When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison.

She and her two children have been living for at least two years in detention camps in Syria. Her dream, she says, is to have her children, whose father fought for the Islamic State, attend school in Belgium. For that, she is ready to pay the price of having joined the militant group in 2014, if Belgium will take her back.

“Maybe they realized that those who want to go back are sorry and want a second chance,” Van Eetvelde, 43, said recently in a WhatsApp voice message.

Many European countries have balked at allowing the return of people linked to the Islamic State, yet some, like Belgium and Finland, are now heeding the advice of security experts and rights groups who say that repatriations are the safest option.

“Europe has long criticized the U.S. for Guantánamo Bay, but now you have a Guantánamo in the desert,” said Chris Harnisch, a former State Department counterterrorism official who organized the repatriation of American citizens in 2019 and 2020.

Two years after the Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria, more than 200 women from 11 European countries and their 650 children are living in two Syrian camps, Al Hol and Roj, according to figures compiled by Thomas Renard, a researcher at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank.

Although the Europeans represent a small fraction of the 60,000 people being held in the camps, who are mostly Iraqis and Syrians, European governments are facing increasing pressure to bring the adults back to face trial amid an argument that the countries’ inaction violates their commitment to human rights.

Security experts, rights groups and lawyers of those who went to Islamic State territories acknowledge that European governments face legitimate security concerns, along with political dynamics in countries fearful of terrorist attacks. But a growing number of government and intelligence officials say that leaving European citizens in Syria comes with greater risks, including that they could join terrorist groups that target Europe.

Countries like the United States, Kazakhstan and Turkey have repatriated many of their own citizens to prosecute them and, in some cases, reintegrate them into society.

The Kurdish leadership in the region that oversees the camps has not prosecuted the women, whose roles under the Islamic State’s rule often remain unclear. And because the administration is not internationally recognized, any prosecutions would still not get them out of their legal limbo.

Most European countries say that they have no legal obligation to help their citizens in the camps and that adults who joined the Islamic State should be prosecuted in Iraq and Syria.

Yet Belgium’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his government would organize the repatriations of 13 women and their 27 children within months after the country’s intelligence services reported that the Islamic State was gaining power in the camps. He said the authorities had received “clear advice” that bringing the women and children to Belgium was the safest option.

An internal European Union document this year described the Hol camp as a “mini-caliphate.”

“A returnee will always present a risk, some of them low, some of them very high,” Renard said, adding that returnees could potentially radicalize inmates in prison or attempt attacks. “Yet the consequences of nonrepatriation are increasingly outweighing those risks.”

Rights groups say that the children have done nothing wrong and are suffering from disease, malnutrition and sexual assault. Hundreds have died, and dozens of coronavirus cases have been reported in the camps, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children.

There is also concern about teenage boys who traveled to Islamic State territories as younger children with their European-born mothers and are at higher risk of radicalization. They are being left behind as countries take in only younger children.

Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that European governments were “creating tiers of children.” She said, “The most desirable are the orphans — the least desirable are the teenage boys.”

The advocacy group Reprieve says that many women in the camps were trafficked, raped and forced into marriage and domestic servitude.

Yet in several European countries, repatriations remain out of the question, said a French intelligence official who requested anonymity to discuss the topic. Part of the hesitancy, security analysts say, is that repatriated women could receive light or no prison sentences.

Britain has stripped British citizenship from nearly 20 women who joined the Islamic State, in some cases taking them to court to prevent their return. France has turned down numerous calls for repatriation, even as some of the women staged a monthlong hunger strike. The Netherlands and Sweden said that they might take in children, but without their mothers.

Van Eetvelde, a former cashier who was born near Antwerp in northern Belgium, traveled to Islamic State territory with her husband in 2014. Now in the Roj camp, she hopes for a return to Belgium for herself and her children, who are 3 and 5.

She remains mostly cut off from the world, and even her lawyer, Mohamed Ozdemir, said he had been unable to communicate with her in recent months. Cellphones are not allowed, so Van Eetvelde communicated with The New York Times through voice messages sent via the phone of another woman in the camp whom The Times reached through the woman’s family and lawyer.

In January, a Belgian court convicted her in absentia of taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization, Ozdemir said. The court sentenced her to five years in prison.

Van Quickenborne said that any of the women wanting to return to Belgium would have to prove that they mean no harm to the country. “If they have not distanced themselves from ISIS ideology, they will remain on site,” he said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State.

That repatriation plan is likely to put pressure on neighboring France, which has Europe’s largest contingent of citizens in the camps and in prisons in Iraq and Syria. Yet as France reels from years of terrorist attacks, the government has opposed calls to repatriate people who left to wage jihad.

Although France has taken in 35 children from the camps on a case-by-case basis, 100 women with French citizenship and their 200 children remain mostly in the Roj camp, according to Jean-Charles Brisard, director of the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism.

France was due to repatriate at least 160 of them in early 2019, according to intelligence documents brought to light by the newspaper Libération that spring and seen by The Times this year. But the situation in the camps became too volatile, the French intelligence official said, and the plan was abandoned.

“We thought it was going to happen, and that the dominoes could have started to fall with other European countries,” said Harnisch, the former U.S. counterterrorism official. “But the French government pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.”

Now, a growing number of European countries are taking action.

In Denmark, authorities said this month that they would repatriate three women and 14 children. Germany and Finland repatriated five women and 18 children in December, and a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the country was working “at full speed” to take in children from the camps whose mothers are German citizens.

In Britain, Conservative lawmakers called for the repatriation of some British citizens, arguing that prosecuting them in the country would be safer than leaving them in the camps.

The parents of one French woman in the camps have brought a case against France in the European Court for Human Rights over the repatriation of her and her children. And three French lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to consider whether the country’s policy makes President Emmanuel Macron complicit in war crimes.

A French woman who went on hunger strike in the Roj camp said that there was no running water and that many people there had respiratory problems. (The Times is not publishing her name, because she says she has received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their return to France.) “It’s very difficult to see doctors and dentists — there are no medicines,” she said, adding that the Frenchwomen wanted to return “to be tried, to be jailed.”

Jussi Tanner, a diplomat from Finland who is in charge of his country’s repatriations, said the women and children’s return was not a matter of “if, but of when and how.”

“Repatriating them as quickly as we can is better from a security point of view rather than pretending that the problem goes away when we look away,” he said. “You can leave them there, but they will return anyway.”

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison.

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison. She and her two children have been living for at least two years in detention camps in Syria. Her dream, she says, is to have her children, whose father fought for the Islamic State, attend school in Belgium. For that, she is ready to pay the price of having joined the militant group in 2014, if Belgium will take her back. “Maybe they realized that those who want to go back are sorry and want a second chance,” Van Eetvelde, 43, said recently in a WhatsApp voice message. Many European countries have balked at allowing the return of people linked to the Islamic State, yet some, like Belgium and Finland, are now heeding the advice of security experts and rights groups who say that repatriations are the safest option. “Europe has long criticized the U.S. for Guantánamo Bay, but now you have a Guantánamo in the desert,” said Chris Harnisch, a former State Department counterterrorism official who organized the repatriation of American citizens in 2019 and 2020. Two years after the Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria, more than 200 women from 11 European countries and their 650 children are living in two Syrian camps, Al Hol and Roj, according to figures compiled by Thomas Renard, a researcher at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank. Although the Europeans represent a small fraction of the 60,000 people being held in the camps, who are mostly Iraqis and Syrians, European governments are facing increasing pressure to bring the adults back to face trial amid an argument that the countries’ inaction violates their commitment to human rights. Security experts, rights groups and lawyers of those who went to Islamic State territories acknowledge that European governments face legitimate security concerns, along with political dynamics in countries fearful of terrorist attacks. But a growing number of government and intelligence officials say that leaving European citizens in Syria comes with greater risks, including that they could join terrorist groups that target Europe. Countries like the United States, Kazakhstan and Turkey have repatriated many of their own citizens to prosecute them and, in some cases, reintegrate them into society. The Kurdish leadership in the region that oversees the camps has not prosecuted the women, whose roles under the Islamic State’s rule often remain unclear. And because the administration is not internationally recognized, any prosecutions would still not get them out of their legal limbo. Most European countries say that they have no legal obligation to help their citizens in the camps and that adults who joined the Islamic State should be prosecuted in Iraq and Syria. Yet Belgium’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his government would organize the repatriations of 13 women and their 27 children within months after the country’s intelligence services reported that the Islamic State was gaining power in the camps. He said the authorities had received “clear advice” that bringing the women and children to Belgium was the safest option. An internal European Union document this year described the Hol camp as a “mini-caliphate.” “A returnee will always present a risk, some of them low, some of them very high,” Renard said, adding that returnees could potentially radicalize inmates in prison or attempt attacks. “Yet the consequences of nonrepatriation are increasingly outweighing those risks.” Rights groups say that the children have done nothing wrong and are suffering from disease, malnutrition and sexual assault. Hundreds have died, and dozens of coronavirus cases have been reported in the camps, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children. There is also concern about teenage boys who traveled to Islamic State territories as younger children with their European-born mothers and are at higher risk of radicalization. They are being left behind as countries take in only younger children. Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that European governments were “creating tiers of children.” She said, “The most desirable are the orphans — the least desirable are the teenage boys.” The advocacy group Reprieve says that many women in the camps were trafficked, raped and forced into marriage and domestic servitude. Yet in several European countries, repatriations remain out of the question, said a French intelligence official who requested anonymity to discuss the topic. Part of the hesitancy, security analysts say, is that repatriated women could receive light or no prison sentences. Britain has stripped British citizenship from nearly 20 women who joined the Islamic State, in some cases taking them to court to prevent their return. France has turned down numerous calls for repatriation, even as some of the women staged a monthlong hunger strike. The Netherlands and Sweden said that they might take in children, but without their mothers. Van Eetvelde, a former cashier who was born near Antwerp in northern Belgium, traveled to Islamic State territory with her husband in 2014. Now in the Roj camp, she hopes for a return to Belgium for herself and her children, who are 3 and 5. She remains mostly cut off from the world, and even her lawyer, Mohamed Ozdemir, said he had been unable to communicate with her in recent months. Cellphones are not allowed, so Van Eetvelde communicated with The New York Times through voice messages sent via the phone of another woman in the camp whom The Times reached through the woman’s family and lawyer. In January, a Belgian court convicted her in absentia of taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization, Ozdemir said. The court sentenced her to five years in prison. Van Quickenborne said that any of the women wanting to return to Belgium would have to prove that they mean no harm to the country. “If they have not distanced themselves from ISIS ideology, they will remain on site,” he said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State. That repatriation plan is likely to put pressure on neighboring France, which has Europe’s largest contingent of citizens in the camps and in prisons in Iraq and Syria. Yet as France reels from years of terrorist attacks, the government has opposed calls to repatriate people who left to wage jihad. Although France has taken in 35 children from the camps on a case-by-case basis, 100 women with French citizenship and their 200 children remain mostly in the Roj camp, according to Jean-Charles Brisard, director of the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism. France was due to repatriate at least 160 of them in early 2019, according to intelligence documents brought to light by the newspaper Libération that spring and seen by The Times this year. But the situation in the camps became too volatile, the French intelligence official said, and the plan was abandoned. “We thought it was going to happen, and that the dominoes could have started to fall with other European countries,” said Harnisch, the former U.S. counterterrorism official. “But the French government pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.” Now, a growing number of European countries are taking action. In Denmark, authorities said this month that they would repatriate three women and 14 children. Germany and Finland repatriated five women and 18 children in December, and a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the country was working “at full speed” to take in children from the camps whose mothers are German citizens. In Britain, Conservative lawmakers called for the repatriation of some British citizens, arguing that prosecuting them in the country would be safer than leaving them in the camps. The parents of one French woman in the camps have brought a case against France in the European Court for Human Rights over the repatriation of her and her children. And three French lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to consider whether the country’s policy makes President Emmanuel Macron complicit in war crimes. A French woman who went on hunger strike in the Roj camp said that there was no running water and that many people there had respiratory problems. (The Times is not publishing her name, because she says she has received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their return to France.) “It’s very difficult to see doctors and dentists — there are no medicines,” she said, adding that the Frenchwomen wanted to return “to be tried, to be jailed.” Jussi Tanner, a diplomat from Finland who is in charge of his country’s repatriations, said the women and children’s return was not a matter of “if, but of when and how.” “Repatriating them as quickly as we can is better from a security point of view rather than pretending that the problem goes away when we look away,” he said. “You can leave them there, but they will return anyway.”

Europe’s dilemma: Take in Islamic State families, or leave them in Syria?

Bashar Al-Assad is set to extend his rule over Syria after an election widely perceived to be rigged. What will a fourth Assad term mean for Syria? Why is Assad bothering with the pretense of democracy? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Fourth Assad term certain as Syrians vote

Polling stations have opened on Wednesday across Syria for the presidential election where Bashar al-Assad is almost guaranteed to win for a fourth term, in a war-battered country mired in economic crisis.

War-ravaged Syria heads to polls, votes guaranteed to bring Al-Assad back

Civil war-hit Syria will hold a presidential election on May 26, speaker of the parliament announced on Sunday. This will be Syria's second presidential election in the shadow of the war. It is being seen as likely that President Bashar Al-Assad will stay in power.

Hamouda Sabbagh, speaker of the parliament, said in a statement that Syrians abroad will be "able to vote at embassies". He added that prospective candidates could hand in their applications from Monday.

Assad, who took power following the death of his father Hafez in 2000, has not yet officially announced that he will stand for re-election.

He won a previous election three years into Syria's devastating civil war in 2014, with 88 percent of the vote. 
Under Syria's 2012 constitution, a president may only serve two seven-year terms -- with the exception of the president elected in the 2014 poll.

Candidates contesting upcoming elections must have continuously lived in Syria for at least 10 years. This means that opposition figures in exile are barred from standing.

Candidates must also have the backing of at least 35 members of the parliament, which is dominated by Assad's Baath party.

Elections this time have come after Russian-backed Syrian government forces recaptured vital northern city of Aleppo and other areas. This has placed the government in control of two-thirds of the country.

But the poll also comes amid a crushing economic crisis.

The decade-long civil war has left at least 388,000 people dead and half of the population displaced.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Civil war-hit Syria will hold a presidential election on May 26, speaker of the parliament announced on Sunday. This will be Syria's second presidential election in the shadow of the war.

