https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:13:14 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-irans-diplomatic-drive-raisis-focus-on-the-global-south/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:55:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652188 It's been quite a busy year for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in terms of diplomatic engagement. In February he made an official state visit to China, where 20 agreements were signed, in addition to receiving pledges from President Xi Jinping to strengthen security and economic cooperation – more on that later. Beijing was also the venue where Raisi's administration agreed to resume diplomatic relations with regional rival Saudi Arabia the following month. In May, Raisi visited close regional ally Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and signed long-term cooperation agreements. During his visit, Raisi also symbolically prayed at the historic Umayyad Mosque, achieving a gesture that Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once famously vowed to do in 2014 at the height of […]]]> 652188 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230609-iran-president-to-visit-3-us-sanctioned-latin-american-countries-to-bolster-ties/ Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:11:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643879 Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, will lead a high-ranking government delegation on a maiden three-nation tour of Latin America on Sunday as his administration seeks expansion of ties with "friendly countries", Anadolu Agency reports. Accompanied by ministers of foreign affairs, defence, oil, and health, Raisi will visit Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, the three nations that shared close ties with Iran and also are at odds with the US. Hassan Rouhani was the last Iranian president to visit Venezuela and Cuba in 2016, while his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had visited Nicaragua in 2007. According to Iran's state media, the three-nation Latin American tour, the first since Raisi came to power in 2021, seeks expansion of Iran's "economic, political and scientific cooperation" with […]]]> 643879 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230608-iran-president-to-visit-three-latin-american-countries-next-week/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 13:20:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643450 Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, will visit Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela next week, Iran's state news agency, IRNA, announced on Wednesday, adding that the upcoming tour stemmed from invites from the presidents of each of the Latin American nations, Reuters reports. IRNA said documents to expand bilateral cooperation will be signed between Iran and the three countries during Raisi's visit, mentioning economic, political and scientific issues, but without going into further detail. The state news agency said Raisi will leave Tehran on 11 June. The three-country tour will give Raisi face time with three regional allies, each of whom lead leftist governments that have been accused by critics of human rights violations. Iran and Venezuela are both members of the Organisation […]]]> 643450 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230605-un-body-condemns-us-others-for-treatment-of-guantanamo-inmate/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 16:21:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642659 The United States and several other countries have committed human rights violations against a Saudi man held in the Guantanamo prison and accused of organising the bombing of the "USS Cole" in the port of Aden in 2000, a UN report said, Reuters reports. Abd Al Rahim Al Nashiri could face the death penalty, if convicted, for his alleged role in the attack. The United Nations working group on arbitrary detention said he had been arbitrarily detained for more than 20 years and it voiced concern about his physical and mental well-being. The United States has accused Nashiri of organising the attack on the "USS Cole" by two suicide bombers in a small boat as the warship was moored in […]]]> 642659 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230519-in-search-of-saeed-from-guantanamo-to-an-algerian-prison/ Fri, 19 May 2023 10:45:41 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=637920 Saeed Bakhouche – who I know as my brother 'Saeed', or prisoner 685 – was the last of 26 Algerians in Guantanamo. Those of us freed before him were very pleased when we heard that he was finally repatriated on 20 April to his home country, as an innocent man. But instead of enjoying the joy and peace that returning home should bring to a man from whom 21 years of family life have been taken, Saeed has unbelievably found himself in another prison. This time he is in a prison outside the Algerian capital, facing new interrogators, with no legal representation and no family visits – a situation worse than Guantanamo. It has been a month now. Saeed was […]]]> 637920 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230503-the-palestinian-cause-and-argentinas-equidistant-policy/ Wed, 03 May 2023 14:07:00 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=632759 Although geographically distant, Argentina has a history of solidarity with Palestine. Before the approval of the UN Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947, the South American country was a contender as a possible location for a "national home for the Jews". This idea appeared in Theodor Herzl's The Jewish State published in 1896. Argentina was identified as one of the options for the Zionist project, along with Palestine, due to the fertility of its lands and its small population at that time. According to the Zionist ideologue, Argentina was "one of the most fertile countries in the world, [that] extends over a vast area, has a sparse population, and a mild climate." Herzl believed that, "The Argentine Republic would derive […]]]> 632759 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230420-us-transfers-guantanamo-detainee-to-algeria-30-remain-in-prison/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 18:32:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=630499 The US announced, Thursday, the transfer of long time Guantanamo Bay detainee, Saeed Bakhouche, to his home country of Algeria, Anadolu News Agency reports. Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, informed Congress of his intent to transfer Bakhouche to Algeria in February, the Pentagon said in a statement. A panel that reviews individual cases determined, 13 April, that it was no longer necessary to hold Bakhouche at the controversial prison, setting the stage for his release. "The United States appreciates the willingness of the Government of Algeria, and other partners to support ongoing US efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and, ultimately, closing the Guantanamo Bay facility," the Defence Department said in a […]]]> 630499 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230413-guantanamo-yemeni-man-will-remain-in-prison-despite-us-court-ruling-he-is-no-threat/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:38:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=628888 A Yemeni man held in Guantanamo Bay for over 20 years without charge or trial will remain in detention despite a US court ruling that he does not pose a threat to the country. In an opinion yesterday over the ongoing case of Abdulsalam Al-Hela, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled that the authorities may not be allowed to keep a man imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay after he is no longer deemed a threat. According to the Washington Post, Al-Hela, a businessman and tribal sheikh from Yemen, was captured in Egypt in 2002. He was held overseas for two years before being taken to Guantánamo. He has been contesting his detention in court since 2005 and […]]]> 628888 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230412-calls-for-brazil-to-look-for-paths-to-peace-in-jerusalem-the-middle-east/ Wed, 12 Apr 2023 10:58:30 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=628606 The Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil condemned the Israeli occupation's attacks against Palestinians praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the continuous storming of the site by Israeli settlers and the targeting of many young people in different cities of the occupied West Bank. The Arab ambassadors, who met on Saturday in Brasilia, urged the Brazilian government to play a more active role with the international community and search for paths to peace in the Middle East after Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Aqsa last Wednesday, fired stun grenades at Palestinians, injured dozens and arrested more than 400 worshippers. In a statement, they said: "The disproportionate use of violence by the Israeli forces is a desperate attempt by the Israeli government […]]]> 628606 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230411-chile-argentina-cuba-slam-israel-attacks-on-al-aqsa-mosque/ Tue, 11 Apr 2023 08:15:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=628206 Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Cuba condemned the Israeli aggression on Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, stressing that Israel must avoid escalating violence. In a statement reported by Quds Press, Argentina said: "Holy places in Jerusalem are designated for safe and peaceful prayers," calling for Israel to "respect the historical and religious status quo in this holy site." Meanwhile, Chile expressed its concerns about the violence which erupted "when the Israeli police stormed a place of worship and forcibly expelled the people who were inside it." It called for "avoiding such provocative actions because they lead to escalation of violence," reiterating the importance of respecting the religious historical status quo at holy site. For its part, the Mexican Foreign Ministry expressed its "deep worries about the use of […]]]> 628206 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230409-we-will-never-negotiate-under-pressure-ex-cuba-envoy-to-us-says/ Sun, 09 Apr 2023 07:30:22 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=626862 Jose Ramon Cabañas Rodriguez served in the Cuban diplomatic service for 37 years. In 2015 he became his country's first ambassador to the United States in 50 years. During his long and distinguished career, Cabañas was involved in some of the most difficult diplomatic challenges Cuba faced in recent decades. He played a key role in securing the release of the Miami Five from incarceration in the US. Now back in Havana, Jose is director of the Research Centre for International Policy (CIPI). We met recently while he was attending MEMO's conference on decolonisation and apartheid in Palestine. Fundamentals  I began our conversation by asking him about the fundamentals of Cuban foreign policy, its constants and its variables. "Some people […]]]> 626862 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230329-oman-trinidad-and-tobago-establish-diplomatic-ties/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:55:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625224 The Sultanate of Oman and Trinidad and Tobago have taken a significant step towards strengthening their relations by signing a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic relations, reported Muscat Daily. Oman, Trinidad and Tobago establish diplomatic relations https://t.co/fyX8aFOon7 — Establishment of Diplomatic relations news (@UNdiprelations) March 28, 2023 The statement was signed by Oman's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Dr Mohammed Bin Awadh Al-Hassan, and his Trinidadian counterpart Dennis Francis. The signing ceremony is the latest development in the growing relations of cooperation between the Gulf and Caribbean regions. The establishment of diplomatic ties between Muscat and Port of Spain comes almost a year after the pair held a meeting at the UN, during which expanding […]]]> 625224 