Updated 22 February 2025
Follow

US team tells Aoun: ‘We want to see a new phase of stability in Lebanon’

  • Hezbollah uses social media influencers to cover Nasrallah’s funeral procession

BEIRUT: The US “wants to witness a new era of peace and stability in Lebanon and the Middle East amid the many changes happening in the region,” US Congressman Ronny Jackson said in Beirut on Saturday.

His assurance came during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun as US diplomatic efforts toward Lebanon continued with government leaders seeking US intervention to pressure Israel into withdrawing from the five strategic hills it still occupies.

President Aoun received US Congressman Darrell Issa and his delegation on Friday evening.

Following the meeting, Darrell said that UN Resolution 1701 had taken years to reach the stage where it was at today.

“However, in less than 60 days, we witnessed a quasi-full cooperation between both the Lebanese and Israeli sides.”

He added that the Israelis withdrew from most Lebanese territories, except for five areas. The Lebanese Army has strengthened its control over the Lebanese lands.

“However, what has not yet happened, and what I discussed with President Aoun and other leaders this week, is the destruction of large weapon depots.

“Every day, there are explosions due to the destruction of weapons and the discovery of new tunnels full of firearms.

“Therefore, there will be a longer transitional period to eliminate the arms,” Issa said.

“Both sides understand that the full implementation of resolution 1701 will eventually take place, which includes Israel’s return to historically recognized borders, ensuring both Lebanese and Israeli sides can live without the fear of crossing each other’s borders with weapons.”

Amid the diplomatic drive, Lebanese Army Command requested to “retain the majority of military personnel of all ranks on duty on Sunday, Feb. 23.”

The military move is in parallel with the funeral proceedings of former Hezbollah chiefs Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, five months after their assassination in Israeli raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Lebanese state has officially become involved in the funeral proceedings of Nasrallah and Safieddine through the direct supervision of the security leadership.

The security chiefs attended Friday’s meeting led by President Aoun.

The army command has also moved to suspend all drone permits issued in Beirut and its surrounding areas.

It had previously announced that there would be a temporary freeze on all firearm permits, while Hezbollah “strictly prohibited its supporters from firing shots during the funeral proceedings.”

The Israeli threat remained a key concern for both the organizers and participants in the funeral proceedings, especially since Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement have not ceased.

The Israeli army opened fire at a car on the outskirts of the border village of Houla, setting it ablaze.

An Israeli military drone launched a stun grenade near a citizen on a farm on the outskirts of Kfarchouba.

The General Directorate of Internal Security implemented special traffic measures ahead of the funeral of Nasrallah and Safieddine, which began on Friday night and will continue until the end of the funeral, “as large numbers of citizens are expected to attend.”

Hezbollah’s higher committee for the funeral (of Nasrallah) finalized the arrangements for the proceedings, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. at the Camille Chamoun sports stadium at the southern entrance to Beirut.

The procession will then reach the old airport road, where Nasrallah will be laid to rest.

Hussein Fadlallah, the head of the committee, described the funeral as an “exceptional event that the world would not forget.”

Meanwhile, information about official attendees continued to surface.

It was confirmed on Saturday that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri would attend the funeral in person.

An Iranian official said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would also attend.

Al-Masirah TV, affiliated with Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, reported that “a high-level delegation departed from Sanaa International Airport to attend the funeral, led by Yemen’s Grand Mufti Shams Al-Din Sharaf Al-Din.”

A security source told Arab News: “Delegations from Tehran will arrive in Beirut via a third country. This is due to Lebanon’s suspension of flight permissions for Iranian planes to land at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, following Israeli threats to target the airport.”

The source said: “The news circulating among Hezbollah’s supporters about 400,000 travelers arriving at the airport for Nasrallah’s funeral is highly exaggerated. This number requires at least 2,000 planes to transport them from abroad.

“We estimate that the number of arrivals from abroad until Friday night does not exceed 40,000, half Lebanese citizens.”

Lebanese citizens holding French citizenship received a text message from the French Consulate in Beirut urging “all its (French) nationals in Lebanon to refrain from using the airport road and limit their movements on Sunday.”

Hezbollah invited numerous social media influencers, both Arab and foreign, to cover the funeral.

These include Americans such as Jackson Hinkle, as well as Europeans, Latin Americans, Iraqis, Yemenis, Palestinians, Algerians and Bahrainis.

Media coverage was organized for them in the southern suburbs of Beirut and several southern border towns, providing them with materials, images and statements that were made available to various journalists, focusing on resistance and the devastation caused by the Israeli enemy.

Social media platforms witnessed the emergence of pages dedicated to the occasion, encouraging people to participate in the funeral, which is regarded as a “day of farewell.”

This call to action comes amid challenging weather conditions, particularly as a polar storm has affected Lebanon since Saturday.