Civil war-hit Syria will hold a presidential election on May 26, speaker of the parliament announced on Sunday. This will be Syria's second presidential election in the shadow of the war. It is being seen as likely that President Bashar Al-Assad will stay in power. Hamouda Sabbagh, speaker of the parliament, said in a statement that Syrians abroad will be "able to vote at embassies". He added that prospective candidates could hand in their applications from Monday. Assad, who took power following the death of his father Hafez in 2000, has not yet officially announced that he will stand for re-election. He won a previous election three years into Syria's devastating civil war in 2014, with 88 percent of the vote. Under Syria's 2012 constitution, a president may only serve two seven-year terms -- with the exception of the president elected in the 2014 poll. Candidates contesting upcoming elections must have continuously lived in Syria for at least 10 years. This means that opposition figures in exile are barred from standing. Candidates must also have the backing of at least 35 members of the parliament, which is dominated by Assad's Baath party. Elections this time have come after Russian-backed Syrian government forces recaptured vital northern city of Aleppo and other areas. This has placed the government in control of two-thirds of the country. But the poll also comes amid a crushing economic crisis. The decade-long civil war has left at least 388,000 people dead and half of the population displaced. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria to hold presidential election on May 26, says parliament speaker

Syrian regime's artillery fire hit hospital killing six civilians including a child. The attack in northwestern town of Atareb took place despite Russian-Turkish ceasefire since March 2020 supposed to protect the wider jihadist-held stronghold.

The attack "hit the courtyard and main entrance of the hospital inside a cave," killing six civilians including a child and a hospital employee, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Eleven others were wounded, including healthcare staff

Also on Sunday, artillery fire killed two civilians in the regime-held city of Aleppo, outside the rebel bastion, state news agency SANA said.

Atareb falls in Idlib province which is the last major rebel bastion. The region is home to 2.9 million people. As per United Nations, two-thirds of this population has been displaced due to the war.

The region on the border with Turkey is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is led by members of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, but several rebel groups are also present.

The ceasefire brokered by rebel backer Turkey and regime ally Russia last March stemmed a months-long regime military offensive on the bastion that killed hundreds of civilians and displaced more than a million people.

It has since largely held despite repeated violations including Russian airstrikes on the region, according to the Observatory.

(With AFP inputs)

Syrian regime's artillery fire hit hospital killing six civilians including a child. The attack in northwestern town of Atareb took place despite Russian-Turkish ceasefire since March 2020 supposed to protect the wider jihadist-held stronghold.

Syrian regime's artillery fire hit hospital killing six civilians including a child. The attack in northwestern town of Atareb took place despite Russian-Turkish ceasefire since March 2020 supposed to protect the wider jihadist-held stronghold. The attack "hit the courtyard and main entrance of the hospital inside a cave," killing six civilians including a child and a hospital employee, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Eleven others were wounded, including healthcare staff Also on Sunday, artillery fire killed two civilians in the regime-held city of Aleppo, outside the rebel bastion, state news agency SANA said. Atareb falls in Idlib province which is the last major rebel bastion. The region is home to 2.9 million people. As per United Nations, two-thirds of this population has been displaced due to the war. The region on the border with Turkey is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is led by members of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, but several rebel groups are also present. The ceasefire brokered by rebel backer Turkey and regime ally Russia last March stemmed a months-long regime military offensive on the bastion that killed hundreds of civilians and displaced more than a million people. It has since largely held despite repeated violations including Russian airstrikes on the region, according to the Observatory. (With AFP inputs)

Syrian regime's shelling puts hospital out of service

According to reports, Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, may face terrorism charges as UK's Metropolitan Police launched a preliminary investigation.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syria-farmer-lost-wife-and-sons-to-war-370488/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

London-based Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers has filed a confidential filing with the war crimes unit of the UK Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command to open an investigation against Asma al-Assad allegations over "incitement" and "encouragement to commit acts of terrorism in the Syrian Arab Republic."

The chamber said it has submitted two confidential filings to the war crimes unit.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You can read our press release here: <a href="https://t.co/SWMzu6aaWV">https://t.co/SWMzu6aaWV</a>
— Guernica37 (@GuernicaLaw37) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuernicaLaw37/status/1370837565536894980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"As the subject is a British national it is important that she faces prosecution if the evidence supports the allegation and not merely stripped of her citizenship," is said, adding, "This is an important process, and it is only right that justice is served before an English Court. &nbsp;

Since March 2011, several hundred thousand Syrian civilians have been unlawfully killed and subject to arbitrary detention and mistreatment, it reported.

The Syrian government is clearly guilty of a systematic approach to the torture and murder of civilians, it said. The body said&nbsp;the "Syrian government forces have deployed a number of unlawful means including the use of chemical and prohibited weapons, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, arbitrary arrests, torture and murder of several thousand civilian detainees."

Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers in a statement said Asma al Assad's removal of British citizenship should only come after "facing a trial before an English court where the process will be independent and impartial and will look solely at the evidence irrespective of any political considerations."

According to reports, Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, may face terrorism charges as UK's Metropolitan Police launched a preliminary investigation.

According to reports, Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, may face terrorism charges as UK's Metropolitan Police launched a preliminary investigation. Watch: London-based Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers has filed a confidential filing with the war crimes unit of the UK Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command to open an investigation against Asma al-Assad allegations over "incitement" and "encouragement to commit acts of terrorism in the Syrian Arab Republic." The chamber said it has submitted two confidential filings to the war crimes unit. You can read our press release here: https://t.co/SWMzu6aaWV — Guernica37 (@GuernicaLaw37) March 13, 2021 × "As the subject is a British national it is important that she faces prosecution if the evidence supports the allegation and not merely stripped of her citizenship," is said, adding, "This is an important process, and it is only right that justice is served before an English Court. Since March 2011, several hundred thousand Syrian civilians have been unlawfully killed and subject to arbitrary detention and mistreatment, it reported. The Syrian government is clearly guilty of a systematic approach to the torture and murder of civilians, it said. The body said the "Syrian government forces have deployed a number of unlawful means including the use of chemical and prohibited weapons, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, arbitrary arrests, torture and murder of several thousand civilian detainees." Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers in a statement said Asma al Assad's removal of British citizenship should only come after "facing a trial before an English court where the process will be independent and impartial and will look solely at the evidence irrespective of any political considerations."

Syria President Bashar al-Assad's wife may face terrorism charges in UK

A decade of war in Syria with no hope in sight

In Pics | Assad regime completes 50 years of its grip on Syria

High-level U.S. officials traveled recently to Syria for rare talks with the Assad government in an attempt to secure the release of American citizens held prisoner there, a high priority for the Trump administration, but there has been little apparent progress so far, officials said.

The secret US&nbsp;mission to Damascus in August focused on Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who was seized while reporting on the Syrian civil war in 2012, and Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist who was taken in 2017. The trip was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by two U.S. officials with knowledge of American operations in the Middle East, including a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The senior official cautioned that the attempt was still in its early stages, and that the U.S. government did not have any recent proof that Tice, 39, was still alive. The Syrian government has not publicly acknowledged holding either him or Kamalmaz, 62, who is diabetic and requires regular medication, according to his family and the U.S. government.

Previous contacts by the United States about prisoners held by President Bashar Assad’s government have fizzled out, but his regime — which would like to see economic sanctions lifted and U.S. troops withdrawn from Syria — has much to gain, potentially, from improved relations with Washington. The Trump administration has secured the release of people held in several other countries in the Middle East, a goal of particular interest to the president.

In August, Kashyap Patel, the senior counterterrorism director at the National Security Council, and Roger D. Carstens, the State Department’s special envoy for hostage affairs, went to Damascus to meet with Ali Mamlouk, the head of Syria’s National Security Bureau intelligence service, U.S. officials said.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been minimal since the United States closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 and ordered the closure of the Syrian Embassy in Washington in 2014. The U.S. has long labeled Syria, considered a pariah state by much of the world, as a sponsor of terrorism, and has imposed sanctions on the country and its officials for human rights violations before and during the war that began in 2011.

But in 2017, Mike Pompeo, then the CIA director, called Mamlouk to open back-channel communications on Tice. Washington then sent an intermediary to see Mamlouk, the officials said. They met for hours and the intermediary delivered an unsigned letter from the U.S. government.

But the effort was put on hold the next year, when the Syrian government launched a chemical attack on a rebel-held area, and the United States responded with missile strikes on Syrian targets. Weeks later, French authorities issued international arrest warrants for Mamlouk and other officials, in connection with torture, killings and war crimes.

In August 2018, the CIA sent a top agency official with expertise in the Middle East to meet Mamlouk in Damascus, where the official raised the case of Tice.

A year ago, Trump ordered the withdrawal of most of the U.S. troops in Syria, in effect ceding back to Assad territory that had been captured from the Islamic State. Critics questioned why the administration had not demanded anything from Syria in return, like the release of prisoners.

Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, was attending law school at Georgetown University when he decided to cover the war in Syria, where he wrote articles for several news organizations. His family has been outspoken about maintaining interest in his case and seeking his release, and said as recently as 2018 they were confident he was still alive.

“For years we have pushed for engagement between the U.S. and Syrian governments to help bring our son safely home, so we hope recent reports are accurate,” his parents, Marc and Debra Tice, said in a statement released Monday. “We are deeply grateful to everyone working for Austin’s safe return, and his continued absence shows there is more to be done.”

Kamalmaz, who was born in Syria and grew up in the United States, had established a mental health clinic in Lebanon for refugees from the Syrian war. He went to Syria to visit family members and was taken the day after he arrived.

High-level U.S. officials traveled recently to Syria for rare talks with the Assad government in an attempt to secure the release of American citizens held prisoner there, a high priority for the Trump administration, but there has been little apparent progress so far, officials said.

High-level U.S. officials traveled recently to Syria for rare talks with the Assad government in an attempt to secure the release of American citizens held prisoner there, a high priority for the Trump administration, but there has been little apparent progress so far, officials said. The secret US mission to Damascus in August focused on Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who was seized while reporting on the Syrian civil war in 2012, and Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist who was taken in 2017. The trip was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by two U.S. officials with knowledge of American operations in the Middle East, including a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The senior official cautioned that the attempt was still in its early stages, and that the U.S. government did not have any recent proof that Tice, 39, was still alive. The Syrian government has not publicly acknowledged holding either him or Kamalmaz, 62, who is diabetic and requires regular medication, according to his family and the U.S. government. Previous contacts by the United States about prisoners held by President Bashar Assad’s government have fizzled out, but his regime — which would like to see economic sanctions lifted and U.S. troops withdrawn from Syria — has much to gain, potentially, from improved relations with Washington. The Trump administration has secured the release of people held in several other countries in the Middle East, a goal of particular interest to the president. In August, Kashyap Patel, the senior counterterrorism director at the National Security Council, and Roger D. Carstens, the State Department’s special envoy for hostage affairs, went to Damascus to meet with Ali Mamlouk, the head of Syria’s National Security Bureau intelligence service, U.S. officials said. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been minimal since the United States closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 and ordered the closure of the Syrian Embassy in Washington in 2014. The U.S. has long labeled Syria, considered a pariah state by much of the world, as a sponsor of terrorism, and has imposed sanctions on the country and its officials for human rights violations before and during the war that began in 2011. But in 2017, Mike Pompeo, then the CIA director, called Mamlouk to open back-channel communications on Tice. Washington then sent an intermediary to see Mamlouk, the officials said. They met for hours and the intermediary delivered an unsigned letter from the U.S. government. But the effort was put on hold the next year, when the Syrian government launched a chemical attack on a rebel-held area, and the United States responded with missile strikes on Syrian targets. Weeks later, French authorities issued international arrest warrants for Mamlouk and other officials, in connection with torture, killings and war crimes. In August 2018, the CIA sent a top agency official with expertise in the Middle East to meet Mamlouk in Damascus, where the official raised the case of Tice. A year ago, Trump ordered the withdrawal of most of the U.S. troops in Syria, in effect ceding back to Assad territory that had been captured from the Islamic State. Critics questioned why the administration had not demanded anything from Syria in return, like the release of prisoners. Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, was attending law school at Georgetown University when he decided to cover the war in Syria, where he wrote articles for several news organizations. His family has been outspoken about maintaining interest in his case and seeking his release, and said as recently as 2018 they were confident he was still alive. “For years we have pushed for engagement between the U.S. and Syrian governments to help bring our son safely home, so we hope recent reports are accurate,” his parents, Marc and Debra Tice, said in a statement released Monday. “We are deeply grateful to everyone working for Austin’s safe return, and his continued absence shows there is more to be done.” Kamalmaz, who was born in Syria and grew up in the United States, had established a mental health clinic in Lebanon for refugees from the Syrian war. He went to Syria to visit family members and was taken the day after he arrived.

High-level US mission to Syria sought release of American prisoners

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions aimed at depriving the Syrian regime of funds and warned that Washington would blacklist anyone doing business with Bashar al Assad's regime

U.S imposes sanctions on Bashar Al-Assad's son

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on PM Modi and India's Syrian Policy 'India did not end its relations with Syria. Indian investment in Syria is still very active and booming', says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On asked about terror victims in Syria and India, he added 'Terrorism, the ideology behind it is one, it is used both in India and Syria for political reasons'.

Bashar al-Assad on PM Modi and India's Syrian Policy | WION Exclusive

Global Leadership Series: Assad on PM Modi and India's Syrian Policy 'India did not end its relations with Syria. Indian investment in Syria is still very active and booming', says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On asked about terror victims in Syria and India, he added 'Terrorism, the ideology behind it is one, it is used both in India and Syria for political reasons'.

Bashar al-Assad on PM Modi and India's Syrian Policy

The war in Syria is entering its tenth year and there seems to be no end to Syrians grief and pain from the ravaging violence. The war has resulted in an unprecedented food crisis and crumbling infrastructure.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-bans-chinese-apps-what-does-the-decision-mean-for-beijing-309734" hreflang="en">India bans Chinese apps: What does the decision mean for Beijing?</a>

As the Syrians continue to live in fear and despair, the coronavirus pandemic has further wreaked havoc in the country, as the health sector is in tatters.&nbsp;

In an attempt to help Syria, over 60 governments and NGOs will attend a meeting lead by the European Union as the United Nations have sought 10 billion dollars for the country to fight the coronavirus pandemic. 
&nbsp; 
This is the tenth year of conflict and armed struggle in Syria. A fire fed by international actors and local groups. One of the deadliest in the century. The conflict broke out when Syrians took to the streets on March 15, 2011.

They were protesting against the government of President Bashar Al Assad. In response, the government launched a brutal crackdown. Rebel groups took shape turning a protest into a civil war.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/source-very-very-important-who-will-send-expert-team-to-china-to-investigate-covid-19s-origin-309694" hreflang="en">‘Source very, very important’: WHO will send expert team to China to investigate COVID-19’s origin</a>

By June 2013, 90 thousand people had been killed. International forces intervened and thus began a war which has killed over 380,000 people. And triggered the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

The war divided global players. Russia and Iran back President Assad. The United States and Turkey support different rebel groups. Caught in the crossfire are the people of Syria.

More than 5.6 million people have fled the country and become international refugees. More than 6.5 million have been displaced internally. 9.3 million Syrians are fighting hunger.

70 per cent of the population doesn't have access to drinking water. Millions of children are out of school. Food prices have soared more than 200 per cent.

