The problem, of course, is that after seeing what happened when Libya’s General Muammar Ghaddafi gave up nuclear weapons in 2003 and Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons in 1994, no one with an IQ above single digits would ever agree to give up nuclear weapons again – especially after so many decades of immense investment and just “weeks” from the project’s successful completion.
No, the old militia commander says at the end of a long conversation. Hardly anyone would head into the desert like they used to – didn’t do so for years. “Anyone who did, disappeared.” Time and again, some of the Bedouin shepherds and gatherers who used to follow the sparse vegetation would fail to return. “The Badia,” as the Syrian desert between the coastal hills in the west and the Euphrates valley in the east is called, “was a place of doom,” says the man, his face lit by the wavering light of a lamp fed by a generator.
The Syrian caretaker government’s Minister of Defense, Marhaf Abu Qasra, stated last Friday in remarks to the American newspaper The Washington Post that some armed groups are still hesitant about integrating into the new Syrian army, including the “Eighth Brigade” in Daraa, led by Ahmad al-Awda. However, the brigade’s media office director told 963+ that they are open to integration into the army and are in contact with the Ministry of Defense. This issue adds to the many files that the new administration needs to address. So how will this administration deal with the factions in the south, and where are things heading?
The ongoing back-and-forth between the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the leadership of the Eighth Brigade, led by Ahmad al-Awda—verging on an outright dispute—suggests a deep-rooted disagreement that has so far prevented their alignment within the framework of the newly established army. However, the reasons behind this discord are not limited to issues of disarmament, dissolution, or integration. Rather, they likely stem from broader regional and international dynamics whose exact motivations and objectives remain unclear, though they are not difficult to speculate upon.
The Kremlin’s most basic task right now is to keep Washington in a constructive mindset toward Russia. That in itself is already facilitating the achievement of Putin’s goals in Ukraine.
Three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he had a much-anticipated phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Both sides have kept a diplomatic silence over who initiated the call, but the very fact that it took place and lasted almost an hour and a half looks like a major win for the Russian leader. Effectively, the long-awaited negotiations between Moscow and Washington on the fate of Ukraine have been launched in the format that best suits Putin.
A shifting political calculus by sponsors of the M23 rebel group risks triggering another war in the Great Lakes Region, underscoring the importance of African mediators and global partners acting quickly to stem the fighting.
While it is still unclear how long the current freeze on US foreign aid will last, and when and where it might resume, it seems the US, under the second Trump administration, may be ready to abandon its role as a lead aid provider. If so—other countries will need to step up.
Humanitarian groups worried north-east Syrian camps holding suspected IS members will lose basic facilities
Kurdish officials have warned of an Islamic State resurgence if US foreign aid cuts take effect on Monday, which would cripple essential services for tens of thousands of people detained in tented camps in north-east Syria, including suspected members of IS and their families.
Somalia’s government Saturday sent stern warnings to businesses and individuals that pay extortion money to al-Shabab, saying the full force of the law would be brought against traders and individuals who pay the al-Qaida ally.
Libya’s security authorities recovered at least 28 bodies of migrants from a mass grave in the desert in southeast Libya, the country’s attorney general said on its Facebook page on Sunday.
The bodies were found north of Kufra city, the attorney general said, while 76 migrants were freed “from forced detention.”