Middle East disaster: Syrians dismiss Assad’s declare that he wished to remain and struggle – because it occurred | World information

• Syria’s Bashar al-Assad mentioned on Monday he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base in Syria on the night of 8 December because it got here below drone assaults, after leaving Damascus that morning with opposition fighters closing in. The remark, in an announcement that was revealed on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel and dated 16 December from Moscow, was Assad’s first in public since he was toppled greater than every week in the past by a insurgent offensive.

• Assad additionally mentioned in an announcement on his Facebook web page that he had deliberate to maintain preventing however the Russians evacuated him. He mentioned that “at no time in the course of the occasions which have taken place in Syria” had he thought of leaving the nation, in keeping with the TASS information company.

• US president-elect Donald Trump mentioned on Monday that Turkey will maintain the important thing to what occurs in Syria, the place rebels toppled the federal government of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. Turkey, a Nato member, backed the rebels whose assumption of energy in Damascus ended Syria’s 13-year civil battle.

• In Damascus, residents dismissed Assad’s feedback and a few informed the Associated Press that he had deserted Syria’s individuals way back. “Is he going to run away from us? He nonetheless received’t be capable of run away from God,” mentioned one resident, Moataz al-Ahmed, as youngsters stepped on a fallen statue of Assad’s father, Hafez, who had begun the household’s half-century rule.

• British officers will meet Syria’s interim authorities for talks in Damascus this week, overseas minister David Lammy mentioned on Monday. “I can affirm right this moment that we’ve despatched a delegation of senior UK officers to Damascus this week for conferences with the brand new interim Syrian authorities and members of civil society teams in Syria,” Lammy informed a press convention.

• The head of Russia’s Chechnya area, Ramzan Kadyrov, on Monday recommended eradicating Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from Russia’s listing of “terrorist organisations.” Kadyrov made the suggestion on his official Telegram channel and mentioned Russia and Syria ought to organise contact teams as soon as the designation was eliminated to determine bilateral ties.

• Extremism, Russia and Iran mustn’t have a spot in Syria’s future, EU’s overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas informed reporters on Monday after assembly with European overseas ministers. “Many overseas ministers emphasised that it must be a situation for the brand new management to eradicate Russian affect (in Syria),” Kallas mentioned. Four Syrian official informed Reuters on Saturday that whereas Russia is pulling again its army from the frontlines in northern Syria and from posts within the Alawite Mountains, Moscow just isn’t leaving its two important bases within the nation after the autumn of president Bashar al-Assad.

• The vault of Syria’s central financial institution holds almost 26 tonnes of gold, the identical quantity it had in the beginning of its bloody civil battle in 2011, even after the chaotic fall of Bashar al-Assad’s despotic regime, 4 individuals acquainted with the state of affairs informed Reuters. But the nation has solely a small quantity of overseas forex reserves in money, the identical individuals mentioned. Syria’s gold reserves stood at 25.8 tonnes in June 2011, in keeping with the World Gold Council, which cites the Central Bank of Syria as its knowledge supply. That is price $2.2bn at present market costs, in keeping with Reuters calculations.

• The Israeli ambassador to Ireland mentioned closing its embassy in Dublin was “the proper diplomatic choice”, and claimed there was “a hostile environment” within the nation. The Israeli authorities introduced the closure in an announcement on Sunday, saying it was due to the “excessive anti-Israel insurance policies of the Irish authorities”, and accusing Ireland of “crossing each purple line”. Ambassador Dana Erlich accused Ireland of taking a extra “excessive stance” than some other nation.

• European Union nations on Monday set out situations for lifting sanctions on Syria and kickstarting assist to the conflict-ravaged nation amid uncertainty about its new leaders’ intentions simply over every week after they seized energy, AP experiences. At a gathering in Brussels, the EU’s prime diplomats mentioned they need ensures from members of Syria’s interim authorities that they’re making ready for a peaceable political future involving all minority teams, one during which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran haven’t any place.