The World Health Organisation says over 90 per cent of the Syrian population lives on less than $2 a day making it one of the poorest countries in the world.

The so-called Islamic state tried to exploit the chaos. And declared a caliphate in 2014. Years of fighting have pushed them out of their last strongholds like Idlib.&nbsp;

But innocent Syrians have been collateral damage. The United Nations says there's evidence that all sides were guilty of war crimes including murder, torture and rape.

The Assad govt has been accused of using chemical weapons against its people. In 2013, the Sarin gas was used in Damascus, killing hundreds of people.&nbsp;

In 2014, chlorine was used. The ISIS has been accused of using sulphur mustard. Airstrikes have turned entire cities into ghost towns.&nbsp;

Nine years and counting, Syria remains caught in a deadly cycle of failed peace talks and proxy wars.&nbsp;

The war in Syria is entering its tenth year and there seems to be no end to Syrians grief and pain from the ravaging violence. The war has resulted in an unprecedented food crisis and crumbling infrastructure.

The war in Syria is entering its tenth year and there seems to be no end to Syrians grief and pain from the ravaging violence. The war has resulted in an unprecedented food crisis and crumbling infrastructure. Also read: India bans Chinese apps: What does the decision mean for Beijing? As the Syrians continue to live in fear and despair, the coronavirus pandemic has further wreaked havoc in the country, as the health sector is in tatters. In an attempt to help Syria, over 60 governments and NGOs will attend a meeting lead by the European Union as the United Nations have sought 10 billion dollars for the country to fight the coronavirus pandemic. This is the tenth year of conflict and armed struggle in Syria. A fire fed by international actors and local groups. One of the deadliest in the century. The conflict broke out when Syrians took to the streets on March 15, 2011. They were protesting against the government of President Bashar Al Assad. In response, the government launched a brutal crackdown. Rebel groups took shape turning a protest into a civil war. Also read: ‘Source very, very important’: WHO will send expert team to China to investigate COVID-19’s origin By June 2013, 90 thousand people had been killed. International forces intervened and thus began a war which has killed over 380,000 people. And triggered the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. The war divided global players. Russia and Iran back President Assad. The United States and Turkey support different rebel groups. Caught in the crossfire are the people of Syria. More than 5.6 million people have fled the country and become international refugees. More than 6.5 million have been displaced internally. 9.3 million Syrians are fighting hunger. 70 per cent of the population doesn't have access to drinking water. Millions of children are out of school. Food prices have soared more than 200 per cent. The World Health Organisation says over 90 per cent of the Syrian population lives on less than $2 a day making it one of the poorest countries in the world. The so-called Islamic state tried to exploit the chaos. And declared a caliphate in 2014. Years of fighting have pushed them out of their last strongholds like Idlib. But innocent Syrians have been collateral damage. The United Nations says there's evidence that all sides were guilty of war crimes including murder, torture and rape. The Assad govt has been accused of using chemical weapons against its people. In 2013, the Sarin gas was used in Damascus, killing hundreds of people. In 2014, chlorine was used. The ISIS has been accused of using sulphur mustard. Airstrikes have turned entire cities into ghost towns. Nine years and counting, Syria remains caught in a deadly cycle of failed peace talks and proxy wars.

Syria faces food crisis and crumbling infrastructure due to years of war

Russian-led&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;government forces on Thursday entered&nbsp;Saraqeb&nbsp;town&nbsp;in&nbsp;northwestern&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Idlib</a> province in the&nbsp;latest&nbsp;push to capture the last&nbsp;rebel&nbsp;stronghold, state media said.

President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Bashar al-Assad</a>'s swift military&nbsp;advance&nbsp;through Idlib province has caused an exodus of civilians towards Turkey's border in the past two weeks, risking a military confrontation with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Turkey</a>, whose leader has threatened to drive back the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;forces.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting</a>

Turkish Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Mevlut Cavusoglu</a> said on Thursday that Ankara expected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Russia </a>to immediately stop the government attacks, which killed eight Turkish military personnel on Monday and prompted Turkish forces to strike back.

"We conveyed our determination to our Russian counterparts," he said, adding that Ankara was determined to stem the "humanitarian drama" in Idlib which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Turkey</a> says has displaced nearly 1 million people.

Syrian&nbsp;forces, who are backed by Russian airstrikes, had on Wednesday encircled and entered&nbsp;Saraqeb, 15 km east of Idlib city, the British-based&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;Observatory for Human Rights had said in a report corroborated by witnesses.

Watch: What can be possible outcome from UN emergency meeting on Syria?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-can-be-possible-outcome-from-un-emergency-meet-on-syria-279043/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The&nbsp;town&nbsp;lies at the junction of two main roads that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489">Assad </a>seeks to fully control to regain Idlib province, the last&nbsp;rebel&nbsp;bastion in the nearly nine-year-long civil war.

Rebel&nbsp;fighters "managed to push back government forces from most of&nbsp;Saraqeb&nbsp;in an attack from the northern part of the&nbsp;town&nbsp;that coincided with Turkish shelling against advancing government forces," the Observatory said.

Witnesses said government forces came under shelling from Turkish observation posts in the area.

Watch: 'Turkey will make Syria pay heavy price' vows Erdogan

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The fighting, taking place despite a January&nbsp;12 ceasefire deal between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489">Turkey </a>and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489">Russia</a>, disrupted fragile cooperation between the two countries that support opposing sides in the conflict.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that militants in Turkey's "zone of responsibility" in Idlib province were continuing to attack&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;government forces and Russian military infrastructure.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no plans currently for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489">Tayyip Erdogan</a> to meet to reduce tensions in Idlib but that such a meeting could be quickly organised if needed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489">Russia </a>also said some of its troops had been killed in the militant attacks, its first confirmation of casualties in the current round of fighting.

The battle for Idlib is a crucial stage of a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians, made millions of refugees in their own country or overseas, and fractured the wider <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-will-make-syria-to-pay-heavy-price-vows-erdogan-wion-news-world-news-278489">Middle East</a> since it broke out amid the Arab Spring in 2011.

Russian and Iranian support has helped Assad win back nearly all the territory lost to&nbsp;rebels. The threat of direct confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has also long simmered in Syria, where the Iranian military has built a presence early in the civil war.

Early on Thursday,&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;air defences intercepted Israeli missiles over Damascus that were fired at military targets in southern Syria including near the capital, the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;defence ministry said.

Russian-led Syrian government forces on Thursday entered Saraqeb town in northwestern Idlib province in the latest push to capture the last rebel stronghold, state media said.

Russian-led Syrian government forces on Thursday entered Saraqeb town in northwestern Idlib province in the latest push to capture the last rebel stronghold, state media said. President Bashar al-Assad's swift military advance through Idlib province has caused an exodus of civilians towards Turkey's border in the past two weeks, risking a military confrontation with Turkey, whose leader has threatened to drive back the Syrian forces. Also read: Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Ankara expected Russia to immediately stop the government attacks, which killed eight Turkish military personnel on Monday and prompted Turkish forces to strike back. "We conveyed our determination to our Russian counterparts," he said, adding that Ankara was determined to stem the "humanitarian drama" in Idlib which Turkey says has displaced nearly 1 million people. Syrian forces, who are backed by Russian airstrikes, had on Wednesday encircled and entered Saraqeb, 15 km east of Idlib city, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said in a report corroborated by witnesses. Watch: What can be possible outcome from UN emergency meeting on Syria? The town lies at the junction of two main roads that Assad seeks to fully control to regain Idlib province, the last rebel bastion in the nearly nine-year-long civil war. Rebel fighters "managed to push back government forces from most of Saraqeb in an attack from the northern part of the town that coincided with Turkish shelling against advancing government forces," the Observatory said. Witnesses said government forces came under shelling from Turkish observation posts in the area. Watch: 'Turkey will make Syria pay heavy price' vows Erdogan The fighting, taking place despite a January 12 ceasefire deal between Turkey and Russia, disrupted fragile cooperation between the two countries that support opposing sides in the conflict. The Kremlin said on Thursday that militants in Turkey's "zone of responsibility" in Idlib province were continuing to attack Syrian government forces and Russian military infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no plans currently for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to meet to reduce tensions in Idlib but that such a meeting could be quickly organised if needed. Russia also said some of its troops had been killed in the militant attacks, its first confirmation of casualties in the current round of fighting. The battle for Idlib is a crucial stage of a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians, made millions of refugees in their own country or overseas, and fractured the wider Middle East since it broke out amid the Arab Spring in 2011. Russian and Iranian support has helped Assad win back nearly all the territory lost to rebels. The threat of direct confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has also long simmered in Syria, where the Iranian military has built a presence early in the civil war. Early on Thursday, Syrian air defences intercepted Israeli missiles over Damascus that were fired at military targets in southern Syria including near the capital, the Syrian defence ministry said.

Syrian army enters rebel-held northwestern Saraqeb town in latest advance: Report

Syrian regime and Russian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thirty-killed-across-syria-as-violence-rages-265808">air strikes </a>on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war monitor said.

The air raids in the jihadist-run northwestern region of Idlib also wounded several others, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed four civilians including a child in the village of Al-Bara in the south of the region, the Observatory said.

An AFP correspondent at the scene saw rescue workers pick through the rubble of a two-storey home whose concrete roof had collapsed.

Rescuers carried away the body of a victim wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher.

Russian raids also killed nine civilians including three children in the nearby village of Balyun, the Observatory said.

Crude barrel bombs dropped by government helicopters killed five civilians including three children in the village of Abadeeta, also in the same area.

In the southeast of the embattled region, a raid by a regime aircraft killed another child in the village of Bajghas, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

The Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, says it determines the provenance of an air strike by looking at flight patterns and the aircraft and munitions involved.

The Idlib region, which is home to some three million people including many displaced by Syria's civil war, is controlled by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The Damascus regime has repeatedly vowed to take back control of Idlib.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a blistering military campaign against the region in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes.

A ceasefire announced by Moscow has largely held since late August.

But the Observatory says deadly bombardment and skirmishes have persisted, with more than 200 civilians killed in the region since the deal.

Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests.

Syrian regime and Russian air strikes on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war monitor said.

Syrian regime and Russian air strikes on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war monitor said. The air raids in the jihadist-run northwestern region of Idlib also wounded several others, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed four civilians including a child in the village of Al-Bara in the south of the region, the Observatory said. An AFP correspondent at the scene saw rescue workers pick through the rubble of a two-storey home whose concrete roof had collapsed. Rescuers carried away the body of a victim wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher. Russian raids also killed nine civilians including three children in the nearby village of Balyun, the Observatory said. Crude barrel bombs dropped by government helicopters killed five civilians including three children in the village of Abadeeta, also in the same area. In the southeast of the embattled region, a raid by a regime aircraft killed another child in the village of Bajghas, the Observatory said. The Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, says it determines the provenance of an air strike by looking at flight patterns and the aircraft and munitions involved. The Idlib region, which is home to some three million people including many displaced by Syria's civil war, is controlled by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. The Damascus regime has repeatedly vowed to take back control of Idlib. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a blistering military campaign against the region in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes. A ceasefire announced by Moscow has largely held since late August. But the Observatory says deadly bombardment and skirmishes have persisted, with more than 200 civilians killed in the region since the deal. Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests.

Air strikes kill 19 civilians in northwest Syria: Monitor

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday hailed as a "landmark" the first meeting of a committee comprising Syrian government and opposition negotiators, tasked with amending the war-torn country's constitution. &nbsp;

On Wednesday, the two sides sat face-to-face in Geneva for the launch of the constitutional review committee's work.

"Yesterday's first meeting of the Constitutional Committee was a landmark, a foundation for progress," Guterres told a conference on mediation in Istanbul organized by the Turkish government.

"I hope this will be the first step towards a political solution that will end this tragic chapter in the lives of the Syrian people, also to create the opportunity for all Syrians to return to their places of origin, in safety and dignity, to end their status as refugees," he said.

The United Nations-brokered committee includes 150 delegates,&nbsp;divided equally among President Bashar al-Assad's government, the opposition and civil society.

However, there is little hope that the process can achieve a breakthrough in reaching a political solution to the conflict which has claimed more than 370,000 lives over the past eight years.

Experts have argued that Assad,&nbsp;&nbsp;whose forces have made major gains against the opposition,&nbsp;has little to lose at the talks and will walk away before making any significant compromises.

Guterres also said that he remained "very concerned about the situation in Idlib",&nbsp;a region of around three million residents of whom half are displaced people from other parts of the country. It is the last major rebel bastion in Syria.

Last week Assad said that winning the Idlib front would be key to winning the war and that his troops had completed preparations for an offensive.

Guterres added that he was repeating his "call for maximum restraint, de-escalation and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure on all fronts in Syria".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday hailed as a "landmark" the first meeting of a committee comprising Syrian government and opposition negotiators, tasked with amending the war-torn country's constitution.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday hailed as a "landmark" the first meeting of a committee comprising Syrian government and opposition negotiators, tasked with amending the war-torn country's constitution. On Wednesday, the two sides sat face-to-face in Geneva for the launch of the constitutional review committee's work. "Yesterday's first meeting of the Constitutional Committee was a landmark, a foundation for progress," Guterres told a conference on mediation in Istanbul organized by the Turkish government. "I hope this will be the first step towards a political solution that will end this tragic chapter in the lives of the Syrian people, also to create the opportunity for all Syrians to return to their places of origin, in safety and dignity, to end their status as refugees," he said. The United Nations-brokered committee includes 150 delegates, divided equally among President Bashar al-Assad's government, the opposition and civil society. However, there is little hope that the process can achieve a breakthrough in reaching a political solution to the conflict which has claimed more than 370,000 lives over the past eight years. Experts have argued that Assad, whose forces have made major gains against the opposition, has little to lose at the talks and will walk away before making any significant compromises. Guterres also said that he remained "very concerned about the situation in Idlib", a region of around three million residents of whom half are displaced people from other parts of the country. It is the last major rebel bastion in Syria. Last week Assad said that winning the Idlib front would be key to winning the war and that his troops had completed preparations for an offensive. Guterres added that he was repeating his "call for maximum restraint, de-escalation and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure on all fronts in Syria".

United Nations chief hails 'landmark' meeting on Syria constitution

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Saudi Arabia on Monday for the first time in over a decade, seeking to capitalise on growing influence borne of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/day-5-of-turkeys-military-operation-in-syria-255702">military advances in Syria</a>, strong ties with regional rivals and cooperation on energy policy.

Moscow accrued power in the Middle East in 2015 by sending troops to Syria, where it and Iran have been key backers of President Bashar al-Assad amid civil war, while the United States pulled back.

On the eve of Putin's trip,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-says-up-to-1000-us-troops-to-withdraw-from-northern-syria-255677"> US&nbsp;troops were evacuating</a> northern Syria as their erstwhile Kurdish allies struck a deal with Assad's Russian-backed army aimed at halting a Turkish offensive.