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230315-baghdad-youth-reclaim-their-city-20-years-after-us-led-invasion/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 17:00:18 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622651 Mouayad Mohsen is appalled by the ways of the modern world, and the 58-year-old Iraqi soldier-turned-painter is on a mission to teach his neighbours some manners. "No one says hello anymore, especially the youth," he said, enjoying a tea at a cafe near his home in Baghdad Gate, a walled-off complex in the heart of Iraq's capital. Now, he makes a point of greeting everyone he sees entering his apartment building, even the shady businessman with the fancy car. He misses his old home and hates having to live in a neighbourhood surrounded by walls, but felt that he had no choice. READ: Iraqi poetry, revolution, danger and resistance: MEMO in Conversation with Kevin Jones The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq […]]]> 622651 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230225-hamas-delegation-visits-cuba-ambassador-to-lebanon/ Sat, 25 Feb 2023 11:11:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=617757 A senior delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas on Friday visited Cuban Ambassador to Lebanon Jorge Leon Cruz. In a statement, Hamas said that its delegation consisted of Hamas representative to Lebanon Ahmad Abdul Hadi and Head of the Hamas Political and Media Relations Office Abdul Majeed Al-Awad. During their visit, Hamas officials discussed the latest developments related to the Palestinian cause and the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The Hamas delegation also briefed the Cuban ambassador about the violations committed by the Israeli occupation in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. READ: Brazilian Congress holds a special session for Palestine The delegation spoke with the ambassador about the escalation of illegal Israeli settlements and the continuous […]]]> 617757 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230224-us-repatriates-2-guantanamo-bay-prison-detainees-to-pakistan/ Fri, 24 Feb 2023 13:41:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=617691 The US said, Thursday, that it has transferred two detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba to Pakistan, Anadolu News Agency reports. "The Department of Defence announced today the repatriations of Abdul Rabbani and Mohammed Rabbani from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to Pakistan," it said in a statement. The two men are brothers, according to reports. READ: UN condemns Israel's use of explosive weapons against Palestinians in Nablus raid The statement said that on 18 January, 2023, Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, notified Congress of his intent to repatriate Abdul and Mohammed Rabbani to the government of Pakistan. They were arrested in 2002. As of Thursday, 32 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay. The statement noted that "18 are eligible for […]]]> 617691 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230223-i-was-a-prisoner-in-guantanamo-bay-detention-camp-but-who-is-its-biggest-captive/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:27:04 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=616984 It was 21 years ago this month that I was flown in the belly of a US cargo plane, hooded, blindfolded, gagged and chained in an orange jumpsuit, for over 40 hours. I didn't know where I was being taken, or why. My journey into the unknown started when I was sold to the CIA as an "Egyptian Al-Qaida general" in 2001 after the US invaded Afghanistan. I was 18 years old, and I am from Yemen. After I was imprisoned for around three months in a black site in Afghanistan, I was taken to Kandahar military prison, an airbase that served as a transit station to the unknown. I wasn't the only one being held there. When a huge […]]]> 616984 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230220-syrias-long-history-of-sanctions-hurts-the-people-much-more-than-the-regime/ Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:59:50 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=616153 Some countries just seem to be doomed from the start, and Syria looks like one of them. With a family of dictators at the helm, an ongoing civil war, an economic crisis and now the devastating earthquake which has killed thousands and displaced more than  million people, it really does seem as if Syria can't get a break. But can a country that has been crippled by sanctions since the 1970s even dream of better days? Hafez Al-Assad and his son Bashar have both ruled Syria with an iron fist; Assad Junior still does. They built up a network of loyalists and spies which enabled them to gain and then stay in power. Their reputation, fanned by the West, is […]]]> 616153 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230213-palestine-and-grenada-sign-cooperation-deal/ Mon, 13 Feb 2023 17:39:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=614705 OPINION: Palestine and the Caribbean]]> 614705 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230209-turkiye-quake-and-other-major-natural-disasters-this-century/ Thu, 09 Feb 2023 15:45:13 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=613437 On Monday, two massive earthquakes, just hours apart, which devastated cities and towns across a huge swathe of southern Turkiye and north-west Syria, are rapidly becoming one of the worst disasters this century, with the death toll already more than 16,000. Indian Ocean Tsunami  A 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Sumatra on 26 December, 2004, triggered a tsunami that barrelled into Indonesia, Thailand, India Sri Lanka and many other countries in the region, killing at least 230,000 people, leaving 43,000 missing and devastating villages and tourist islands. Haiti 2010 Earthquake  A 7.0 magnitude earthquake on 13 January, 2010, devastated Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, and killed about 316,000 people. The United Nations estimated 80,000 buildings in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas were destroyed. Myanmar […]]]> 613437 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230205-cuba-commends-irans-progress-despite-sanctions/ Sun, 05 Feb 2023 15:06:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=611966 Cuba's President, Miguel Diaz-Canel has praised Iran for its advancements in science and technology under the pressure of US-led sanctions during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Havana yesterday. Diaz-Canel also expressed his country's willingness to strengthen bilateral ties with Tehran and noted that developments in Latin America and the world offer new opportunities to fortify multilateralism, Tasnim News Agency reported. Amir Abdollahian for his part spoke of the historical and friendly ties between the two countries and also thanked Cuba for co-operating with Iran to produce a joint-vaccine for coronavirus. In a separate visit today with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Amir Abdollahian said "The United States' policy of [imposing] unilateral sanctions [on other […]]]> 611966 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230125-guyana-in-talks-with-qatar-uae-and-others-on-oil-blocks-exploration/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:45:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=609480 Guyana is in talks with Qatar, UAE, Britain and India to explore offshore oil and gas blocks in conjunction with a bidding round this year, President Irfaan Ali said on Monday. "We have been toying with a number of options," Ali said on the sidelines of an energy conference in Trinidad and Tobago. "We have gone out publicly with the bid round (and) there is also that room we are looking at for government-to-government collaboration." "In the environment we are operating, you have to keep as many cards on the table," he added. Ali had previously stated that some blocks would be set aside for bilateral agreements, but Monday was the first time he was explicit about which countries might […]]]> 609480 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230119-saudi-arabia-to-fund-80m-caribbean-university-expansion-project/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:05:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=607429 The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has signed an agreement yesterday to finance the expansion of the University of the West Indies at Five Islands (UWI) in the Caribbean country Antigua and Barbuda. The $80 million loan agreement was signed by the SFD's CEO, Sultan Al-Marshad and Antiguan Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, and aims to expand the Five Islands campus and develop the country's higher education sector. #Antigua_Barbuda is the 85th country financed by #SFD as part of its efforts to support development and sustainable growth all over the world. #Video | SFD signs an agreement estimated at $80 million, to expand the #UWI at Five Islands in #Antigua_Barbuda#WeProsperTogether pic.twitter.com/TJe39G02pE — الصندوق السعودي للتنمية (@SaudiFund_Dev) January 18, 2023 According to […]]]> 607429 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230111-as-guantanamo-turns-21-is-biden-close-to-shutting-down-the-notorious-prison/ Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:05:07 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=605699 Much has changed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on US soil, after which the country launched a so-called "global war on terror". America withdrew its military forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, but the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which was created to hold terrorist suspects captured in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, remains open. The notorious prison was established 21 years ago today in Guantanamo Bay, which the US leased from Cuba for the Navy in 1903. Since then, the detention camp, also known as "Gitmo", has held roughly 780 details, most of them without charge or trial, with many said to have gone through unspeakable horrors. Currently, 35 details remain, and 20 of them are eligible for […]]]> 605699 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230111-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-in-the-us-will-sportwash-the-horrors-of-guantanamo/ Wed, 11 Jan 2023 09:50:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=605618 The Western media spewed forth barrel loads of pompous invective recently about why Qatar should never have been chosen to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Bewildered Qataris found themselves being demonised by TV commentators and journalists alike in a tirade of what one news source described as "white outrage, colonialism and a game of capitalist greed." Instead of watching an uninterrupted festival celebrating football's finest, the BBC even refused to broadcast the opening ceremony in a show of unprecedented censorship. Instead, viewers were treated to a politicised attack on Qatar. However, while the press barons are still clinging to the moral high ground that is new territory to many of them, they might want to acknowledge that when "the […]]]> 605618 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230104-lebanon-action-needed-or-14-more-children-will-face-crisis-hunger-levels-charity-says/ Wed, 04 Jan 2023 10:58:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=603636 The number of children in Lebanon facing crisis levels of hunger is projected to increase by 14% early this year unless urgent action is taken, Save the Children warned yesterday. Four in ten Lebanese and Syrian refugee children in the country currently face high acute food insecurity due to a food crisis caused by years of economic instability and fuelled by global climate and hunger shocks. "Already, figures from the first IPC (September-December 2022) acute food insecurity analysis conducted in Lebanon showed that 37% of the Lebanese and Syrian population in Lebanon are living with high acute food insecurity, with over 306,000 people facing severe lack of food access which could lead to starvation," a statement by Save the Children […]]]> 603636 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221125-gonsalves-defends-qatar-amidst-deranged-and-unhinged-criticism-over-world-cup/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 10:01:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=596617 St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is defending Qatar amidst criticism from some western countries over its hosting of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, which opened on Sunday and will run for a month. Qatar is the first Arab country to host a Fifa World Cup competition. "Qatar's historic achievement in this regard is truly impressive for a small, though wealthy, Arab country. It is a mark of the growing stature and influence of the State of Qatar in the global political economy," Gonsalves said in a statement. He said it is, therefore, "unfortunate, and prejudicial to global peace, security, and progress, that Qatar has faced unjustified, even deranged and unhinged, criticisms as hosts of the […]]]> 596617 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221123-rising-cooperation-with-cuba-important-to-turkiye/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:12:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=596489 Ankara attaches importance to its increasing cooperation with Cuba, Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, Anadolu News Agency reports. "I especially attach importance to increasing our cooperation and solidarity with Cuba, one of our main partners in the region," Erdogan said at a news conference with his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez in the capital, Ankara. Erdogan said they discussed ways to develop existing cooperation in fields such as energy, tourism, construction, agriculture, development, health, and the environment. Diaz-Canel's visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of Turkiye and Cuba establishing diplomatic relations. READ: Cuba leader to visit Turkiye for talks "As you know, our relations with the Latin America and Caribbean region constitute one of the main pillars […]]]> 596489 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221122-cuba-leader-to-visit-turkiye-for-talks/ Tue, 22 Nov 2022 17:29:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=596340 Cuban President, Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, on Tuesday, will pay a three-day visit to Turkiye to have talks on bilateral relations between the countries, Anadolu News Agency reports. Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will welcome Bermudez in the capital, Ankara, and the leaders will discuss the steps to enhance bilateral cooperation, Turkish Presidency said in a statement. Within the scope of the visit, which corresponds to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkiye and Cuba, the leaders will also be expected to exchange views on the regional and global issues, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean, it added. Diplomatic relations between Turkiye and Cuba were established in 1952. Turkiye opened its first embassy in the Caribbean […]]]> 596340 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221121-syria-trinidad-called-on-to-repatriate-remaining-nationals-in-detention-camps/ Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:26:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=595646 Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called upon the government of Trinidad and Tobago to "act urgently" in repatriating its citizens who remain in Syria's detention camps for Daesh suspects and their families. There are an estimated 70 children and 25 women from the Caribbean nation still in Al-Hol camp in north-east Syria. A new report released today — "My Son is Just Another Kid: Experiences of Children Repatriated from Camps for ISIS Suspects and Their Families in Northeast Syria — documents the experiences of around 100 children who have been repatriated to several countries between 2019 and 2022. According to HRW, since 2019 approximately three dozen countries have repatriated or helped get home some or many of their detained nationals. […]]]> 595646 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221107-quotes-cop27-what-are-they-saying-at-the-climate-summit/ Mon, 07 Nov 2022 18:13:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=591863 World leaders, policymakers and delegates from nearly 200 countries are at the COP27 UN Climate Summit in Egypt, where they hope to keep alive a goal to avert the worst impacts of climate change. Here are some of the latest comments by those attending: United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres "Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible." "We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator." IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva "Unless we price carbon predictably on a trajectory that gets us at least to $75 average price per ton of carbon in 2030, we simply don't create the incentive for […]]]> 591863 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220920-saudi-arabia-to-fund-mosque-in-cuba/ Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:28:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=581332 Saudi Arabia will fund a mosque in Cuba serving the island's Muslim community, according to Havana's envoy to Saudi Arabia. In an interview broadcast on Saudi state TV, Vladimir Gonzalez, said: "Because of this donation from the Saudi side, today we can say that we're building in Havana the first mosque in our country." "We have a small Muslim community in our country; they are very organised. I'm honoured to facilitate their life as Muslim people in Cuba," he added. #الدبلوماسي | السفير الكوبي لدى المملكة: لدينا مجتمع مسلم، وبناء أول مسجد في كوبا سيكون على نفقة المملكة العربية السعودية. #قناة_السعودية pic.twitter.com/OnuBtSwmez — قناة السعودية (@saudiatv) September 19, 2022 Up until now Cuba's Muslim community, estimated to be no more […]]]> 581332 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220831-cuba-seeks-more-electricity-supply-from-turkish-power-ships/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:42:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=576714 