Diplomats from European nations have voiced misgivings over the US policy of “maximum pressure” on the regime of Bashar Al Assad in Syria, raising fears that attempts at regime change will fuel regional instability.
European officials have criticised the US policy, giving their opinions for a paper by the European Council of Foreign Relations on the future of Syria.
One diplomat said the US plan to remove Mr Al Assad and his regime showed “disregard for the Syrian people and wider regional stability”.
The European officials believe that the ultimate goal of the US in Syria is to deny Russia and Iran, the Syrian government’s chief allies, a long-term win.
On diplomat said that Washington was doing everything to “raise the cost and inflict maximum pain on [Moscow and Tehran]".
Using maximum pressure on Iran, as seen in the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Suleimani and the withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, was the guiding principle of US strategy in the region.
The council has said that now Mr Al Assad has “effectively won the war” in Syria, he is unlikely to succumb to economic pressure from the US.
With the coronavirus threatening Syria, the think tank has said that Europe should look to help the country’s citizens survive their government and the disease.
“Families are eating less and less daily, if they can even find food to put on the table,” wrote Julien Barnes-Dacey, the paper’s author.
“Desperate parents are cutting short their children’s schooling to send them out to earn.
“The government continues to detain thousands of prisoners. And now, coronavirus looms large, threatening a medical and economic catastrophe.
Mr Barnes-Dacey said that while it is clear the Syrian government bears principal responsibility for the perilous situation, but pushing the government to collapse would not advance Europe’s interests.
“Deepening state failure in Syria is likely only to lead to further instability and entrench Assad’s warlord-like hold on the country as he defends the organs of state needed to maintain power,” he wrote.
“The end result will not be transition, but an exacerbation of the country’s Assad-directed implosion, leading to increased Syrian suffering, more refugees, and wider space for an extremist resurgence.”
The US has said that it does not require an overthrow of the Syrian regime.
Seeking to clarify the position, the US special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, said in February that leaders in Washington “require a change in that government’s behaviour”.
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
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
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
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Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Contracted list
Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