Russia has also strengthened ties with both Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, which are locked in a decades-old contest for influence that veered towards open conflict after a recent spate of attacks on oil assets in the Gulf that Riyadh and Washington blame on Tehran. Iran denies the charges.

Tensions with Iran, which is locked in several proxy wars with Saudi Arabia including in Syria, have risen to new highs after Washington last year quit a 2015 international nuclear accord with Tehran and re-imposed sanctions.

Putin, accompanied on the trip by his energy minister and head of Russia's wealth fund, is due to hold talks with King Salman and de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with whom Putin says he has friendly relations.

The strengthened ties have seen non-OPEC Russia, once regarded as a rival in oil markets, join OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia in forming an alliance known as OPEC+ to support crude prices by restraining output.

Ahead of the visit, Putin, who offered to provide Russian defense systems to the kingdom after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/attacks-on-oil-facilities-unquestionably-sponsored-by-iran-saudi-arabia-250580">September&nbsp;14 attacks </a>on its oil facilities, said he could also play a positive role in easing tensions with Tehran as he had good ties with both sides.

Any progress on long-mulled Saudi plans to purchase the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems would cause disquiet in Washington, which announced over the weekend it was sending around 3,000 troops and additional air defence systems to Saudi Arabia following last month's attack.

Asked about concerns Riyadh was cozying up to Moscow, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said he saw no contradiction.

"We don’t believe that having close ties with Russia has any negative impact on our relationship with the United States," he told reporters on Sunday. "We believe that we can have strategic and strong ties with the United States while we develop our ties with Russia."

Russian and Saudi flags lined the streets of Riyadh ahead of Putin's one-day visit, which includes a performance by Russia's Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. Putin then travels to the United Arab Emirates.

In meetings with Saudi leaders, the Russian president will discuss the OPEC+ pact, which has seen production cut by 1.2 million barrels per day since January.

A forum will convene 300 Saudi and Russian CEOs. The two sides are expected to sign more than $2 billion of deals, including a joint investment by state oil giant Saudi Aramco and Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund.

RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev said a number of Russian investors were interested in a planned initial public offering of Aramco, which could sell between 1 per cent&nbsp;and 2 per cent through a local listing as early as November ahead of a potential international offering.

Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Russia's Gazprom is interested in cooperating with Saudi firms on natural gas.

Moscow, the world’s largest wheat exporter, made some progress in accessing the Saudi and Middle Eastern markets when the kingdom agreed in August to relax specifications for wheat imports, opening the door to Black Sea imports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Saudi Arabia on Monday for the first time in over a decade, seeking to capitalise on growing influence borne of military advances in Syria, strong ties with regional rivals and cooperation on energy policy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Saudi Arabia on Monday for the first time in over a decade, seeking to capitalise on growing influence borne of military advances in Syria, strong ties with regional rivals and cooperation on energy policy. Moscow accrued power in the Middle East in 2015 by sending troops to Syria, where it and Iran have been key backers of President Bashar al-Assad amid civil war, while the United States pulled back. On the eve of Putin's trip, US troops were evacuating northern Syria as their erstwhile Kurdish allies struck a deal with Assad's Russian-backed army aimed at halting a Turkish offensive. Russia has also strengthened ties with both Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, which are locked in a decades-old contest for influence that veered towards open conflict after a recent spate of attacks on oil assets in the Gulf that Riyadh and Washington blame on Tehran. Iran denies the charges. Tensions with Iran, which is locked in several proxy wars with Saudi Arabia including in Syria, have risen to new highs after Washington last year quit a 2015 international nuclear accord with Tehran and re-imposed sanctions. Putin, accompanied on the trip by his energy minister and head of Russia's wealth fund, is due to hold talks with King Salman and de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with whom Putin says he has friendly relations. The strengthened ties have seen non-OPEC Russia, once regarded as a rival in oil markets, join OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia in forming an alliance known as OPEC+ to support crude prices by restraining output. Ahead of the visit, Putin, who offered to provide Russian defense systems to the kingdom after September 14 attacks on its oil facilities, said he could also play a positive role in easing tensions with Tehran as he had good ties with both sides. Any progress on long-mulled Saudi plans to purchase the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems would cause disquiet in Washington, which announced over the weekend it was sending around 3,000 troops and additional air defence systems to Saudi Arabia following last month's attack. Asked about concerns Riyadh was cozying up to Moscow, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said he saw no contradiction. "We don’t believe that having close ties with Russia has any negative impact on our relationship with the United States," he told reporters on Sunday. "We believe that we can have strategic and strong ties with the United States while we develop our ties with Russia." Russian and Saudi flags lined the streets of Riyadh ahead of Putin's one-day visit, which includes a performance by Russia's Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. Putin then travels to the United Arab Emirates. In meetings with Saudi leaders, the Russian president will discuss the OPEC+ pact, which has seen production cut by 1.2 million barrels per day since January. A forum will convene 300 Saudi and Russian CEOs. The two sides are expected to sign more than $2 billion of deals, including a joint investment by state oil giant Saudi Aramco and Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund. RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev said a number of Russian investors were interested in a planned initial public offering of Aramco, which could sell between 1 per cent and 2 per cent through a local listing as early as November ahead of a potential international offering. Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Russia's Gazprom is interested in cooperating with Saudi firms on natural gas. Moscow, the world’s largest wheat exporter, made some progress in accessing the Saudi and Middle Eastern markets when the kingdom agreed in August to relax specifications for wheat imports, opening the door to Black Sea imports.

Saudi Arabia visit showcases Russian President Vladimir Putin's growing Middle East influence

By Ali Bilgic

In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria. The area is currently controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, who the US worked closely within the battle to defeat Islamic State (IS). Kurdish forces described Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the area as a “stab in the back”.

Amid mounting criticism of the decision, Trump appeared to pull back, taking to Twitter to warn Turkey not to go too far in its operation. US security officials insisted the administration did not endorse or support the Turkish operation. However, Turkey said its preparations were complete for the military campaign, which aims to establish a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syria border.

Trump’s decision to withdraw troops appeared to be underlined by his dissatisfaction with European allies who haven’t taken back their citizens from the region. The White House said, it wanted to avoid spending more money from American taxpayers on holding captured IS fighters. During a phone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump reportedly agreed with the Turkish president that Turkey would take charge of these captured fighters.

Relations between Turkey and the US have long been strained by American support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Turkey believes they are directly connected to the PKK, a Kurdish separatist group recognised as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union.

Yet Turkey could find itself in a quagmire that involves a guerrilla warfare waged by the Kurdish forces. According to the Anatolian Agency, Turkey’s official news agency, the PKK is already present in northern Syria. If Turkey goes ahead with a campaign, it will extend the 40-year long conflict between the Turkish military, NATO’s second-biggest army, and the PKK beyond Turkey’s borders. However, unlike in previous decades, the PKK will be backed by the YPG, long trained in active combat.

Assad’s next move

It’s unclear how Bashar al Assad and his regime in Damascus will react to a planned Turkish incursion into northern Syria. One possibility is that Assad government forces, backed by Russia, could take advantage of the situation and advance from the south into the Kurdish region. This will force the Kurds to fight on two fronts at the same time – something they are unlikely to survive.

There is another possibility. If the Kurdish political forces are successful in negotiating a deal with Damascus to set up a federal government system, like in Iraq, in Syria, these two forces could unite against the “foreign invader”. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, already called for the withdrawal of American and Turkish forces in Syria.

Some Kurdish militia in northern Iraq could also join the YPG in a future conflict against Turkey. In March 2019, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan from Iraq announced its potential support in case of an attack. Such moves would likely disturb stability in northern Iraq, which has had amicable relations with Turkey.

Fate of refugees

The Kurdish region in northern Syria, also known as Rojova, has been one of the most stable in the country throughout the Syrian war. It has provided shelter to those who escaped from IS, Assad forces, and extremist factions within the Free Syrian Army, such as Al Qaeda affiliates.

The destabilisation of the region will likely trigger a new wave of migration from Syria towards northern Iraq and potentially Turkey. Since an informal agreement between the US and Turkey in August to create safe zones in northern Syria, tens of thousands have already fled from Idlib to the Turkish border anticipating a new conflict in the region.

Turkey, which currently hosts more than 3m Syrian refugees, has recently introduced stricter policies and regulations that aim to return some of these refugees to Syria. Erdoğan plans to repatriate them to any safe zone it manages to set up, so it’s unlikely Turkey will accept and host new waves of refugees from Syria. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, refugees will be forced to take irregular migration channels to Europe via Turkey and north Africa.

Russia’s next move is also crucial. The Kremlin, which recognises Turkey’s right to defend itself, also emphasises the need to protect Syria’s “territorial integrity”. Russia has been careful not to alienate the Kurds in Syria completely.

If the Kurds, who feel betrayed and abandoned by the US, move closer to Russia as a guarantor of their autonomy in a federal Syria, this could play in to the Americans’ hands by threatening the growing rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. However, a post-war Syria with a federal system that includes the Kurds and a consolidated Assad regime could strengthen the Russia-Iran bloc in the region, which will disturb both Israel and Saudi Arabia, crucial partners and allies of the US.

The next few weeks and months will determine the fate of Rojova, which will be pressured by both Turkish and Assad forces. Alongside the Kurds, the ethnic and religious groups, such as the Assyrians and Yazidis, who have found shelter in Rojova, will go through a dangerous period. And the cells of defeated IS fighters will be waiting for the opportunity derived from this crisis.

(Ali Bilgic is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Loughborough University) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-donald-trumps-decision-to-abandon-kurdish-fighters-in-syria-means-for-the-kurds-assad-and-russia-124815">original article</a>)

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Ali Bilgic In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria.

By Ali Bilgic In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria. The area is currently controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, who the US worked closely within the battle to defeat Islamic State (IS). Kurdish forces described Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the area as a “stab in the back”. Amid mounting criticism of the decision, Trump appeared to pull back, taking to Twitter to warn Turkey not to go too far in its operation. US security officials insisted the administration did not endorse or support the Turkish operation. However, Turkey said its preparations were complete for the military campaign, which aims to establish a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syria border. Trump’s decision to withdraw troops appeared to be underlined by his dissatisfaction with European allies who haven’t taken back their citizens from the region. The White House said, it wanted to avoid spending more money from American taxpayers on holding captured IS fighters. During a phone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump reportedly agreed with the Turkish president that Turkey would take charge of these captured fighters. Relations between Turkey and the US have long been strained by American support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Turkey believes they are directly connected to the PKK, a Kurdish separatist group recognised as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union. Yet Turkey could find itself in a quagmire that involves a guerrilla warfare waged by the Kurdish forces. According to the Anatolian Agency, Turkey’s official news agency, the PKK is already present in northern Syria. If Turkey goes ahead with a campaign, it will extend the 40-year long conflict between the Turkish military, NATO’s second-biggest army, and the PKK beyond Turkey’s borders. However, unlike in previous decades, the PKK will be backed by the YPG, long trained in active combat. Assad’s next move It’s unclear how Bashar al Assad and his regime in Damascus will react to a planned Turkish incursion into northern Syria. One possibility is that Assad government forces, backed by Russia, could take advantage of the situation and advance from the south into the Kurdish region. This will force the Kurds to fight on two fronts at the same time – something they are unlikely to survive. There is another possibility. If the Kurdish political forces are successful in negotiating a deal with Damascus to set up a federal government system, like in Iraq, in Syria, these two forces could unite against the “foreign invader”. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, already called for the withdrawal of American and Turkish forces in Syria. Some Kurdish militia in northern Iraq could also join the YPG in a future conflict against Turkey. In March 2019, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan from Iraq announced its potential support in case of an attack. Such moves would likely disturb stability in northern Iraq, which has had amicable relations with Turkey. Fate of refugees The Kurdish region in northern Syria, also known as Rojova, has been one of the most stable in the country throughout the Syrian war. It has provided shelter to those who escaped from IS, Assad forces, and extremist factions within the Free Syrian Army, such as Al Qaeda affiliates. The destabilisation of the region will likely trigger a new wave of migration from Syria towards northern Iraq and potentially Turkey. Since an informal agreement between the US and Turkey in August to create safe zones in northern Syria, tens of thousands have already fled from Idlib to the Turkish border anticipating a new conflict in the region. Turkey, which currently hosts more than 3m Syrian refugees, has recently introduced stricter policies and regulations that aim to return some of these refugees to Syria. Erdoğan plans to repatriate them to any safe zone it manages to set up, so it’s unlikely Turkey will accept and host new waves of refugees from Syria. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, refugees will be forced to take irregular migration channels to Europe via Turkey and north Africa. Russia’s next move is also crucial. The Kremlin, which recognises Turkey’s right to defend itself, also emphasises the need to protect Syria’s “territorial integrity”. Russia has been careful not to alienate the Kurds in Syria completely. If the Kurds, who feel betrayed and abandoned by the US, move closer to Russia as a guarantor of their autonomy in a federal Syria, this could play in to the Americans’ hands by threatening the growing rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. However, a post-war Syria with a federal system that includes the Kurds and a consolidated Assad regime could strengthen the Russia-Iran bloc in the region, which will disturb both Israel and Saudi Arabia, crucial partners and allies of the US. The next few weeks and months will determine the fate of Rojova, which will be pressured by both Turkish and Assad forces. Alongside the Kurds, the ethnic and religious groups, such as the Assyrians and Yazidis, who have found shelter in Rojova, will go through a dangerous period. And the cells of defeated IS fighters will be waiting for the opportunity derived from this crisis. (Ali Bilgic is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Loughborough University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

What Donald Trump’s decision to abandon Kurdish fighters in Syria means for the Kurds, Assad and Russia

Rights group Amnesty International Friday called for justice for those killed during months of protests that rocked Sudan, insisting that demonstrators had faced "disproportionate and unnecessary" violence.

Sudan has experienced unprecedentedly large rallies since December, first against now-ousted leader Omar al-Bashir and later against the generals who seized power after overthrowing him.

The protest movement says that more than 250 demonstrators were killed in the violence, including at least 127 in a crackdown on a sit-in during early June outside military headquarters in Khartoum.

"Amnesty International thanks the people of Sudan for showing us courage, for showing us resilience and for showing that we can resist injustice and violation of human rights," Amnesty International Secretary General Kumi Naidoo told reporters during a visit to Khartoum, in the first such trip by the rights group's chief to Sudan.

He said the demonstrators were confronted by "disproportionate use of violence, unnecessary use of violence and provocative use of violence".

"Amnesty International will back the Sudanese people in calling on the new government to ensure that there is absolute accountability and justice" for the families of those killed.

Protests first erupted in December against the then government's decision to triple the price of bread.

They swiftly escalated into a nationwide campaign against Bashir's ironfisted three decade rule.

