Author: M Barbu

An article about the arrest and confession of Sami Jasem Al-Jubouri, who was allegedly the former finance minister of the Islamic State (ISIS) and a deputy to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, was featured on the front page of Al-Qadaa, the monthly magazine of the High Judicial Council of Iraq, which was published online on November 14, 2021.[1] According to the article, the intelligence operation to apprehend Al-Jubouri took six months, during which Al-Jubouri aka Hajji Hamed aka Abu Asia, was lured “through several European cities” until he was captured by Iraqi intelligence beyond the borders of Iraq.

Russia has planned to destabilize the northern and eastern parts of Syria in order to expand its influence there, according to al-Hal Net.

Russia has planned to control areas in northern and eastern Syria for several months, coinciding with Turkey scaling back its military operation in that region. At a time when Russia is now looking into a new campaign to reach the outer reaches of U.S. forces’ control and patrol nearby, a well-crafted plan could have a negative impact on the population of these areas and cause general instability.

The deputy head of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce regretted that while Turkey controls 30% of the Syrian economy, his country only accounts for 3% of trade, according to Baladi News.

“Iran accounts for only 3 percent of the Syrian economy, but Turkey accounts for 30 percent of the country’s trade,” said Mohammad Amirzadeh, deputy head of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce.

Julani, the leader of the HTS, is trying to improve his image to gain credibility in the eyes of the local community as well as in those of the west, according to al-Hal.

Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani is constantly trying to present himself in a positive image and pose as an alternative to the Syrian government. Julani is doing so by presenting a civilian government from his military forces as one that is supportive and serves civilians in areas under the control of the HTS.

The meeting between the Saudi and Syrian intelligence chiefs is a further step to reintegrate Syria’s role in the Arab League — which is opposed by the United States.

Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief Gen. Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan met Nov. 13 with his Syrian counterpart Hussam Luka in Cairo, on the sidelines of the Arab Intelligence Forum. This comes as part of the Egyptian efforts to unfreeze Damascus’ membership in the Arab League and end any Arab disputes.

The students are demanding a return of stipends paid to them by the government that were cut during the Islamic State crisis, according to Kurdish media.

Protests by students demanding their stipends continued in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq today.

The depreciation of the Turkish lira against the US dollar has resulted in worsening living conditions in Idlib and increased the people’s resentment against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Salvation Government, which they hold primarily responsible for the economic crisis.

The depreciation of the Turkish lira against the US dollar has aggravated the cost-of-living crisis facing the population of Syria’s Idlib province, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in northwestern Syria. The prices of everyday food items, including bread, increased sharply amid overall rises in the cost of living, especially for the poor, who make up the largest segment of Syrians residing in the region. Last year local authorities adopted the Turkish currency for official transactions amid a decline in the value of the Syrian pound.