Hot off the Arab press 398937

Who is going to be there for the refugees? Azzaman, Iraq, April 19 I participated yesterday in a meeting of the National Campaign to Support Displaced People – an effort carried out by several civic groups and nongovernmental organizations, aimed at protecting and aiding populations fleeing the hands of the Islamic State. The plight of people in Iraq is the most serious we have seen in history, and nothing politicians, policymakers or even the refugees themselves will say, will sufficiently describe the extent of this tragedy. Yesterday's meeting was held at the headquarters of the Iraqi Council for Peace and Solidarity, and I attended it as the representative of the National Union of Iraqi Journalists. Among my main takeaways from this conference was the fact that we have no solutions. Even if we were only facing several hundred refugees, our government would have still lacked the capacity to deal with this problem. Iraq is a failed state, with a failed government that cannot serve its people. Months ago, I heard of a businessman who turned one of his newly built malls into a refugee camp. He housed a few hundred displaced families in what were to become shops in the future. But while these families were fortunate to have found such a noble person, the vast majority of others didn't. We don't see such camps in Baghdad. We don't see government initiatives elsewhere in the country. What we need is not only more businessmen like the one I described, but also a functioning government that supports welfare initiatives aimed at protecting its population. – Adnan Hussein A UN decision that stopped Iran's takeover of Yemen Asharq Alawsat, London, April 16 On the evening of the UN Security Council vote on an embargo on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Iran did everything it could to buy time. It submitted several alternative plans, including a proposal for an immediate cease-fire and a return to negotiations of the two sides. Russia was quickly recruited to suggest that Tehran has the power to bring both sides to the table, allowing the crisis to end peacefully. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif even hinted that the Houthis are willing to accept the rule of ousted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. It was very tempting to accept their offer. No one prefers war to a peaceful settlement. The only problem was that Iran's intentions were not benign. A cease-fire would have provided the Houthis with recuperation time; only to reaffirm their grip in territories that they had fought for in preparation for future attacks. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and president Saleh's supporters would have gotten nothing. The air campaign would have come to a halt, and Yemen would have fallen to the hands of the rebels. The vote at the UN gave legitimacy to the attacks carried out by the Saudi-led coalition. It provided much-needed international backing to Saudi Arabia and other moderate countries in the region. But above all, it stopped Iran from taking over Yemen. – Abd al-Rahman al-Rashed After Iran, will Turkey want to go nuclear? As-Safir, Lebanon, April 18 From all of the borders in the Middle East, the Turkish- Iranian one is perhaps one of the quietest, and the most stable one of all. Beginning in the mid-17th century, when it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Safavid dynasty on the other, the border facilitated peaceful trade between the sides. In modern times, the Iranian Revolution and the emergence of a modern Turkey did not impede this cooperation. Neither did the Arab Spring. The difference between the two countries, however, is in their style of work: Islamic Iran entered regional politics in the early '80s and has benefited from favorable conditions in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, while Turkey placed its bets in the Arab world on the Muslim Brotherhood. Turkey seems intent on spreading its influence in the region, while Iran takes its time and thinks of things in the long term. Tehran chose to confront the West, while Ankara followed a “zero problem” stance with Europe. However, these peaceful relations might not last forever. With the conclusion of the nuclear negotiations, Iran will come out strong. It will achieve its ends while succeeded in lifting the sanctions imposed on it. Will President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following Turkey's continuous rejection by the European Union, seek to strengthen his popularity by developing a nuclear program? Could a nuclear Turkey succeed in mobilizing the masses and elevating Turkey to its days of regional glory? Only time will tell. – Farid al-Hazen Idlib's Christians – do not pray for the dead As-Safir, Lebanon, April 11 Only several weeks ago, Islamic jihadists affiliated with al-Nusra Front took over the northern Syrian city of Idlib. This was a notable victory for the rebels, since the city – home to a big Christian population – was considered one of President Bashar Assad's previous strongholds. Many Christians fled the city, while some others chose to stay behind, believing that they will not take over the city. Since the fall of Idlib, the insurgents have used the city for propaganda purposes, releasing videos that depict their benevolent treatment of local Christians. Christian women are interviewed in the film and praise their daily lives under Islamic rule. Reality, however, could not be more different. Christian survivors who managed to escape from the city testified that many churches were desecrated. Those caught worshiping were shot to death and buried in their backyards. Christian homes were marked with the Arabic letter “Nun,” short for “Christian” in Arabic, to signal rebels where Christians live. Such homes were typically turned into command and control centers serving the fighters. Several local priests were kidnapped, and a Shari'a court was set up to serve locals. It is assumed that hundreds of Christians were killed and buried in mass graves. Meanwhile, the Syrian army has been deployed in outskirts of Idlib, preparing to fight the rebels and free the city. – Bilal Sleyteen

Hot off the Arab press 398937

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