Washington is in a tentative position, monitoring developments in Syria where rebels from a designated terror group have made surprise gains against the regime of President Bashar Al Assad, which the US opposes.
Last week's lightning advance led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a former Al Qaeda affiliate that has sought to present a more moderate image, saw the group take control of Syria's second-biggest city Aleppo. The attack reawakened Syria's civil war after years of stasis and has posed a new threat to the Assad regime, which once again is relying on air support from key ally Russia to help it beat back the offensive.
For the US, the complex dynamic is made trickier by the presence of about 900 American troops in Syria, mainly in the northeast and with some also stationed in the south, after posting soldiers in 2015 to help local troops fight ISIS. Though it opposes the Assad regime and has pushed back against Arab countries' moves to normalise ties with Damascus, the US has not militarily intervened in Syria's civil war.
We don't really have a dog in that fight
US official
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US had “real concerns” about the goals of Hayat Tahrir. “At the same time, of course, we don't cry over the fact that the Al Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure,” he told CNN.
When asked about the continuing US troop presence in Syria, the Pentagon on Monday stressed that it is “in no way involved” in the unfolding situation around Aleppo and called for “de-escalation”, without getting into details.
“We remain fully prepared to defend and protect our personnel and assets,” Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder said.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said nothing had changed with respect to US policy on Syria.
“Al Assad is a brutal dictator with blood on his hands, the blood of innocent civilians inside Syria, blood of his own people on his hands. Ultimately, what we want to see is a political process forward where the Syrian people get to determine who their leaders are,” he told reporters.
A US official told The National that the situation in Syria represents a “perfect storm” of unpredictability, with recent setbacks for Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon and Russia’s overstretched military in Ukraine both now wild cards in how the civil war evolves from here. Turkey’s support for Hayat Tahrir and opposition to US-backed Kurdish fighters is another complicating factor, the official said.
We don’t really have a dog in that fight,” the official said, adding that the US is watching how the situation evolves before president-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20.
During his first term, Mr Trump ordered air strikes against the Assad regime and attempted to pull the US forces out of Syria.
Challenge for Trump
US troops in Syria have been the target of repeated drone and missile attacks in the past.
Robert Ford, the last US ambassador to have served in Syria, serving from 2011 to 2014, told The National that the Trump administration would need to carefully consider what the US interests were and “what mission they would give the American military”, in Syria
Mr Ford predicted that the fight for Aleppo could be a “long slog” if the Assad regime made a serious bid to retake it.
He said troops “might be even weaker militarily than ever” but he does not expect the Assad regime to retake Aleppo soon.
Ethan Goldrich, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, was in charge of the Syria and Levant files from September 2021 to September this year.
He told The National that while the war had been quiet in recent years, the situation always remained unstable.
Washington said it is “not losing sleep over the Assad regime facing this new challenge” from Hayat Tahrir, but added that “we also have to keep in mind that the enemy of an enemy is sometimes still an enemy, and that’s the situation with Hayat Tahrir as a designated terrorist organisation”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged an immediate halt to hostilities in Syria and a renewed focus on UN-enabled political resolution to the conflict.
“All parties must do their utmost to protect civilians and civilian objects, including by allowing safe passage to those fleeing hostilities,” said spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
Mr Guterres reiterated the importance of returning to the framework outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which established a route for Syria’s political transition to end the conflict.
Syria’s civil war has killed about 300,000 people according to the UN, drawing in foreign powers and militant groups.
David Adesnik, the vice president for research and a Middle East scholar focusing on Syria at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies think tank, said calls to follow resolution 2254 carried little clout given that Mr Al Assad has been “stalling for years” without consequence.
“The UN clings to Resolution 2254 like a catechism, no matter how hopeless it seems,” said. Mr Adesnik. The UN spokesman underscored the urgency of engaging with Geir Pedersen, the UN envoy for Syria, to forge a “comprehensive path out of the conflict”.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the administration of US President Joe Biden has wanted UN negotiations to take place for a “very, very long time”.
“It is the Assad regime who has ignored Security Council resolutions and refused to come to the table. The current situation on the ground is concerning,” she added.
UN humanitarian operations in the country have been “largely suspended” across Aleppo, Idlib and Hama due to security concerns. However, three border crossings from Turkey used to deliver aid to Syria remain operational.
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
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lupita%20Nyong'o%2C%20Joseph%20Quinn%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Sarnoski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
SQUADS
Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed
Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
The%20Sandman
%3Cp%3ECreators%3A%20Neil%20Gaiman%2C%20David%20Goyer%2C%20Allan%20Heinberg%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Tom%20Sturridge%2C%20Boyd%20Holbrook%2C%20Jenna%20Coleman%20and%20Gwendoline%20Christie%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
