The fall of Raqqa has, not surprisingly, been greeted with scenes of great jubilation by all those forces, particularly the Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces, that have participated in the campaign to drive ISIL from its stronghold.
But while no one would deny the victors their moment of glory after more than three years of bitter fighting, it is also important to remember that ISIL's defeat merely represents the start of a new, equally challenging chapter of bringing political stability to the Middle East.
The destruction visited upon the landscape of the region, both physical and political, by ISIL’s ruinous attempts to establish its so-called caliphate in the war-torn regions of northern Syria and Iraq cannot be underestimated.
The appalling violence meted out by ISIL fanatics against those deemed not to be sufficiently supportive of their perverse Islamist creed, has left entire communities reduced to a state of utter devastation and trauma.
ISIL’s three-year reign of terror, moreover, has had a dramatic and unwelcome impact on the political landscape of the Middle East, with the dismantling of long-established governments and institutions in predominantly Sunni parts of the world. This has provided an opportunity for those hostile to the stability of Sunni states to wreak mayhem.
Qatar's support, for example, for a wide range of Islamist groups has seriously undermined attempts to bring stability to countries as far afield as Libya and Egypt, while Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have taken advantage of any and every opportunity to extend Tehran's malevolent influence in the Arab world.
For example, Brig Gen Issam Zahreddine, the Syrian general killed in an IED explosion this week, was fighting with Revolutionary Guard units trying to capture Deir Ezzor from ISIL militants as part of Iran's efforts to build a Shia superhighway through the Sunni heartlands, stretching from Iran to the eastern Mediterranean.
Rebuilding the Middle East after the widespread destruction visited upon the region by ISIL is, then, not going to be an easy challenge. You only have to look at the recent skirmishing between the Kurds and Iraqi government forces over the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk to see how easily the tensions created by ISIL's ignominious rule could result in further conflict.
To prevent the region from plummeting into yet another spiral of violence it is, therefore, vital that the major Sunni powers provide the leadership and support necessary to help those countries worst affected by the ISIL era to get back on their feet.
In this context, the assertive role recently assumed by the quartet of Arab states with regard to Qatar's support for Islamist terrorism, as well as its ties to Iran, has a vital role to play.
_________________
Read more from Opinion
If the US wants to support Iraq, it needs to be honest about Kirkuk
Raqqa: Only those who are out of touch would say ISIL has been vanquished
_________________
The quartet's robust stand against Doha is already starting to pay dividends, as the Qataris come to realise that their policy of support Islamist extremists such as the Muslim Brotherhood will no longer be tolerated by the outside world.
The rapprochement between the rival Palestinian Fatah and Hamas factions has been made possible not least because Qatar no longer finds itself able to provide the level support that enabled Hamas to run an autonomous Islamist entity in Gaza.
Qatar's withdrawal of funding for hard-line Islamist groups in Libya has also had a positive effect on that benighted country, allowing the authorities to get a firmer grip on issues like the migrant crisis.
Moreover, the positive impact the quartet’s stand against Qatar has had on stabilising the region could be extended further afield.
One of the biggest challenges facing moderate Arab governments in the wake of ISIL's defeat is to stabilise Iraq, a country that has now been blighted by virtually uninterrupted conflict for nearly four decades, dating back to the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980.
Not surprisingly this has taken a heavy toll on the Iraqi government's ability to govern the country. The recent Kurdish vote in favour of independence has reopened the bitter debate over Kurdish independence, while the continuing alienation of Iraq's once powerful Sunni tribes from the seat of power in Baghdad undermines the spirit of national reconciliation that is needed to rebuild the country after ISIL's defeat.
The recent indication from Riyadh that it is keen to support the Iraqi government’s attempts to bring political stability to the country is therefore a welcome development, one that will help to counter Iran’s continuing efforts to extend its influence in Iraqi affairs.
This was made abundantly clear earlier this week following reports that Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force, played a key role in negotiating the withdrawal of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters from Kirkuk, a graphic illustration of just how much influence the Iranians are able to bring to bear on their Kurdish neighbours.
The Iranians, though, need to tread carefully from now on, following Donald Trump's uncompromising speech last week on the threat Iran poses to the well-being and security of the Middle East.
The Arab world faces many challenges in the wake of ISIL’s defeat, and the task of rebuilding war-torn countries like Iraq is formidable. But with hostile states like Qatar and Iran now forced on the defensive, this is the time for the moderate, Sunni establishment to assert its authority and make sure that, having won the war, it wins the peace.
Con Coughlin is the Telegraph’s Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShare%20price%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETarget%20raise%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%248%20billion%20to%20%2410%20billion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProjected%20valuation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2460%20billion%20to%20%2470%20billion%20(Source%3A%20Bloomberg)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELead%20underwriters%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Barclays%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%20Group%2C%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20and%20Mizuho%20Financial%20Group%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The biog
Name: Greg Heinricks
From: Alberta, western Canada
Record fish: 56kg sailfish
Member of: International Game Fish Association
Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters
Understand What Black Is
The Last Poets
(Studio Rockers)