The army ousted Bashir on April 11 but protesters continued their street campaign, switching it against the military council that overthrow him.

In August, Sudan embarked on a transition to civilian rule thanks to a power-sharing deal signed between protest leaders and the generals, and a joint civilian-military ruling body was sworn in.

On Sunday, an 18-member cabinet was sworn in, the first since the ouster of Bashir.

&nbsp;

Rights group Amnesty International Friday called for justice for those killed during months of protests that rocked Sudan, insisting that demonstrators had faced "disproportionate and unnecessary" violence.

Rights group Amnesty International Friday called for justice for those killed during months of protests that rocked Sudan, insisting that demonstrators had faced "disproportionate and unnecessary" violence. Sudan has experienced unprecedentedly large rallies since December, first against now-ousted leader Omar al-Bashir and later against the generals who seized power after overthrowing him. The protest movement says that more than 250 demonstrators were killed in the violence, including at least 127 in a crackdown on a sit-in during early June outside military headquarters in Khartoum. "Amnesty International thanks the people of Sudan for showing us courage, for showing us resilience and for showing that we can resist injustice and violation of human rights," Amnesty International Secretary General Kumi Naidoo told reporters during a visit to Khartoum, in the first such trip by the rights group's chief to Sudan. He said the demonstrators were confronted by "disproportionate use of violence, unnecessary use of violence and provocative use of violence". "Amnesty International will back the Sudanese people in calling on the new government to ensure that there is absolute accountability and justice" for the families of those killed. Protests first erupted in December against the then government's decision to triple the price of bread. They swiftly escalated into a nationwide campaign against Bashir's ironfisted three decade rule. The army ousted Bashir on April 11 but protesters continued their street campaign, switching it against the military council that overthrow him. In August, Sudan embarked on a transition to civilian rule thanks to a power-sharing deal signed between protest leaders and the generals, and a joint civilian-military ruling body was sworn in. On Sunday, an 18-member cabinet was sworn in, the first since the ouster of Bashir.

Amnesty wants justice for victims of Sudan protests

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-killed-as-syria-regime-forces-battle-jihadists-243898">Jihadists</a> and allied rebels withdrew from a key area of northwestern Syria Tuesday as President Bashar al-Assad's forces pressed an offensive against the jihadist-run Idlib region, a war monitor said.

The town of Khan Sheikhun on the region's southern edge has been a key goal for the government as it lies on the main highway through Idlib province connecting the capital Damascus with second city Aleppo.

After eight years of civil war, the Idlib region on the border with Turkey is the last major stronghold of opposition to the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-four-months-of-strikes-on-syrias-hold-out-idlib-244154"> Russia</a>-backed Damascus government.

Since January, it has been administered by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by jihadists from Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The region of some three million people was supposed to be protected by a buffer zone deal signed last year by Moscow and rebel backer Ankara, but the government and Russian forces have subjected it to heavy bombardment since late April,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/clashes-kill-70-combatants-in-northwest-syria-report-242094"> killing more than 860 civilians</a>.

And in recent weeks, regime forces have inched forward, nibbling away at the southern edges of the bastion.

In the early hours of Tuesday, anti-Assad fighters pulled back from Khan Sheikun and the countryside to its south, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

The withdrawal means an important Turkish observation point in the nearby town of Morek, as well as a string of surrounding villages, are effectively surrounded by government forces, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

All roads leading out of the area are either controlled by government forces or within range of their guns, he said.

But an HTS spokesman denied its forces had withdrawn from the countryside around Morek, saying they had regrouped in the south of Khan Sheikhun after heavy bombardment. 
&nbsp; 
'Clear warning'&nbsp;

Khan Sheikhun -- which has been emptied of its residents in the face of the air strikes and shelling of recent months -- lies on the main Damascus-Aleppo highway, which has long been a key government objective.

On Monday, a Turkish military convoy of around 50 armoured vehicles crossed the border into Idlib and headed south along the highway.

The deployment drew condemnation from Damascus while Ankara alleged an airstrike had targeted its troops.

The convoy was at a standstill just north of Khan Sheikhun on Tuesday, after government forces cut the road on into the town.

An AFP correspondent said airstrikes and machine gunfire from government helicopters peppered the road leading north to the town of Maaret al-Noman on Tuesday.

Pro-government newspaper Al-Watan said Monday morning's strike targeted a rebel vehicle scouting the road in front of the Turkish convoy.

"The Syrian army in its own way sent a clear message to the Turkish regime by forcing convoys sent by Ankara to help the terrorists in Khan Sheikhun to come to a halt," it said.

It was a "clear warning against any Turkish attempt to resuscitate the terrorists".

The war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Successive rounds of UN-backed peace talks have failed to stem the bloodshed, and in recent years been overshadowed by a parallel negotiations track led by Russia and Turkey, dubbed the Astana process.

&nbsp;'Pressure Turkey'?&nbsp;

Under the September deal, Turkish troops were to monitor a planned buffer zone around Idlib after jihadists had withdrawn from it -- but the pullout failed to materialise.

Analyst Sam Heller said the government's latest advance had shown Turkish monitoring points might complicate its recapture of territory, but could not prevent it.

"It's not yet clear what Damascus and Moscow will do next," said the expert with the International Crisis Group think-tank.

It is unclear "if they will seize the opportunity to take more areas, or stop to consolidate their new positions and put some pressure on Ankara" to implement its side of the buffer zone deal, he told AFP.

Fellow analyst Samuel Ramani said the government's accusation of Turkish support for its opponents could provide a "pretext for further Syrian army incursions".

"It allows Damascus to make Turkey, not the Syrian army, appear like the chief violators of the deconfliction agreement," he told AFP.

But "for Russia, holding the Astana coalition together is a chief priority," he said.

Aid organisations have warned repeatedly that any large-scale government offensive to retake Idlib would spark one of the worst humanitarian crises of the war.

Jihadists and allied rebels withdrew from a key area of northwestern Syria Tuesday as President Bashar al-Assad's forces pressed an offensive against the jihadist-run Idlib region, a war monitor said.

Jihadists and allied rebels withdrew from a key area of northwestern Syria Tuesday as President Bashar al-Assad's forces pressed an offensive against the jihadist-run Idlib region, a war monitor said. The town of Khan Sheikhun on the region's southern edge has been a key goal for the government as it lies on the main highway through Idlib province connecting the capital Damascus with second city Aleppo. After eight years of civil war, the Idlib region on the border with Turkey is the last major stronghold of opposition to the Russia-backed Damascus government. Since January, it has been administered by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by jihadists from Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. The region of some three million people was supposed to be protected by a buffer zone deal signed last year by Moscow and rebel backer Ankara, but the government and Russian forces have subjected it to heavy bombardment since late April, killing more than 860 civilians. And in recent weeks, regime forces have inched forward, nibbling away at the southern edges of the bastion. In the early hours of Tuesday, anti-Assad fighters pulled back from Khan Sheikun and the countryside to its south, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The withdrawal means an important Turkish observation point in the nearby town of Morek, as well as a string of surrounding villages, are effectively surrounded by government forces, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. All roads leading out of the area are either controlled by government forces or within range of their guns, he said. But an HTS spokesman denied its forces had withdrawn from the countryside around Morek, saying they had regrouped in the south of Khan Sheikhun after heavy bombardment. 'Clear warning' Khan Sheikhun -- which has been emptied of its residents in the face of the air strikes and shelling of recent months -- lies on the main Damascus-Aleppo highway, which has long been a key government objective. On Monday, a Turkish military convoy of around 50 armoured vehicles crossed the border into Idlib and headed south along the highway. The deployment drew condemnation from Damascus while Ankara alleged an airstrike had targeted its troops. The convoy was at a standstill just north of Khan Sheikhun on Tuesday, after government forces cut the road on into the town. An AFP correspondent said airstrikes and machine gunfire from government helicopters peppered the road leading north to the town of Maaret al-Noman on Tuesday. Pro-government newspaper Al-Watan said Monday morning's strike targeted a rebel vehicle scouting the road in front of the Turkish convoy. "The Syrian army in its own way sent a clear message to the Turkish regime by forcing convoys sent by Ankara to help the terrorists in Khan Sheikhun to come to a halt," it said. It was a "clear warning against any Turkish attempt to resuscitate the terrorists". The war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Successive rounds of UN-backed peace talks have failed to stem the bloodshed, and in recent years been overshadowed by a parallel negotiations track led by Russia and Turkey, dubbed the Astana process. 'Pressure Turkey'? Under the September deal, Turkish troops were to monitor a planned buffer zone around Idlib after jihadists had withdrawn from it -- but the pullout failed to materialise. Analyst Sam Heller said the government's latest advance had shown Turkish monitoring points might complicate its recapture of territory, but could not prevent it. "It's not yet clear what Damascus and Moscow will do next," said the expert with the International Crisis Group think-tank. It is unclear "if they will seize the opportunity to take more areas, or stop to consolidate their new positions and put some pressure on Ankara" to implement its side of the buffer zone deal, he told AFP. Fellow analyst Samuel Ramani said the government's accusation of Turkish support for its opponents could provide a "pretext for further Syrian army incursions". "It allows Damascus to make Turkey, not the Syrian army, appear like the chief violators of the deconfliction agreement," he told AFP. But "for Russia, holding the Astana coalition together is a chief priority," he said. Aid organisations have warned repeatedly that any large-scale government offensive to retake Idlib would spark one of the worst humanitarian crises of the war.

Anti-Assad fighters withdraw from key area of northwest Syria

A probe into a deadly June raid on a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-says-87-killed-when-security-forces-broke-up-protest-in-june-238850">Khartoum protest camp </a>revealed Saturday that a feared Sudanese paramilitary group was involved in the crackdown that killed scores and sparked international outrage.

Shortly before dawn on June 3, gunmen in military fatigues raided the site of a weeks-long sit-on outside army headquarters, shooting and beating protesters in an operation that also left hundreds wounded.

Demonstrators and rights groups had accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the crackdown, a charge denied by the group's powerful chief, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

But a joint probe by prosecutors and the ruling military council revealed on Saturday that RSF paramilitaries were involved in the raid.

Crowds of protesters had camped out at the site from April 6 onwards, initially to seek the army's support in toppling longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir was ousted on April 11, but protesters pressed on with the sit-in, demanding that the military council which replaced him cede power to civilians.

Fatah al-Rahman Saeed, a prosecutor who headed the investigation, said orders had been given to security forces to clear an area called Colombia, near the protest camp.

But, he said, an RSF general had separate ordered a colonel to disperse the sit-in, despite having no such order from further up the chain of command.

"They led the forces... inside the sit-in area and ordered them to get down from their vehicles and whip the protesters," Saeed told reporters.

Saeed identified the RSF general who allegedly ordered the raid by his initials A.S.A., and the colonel as A.A.M.

"It is clear to the committee that General A.S.A issued an order to Colonel A.A.M to deploy anti-riot forces of the RSF" to break up the sit-in, Saeed said.

- 'Forces disobeyed orders' -

The country's ruling generals have insisted they did not order the dispersal of the protest camp, but had ordered an operation including RSF and other security forces limited to clearing Colombia, citing drug dealing and violence in the area.

"The area had become a security threat which forced the authorities to take proper measures to clear it," Saeed said on Saturday.

Saeed said an RSF captain, identified as H.B.A, was involved in clearing Colombia but later took part in dispersing the sit-in.

He said another group of security personnel who were also involved in clearing Colombia "disobeyed orders and entered the sit-in area".

They "removed barricades, fired tear gas and fired intense and random bullets that led to the killing and wounding of protesters and the burning of tents," Saeed said.

Days after the raid, rights group Amnesty International said that members of "RSF are responsible for... the ongoing bloody crackdown on protesters in Khartoum since 3 June".

"The RSF swept into protest sites and opened fire on unarmed people," it said.

Doctors linked to the protest movement say 127 people were killed during the raid.

Authorities have given several tolls, all of them much lower.

- Pending issues -

The sit-in raid caused the collapse of talks between protest leaders and Sudan's ruling generals, which did not resume until weeks later, after intense mediaton by African Union and Ethiopian diplomats.

The two sides have now agreed to form a joint civilian-military ruling body for a transitional period of 39 months.

This governing body would then install an overall civilian administration as demanded by demonstrators, who still insist on a separate independent investigation into the June 3 raid.

Although the generals and protest leaders have signed a power sharing deal, several issues are still pending -- including justice for demonstrators killed since the first December protests against Bashir.

A probe into a deadly June raid on a Khartoum protest camp revealed Saturday that a feared Sudanese paramilitary group was involved in the crackdown that killed scores and sparked international outrage.

A probe into a deadly June raid on a Khartoum protest camp revealed Saturday that a feared Sudanese paramilitary group was involved in the crackdown that killed scores and sparked international outrage. Shortly before dawn on June 3, gunmen in military fatigues raided the site of a weeks-long sit-on outside army headquarters, shooting and beating protesters in an operation that also left hundreds wounded. Demonstrators and rights groups had accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the crackdown, a charge denied by the group's powerful chief, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. But a joint probe by prosecutors and the ruling military council revealed on Saturday that RSF paramilitaries were involved in the raid. Crowds of protesters had camped out at the site from April 6 onwards, initially to seek the army's support in toppling longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. Bashir was ousted on April 11, but protesters pressed on with the sit-in, demanding that the military council which replaced him cede power to civilians. Fatah al-Rahman Saeed, a prosecutor who headed the investigation, said orders had been given to security forces to clear an area called Colombia, near the protest camp. But, he said, an RSF general had separate ordered a colonel to disperse the sit-in, despite having no such order from further up the chain of command. "They led the forces... inside the sit-in area and ordered them to get down from their vehicles and whip the protesters," Saeed told reporters. Saeed identified the RSF general who allegedly ordered the raid by his initials A.S.A., and the colonel as A.A.M. "It is clear to the committee that General A.S.A issued an order to Colonel A.A.M to deploy anti-riot forces of the RSF" to break up the sit-in, Saeed said. - 'Forces disobeyed orders' - The country's ruling generals have insisted they did not order the dispersal of the protest camp, but had ordered an operation including RSF and other security forces limited to clearing Colombia, citing drug dealing and violence in the area. "The area had become a security threat which forced the authorities to take proper measures to clear it," Saeed said on Saturday. Saeed said an RSF captain, identified as H.B.A, was involved in clearing Colombia but later took part in dispersing the sit-in. He said another group of security personnel who were also involved in clearing Colombia "disobeyed orders and entered the sit-in area". They "removed barricades, fired tear gas and fired intense and random bullets that led to the killing and wounding of protesters and the burning of tents," Saeed said. Days after the raid, rights group Amnesty International said that members of "RSF are responsible for... the ongoing bloody crackdown on protesters in Khartoum since 3 June". "The RSF swept into protest sites and opened fire on unarmed people," it said. Doctors linked to the protest movement say 127 people were killed during the raid. Authorities have given several tolls, all of them much lower. - Pending issues - The sit-in raid caused the collapse of talks between protest leaders and Sudan's ruling generals, which did not resume until weeks later, after intense mediaton by African Union and Ethiopian diplomats. The two sides have now agreed to form a joint civilian-military ruling body for a transitional period of 39 months. This governing body would then install an overall civilian administration as demanded by demonstrators, who still insist on a separate independent investigation into the June 3 raid. Although the generals and protest leaders have signed a power sharing deal, several issues are still pending -- including justice for demonstrators killed since the first December protests against Bashir.

