Orientul Mijlociu

On September 4, 2022, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Iran-backed Afghan Shi’ite militia, the Fatemiyoun Brigade, had begun training its fighters to operate drones at the airport at Palmyra in Syria.[1] The Syrian opposition website also noted that officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were training the militia.

A report published on September 18 revealed that 638 Palestinians have been tortured to death by Syrian intelligence officers in the past few years. The victims include 37 women.

“What is happening inside the Syrian detention centers against the Palestinians is a war crime by all standards.” — Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), September 18, 2022.

One of the main drivers for the founding of MEMRI 25 years ago was to present voices and narratives in their original languages, translated into English for a broader audience. That is still a key part of the mission and a valuable function. There is indeed much that is said in the original language, be it Arabic or Farsi or Chinese, that is watered down or edited for outside audiences.

The Biden administration is mulling whether to grant Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sovereign immunity in a case related to the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The journalist’s fiancé and a non-profit organization he helped found filed the lawsuit in a Washington district court.

Israeli political and security circles are concerned about the possible fall of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi amid the ongoing internal crises that Cairo has been facing, an Israeli newspaper reported.

Two persons active in financing ISIS sleeper cells were arrested in the SDF operation, according to North Press.

On Tuesday, the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) revealed they carried out a security operation in cooperation with the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS against collaborators with the Islamic State (ISIS) in the east of Hassakeh, northeastern Syria.

The Lebanese Hezbollah announced the arrest of cells in the Syrian army dealing with the Mossad, according to al-Hal Net.

The Lebanese Hezbollah announced the arrest of cells in the Syrian army dealing with the Mossad. This comes after Israel increased its attacks on Syria and since the beginning of this year, has targeted vital and sovereign areas in the country, such as the airports of Damascus, Aleppo and scientific research branches in Damascus, Tartous and Hama.

Head of the EU Delegation to Syria, Dan Stoenescu, said on Tuesday that all the Syrians have the right to return home, “but the conditions are not yet in place.”

This came during a meeting that took place between Stoenescu and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filipo Grandi in Damascus on Tuesday.