Lawlessness in Homs and a new government in Ramallah
Arab press highlights deteriorating relations between Gulf states and Iran over destiny of Bahrain
Elhanan Miller is the former Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
Reports of summary executions by government forces in the Syrian city of Homs are leading the news in Arab dailies Thursday.
“Summary executions in Homs, and the Free Army provides protection to monitors,” reads the headline of Saudi-owned daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat, published in London. The daily reports a rise in international concern for the safety of the UN monitors stationed in the country following the targeting of their convoy in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, near Idlib. The image in the article features two UN monitors inspecting the ruins of a building north of Idlib.
Liberal daily Al-Hayat focuses on an interview given by Syrian President Bashar Assad, the first in six months. Assad accused “foreign mercenaries” of penetrating Syria and said he was willing to display them to the world. He also sent a tacit warning to countries “broadcasting chaos,” saying that such chaos would likely reach their countries — a possible allusion to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have been advocating for foreign intervention in Syria.
Abd Al-Bari Atwan, the firebrand editor of Arab-nationalist daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, published in London, points to a large-scale international military maneuver taking place in Jordan called “Eager Lion,” including over 11,000 soldiers from 19 countries.
“A quick glance at this maneuver, the expected scenarios practiced in it, its schedule and its geographic placement next to Jordan’s border with Syria, all leave one with the almost certain impression that this is a preparation for military intervention against Syria and Iran, or both together, just as happened in Iraq, Afghanistan and recently Libya,” writes Atwan.
Two editorials in A-Sharq Al-Awsat proclaim the failure of Kofi Annan’s plan in sending monitors into Syria.
“When will Annan declare the failure of his plan?” asks the daily’s editor Tareq Homayed in his editorial, while his colleague Salah Qalab writes that “the Annan plan has definitely failed and Assad is headed toward civil war.”
“The truth is that Annan’s plan was stillborn and is useless, and those who pay the price of its failure are the Syrians,” writes Homayed.
Gulf Cooperation council condemns Iran on Bahrain
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a political and economic alliance comprising six Arab Gulf states, has condemned as “hostile” statements released by Iran concerning Bahrain.
“Tehran escalates its provocations and interventions in internal Arab affairs,” writes A-Sharq Al-Awsat, a mouthpiece of the Saudi regime. The daily cites the “Iranian opposition” as asserting the “Arabness” of Bahrain.
The condemnation of Iran follows a call Wednesday by Iranian authorities for mass demonstrations Friday against the intention of Saudi Arabia to annex Bahrain, land which Iran claims “used to belong to the Persian country.”
Al-Jazeera, a Qatar-based news channel, attempts to be more balanced in its web headline, reporting “Escalation in tension between Iran and Bahrain.” The channel frames the issue as an Iranian-Bahraini rather than an Iranian-Saudi one, reporting that Bahrain has summoned the Iranian ambassador in Manama to complain about “blatant intervention” in the kingdom’s internal affairs. Bahrain, ruled by a Sunni king, Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa, has a majority Shiite population.
Interestingly, Al-Hayat translates a French news agency report presenting the story through the Iranian call for demonstrations. Iran, according to the report, accused the regimes of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain of “belonging” to the United States.
New Palestinian government sworn in
The new Palestinian government sworn in Wednesday heads the news in the Palestinian news outlets Thursday. Jerusalem-based Al-Quds features a full list of the 24 ministers, stressing the fact that the new government includes six women.
Ma’an news agency reports that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reminded the new cabinet that it is merely a transitional one, meant to fill the gap until reconciliation with Hamas is realized.
Abbas said that the first task of the government was to prepare for municipal elections in all parts of the land “where possible” — a reference to Jerusalem, where Israel will prevent elections from taking place, and the Gaza Strip, where Hamas said it would not allow elections to go forward.
An adviser to Hamas’s prime minister, Youssef Rizqah, tells Maan that the decision to reshuffle the cabinet was a result of financial and administrative corruption on the part of former ministers. Rizqah says that the decision to appoint a new government made a mockery of the Palestinian parliament, the Legislative Council. He also criticizes the timing of the announcement coinciding with Nakba Day, a national day of mourning marking the establishment of Israel.
“This is a happy day for the occupation,” says Rizqah. “It would have been better to wait a week or two.”
