The US on Tuesday confirmed Syria had joined the international coalition against ISIS, clearing any doubts after Damascus played down the move and indicating the sensitivity of the issue for a government with a militant past seeking to become Washington ally.
An unnamed official says in a video posted on X by the US embassy in Syria – and reposted by US special envoy Thomas Barrack: "Syria has officially become the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Joining the coalition will enable training and other military co-operation that protect all Syrians from terrorism."
The video was posted late on Tuesday, as Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara was wrapping up a trip to Washington that featured a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
The visit was the first to Washington by a modern Syrian head of state and a milestone in Mr Al Shara's transformation from hardline militant to a national leader pivotal to the restoration of US influence in the Middle East.
Earlier on Tuesday, Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mustafa said the two countries were simply engaging in a “possible partnership” against ISIS. On Monday, he had said the partnership was “political and until now contains no military components".
A security source based in Jordan said the Damascus government does not want to "antagonise" extremists in the country, regardless of whether they were loyal to Mr Al Shara's government or designated terrorists by the US. The new order is dominated by members of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), which has its origins in an Al Qaeda splinter group founded by Mr Al Shara. Its former allies, some of whom were anti-US, are either estranged, retired or have been absorbed into the new military.
However, anti-terrorism co-operation, centred on intelligence sharing, has been ongoing for months, with Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence chief Hussein Al Salama spearheading contacts with the US mlitary's Central Command.
Both were commanders in HTS, which led the 12-day offensive that ousted the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad last December.
The source in Jordan expected any US training for the new Syrian military to be "some way off", given the time it typically takes to formulate, and that ties between the countries are still in their early stages.
American forces have bases in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria but none in government-held areas.
However, a US-trained force called the New Syrian Army, based in the American zone of Al Tanf, should be integrated into the military soon under a deal reached earlier this year, the security source said.
HTS was an enemy of ISIS and had communication channels with US allies in Middle East before it seized power in Syria. However, the establishment of ties with the American military could spur more ISIS attacks to destabilise the new order, the source said. This was because many ISIS fighters have moved from the remote Al Badia desert to the suburbs of Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and other urban areas since the fall of the Assad regime, they added.
In June, Saraya Ansar Al Sunnah, a new militant group that has expressed affinity with ISIS, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at a Damascus church that killed 23 people. Experts say Saraya Ansar Al Sunnah is made up in part of former HTS members who had grown disaffected with the moderate rule of the country once Mr Al Shara had formed the Syrian government.
US overtures towards Damascus, aimed at making post-Assad Syria a partner in counter-terrorism, have enhanced Mr Al Shara's position regarding the mainly Kurdish SDF, the most powerful armed force to resist being incorporated into the new government forces. The US established the SDF in 2015 and trained the group as ground forces in the war against ISIS in Syria.
Mr Al Shara has rejected demands from the Kurds and other Syrian minorities for a decentralised state. Under US pressure, the SDF has been engaging with his government to surrender its territory in eastern Syria but no actual handovers have been agreed on.
However, the trip to Washington has put Mr Al Shara on firmer strategic ground. "Having any military force that is not under control of the government represents the best environment for ISIS to flourish," the Syrian President told The Washington Post in an interview published on Tuesday.
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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HWJN
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
FIXTURES
New Zealand v France, second Test
Saturday, 12.35pm (UAE)
Auckland, New Zealand
South Africa v Wales
Sunday, 12.40am (UAE), San Juan, Argentina
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