Cuba, mired in an energy crisis that has brought frequent blackouts, is negotiating with a Turkish company to have it double the megawatts it currently produces for the country from shipboard generators just offshore, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, Reuters reports. Cuban officials are in talks with Karpowership, one of the world's largest operators of floating power plants and part of the Turkiye-based Karadeniz Holding, the sources said. The company already has five ships operating off Cuba with a capacity of around 250 megawatts (MW). The Communist-run country needs to generate more than 3,000 MW to meet minimum demand and is currently producing between 2,000 MW and 2,500 MW. The Cuban National Electric Union did not respond to a request for comment. […]]]> 576714 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220831-syrian-arrested-with-badly-forged-israeli-passport-en-route-to-germany/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 11:20:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=576674 A Syrian man has been arrested by the Barbados authorities while using a "badly forged" Israeli passport to travel to Germany, the Hebrew-language i24 news website has reported. The Barbadians apparently said that the passport was riddled with mistakes, including the Hebrew typography being incorrectly placed. It showed Israel as the man's place of birth in English, whereas in Hebrew it said that he was born in Greece. The fake passport also had a border control stamp on it from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel which has been out of use for years. The local authorities in Barbados informed the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority immediately, which in turn labelled the document a "candidate for the worst fake of all […]]]> 576674 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220801-turkiye-repatriates-301-illegal-migrants-to-haiti/ Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:31:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=570674 Turkiye's Directorate of Migration Management said that it has repatriated 301 migrants to Haiti after it verified that they entered the country illegally. The migrants were returned to their home country on board a private plane. This is the first time for the Turkish authorities to arrange for a trans-oceanic private flight to repatriate illegal immigrants. READ: 'Rights of Turkish minority eroded by Greece', Erdogan says]]> 570674 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220725-turkey-has-not-freed-man-wanted-by-haiti-despite-court-ruling/ Mon, 25 Jul 2022 18:53:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=569221 Turkey has not released a man wanted by Haiti over his alleged involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, his lawyer said on Monday, despite a court rejecting his extradition and ruling he should be freed three weeks ago, reports Reuters. Moise, a 53-year-old former businessman who took office in 2017, was shot dead in July 2021 at his private residence. His wife was wounded in the attack. Businessman Samir Handal, a Jordanian national, was detained on an Interpol red notice as he transited through Turkey on his way from the United States to Jordan last November. His lawyers said the red notice was later suspended at their request pending a final review. A Turkish court rejected Haiti's extradition […]]]> 569221 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220504-eu-un-nearly-200m-people-faced-acute-hunger-last-year/ Wed, 04 May 2022 13:29:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=553570 Some 193 million people experienced "acute food insecurity" last year, a joint report by the EU and UN said on Wednesday, calling it a record figure and warning that the war in Ukraine will add to a "perfect storm" to make the hunger crisis even worse in 2022. Acute food insecurity is defined as a lack of food so severe that it puts a person's life or livelihood in immediate danger. Its most serious form is famine, leading to starvation and death. The Global Report on Food Crises, compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP) and the European Union, has been monitoring it since 2016, when acute food insecurity was said to have affected […]]]> 553570 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220420-palestinians-in-latin-america-condemn-israeli-desecration-of-al-aqsa-mosque/ Wed, 20 Apr 2022 07:34:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=549982 Palestinians across Latin America have condemned the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque by illegal Jewish settlers as well as "continuous Israeli crimes and violations" against the people of occupied Palestine, Quds Press reported on Tuesday. "It is the duty of the Palestinian communities in Latin America and the Caribbean to condemn the carnage being perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinians every day," said Rafael Masri, the head of the Confederation of Palestinian Communities in Latin America (COPLAC). He insisted that the "criminal occupation and the apartheid regime" established by Israel in occupied Palestine, including Jerusalem, must be exposed. "It is impossible to have double standards in the criteria for classifying human rights abuses at the time that the whole world is […]]]> 549982 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220317-british-spies-allegedly-complicit-in-cia-torture-are-subject-to-uk-law-judges-rule/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:53:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=544020 UK intelligence services who allegedly provided the CIA with questions to put to detainees being tortured at "black sites" are subject to the law of England and Wales and not that of the countries in which the prisoner was being held, British judges have ruled. In a case that that could determine if victims of state torture have the right to sue the UK government in the courts of England and Wales, three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled that Abu Zubaydah, who claims he was subjected to extreme mistreatment at secret CIA "black sites" in six countries, has the right to sue the UK government in British courts. UK intelligence officers are thought to have been complicit in […]]]> 544020 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220316-cia-tortured-9-11-detainee-as-prop-to-teach-interrogation-techniques/ Wed, 16 Mar 2022 13:10:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=543839 America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used a 9/11 detainee as a prop when teaching interrogation techniques, a newly declassified US government report has revealed. The shocking report dates back to 2008 but was only unsealed last week. It exposes gruesome details of the repeated torture of Ammar Al-Baluchi, a prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay and suspect in the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The 44-year-old is one of five defendants before a military tribunal in Guantánamo Bay charged with participation in the 9/11 plot. The case has been in pre-trial hearings for 10 years, mired in a dispute over legal admissibility of testimony obtained after torture, the Guardian has reported. OPINION: Guantanamo Bay and an […]]]> 543839 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220228-trinidads-caribbean-airlines-to-sign-partnership-with-qatar-airways/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:27:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=538562 Trinidad and Tobago's flag carrier Caribbean Airlines (CAL) is to enter a partnership deal with Qatar Airways, according to reports. The potential collaboration follows a Trinidadian delegation, headed by Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who was recently in Doha to participate in the Sixth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). The delegation also included the Chairman of CAL, Shameer Ronnie Mohammed who met with officials from Qatar Airways last Wednesday, exploring opportunities for enhancing relations between the two state-owned airlines. In a press statement, Rowley stopped short of committing CAL to flights, but suggested that an air services agreement was imminent, especially in the areas of passenger and cargo operations. While Mohammed was quoted as […]]]> 538562 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220206-cuba-venezuela-and-nicaragua-the-us-russia-conflict-enters-a-new-phase/ Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:47:06 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=532931 As soon as Moscow received an American response to its security demands in Ukraine, it answered indirectly by announcing greater military integration between it and three South American countries, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba. Washington's response, on 26 January, to Russia's demands of withdrawing NATO forces from Eastern Europe and ending talks about a possible Kyiv membership in the US-led alliance, was noncommittal. For its part, the US spoke of 'a diplomatic path', which will address Russian demands through 'confidence-building measures'. For Russia, such elusive language is clearly a non-starter. On that same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced, in front of the Duma, Russia's parliament, that his country "has agreed with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua to […]]]> 532931 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220111-us-preparing-to-transfer-first-high-value-guantanamo-detainee/ Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:11:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=525949 The first high-level detainee at the controversial US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been cleared for transfer with security guarantees, according to a recently published report and also reported by Anadolu News Agency. The Periodic Review Board at Guantanamo Bay has recommended that Guled Duran, a Somali national who has been held without charge at the facility since he was taken there by the CIA in 2006, be released, the New York Times reported Monday. But it is unlikely that Duran will be leaving the facility any time soon. Duran is one of 39 detainees who remain at Guantanamo Bay and now joins either 13 or 14 others who have been cleared for release, according to the Times. […]]]> 525949 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220105-uae-joins-four-others-to-take-seat-at-the-un-security-council/ Wed, 05 Jan 2022 12:48:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=524492 The UAE along with four other countries – Albania, Brazil, Gabon and Ghana – have assumed responsibilities as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Although the two-year term commenced on 1 January, the first working day started after the New Year holidays. The five countries were elected in June, replacing Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam. They will be joining the other non-permanent countries who are currently in the middle of their two-year terms: India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway. Ahead of the UAE's successful bid, it issued a statement promising to be a "constructive partner" in addressing some of the "critical challenges of our time", such as promoting gender equality, combating terrorism and "harnessing the potential […]]]> 524492 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211227-jon-snow-the-legend-we-will-miss-you/ Mon, 27 Dec 2021 09:55:51 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=522631 "I thank everyone who trusted me to write, publish and cover their stories around the world." "To those who watch me from home and in front of their screens, it has been my pleasure to bring you the news on a daily basis." With those emotional words, prominent British journalist and TV presenter-legend Jon Snow ended his last episode on Channel 4, after a career that lasted more than 32 years. Snow was born on 28 September 1947 and attended Ardingly School, where his father worked as the principal of that school. He received a choral scholarship from Winchester