Sudan probe shows paramilitaries involved in deadly raid on sit-in

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-sudans-economic-crisis-had-a-role-in-protests-that-toppled-al-bashir-216685">Sudan</a>'s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-paramilitaries-torture-civilian-to-death-doctors-236523">military</a> said on Wednesday that it has thwarted a coup attempt and arrested an unspecified number of senior officers in connection with the plot, state news agency SUNA said.

Watch: Sudan protesters take over square where Bashir held rallies

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The military "revealed a coup attempt involving General Hashim Abdel Mottalib Ahmed, head of the joint chiefs of staff, and a number of high-ranking officers from the armed forces and the National Intelligence and Security Service, along with leaders of the Islamic Movement and the National Congress Party", SUNA said.

"They have been detained and investigations with them are going on so that they can be tried."

"The failed coup attempt's goal was to abort the people's glorious revolution and to return the former National Congress regime to power, and to disrupt the path before the expected political solution that aims to establish a civilian state," SUNA cited the military as saying.

The attempted putsch happened as the military council and an alliance of protest and opposition groups work to finalise a power-sharing deal for a three-year transition towards elections, a process that has repeatedly stalled.

Sudan's military said on Wednesday that it has thwarted a coup attempt and arrested an unspecified number of senior officers in connection with the plot, state news agency SUNA said.

Sudan's military said on Wednesday that it has thwarted a coup attempt and arrested an unspecified number of senior officers in connection with the plot, state news agency SUNA said. Watch: Sudan protesters take over square where Bashir held rallies × The military "revealed a coup attempt involving General Hashim Abdel Mottalib Ahmed, head of the joint chiefs of staff, and a number of high-ranking officers from the armed forces and the National Intelligence and Security Service, along with leaders of the Islamic Movement and the National Congress Party", SUNA said. "They have been detained and investigations with them are going on so that they can be tried." "The failed coup attempt's goal was to abort the people's glorious revolution and to return the former National Congress regime to power, and to disrupt the path before the expected political solution that aims to establish a civilian state," SUNA cited the military as saying. The attempted putsch happened as the military council and an alliance of protest and opposition groups work to finalise a power-sharing deal for a three-year transition towards elections, a process that has repeatedly stalled.

Stopped coup attempt, arrested senior officers: Sudan military

Sudan`s military and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-opposition-says-to-nominate-members-for-transitional-council-226186">opposition groups</a> have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes.

Sudan`s Transitional Military Council also agreed to release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, special envoy Mahmoud Dirir told reporters in Khartoum.

The steps appeared to show a softening of positions after talks between the two sides collapsed following the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shops-open-buses-run-on-day-2-of-sudan-civil-campaign-225981">violent dispersal of a protest sit-in</a> on June 3.

The crackdown, in which dozens of people were killed, dealt a big setback to hopes of a transition towards democratic elections following the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April.

The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance on Sunday began an open-ended strike that brought much activity in Khartoum to a standstill.

The alliance said in a statement it would suspend the strike from Wednesday until further notice, though it encouraged people to remain mobilised for possible further action.

Watch: Deadly Violence in Sudan

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Opposition leader Khaled Omar struck a cautious note, saying in comments to Al Hadath TV that the suspension of the campaign was "not tied to any specific political developments".

Yasir Arman, one of three officials from the southern SPLM-N rebel movement who were detained and then deported to South Sudan after the breakdown of talks, said the military council did not want to cede power.

"My experience in Khartoum is that the military council wanted to divide the oppositions, to have a deal with them that will keep them in power," Arman told Reuters in Juba a day after saying he had been tied up and flown out of Khartoum on a military helicopter.

In a statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council called on all parties "to continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis."

Meditation mission

After the military ousted and arrested Bashir on April 11, following months of protests, talks became deadlocked over who would control a sovereign council that would oversee a three-year transition towards elections.&nbsp;

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed flew to Sudan to mediate when the talks broke down last week.&nbsp;

Opposition sources said Abiy had proposed a 15-member transitional council comprising eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency.

A leader of the DFCF opposition alliance said on Monday night that the group had decided to name eight members to the council and nominate Abdullah Hamdouk, a former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as prime minister.

The bloodshed in Sudan has prompted concern from world powers including the United States, which announced on Monday it was sending its senior diplomat for Africa to Khartoum this week to push for a resumption of talks.

The African Union has suspended Sudan`s membership.

Stability in the nation of 40 million is crucial for a volatile region struggling with conflict and insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya.

The military council has been bolstered by support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The UAE`s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday his country was in contact with both sides and was seeking "a smooth organised political transition".&nbsp;

Darfur

The recent crackdown led to at least 118 deaths since June 3, according to a group of doctors linked to the opposition. The government has confirmed 61 deaths.

The crackdown began with a raid on a protest sit-in outside Khartoum`s Defence Ministry on June 3 which witnesses said was led by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).&nbsp;

The RSF, which is led by the council`s deputy head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, grew out of Arab militias that fought in the western region of Darfur during a civil war that began in 2003.

Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the RSF and allied militia of being responsible for the destruction of dozens of villages, unlawful killings and sexual abuse in Darfur over the past year.&nbsp;

Amnesty said tens of thousands of civilians in Darfur`s Jebel Marra would become more vulnerable if the U.N. Security Council and the AU were to vote on June 27 to close their joint peacekeeping mission there, UNAMID.&nbsp;

An RSF spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to the United Nations, the military council demanded UNAMID hand over its premises to the RSF as part of the mission`s planned withdrawal in 2020.

Sudan`s military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes.

Sudan`s military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes. Sudan`s Transitional Military Council also agreed to release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, special envoy Mahmoud Dirir told reporters in Khartoum. The steps appeared to show a softening of positions after talks between the two sides collapsed following the violent dispersal of a protest sit-in on June 3. The crackdown, in which dozens of people were killed, dealt a big setback to hopes of a transition towards democratic elections following the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April. The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance on Sunday began an open-ended strike that brought much activity in Khartoum to a standstill. The alliance said in a statement it would suspend the strike from Wednesday until further notice, though it encouraged people to remain mobilised for possible further action. Watch: Deadly Violence in Sudan × Opposition leader Khaled Omar struck a cautious note, saying in comments to Al Hadath TV that the suspension of the campaign was "not tied to any specific political developments". Yasir Arman, one of three officials from the southern SPLM-N rebel movement who were detained and then deported to South Sudan after the breakdown of talks, said the military council did not want to cede power. "My experience in Khartoum is that the military council wanted to divide the oppositions, to have a deal with them that will keep them in power," Arman told Reuters in Juba a day after saying he had been tied up and flown out of Khartoum on a military helicopter. In a statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council called on all parties "to continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis." Meditation mission After the military ousted and arrested Bashir on April 11, following months of protests, talks became deadlocked over who would control a sovereign council that would oversee a three-year transition towards elections. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed flew to Sudan to mediate when the talks broke down last week. Opposition sources said Abiy had proposed a 15-member transitional council comprising eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency. A leader of the DFCF opposition alliance said on Monday night that the group had decided to name eight members to the council and nominate Abdullah Hamdouk, a former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as prime minister. The bloodshed in Sudan has prompted concern from world powers including the United States, which announced on Monday it was sending its senior diplomat for Africa to Khartoum this week to push for a resumption of talks. The African Union has suspended Sudan`s membership. Stability in the nation of 40 million is crucial for a volatile region struggling with conflict and insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya. The military council has been bolstered by support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The UAE`s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday his country was in contact with both sides and was seeking "a smooth organised political transition". Darfur The recent crackdown led to at least 118 deaths since June 3, according to a group of doctors linked to the opposition. The government has confirmed 61 deaths. The crackdown began with a raid on a protest sit-in outside Khartoum`s Defence Ministry on June 3 which witnesses said was led by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF, which is led by the council`s deputy head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, grew out of Arab militias that fought in the western region of Darfur during a civil war that began in 2003. Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the RSF and allied militia of being responsible for the destruction of dozens of villages, unlawful killings and sexual abuse in Darfur over the past year. Amnesty said tens of thousands of civilians in Darfur`s Jebel Marra would become more vulnerable if the U.N. Security Council and the AU were to vote on June 27 to close their joint peacekeeping mission there, UNAMID. An RSF spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. According to the United Nations, the military council demanded UNAMID hand over its premises to the RSF as part of the mission`s planned withdrawal in 2020.

Envoy says Sudan talks to resume as strike suspended

A key protest group on Saturday announced a nationwide "civil disobedience" campaign in Sudan. The campaign would run until Sudan's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-forces-arrest-protest-leaders-who-met-ethiopia-pm-abiy-ahmed-225443">ruling generals</a> transfer power to a civilian government, the protest group said.

"The civil disobedience movement will begin Sunday and end only when a civilian government announces itself in power on state television," the SPA said in a statement.

"Disobedience is a peaceful act capable of bringing to its knees the most powerful weapons arsenal in the world."

The call by the Sudanese Professionals Association, which first launched protests against longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir, came days after a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-relocates-staff-from-sudan-death-toll-rises-to-108-224799">bloody crackdown on demonstrators</a> left dozens dead in Khartoum and crushed hopes for a swift democratic transition.&nbsp;

It was still unclear how the campaign would unfold on the streets, especially in Khartoum where all key roads and squares have been deserted since Monday's crackdown.

Led by men in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudans-army-ruler-cancels-elections-amid-violence-during-sit-in-protest-224030">army</a> fatigues, the raid on the weeks-long sit-in outside the army complex left at least 113 people dead, according to doctors close to the demonstrators.

Watch: Human rights violation in Sudan

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The health ministry says 61 people died nationwide in the crackdown, 52 of them by "live ammunition" in Khartoum.

Witnesses say the assault was led by the feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have their origins in the notorious Janjaweed militia, accused of abuses in the Darfur conflict between 2003 and 2004.

The call for "civil disobedience" came a day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-forces-arrest-protest-leaders-who-met-ethiopia-pm-abiy-ahmed-225443">Ethiopian Prime Minister</a> Abiy Ahmed visited Khartoum seeking to revive talks between the generals and protest leaders on the country's transition.

Protest leaders arrested

Sudan's military council seized power in April after ousting Bashir on the back of months-long protests against his three-decade rule.

Since then, it has resisted calls from protesters and Western nations to transfer power to a civilian administration.

Several rounds of talks with the demonstrators finally broke down in mid-May.

In a bid to revive the negotiations, the Ethiopian premier held separate meetings with the two sides in Khartoum on Friday.

"The army, the people and political forces have to act with courage and responsibility by taking quick steps towards a democratic and consensual transitional period," Abiy said in a statement after the meetings.

"The army has to protect the security of the country and its people and political forces have to think about the future of the country."&nbsp;

But three members of an opposition delegation that met the Ethiopian premier were later arrested, their aides said Saturday.

Opposition politician Mohamed Esmat was detained Friday, while Ismail Jalab, a leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), was taken from his home overnight.

"A group of armed men came in vehicles at 3:00 am (0100 GMT) and took away Ismail Jalab... without giving any reason," one of his aides, Rashid Anwar, told AFP.

He said SPLM-N spokesman Mubarak Ardol was also detained.

Esmat and Jalab are both leading members of the Alliance for Freedom and Change, an umbrella of opposition parties and some rebel groups.

The Alliance, of which the SPA is a key member, was the main organiser of mass protests since December that led to Bashir's ouster.

Call for international prober

The arrests threaten to further complicate efforts to reconcile the protest movement and the generals.

Following Monday's brutal crackdown, chances of a quick democratic transition appear remote as protest leaders now insist that talks with the generals can resume only under certain conditions.

"The Transitional Military Council has to admit the crime it committed," Omar al-Digeir, a prominent protest leader told reporters on Friday after meeting Abiy.

He demanded an international probe into "the massacre at the sit-in" and called for all military forces to be removed from streets across the country.

Digeir said the military council should also restore access to the internet and allow public and media freedoms.

Since the crackdown, Khartoum residents have mostly been sheltering indoors and the streets have been deserted.

RSF members and soldiers on Saturday cleared major Khartoum streets of roadblocks put up by protesters.

Demonstrators had used tyres, tree trunks and rocks to erect the makeshift barricades, which the generals had warned would not be tolerated.

RSF chief and deputy head of the military council, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has warned he will not tolerate "any chaos".

Some barricades remained in place, witnesses said Saturday, but the protest site at military headquarters was out of bounds.

Troops and RSF paramilitaries surrounded it from all sides to keep demonstrators at bay.

The protest slogans that once rang across Khartoum -- "freedom, peace, justice" and "civilian rule, civilian rule" -- &nbsp;were nowhere to be heard.

A key protest group on Saturday announced a nationwide "civil disobedience" campaign in Sudan. The campaign would run until Sudan's ruling generals transfer power to a civilian government, the protest group said.