• Foreign ministers from the United States, UK, France, Germany and Italy will maintain talks on Tuesday to debate developments in Syria, Italy’s Antonio Tajani mentioned. “We hope that the primary constructive alerts will rework into concrete constructive alerts,” overseas minister Tajani mentioned at a convention of diplomats on the Italian overseas ministry. The digital assembly comes amid Western strikes in the direction of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) insurgent group that’s in cost following the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad.

• The United Nations envoy to Syria has informed Islamist militants who toppled Bashar al-Assad that they should oversee a “credible and inclusive” transition, as world powers sought to interact with the nation’s new rulers. Geir Pedersen, a Norwegian diplomat, met the Syrian insurgent chief. Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously recognized by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in Damascus on Monday. He additionally met the interim prime minister, Mohammed al-Bashir.

• An uncle of the not too long ago ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad used an adviser in Guernsey to secretly handle his wealth, which included an enormous European property empire price a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of euros that prosecutors declare was acquired with funds looted from the wartorn state. Rifaat al-Assad, generally known as the “Butcher of Hama” for overseeing the violent suppression of a rise up within the Eighties, has been accused of battle crimes by Swiss prosecutors. In 2020, he was convicted by a French court docket of embezzling Syrian state funds and pouring the cash into luxurious properties, with the French state seizing property price €90m.

• A staff of Turkish rescuers started an in-depth search of Syria’s notorious Sednaya jail on Monday, a spokesperson for Turkey’s AFAD catastrophe administration company informed AFP. Located simply north of Damascus, the jail recognized regionally as regionally generally known as “the human slaughterhouse”, has develop into an emblem of the rights abuses of the Assad regime, particularly because the Syrian civil battle erupted in 2011. Prisoners held contained in the advanced have been freed early final week by the rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad on 8 December.

That’s all from me, Tom Ambrose, and the Middle East stay weblog for right this moment. Thanks for following alongside.

William Christou

Standing on the gates of the Khmeimim airbase, a fighter from the Islamist insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) eyed a pink vape being puffed on by a Russian soldier. Catching his gaze, the soldier provided it to him. The bearded fighter took a drag and shrugged, giving a thumbs as much as the Russian soldier, who let him maintain it.

Just over every week in the past, Russian jets taking off from Khmeimim airbase have been heading to northern Syria to drop bombs on insurgent teams. This week, Russians are negotiating with the identical factions, now in charge of the nation after their 12-day lightning offensive that toppled the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.

“We don’t really feel unsafe, we hope to make pleasant relations with the brand new authorities as quickly because it turns into a reputable authorities,” mentioned a consultant of the Russian army, who allowed the Guardian uncommon entry to the Khmeimim airbase on Sunday. The consultant mentioned communications with HTS began every week in the past to coordinate army affairs between Russian forces in Syria and the nation’s new leaders.

“Neither aspect is making provocations and issues have been wonderful,” the Russian army consultant mentioned, as he gestured to packing containers of humanitarian assist and Russian ministry of defence-branded backpacks, which they mentioned have been a present from Russia to the Syrian individuals.

HTS fighters guarded the gates of the airbase as Russian Mig fighter jets took off. “We was once scared each time we might hear the sound of a Russian jet – now it’s develop into regular,” Abu Khalil, a 26-year-old HTS fighter guarding the airbase mentioned. Outside, Russian troopers nonetheless milled in regards to the city of Khmeimim, procuring at shops whose indicators have been written in Cyrillic.

The vault of Syria’s central financial institution holds almost 26 tonnes of gold, the identical quantity it had in the beginning of its bloody civil battle in 2011, even after the chaotic fall of Bashar al-Assad’s despotic regime, 4 individuals acquainted with the state of affairs informed Reuters.

But the nation has solely a small quantity of overseas forex reserves in money, the identical individuals mentioned.

Syria’s gold reserves stood at 25.8 tonnes in June 2011, in keeping with the World Gold Council, which cites the Central Bank of Syria as its knowledge supply. That is price $2.2bn at present market costs, in keeping with Reuters calculations.