The storm has resulted in road closures from the Bekaa and southern regions toward the capital due to snow and ice accumulation, with temperatures dropping to unprecedented levels.

Wounded members of Hezbollah, who sustained injuries to their eyes and limbs from pager explosions, participated in these calls to the public.

 


New polio vaccination drive begins in Gaza

Updated 22 February 2025
Follow

New polio vaccination drive begins in Gaza

  • After more than 16 months of war between Israel and Hamas, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire

JABALIA: A third mass polio vaccination campaign began in Gaza on Saturday, with the aim of delivering the first dose to nearly 600,000 children across the Palestinian territory.
Scores of children under the age of 10 received the dose at a mosque in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, where a blistering Israeli military assault last year reduced many buildings to rubble.
The vaccination campaign involves multiple UN agencies, including the Israeli-boycotted UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees, or UNRWA.
It comes at a time when Israel and Hamas are observing a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting.
The World Health Organization said the campaign aims to vaccinate more than 591,000 children by Feb. 26.
“Over 1,700 UNRWA team members will take part in this campaign,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X.
“This campaign follows a recent detection of polio in wastewater, putting the lives of children at risk.”
The previous two drives were conducted in late 2024 after the highly contagious disease resurfaced in Gaza for the first time in over 20 years.
After more than 16 months of war between Israel and Hamas, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire.
Even before the hostilities began, the territory had been struggling under an Israeli-imposed blockade for more than 15 years.
Much of the water infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving sewage to stagnate in open pools near densely populated neighborhoods — conditions that contributed to the reemergence of the virus last autumn.
The WHO reported on Feb. 19 that traces of poliovirus had again been detected in wastewater samples.
Polio is highly contagious and can cause paralysis, primarily affecting children under the age of five.
The disease has been nearly eradicated worldwide.
Hoping for a lasting truce, Bassam Al-Haou, a resident of Jabalia, brought his daughters to receive the vaccine.
“I also hope for stability for our innocent children so they can remain safe from violence,” he said.
The war erupted following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
A fragile ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.

 


Sudan’s RSF, allied groups to sign charter to form parallel government, two signatories say

Updated 22 February 2025
Follow

Sudan’s RSF, allied groups to sign charter to form parallel government, two signatories say

  • Such a government, which has already drawn an expression of concern from the United Nations, is not expected to receive widespread recognition
  • Those affiliated with the government say its formation will be announced from inside the country

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces will sign a charter with allied political and armed groups on Saturday evening to establish a “government of peace and unity” in territories it controls, signatories Al-Hadi Idris and Ibrahim Mirghani told Reuters.
The RSF has seized most of the western Darfur region and swathes of the Kordofan region in an almost-two-year war, but is being pushed back from central Sudan by the Sudanese army, which has condemned the formation of a parallel government.
Such a government, which has already drawn an expression of concern from the United Nations, is not expected to receive widespread recognition. Those affiliated with the government say its formation will be announced from inside the country.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary that has been accused of widespread abuses including genocide, was hit with sanctions by the United States earlier this year.
The war, which erupted after disagreements between the RSF and the army over their integration during a transition toward democracy, has devastated the country, driving half the population into hunger.
According to Idris, among the signatories to the charter and foundational constitution is powerful rebel leader Abdelaziz Al-Hilu who controls vast swathes of territory and troops in South Kordofan state, and who has long demanded that Sudan embrace secularism.
Talks that began earlier this week were hosted in Kenya, drawing condemnation from Sudan and domestic criticism of President William Ruto for plunging the country into a diplomatic melee.


Trump says ‘not forcing’ Gaza resettlement plan

Updated 22 February 2025
Follow

Trump says ‘not forcing’ Gaza resettlement plan

  • The Republican president conceded that the leaders of Jordan and Egypt had rejected the plan
  • “I was a little surprised they’d say that, but they did,” Trump told Fox News Radio’s

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has appeared to soften his plan to take control of war-torn Gaza and relocate its more than two million residents to nearby countries, saying he was only recommending the idea.
Trump triggered shock earlier this month when he presented his plan, in which Washington would take over the territory and rebuild it while pressuring Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Palestinians.
But in an interview Friday, the Republican president conceded that the leaders of Jordan and Egypt had rejected the plan, calling the displacement of Palestinians against their will unjust.
“I was a little surprised they’d say that, but they did,” Trump told Fox News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” adding that the United States was paying those countries “billions of dollars a year” in aid.
“The way to do it is my plan. I think that’s a plan that really works, but I’m not forcing it,” Trump said. “I’m just gonna sit back and recommend it.”
Trump’s comments came as Arab leaders met in Riyadh on Friday to craft a proposal for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction to counter Trump’s plan.