A key protest group on Saturday announced a nationwide "civil disobedience" campaign in Sudan. The campaign would run until Sudan's ruling generals transfer power to a civilian government, the protest group said. "The civil disobedience movement will begin Sunday and end only when a civilian government announces itself in power on state television," the SPA said in a statement. "Disobedience is a peaceful act capable of bringing to its knees the most powerful weapons arsenal in the world." The call by the Sudanese Professionals Association, which first launched protests against longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir, came days after a bloody crackdown on demonstrators left dozens dead in Khartoum and crushed hopes for a swift democratic transition. It was still unclear how the campaign would unfold on the streets, especially in Khartoum where all key roads and squares have been deserted since Monday's crackdown. Led by men in army fatigues, the raid on the weeks-long sit-in outside the army complex left at least 113 people dead, according to doctors close to the demonstrators. Watch: Human rights violation in Sudan × The health ministry says 61 people died nationwide in the crackdown, 52 of them by "live ammunition" in Khartoum. Witnesses say the assault was led by the feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have their origins in the notorious Janjaweed militia, accused of abuses in the Darfur conflict between 2003 and 2004. The call for "civil disobedience" came a day after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Khartoum seeking to revive talks between the generals and protest leaders on the country's transition. Protest leaders arrested Sudan's military council seized power in April after ousting Bashir on the back of months-long protests against his three-decade rule. Since then, it has resisted calls from protesters and Western nations to transfer power to a civilian administration. Several rounds of talks with the demonstrators finally broke down in mid-May. In a bid to revive the negotiations, the Ethiopian premier held separate meetings with the two sides in Khartoum on Friday. "The army, the people and political forces have to act with courage and responsibility by taking quick steps towards a democratic and consensual transitional period," Abiy said in a statement after the meetings. "The army has to protect the security of the country and its people and political forces have to think about the future of the country." But three members of an opposition delegation that met the Ethiopian premier were later arrested, their aides said Saturday. Opposition politician Mohamed Esmat was detained Friday, while Ismail Jalab, a leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), was taken from his home overnight. "A group of armed men came in vehicles at 3:00 am (0100 GMT) and took away Ismail Jalab... without giving any reason," one of his aides, Rashid Anwar, told AFP. He said SPLM-N spokesman Mubarak Ardol was also detained. Esmat and Jalab are both leading members of the Alliance for Freedom and Change, an umbrella of opposition parties and some rebel groups. The Alliance, of which the SPA is a key member, was the main organiser of mass protests since December that led to Bashir's ouster. Call for international prober The arrests threaten to further complicate efforts to reconcile the protest movement and the generals. Following Monday's brutal crackdown, chances of a quick democratic transition appear remote as protest leaders now insist that talks with the generals can resume only under certain conditions. "The Transitional Military Council has to admit the crime it committed," Omar al-Digeir, a prominent protest leader told reporters on Friday after meeting Abiy. He demanded an international probe into "the massacre at the sit-in" and called for all military forces to be removed from streets across the country. Digeir said the military council should also restore access to the internet and allow public and media freedoms. Since the crackdown, Khartoum residents have mostly been sheltering indoors and the streets have been deserted. RSF members and soldiers on Saturday cleared major Khartoum streets of roadblocks put up by protesters. Demonstrators had used tyres, tree trunks and rocks to erect the makeshift barricades, which the generals had warned would not be tolerated. RSF chief and deputy head of the military council, Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has warned he will not tolerate "any chaos". Some barricades remained in place, witnesses said Saturday, but the protest site at military headquarters was out of bounds. Troops and RSF paramilitaries surrounded it from all sides to keep demonstrators at bay. The protest slogans that once rang across Khartoum -- "freedom, peace, justice" and "civilian rule, civilian rule" -- were nowhere to be heard.

Sudan protest group calls nationwide 'civil disobedience'

The United Nations is moving some of its staff from Sudan, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-opposition-rejects-armys-offer-of-talks-death-toll-hits-101-224759">death toll from a crackdown on protesters soared to more than 100</a>.

"We are temporarily relocating non-programme-critical UN staff, while all UN operations continue in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/sudan-can-avoid-past-mistakes-by-drawing-lessons-from-its-history-210866">Sudan</a>," said UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko.

No details were provided on the number of staffers leaving Khartoum, where there is a large UN presence of 27 entities, mostly UN aid agencies.

The United Nations also runs a peacekeeping mission in Darfur with the African Union, where about 7,200 troops and police are deployed.

Sudan has been engulfed in turmoil since security forces on Monday violently broke up a weeks-long sit-in by protesters demanding an end to military rule.

The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors close to the protest movement said on Wednesday that at least 108 people had been killed in the crackdown.

Forty bodies have been recovered from the Nile river, they said.

Watch: Unrest In Sudan Continues: Military Council Calls For Snap Polls

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A military council has ruled the country since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir on April 11, following months of protests against his three-decade authoritarian rule.

Army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced Tuesday that he was scrapping a plan for a three-year transition period and would hold elections within nine months.

Western powers have warned that snap elections will crush hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan and have called for a return to negotiations.

The United Nations is moving some of its staff from Sudan, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, as the death toll from a crackdown on protesters soared to more than 100.

The United Nations is moving some of its staff from Sudan, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, as the death toll from a crackdown on protesters soared to more than 100. "We are temporarily relocating non-programme-critical UN staff, while all UN operations continue in Sudan," said UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko. No details were provided on the number of staffers leaving Khartoum, where there is a large UN presence of 27 entities, mostly UN aid agencies. The United Nations also runs a peacekeeping mission in Darfur with the African Union, where about 7,200 troops and police are deployed. Sudan has been engulfed in turmoil since security forces on Monday violently broke up a weeks-long sit-in by protesters demanding an end to military rule. The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors close to the protest movement said on Wednesday that at least 108 people had been killed in the crackdown. Forty bodies have been recovered from the Nile river, they said. Watch: Unrest In Sudan Continues: Military Council Calls For Snap Polls × A military council has ruled the country since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir on April 11, following months of protests against his three-decade authoritarian rule. Army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced Tuesday that he was scrapping a plan for a three-year transition period and would hold elections within nine months. Western powers have warned that snap elections will crush hopes for a democratic transition in Sudan and have called for a return to negotiations.

UN relocates staff from Sudan, death toll rises to 108

Bashar al-Assad has won his war for political survival but as Syria's conflict enters its ninth year, his country is fractured, cash-strapped, and pray to both friend and foe.

The civil war reaches its eighth anniversary this month with more than 360,000 people killed, millions more displaced, and devastation worth $400 billion.

As the war winds down, Syrians in regime-held areas may no longer have to worry about bombardment, but they face fuel shortages, frequent power cuts, unemployment, and rampant poverty.

From the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests in 2011, the war spiraled into a complex conflict involving jihadists.

Syria's president may have reversed the initial gains of the armed opposition and jihadists, but foreign powers have entered his turf.

"The Syrian conflict is more complicated because there are now powerful foreign actors that control large zones inside Syria," said Nicholas Heras, an analyst at the Centre for a New American Security.

"And these foreign actors are not likely to leave Syria any time soon."

Backed by Russia and Iran, Assad's forces now control almost two-thirds of the country.

But key areas remain beyond his control, including a swathe of the oil-rich northeast held by US-backed Kurdish-led forces fighting the Islamic State group.

The northwestern region of Idlib, held by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, is protected by a ceasefire deal, which has seen Turkish troops deployed to the area.

And Ankara's Syrian rebel proxies hold several northern cities near the border.

Joshua Landis, of the University of Oklahoma, painted a grim picture.

"The Syrian map is one of division and despair," he said.

"Over 30 percent of the country is occupied by foreign governments who have built and funded local militaries."

- Return on investment -

Various foreign powers are competing to reap a return on years of military investment or protect their interests.

Russia has backed Assad with troops and air strikes since 2015, while Iran has dispatched advisers as well as Shiite fighters from Lebanon and Iraq.

"Russia wants to stabilize Assad to keep a steady local partner to guard its expanding bases in Syria" and project power region-wide, Heras said.

Iran wants a foothold in Syria, in case of a war between its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel to the southwest, he said.

Both allies hope to play a key role in reconstruction and have signed deals including for electricity, oil and infrastructure projects.

Turkey and the United States, who have traditionally backed non-state actors, have other interests.

President Recep Tayyip "Erdogan wants to rip the Kurds out of America's embrace" and impose Turkey in northern and eastern Syria, Heras said.

Washington backs Kurdish-led fighters who control a large and oil-rich northeastern swathe and has US troops in Syria as part of the anti-IS fight drawing to a close near the Iraqi border.

Turkey views Kurdish fighters as "terrorists" and has long threatened to attack the Kurds south of its border.

Washington is to dial down its presence to 200 "peace-keeping" troops after IS is expelled from its last pocket.

As well as shielding the Kurds from Turkey, a US presence piles pressure on Assad.

"Assad needs the water and wheat that the United States controls in eastern Syria," Heras said.

But "it is US policy to keep these resources from him and force the economy of Assad's statelet to collapse around him," he added.

- 'Three jobs' to get by - 
Along with the European Union, the United States has ramped up sanctions on Syrian officials and companies, including by seeking to prevent oil shipments to the country.

Landis said those measures were compounding post-war challenges, chief among them relaunching a devastated economy.

"The US is imposing one of the strictest sanctions regimes on Syria which will continue to deepen the misery of the people," he added.

Plus "the worst characteristics of the regime have been strengthened in the struggle to win the civil war: corruption, violence, and the absence of the rule of law," he said.

Shadi Abbas, 40, is struggling to return to a normal life after a routine military service lasted a whole eight years.

"I feel I have to work three jobs" to make ends meet, he said.

"Even if I found some money and work, who will give me back my youth," he said.

But after years of war, Assad has secured his capital, regained control of key commercial arteries, and started a timid comeback on the Arab scene.

Much to the despair of the fragmented opposition, several countries have called for Syria to be reintegrated into the Arab League, from which it was suspended as the death toll mounted in 2011.

Remaining rebels and jihadists are largely confined to Idlib after being ferried out of other parts of the country retaken by the regime.

The political opposition is scattered abroad and has failed to end the bloodshed in numerous rounds of abortive peace talks.

Whatever the challenges, "revolution is on low flame, and that is a win for Assad," Heras said.

Bashar al-Assad has won his war for political survival but as Syria's conflict enters its ninth year, his country is fractured, cash-strapped, and pray to both friend and foe.

Bashar al-Assad has won his war for political survival but as Syria's conflict enters its ninth year, his country is fractured, cash-strapped, and pray to both friend and foe. The civil war reaches its eighth anniversary this month with more than 360,000 people killed, millions more displaced, and devastation worth $400 billion. As the war winds down, Syrians in regime-held areas may no longer have to worry about bombardment, but they face fuel shortages, frequent power cuts, unemployment, and rampant poverty. From the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests in 2011, the war spiraled into a complex conflict involving jihadists. Syria's president may have reversed the initial gains of the armed opposition and jihadists, but foreign powers have entered his turf. "The Syrian conflict is more complicated because there are now powerful foreign actors that control large zones inside Syria," said Nicholas Heras, an analyst at the Centre for a New American Security. "And these foreign actors are not likely to leave Syria any time soon." Backed by Russia and Iran, Assad's forces now control almost two-thirds of the country. But key areas remain beyond his control, including a swathe of the oil-rich northeast held by US-backed Kurdish-led forces fighting the Islamic State group. The northwestern region of Idlib, held by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, is protected by a ceasefire deal, which has seen Turkish troops deployed to the area. And Ankara's Syrian rebel proxies hold several northern cities near the border. Joshua Landis, of the University of Oklahoma, painted a grim picture. "The Syrian map is one of division and despair," he said. "Over 30 percent of the country is occupied by foreign governments who have built and funded local militaries." - Return on investment - Various foreign powers are competing to reap a return on years of military investment or protect their interests. Russia has backed Assad with troops and air strikes since 2015, while Iran has dispatched advisers as well as Shiite fighters from Lebanon and Iraq. "Russia wants to stabilize Assad to keep a steady local partner to guard its expanding bases in Syria" and project power region-wide, Heras said. Iran wants a foothold in Syria, in case of a war between its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel to the southwest, he said. Both allies hope to play a key role in reconstruction and have signed deals including for electricity, oil and infrastructure projects. Turkey and the United States, who have traditionally backed non-state actors, have other interests. President Recep Tayyip "Erdogan wants to rip the Kurds out of America's embrace" and impose Turkey in northern and eastern Syria, Heras said. Washington backs Kurdish-led fighters who control a large and oil-rich northeastern swathe and has US troops in Syria as part of the anti-IS fight drawing to a close near the Iraqi border. Turkey views Kurdish fighters as "terrorists" and has long threatened to attack the Kurds south of its border. Washington is to dial down its presence to 200 "peace-keeping" troops after IS is expelled from its last pocket. As well as shielding the Kurds from Turkey, a US presence piles pressure on Assad. "Assad needs the water and wheat that the United States controls in eastern Syria," Heras said. But "it is US policy to keep these resources from him and force the economy of Assad's statelet to collapse around him," he added. - 'Three jobs' to get by - Along with the European Union, the United States has ramped up sanctions on Syrian officials and companies, including by seeking to prevent oil shipments to the country. Landis said those measures were compounding post-war challenges, chief among them relaunching a devastated economy. "The US is imposing one of the strictest sanctions regimes on Syria which will continue to deepen the misery of the people," he added. Plus "the worst characteristics of the regime have been strengthened in the struggle to win the civil war: corruption, violence, and the absence of the rule of law," he said. Shadi Abbas, 40, is struggling to return to a normal life after a routine military service lasted a whole eight years. "I feel I have to work three jobs" to make ends meet, he said. "Even if I found some money and work, who will give me back my youth," he said. But after years of war, Assad has secured his capital, regained control of key commercial arteries, and started a timid comeback on the Arab scene. Much to the despair of the fragmented opposition, several countries have called for Syria to be reintegrated into the Arab League, from which it was suspended as the death toll mounted in 2011. Remaining rebels and jihadists are largely confined to Idlib after being ferried out of other parts of the country retaken by the regime. The political opposition is scattered abroad and has failed to end the bloodshed in numerous rounds of abortive peace talks. Whatever the challenges, "revolution is on low flame, and that is a win for Assad," Heras said.

Eight years on, Assad clings on but beleaguered

The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has undergone a "successful" operation as part of treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Sunday.

"Asma al-Assad continues her treatment against a malignant tumour," it said on its Facebook page.

"Breast surgery at the Damascus military hospital has been successful," it added.

The presidency announced in August that the first lady had begun treatment for "a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage".

Since then, the presidency's social media accounts have often showed her with a scarf knotted elegantly around her head, visiting children cancer patients, wounded soldiers, or attending charity events.

On Saturday, it published a video of her visiting a triple amputee wounded in Syria's nearly eight-year conflict, inside what appeared to be his family home.

Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side of the Assad dynasty.

But after the repression of anti-government protests in 2011 spiralled into a devastating civil war, she was criticised over her support for her husband.

Asma, whose father is a cardiologist and whose mother is a diplomat, has two sons and a daughter with Assad.

The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has undergone a "successful" operation as part of treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Sunday.

The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has undergone a "successful" operation as part of treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Sunday. "Asma al-Assad continues her treatment against a malignant tumour," it said on its Facebook page. "Breast surgery at the Damascus military hospital has been successful," it added. The presidency announced in August that the first lady had begun treatment for "a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage". Since then, the presidency's social media accounts have often showed her with a scarf knotted elegantly around her head, visiting children cancer patients, wounded soldiers, or attending charity events. On Saturday, it published a video of her visiting a triple amputee wounded in Syria's nearly eight-year conflict, inside what appeared to be his family home. Born in 1975, the British-born former investment banker styled herself as a progressive rights advocate and was seen as the modern side of the Assad dynasty. But after the repression of anti-government protests in 2011 spiralled into a devastating civil war, she was criticised over her support for her husband. Asma, whose father is a cardiologist and whose mother is a diplomat, has two sons and a daughter with Assad.

Syria's first lady undergoes operation over cancer: Presidency

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/qatar-says-gulf-alliance-needs-replacing-184365">Qatar's foreign minister</a> ruled out on Monday the possibility of re-opening an embassy in Damascus, in line with some other Gulf countries, calling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal.

