The fall of Yabroud on Sunday to Hizbollah and Syrian regime forces is a significant setback for rebel fighters. The Syrian city, which had been under opposition control for much of the revolution, was their last stronghold near the Lebanese border.
It was an important supply route to and from Lebanon, and overlooks a cross-country highway from Damascus to the central Syrian city of Homs. As such, the fall of Yabroud leaves nearby rebel-held towns and suburbs of the capital more vulnerable to attacks that are reportedly imminent. It also enables President Bashar Al Assad to secure the land route linking his Mediterranean coastal stronghold with Damascus.
However, the description of this by one of his military spokesmen as “a continuation of the successes made by the Syrian army” is fanciful. This, and a string of previous battlefield gains, would not have been possible without the direct involvement of Hizbollah fighters. Mr Al Assad had been losing ground until his formidable Lebanese ally came to his rescue in 2012. Reports that Hizbollah led the operation against Yabroud come as no surprise.
The fall of the city is yet another stark example of the fact that the regime owes its survival to foreign intervention, the very thing it constantly condemns.
As such, if the capture of Yabroud is to be described as a victory for anyone, it would be for Hizbollah, not the regime it is propping up.
Even then, however, victory is an appropriate description only in a narrow sense. The more Hizbollah advances in Syria, the more unstable its position at home. Attacks against it in Lebanon are increasing in scale and frequency, due directly to its support for Mr Al Assad. As it was attacking Yabroud, rockets were fired from Syria into its territory in Lebanon, killing one person and wounding three.
On the day the city fell, I warned in a TV interview that it would not be long before there was a revenge attack against Hizbollah inside Lebanon. That very evening, two of its members – including a local leader – were killed in a suicide car bomb claimed by the Al Nusra Front in Lebanon and the Liwa Ahrar al-Sunna. Both groups said they were avenging Yabroud. “Prepare for the transfer of the battle of Yabroud into Lebanese territory,” warned the latter.
This “transfer” has been literal, with fighters and civilians from the city reportedly fleeing to parts of Lebanon that are sympathetic to the Syrian revolution. The Lebanese army detected and detonated another car bomb near the scene of the revenge attack.
As well as being increasingly on the defensive in its own country, Hizbollah is “widely unpopular in the region” and domestically because of its support for Mr Al Assad, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center that was published in June last year.
In every Arab country where the poll was conducted (Palestine, Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt), more people viewed the organisation unfavourably than those who had a positive opinion. In Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, outright majorities had a negative view: 59 per cent, 72 per cent and 75 per cent respectively (73 per cent of Turks felt the same way).
That Hizbollah should be so unpopular in its own country, and among Lebanese and Palestinians – over whom the movement has portrayed itself a guardian – should cause it great concern, but it is no surprise.
Hizbollah owed its former popularity to its carefully cultivated and hard-earned reputation as the only Arab fighting force with the will and the ability to check Israeli aggression. It managed to garner cross-sectarian support in a region woefully split along such lines.
However, Hizbollah is now widely viewed not as a defender against Israel, but as a killer of fellow Arabs in support of a dictator whose regime is guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the starvation and killing of Palestinians in Syria’s Yarmouk refugee camp.
Meanwhile, neither of these so-called resisters against Israel are doing any resisting (Mr Al Assad never has). Israeli warplanes violate Lebanon’s sovereignty regularly and with impunity, as they do Syria’s. They are met only with verbal bluster.
Israel’s recent attack against Hizbollah targets has gone unanswered, probably because the organisation is too busy killing Syrians. As a Syrian friend wrote on Facebook: “Remember when the Hizbollah chief would threaten after every Israeli attack that he would retaliate at “a time and place of our own choosing”? Turns out the time is now and the place is Yabroud. Take that, Zionists!”
A movement that had weathered the sectarian storm unleashed by the US invasion of Iraq is now a central contributor to the worsening of that storm. It is now seen simply as a Shia party acting selfishly out of narrow sectarian interests. In fact, its actions are damaging those interests, as well as those of Lebanon and the wider Arab world.
Hizbollah’s apologists claim that its involvement in Syria is to counter takfiri groups. However, the movement’s support for Mr Al Assad has been constant, well before the emergence of jihadists in Syria and attacks against Hizbollah in Lebanon. Its actions have realised a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It is laughable to think that Hizbollah – or the Iranian and Iraqi governments – would not have supported Mr Al Assad without the presence of takfiris in Syria. They were, and continue to be, a flimsy pretext.
Lebanon grows ever-more unstable, polarised and violent, subject to increasing attacks by Mr Al Assad’s warplanes. Meanwhile, Hizbollah’s involvement in Syria is creating divisions within its own ranks and support base, as well as the wider Shiite community, who are paying the price. The repercussions of Yabroud will be felt as much in Lebanon as in Syria. Is this what victory looks like?
Sharif Nashashibi is a journalist and analyst on Arab affairs
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months