The central financial institution’s overseas change reserves quantity, nevertheless, to only round $200m in money, one of many sources informed Reuters, whereas one other mentioned the US greenback reserves have been “within the a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands”.

While not all reserves could be held in money, the drop is substantial in contrast with earlier than the battle. At the tip of 2011, Syria’s central financial institution reported $14bn in overseas reserves, in keeping with the International Monetary Fund. In 2010, the IMF had estimated Syria’s overseas reserves to face at $18.5bn.

US president-elect Donald Trump mentioned on Monday that Turkey will maintain the important thing to what occurs in Syria, the place rebels toppled the federal government of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

Turkey, a Nato member, backed the rebels whose assumption of energy in Damascus ended Syria’s 13-year civil battle.

Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital.

British officers will meet Syria’s interim authorities for talks in Damascus this week, overseas minister David Lammy mentioned on Monday.

“I can affirm right this moment that we’ve despatched a delegation of senior UK officers to Damascus this week for conferences with the brand new interim Syrian authorities and members of civil society teams in Syria,” Lammy informed a press convention.

In Damascus, residents dismissed Assad’s feedback and a few informed the Associated Press that he had deserted Syria’s individuals way back.

“Is he going to run away from us? He nonetheless received’t be capable of run away from God,” mentioned one resident, Moataz al-Ahmed, as youngsters stepped on a fallen statue of Assad’s father, Hafez, who had begun the household’s half-century rule.

The spokesperson for the transitional authorities’s political division mentioned in an interview Monday that “the Assad regime is completed with no return” and Russia “ought to rethink its presence on Syrian territory in addition to its pursuits”.

The spokesperson, Obeida Arnaout, mentioned Syria has entered a brand new section that will probably be open to the world, and the brand new authorities is seeking to construct good relations with its neighbours and past.

He additionally referred to as on the US and different international locations to rethink the designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the primary insurgent group and a former al-Qaida affiliate, as a terrorist organisation, calling it “not proper and never correct”.

Extremism, Russia and Iran mustn’t have a spot in Syria’s future, EU’s overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas informed reporters on Monday after assembly with European overseas ministers.

“Many overseas ministers emphasised that it must be a situation for the brand new management to eradicate Russian affect (in Syria),” Kallas mentioned.

Four Syrian official informed Reuters on Saturday that whereas Russia is pulling again its army from the frontlines in northern Syria and from posts within the Alawite Mountains, Moscow just isn’t leaving its two important bases within the nation after the autumn of president Bashar al-Assad.

The Israeli ambassador to Ireland mentioned closing its embassy in Dublin was “the proper diplomatic choice”, and claimed there was “a hostile environment” within the nation.

The Israeli authorities introduced the closure in an announcement on Sunday, saying it was due to the “excessive anti-Israel insurance policies of the Irish authorities”, and accusing Ireland of “crossing each purple line”.

Ambassador Dana Erlich accused Ireland of taking a extra “excessive stance” than some other nation.

She referred to as Ireland “an excessive voice within the worldwide enviornment” when requested about its intervention in South Africa’s genocide case towards Israel on the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

It comes as Irish premier Simon Harris mentioned that Ireland won’t be silenced about its views on Israel’s battle towards Hamas in Gaza.

Lisa O’Carroll

Ireland’s place on the battle in Gaza “shouldn’t be seen as a hostile act”, the Irish deputy prime minister, Micheál Martin, has saidafter Israel determined to shut its embassy in Dublin.

Israel ordered the closure on Sunday, citing Ireland’s choice final week to assist a petition on the worldwide court docket of justice accusing Israel of genocide. The Israeli overseas minister, Gideon Sa’ar, mentioned the transfer was prompted by the Irish authorities’s “excessive anti-Israeli insurance policies”.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Martin renewed Irish criticism of the dimensions of Israel’s response to the 7 October Hamas assaults, and defended his nation’s choice to assist the ICJ petition.