"Normalisation (of relations) with the Syrian regime at this stage is the normalisation of a person involved in war crimes, and this should not be acceptable," said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at a Doha press conference.

Al-Thani said the reasons why Assad — who was elected unopposed in 2000 and has stayed in power during nearly eight years of civil war — was excluded from the international community are still in place.

He added that Damascus under Assad should not be allowed back into the Arab League — its membership was suspended in 2011 — as "the Syrian people are still under bombardment... by the Syrian regime".

His comments come after Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced late last month they reopened their Damascus embassies.

The UAE's foreign minister Anwar Gargash tweeted that his country was doing so in part because of the influence of Iran and one of Qatar's strongest allies, Turkey, in Syria.

Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Assad's government and has expanded its military footprint in Syria throughout the course of the conflict.

That move also emphasised the foreign policy differences between the three Gulf states.

For the past 19 months, Qatar has been in a deep diplomatic dispute with the UAE and Bahrain, in part over the direction of Doha's regional foreign policy in recent years.

Qatar has been instrumental in the Syrian civil war supplying weapons to rebel groups, according to institutions such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Syria's opposition leader Nasr al-Hariri has pleaded with Arab leaders not to rebuild relation with Assad as his government now controls almost two-thirds of the country following military backing from Russia and Iran.

'Normalisation (of relations) with the Syrian regime at this stage is the normalisation of a person involved in war crimes, and this should not be acceptable,' said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.

Qatar's foreign minister ruled out on Monday the possibility of re-opening an embassy in Damascus, in line with some other Gulf countries, calling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal. "Normalisation (of relations) with the Syrian regime at this stage is the normalisation of a person involved in war crimes, and this should not be acceptable," said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at a Doha press conference. Al-Thani said the reasons why Assad — who was elected unopposed in 2000 and has stayed in power during nearly eight years of civil war — was excluded from the international community are still in place. He added that Damascus under Assad should not be allowed back into the Arab League — its membership was suspended in 2011 — as "the Syrian people are still under bombardment... by the Syrian regime". His comments come after Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced late last month they reopened their Damascus embassies. The UAE's foreign minister Anwar Gargash tweeted that his country was doing so in part because of the influence of Iran and one of Qatar's strongest allies, Turkey, in Syria. Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Assad's government and has expanded its military footprint in Syria throughout the course of the conflict. That move also emphasised the foreign policy differences between the three Gulf states. For the past 19 months, Qatar has been in a deep diplomatic dispute with the UAE and Bahrain, in part over the direction of Doha's regional foreign policy in recent years. Qatar has been instrumental in the Syrian civil war supplying weapons to rebel groups, according to institutions such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Syria's opposition leader Nasr al-Hariri has pleaded with Arab leaders not to rebuild relation with Assad as his government now controls almost two-thirds of the country following military backing from Russia and Iran.

Qatar rejects normalising ties with 'criminal' Syrian President Assad

Two developments, the pending return of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold and protests in Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, send contradictory messages of where the Middle East and North Africa are headed.

Conservative monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have gone to great lengths to reverse the achievements of the 2011 Arab popular revolts that toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen and sparked mass protests in a swath of land stretching from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf.

A number of recent contacts, including a visit to Damascus by embattled Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, the first by an Arab leader since the eruption of the Syrian civil war; a meeting in Cairo of Syrian and Egyptian intelligence chiefs, and the refurbishing of the shuttered UAE embassy in the Syrian capital, are widely seen as precursors for Syria’s return.

In a twist of irony, Messrs. Al-Bashir and Al-Assad have both been accused of war crimes. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir that has largely been ignored by Middle Eastern and African nations.

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first and only democratically elected leader, in a UAE-Saudi-backed military coup in 2013, drove home autocrats’ seeming victory with the appearance in a court of the country’s two toppled leaders, Hosni Mubarak and Morsi.

In a demonstration of Al-Sisi’s supremacy, Mubarak was required to testify against Morsi in a case involving a 2011 jail break.

There is little doubt that Middle Eastern and North African autocracy has the winds at its back, in part because many in the region have been taken aback by the brutality of the counterrevolution that has sparked civil war, military intervention and harsh repression.

Nonetheless, multiple protests in recent years across the region in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Mauritania and Sudan, as well as, online protests in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, suggest that grievances underlying the 2011 and subsequent protests remain widespread. This is true for countries like Egypt where the achievements of the 2011 protests have been reversed as well as Tunisia, the one country that succeeded in pursuing political transition.

A recent survey conducted by Zogby Research Services (ZRS) concluded that only one in five Tunisians and Egyptians believed that their country was moving in the “right direction,” while 69 per cent of Tunisians and 55 per cent of Egyptians said their countries were moving in the “wrong direction.”

When asked whether respondents felt they were better or worse off than they had been five years ago, only 21 per cent of Tunisians and 20 per cent of Egyptians said “better off,” while 59 per cent of Tunisians and 64 per cent of Egyptians claimed they were “worse off.”

The survey seemed to confirm the notion that the key to long-term stability in the Middle East and North Africa lies in resolving the region’s ticking time bomb: Unemployment and particularly youth unemployment.

The Zogby survey showed that employment, corruption, nepotism, an improved educational system and political reform were priorities for Egyptians and Tunisians. “The bottom line - the need to create jobs and reform governance so as to create greater confidence and opportunities for citizens are the challenges faced by the leaderships in both Tunisia and Egypt,” said James J Zogby, the founder of ZRS.

Official youth unemployment rates across the Middle East hover around 30 per cent and 20-25 per cent in North Africa with real rates believed to be far higher.

Neither Arab autocrats nor democratic Tunisia have so far been able to deliver. Yet, the outcome of the battle between greater political liberalism and autocracy in the Middle East is likely to be won in the sphere of economics rather than politics.

Arab autocrats as well as Tunisian leaders have since 2011 been long on promising economic reform that would create jobs and enhance career perspectives and short on delivery. A failure to tackle corruption, the enhanced role of the state in countries like Egypt where the military supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia plays an ever-greater role in the economy, and depressed oil prices, have stymied growth in the region.

As a result, economics rather than politics will also seal the ultimate fate of the Arab spring, a code word for the crisis of confidence in the system and in leadership that has helped autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa retain or regain power and has fuelled populism, nationalism and the rise of the far right across the globe.

In a rare and furtive recognition of Middle Eastern and North African realities by the Trump administration, the US embassy in Riyadh tweeted in early December a video with Arabic subtitles promoting peaceful protest as a path to "positive social and political changes," but quickly deleted it when questioned about it by Middle East Eye.

The video argued that "even in oppressive, authoritarian conditions, protesters can tailor their campaigns to succeed." It featured archival photos of celebrated protest movements, asserting that research showed that between 1900 and 2006, non-violent protests had been twice as effective as violent ones.

Al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold may constitute one more setback for forces of change in the Middle East and North Africa but is a long way from symbolising their demise. For that to happen, the region’s autocrats have to make good on their promises by implementing painful structural reforms that inevitably will challenge vested interests. So far, there is little indication of that happening.

Which means that a warning earlier this year by Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that “Public dissatisfaction, bubbling up in several countries, is a reminder that even more urgent action is needed,” remains as valid today as when she first issued it.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

Two developments, the pending return of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold and protests in Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, send contradictory messages of where the Middle East and North Africa are headed.

Two developments, the pending return of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold and protests in Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, send contradictory messages of where the Middle East and North Africa are headed. Conservative monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have gone to great lengths to reverse the achievements of the 2011 Arab popular revolts that toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen and sparked mass protests in a swath of land stretching from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf. A number of recent contacts, including a visit to Damascus by embattled Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, the first by an Arab leader since the eruption of the Syrian civil war; a meeting in Cairo of Syrian and Egyptian intelligence chiefs, and the refurbishing of the shuttered UAE embassy in the Syrian capital, are widely seen as precursors for Syria’s return. In a twist of irony, Messrs. Al-Bashir and Al-Assad have both been accused of war crimes. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir that has largely been ignored by Middle Eastern and African nations. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first and only democratically elected leader, in a UAE-Saudi-backed military coup in 2013, drove home autocrats’ seeming victory with the appearance in a court of the country’s two toppled leaders, Hosni Mubarak and Morsi. In a demonstration of Al-Sisi’s supremacy, Mubarak was required to testify against Morsi in a case involving a 2011 jail break. There is little doubt that Middle Eastern and North African autocracy has the winds at its back, in part because many in the region have been taken aback by the brutality of the counterrevolution that has sparked civil war, military intervention and harsh repression. Nonetheless, multiple protests in recent years across the region in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Mauritania and Sudan, as well as, online protests in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, suggest that grievances underlying the 2011 and subsequent protests remain widespread. This is true for countries like Egypt where the achievements of the 2011 protests have been reversed as well as Tunisia, the one country that succeeded in pursuing political transition. A recent survey conducted by Zogby Research Services (ZRS) concluded that only one in five Tunisians and Egyptians believed that their country was moving in the “right direction,” while 69 per cent of Tunisians and 55 per cent of Egyptians said their countries were moving in the “wrong direction.” When asked whether respondents felt they were better or worse off than they had been five years ago, only 21 per cent of Tunisians and 20 per cent of Egyptians said “better off,” while 59 per cent of Tunisians and 64 per cent of Egyptians claimed they were “worse off.” The survey seemed to confirm the notion that the key to long-term stability in the Middle East and North Africa lies in resolving the region’s ticking time bomb: Unemployment and particularly youth unemployment. The Zogby survey showed that employment, corruption, nepotism, an improved educational system and political reform were priorities for Egyptians and Tunisians. “The bottom line - the need to create jobs and reform governance so as to create greater confidence and opportunities for citizens are the challenges faced by the leaderships in both Tunisia and Egypt,” said James J Zogby, the founder of ZRS. Official youth unemployment rates across the Middle East hover around 30 per cent and 20-25 per cent in North Africa with real rates believed to be far higher. Neither Arab autocrats nor democratic Tunisia have so far been able to deliver. Yet, the outcome of the battle between greater political liberalism and autocracy in the Middle East is likely to be won in the sphere of economics rather than politics. Arab autocrats as well as Tunisian leaders have since 2011 been long on promising economic reform that would create jobs and enhance career perspectives and short on delivery. A failure to tackle corruption, the enhanced role of the state in countries like Egypt where the military supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia plays an ever-greater role in the economy, and depressed oil prices, have stymied growth in the region. As a result, economics rather than politics will also seal the ultimate fate of the Arab spring, a code word for the crisis of confidence in the system and in leadership that has helped autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa retain or regain power and has fuelled populism, nationalism and the rise of the far right across the globe. In a rare and furtive recognition of Middle Eastern and North African realities by the Trump administration, the US embassy in Riyadh tweeted in early December a video with Arabic subtitles promoting peaceful protest as a path to "positive social and political changes," but quickly deleted it when questioned about it by Middle East Eye. The video argued that "even in oppressive, authoritarian conditions, protesters can tailor their campaigns to succeed." It featured archival photos of celebrated protest movements, asserting that research showed that between 1900 and 2006, non-violent protests had been twice as effective as violent ones. Al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold may constitute one more setback for forces of change in the Middle East and North Africa but is a long way from symbolising their demise. For that to happen, the region’s autocrats have to make good on their promises by implementing painful structural reforms that inevitably will challenge vested interests. So far, there is little indication of that happening. Which means that a warning earlier this year by Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that “Public dissatisfaction, bubbling up in several countries, is a reminder that even more urgent action is needed,” remains as valid today as when she first issued it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Efforts to return Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to Arab fold amount to hollow victory for autocrats

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said that a Russia-Turkey deal for the last major rebel bastion of Idlib was a "temporary measure", state news agency SANA reported.

"The agreement is a temporary measure through which the state has realised many achievements on the ground starting with stemming the bloodshed," SANA reported the president as saying at a meeting of the central committee of his Baath party.

The deal reached on September 17 between regime ally Moscow and rebel backer Ankara aims to avert a massive regime assault on Idlib province and adjacent areas, by creating a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) buffer zone ringing the country's last major rebel stronghold.

"This province and other Syrian territories still under terrorist control will return to the Syrian state," SANA reported Assad as saying, employing the regime's usual term for both rebels and jihadists.

Assad's regime has retaken large parts of Syria from opposition fighters and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily by its side in 2015.

More than half of the Idlib region is held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, while Turkey-backed rebels hold most of the rest.

Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said that a Russia-Turkey deal for the last major rebel bastion of Idlib was a "temporary measure", state news agency SANA reported.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said that a Russia-Turkey deal for the last major rebel bastion of Idlib was a "temporary measure", state news agency SANA reported. "The agreement is a temporary measure through which the state has realised many achievements on the ground starting with stemming the bloodshed," SANA reported the president as saying at a meeting of the central committee of his Baath party. The deal reached on September 17 between regime ally Moscow and rebel backer Ankara aims to avert a massive regime assault on Idlib province and adjacent areas, by creating a 15 to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) buffer zone ringing the country's last major rebel stronghold. "This province and other Syrian territories still under terrorist control will return to the Syrian state," SANA reported Assad as saying, employing the regime's usual term for both rebels and jihadists. Assad's regime has retaken large parts of Syria from opposition fighters and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily by its side in 2015. More than half of the Idlib region is held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, while Turkey-backed rebels hold most of the rest. Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

Syria's Assad says Idlib deal 'temporary measure': Report

The United States is "locked and loaded" to strike again if Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's government again uses chemical weapons, US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council on Saturday.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/western-strikes-on-syria-unacceptable-and-lawless-sergei-lavrov-130464">Western strikes on Syria 'unacceptable and lawless', says Russian Foreign Minister</a>

"We are confident that we have crippled Syria's chemical weapons program. We are prepared to sustain this pressure, if the Syrian regime is foolish enough to test our will," she said.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-strikes-were-highly-successful-says-britain-130384">Strikes on Syria were 'highly successful', says Britain; France says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-strikes-were-highly-successful-says-britain-130384">more possible</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-strikes-were-highly-successful-says-britain-130384"> if red line crossed</a>

"If the Syrian regime uses this poison gas again, the United States is locked and loaded," Haley said. 
&nbsp;

'If the Syrian regime uses this poison gas again, the United States is locked and loaded,' the US Ambassador to the UN said

The United States is "locked and loaded" to strike again if Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's government again uses chemical weapons, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council on Saturday. Also read: Western strikes on Syria 'unacceptable and lawless', says Russian Foreign Minister "We are confident that we have crippled Syria's chemical weapons program. We are prepared to sustain this pressure, if the Syrian regime is foolish enough to test our will," she said. Also read: Strikes on Syria were 'highly successful', says Britain; France says more possible if red line crossed "If the Syrian regime uses this poison gas again, the United States is locked and loaded," Haley said.

If Syria uses toxic gas again, America is 'locked and loaded': US envoy to UN Nikki Haley

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