Cathedral, and at the age of eighteen, he spent a year volunteering teaching in Uganda. He was expelled from his law […]]]> 522631 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211215-algeria-morocco-israel-working-together-to-destablise-us/ Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:02:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=520256 Morocco's ruling party is conspiring with Israel against Algeria's security and stability, the secretary-general of the Algerian National Liberation Front warned yesterday. Abu Al-Fadl Baadji told reporters that the Makhzen alliance and the Zionist entity aim to "influence Algeria's principled stances in support of just global causes, especially the Palestinian and Saharan issues." Baadji's remarks came during his meeting with the Cuban Ambassador to Algeria, Armando Vergara Bueno. On his part, Bueno stressed that his country was on the "same page as Algeria regarding the Palestinian and Saharan issues, as well as other international and regional matters." He explained that the Palestinian and Sahrawi peoples have been subjected to "blatant attacks that affect their right for freedom to determining their own destiny […]]]> 520256 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211127-yemeni-former-guantanamo-detainee-disappears-day-after-release/ Sat, 27 Nov 2021 15:27:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=515591 After 20 years of torture and indefinite and arbitrary detention, former Guantanamo detainee Abdulqadir Al-Madhfari was transferred to Yemen from his cell in a United Arab Emirates (UAE) prison. Despite being cleared of all charges, his freedom did not even last for a day. This article is in his honour. Abdulqadir Al-Madhfari was a medical student who travelled to Pakistan in 2001 to continue his studies. He was kidnapped and sold to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by the Pakistani government following the 9/11 attacks. This story is a familiar one by now. Like many Muslim men sold to the US for bounty money, or taken as a result of mistaken identity, he was put in an orange jumpsuit, shackled, […]]]> 515591 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211101-us-military-officers-slam-guantanamo-detainee-torture-as-stain-on-america/ Mon, 01 Nov 2021 19:57:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=506926 A group of US military officers is urging that the Pakistani man sentenced to prison should now be freed after he detailed the torture he faced from the CIA. Last week, Majid Khan became the first detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to publicly outline the kind of torture he received at one of the CIA's so-called "black sites", during the war on terror and the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. In a 39-page testimonial, Khan described being tortured, on and off, for three years, starting in 2003 in Karachi. He said the interrogation techniques used on him included waterboarding, being hung naked from the ceiling, and being physically and sexually assaulted. Khan had been convicted of aiding Al-Qaeda after […]]]> 506926 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211019-turkeys-new-alliance-with-latin-america-is-of-strategic-importance/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 08:58:53 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=502508 Turkey has been given observer status in the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament, known as Parlatino. The move was confirmed in a tweet on Monday by Mustafa Şentop, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Twenty-three member states of Parlatino signed the formal protocol presented by the parliament's head, Jorge Pizarro Soto, in a ceremony in the Turkish capital. The agreement seeks to strength international cooperation between parliaments, exchange knowledge and experience of legislative management, and identify and promote the formulation and implementation of policies, plans, programmes and projects of mutual interest. High up on the agenda are the moves to achieve peace and justice in the world, ending the arms race, mitigating the effects of global warming […]]]> 502508 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210915-havana-syndrome-or-washington-syndrome/ Wed, 15 Sep 2021 10:15:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=494729 On 17 February, 2017, the then-US chargé d'affaires in Havana sent a complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) about alleged "attacks" against his staff, which had theoretically occurred since November of the previous year. There was no talk at that time of diseases or symptoms. Immediately, Cuban experts began to investigate, without ever questioning why the information was not shared with them from day one. When the press reports of that time are reviewed, it can be seen that the information about the alleged attacks was disseminated to the American public through specific journalists and media outlets; the rest only echoed without asking uncomfortable questions or questioning the official story. Cuban officials located and spoke with the directors […]]]> 494729 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210727-us-advices-unvaccinated-to-avoid-travel-to-israel-opt-as-covid-cases-rise/ Tue, 27 Jul 2021 12:13:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=485475 The US  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday raised its travel warning level for Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, Anadolu news agency reported. The CDC said it was concerned about the rising number of coronavirus cases in Israel, the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza, raising its travel health notice to "Level 3: High". The Level 3 rating states that unvaccinated travellers should avoid nonessential travel to the concerned countries and is one level below the CDC's most severe travel rating. Israel's Ministry of Health reported 2,215 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the tally of infections in the country to 862,559. The death toll from the virus rose by one to 6,461, […]]]> 485475