Any motion taken by the Irish authorities had “not been motivated by something apart from respect for worldwide humanitarian regulation”, mentioned Martin, who can be Ireland’s overseas minister. “The utilisation of the worldwide courts by Ireland … the place there will be worldwide accountability for battle crimes in any a part of the world, together with in Gaza, shouldn’t be seen as a hostile act.

“Ireland stands by the strategy it has taken, which has been motivated, as I’ve mentioned, in the direction of full accountability for what is going on in Gaza.”

Martin, who is anticipated to be made prime minister in January, mentioned there was “large anger” on the “stage of killing of harmless males, girls and youngsters in Gaza”, and that what was taking place within the north of the Palestinian territory “defies rationalization”.

On Sunday, Sa’ar mentioned “the antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking towards Israel are based mostly on delegitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state and on double requirements” and that “Ireland has crossed all purple traces in its relationship with Israel”.

Caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati has ordered the reopening of Lebanon’s embassy in Damascus, his workplace mentioned in a submit on X on Monday.

European Union nations on Monday set out situations for lifting sanctions on Syria and kick-starting assist to the conflict-ravaged nation amid uncertainty about its new leaders’ intentions simply over every week after they seized energy, AP experiences.

At a gathering in Brussels, the EU’s prime diplomats mentioned they need ensures from members of Syria’s interim authorities that they’re making ready for a peaceable political future involving all minority teams, one during which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran haven’t any place.

The EU’s excessive consultant for overseas coverage Kaja Kallas mentioned the bloc desires a “secure, peaceable and all-comprising authorities in place,” however that it’s going to in all probability take weeks, if not months, for Syria’s new path to be clear.

At a gathering of EU overseas ministers, she informed reporters:

Syria faces an optimistic, constructive, however quite unsure future, and we’ve to ensure that this goes to the best course.

For us, it’s not solely the phrases, however we wish to see the deeds.

Oliver Holmes

The United Nations envoy to Syria has informed Islamist militants who toppled Bashar al-Assad that they should oversee a “credible and inclusive” transition, as world powers sought to interact with the nation’s new rulers.

Geir Pedersen, a Norwegian diplomat, met the Syrian insurgent chief. Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously recognized by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in Damascus on Monday. He additionally met the interim prime minister, Mohammed al-Bashir.

An announcement launched by Pedersen’s workplace mentioned the envoy had provided UN assist and confused “the necessity for a reputable and inclusive Syrian-owned and led political transition”.

Diplomats have been scrambling for affect over no matter authorities replaces the Assad regime. Assad fled to Moscow every week in the past after a bloody 13-year civil battle that descended right into a proxy battle for a number of regional powers – principally Iran, Turkey and Russia.

Read the total story right here.

The dramatic collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has thrown mild on the nation’s industrial-scale export of a banned amphetamine-type stimulant referred to as Captagon.

Victorious Islamist-led fighters have seized army bases and distribution hubs for the drug, which has flooded the hidden market throughout the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia one of many prime importers of the substance.

William Christou experiences for the Guardian from a Captagon manufacturing unit exterior Damascus

You also can learn Wiliam’s report right here.

An uncle of the not too long ago ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad used an adviser in Guernsey to secretly handle his wealth, which included an enormous European property empire price a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of euros that prosecutors declare was acquired with funds looted from the wartorn state.

Rifaat al-Assad, generally known as the “Butcher of Hama” for overseeing the violent suppression of a rise up within the Eighties, has been accused of battle crimes by Swiss prosecutors. In 2020, he was convicted by a French court docket of embezzling Syrian state funds and pouring the cash into luxurious properties, with the French state seizing property price €90m.

In a joint investigation, the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have now recognized him as a consumer of a Guernsey marketing consultant who was fined by regulators earlier this yr. Ginette Louise Blondel, 40, was banned from working as a director for 9 years and fined £210,000 by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission in March.

Originally employed as a private assistant for the son of her consumer, then as a marketing consultant, Blondel went on to handle a posh belief construction on the household’s behalf, in keeping with a discover revealed by the regulator. In one occasion, her private checking account was used to distribute €1m to 3rd events on her consumer’s behalf.

Read the total story right here.