US measures to confront Iran, Russia, constant Turkish crime, await those who drive it

On Saturday morning, the Arab newspapers touched upon US moves on the Syrian- Iraqi border, in addition to Turkish interference in the countries of the region, and on Iraqi protests.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat: 10 US actions on the Syrian-Iraqi border to "confront Iran"

The administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to strengthen its military presence on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border for several reasons, including "confronting Iran", in conjunction with pressures in Baghdad to put the future of the American presence on the table, and pressure from Russia to strengthen its military presence east of the Euphrates.

According to the information available to Asharq Al-Awsat from Western officials, there are 10 proposals to deal with the demands of Iraqi politicians to discuss the American presence, and to maintain tools to "confront Iran", including:

1 - Emphasizing that any discussion of the American presence must address other matters broader from the military side, as the American envoy to the international coalition against ISIS, Ambassador James Jeffrey, announced the day before yesterday that “Iraqi officials should think about bilateral relations that go beyond the issue of existence American ».

2 - Urged «NATO» to play a greater role in the fight against ISIS if Washington decided, in accordance with an understanding with Baghdad, to redeploy, or because the American forces were busy defending themselves after the escalation of pressures and threats in recent months, especially after the assassination of the commander of the “Quds Force” »In the“ Revolutionary Guards ”Qassem Soleimani, and this will be an item on the talks of the international coalition meeting in Denmark next Wednesday.

3 - Discussing with the Kurdistan Region Presidency an increase in the American presence, whether in terms of the number of individuals or military bases, and intelligence sources reported yesterday that there were proposals that included setting up points - military bases near Sulaimaniyah, southern Erbil, and near Halabja.

The proposals included raising the number of US forces from 500 to two thousand soldiers, in addition to five thousand present in Iraq, and diplomats said: The strengthening of deployment in Kurdistan aims to protect military bases against increased risks.

4 - Integration between the military presence in western Iraq and eastern Syria, as most of the forces that withdrew from east of the Euphrates, at the beginning of the year, resided in Iraqi Kurdistan, so that the number of American forces decreased from one thousand to 500 elements present near the oil fields east of the Euphrates.

5- Maintaining al-Tanf base in the corner of the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian borders, with 150 American soldiers, as well as missile launchers and air protection, to cut off the Tehran-Baghdad-Damascus-Beirut road.

6 - Maintaining the air presence of the International Coalition against "ISIS" in the airspace of northeastern Syria, and keeping the main allies, Britain and France, on the battlefield to fight ISIS, and supporting the "Syrian Democratic Forces".

7 - Preventing Syrian forces and Iranian organizations from advancing to al-Tanf base and adhering to the "rules of engagement".

8- Removing the Russian forces from the strip that extends from Fesh Khabur in the Syrian-Iraqi-Turkish corner to the north of al-Bukamal on the Euphrates River, and this happened several times in the last days, when American patrols blocked the road in front of the Russian police who tried to reach Fesh Khabur, East Euphrates Gate on Iraqi Kurdistan.

9 - Adherence to the agreement "to prevent a clash" between Russia and America in the northeastern airspace of Syria, especially after Moscow strengthened its air system in Qamishlo.

10 - The continuation of "mysterious raids" on Iranian sites in al-Bukamal, which Tehran has tried to establish infrastructure for, as an alternative route between Tehran, Baghdad, Damascus, and Beirut.

According to the information, an American delegation is touring London and Brussels in the coming days to hold talks with European officials to impose economic sanctions, and agree to coordinate steps in Iraq and Syria to put pressure Moscow and confront Tehran's influence after Soleimani.

Al-Arab: Who moves to prosecute Erdogan and al-Sarraj after the recruitment of mercenaries

Regarding the Turkish interference in the countries of the region, Al-Arab newspaper said: "Legally and morally ... and a global context, the network of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Prime Minister of the Accord Government, Fayaz al-Sarraj, are ready to try them on charges of recruiting mercenaries, waiting for those who have the will to move the tools.

The legal basis for the tools has been established by the rules of international law through more than a century, the first of which is the Fifth Hague Convention of 1907, relating to the rights and duties of neutral states, and neutral persons in a state of war, as its fourth article states: “No bodies of fighters are established and offices are not opened to resettle them on state land. Neutral to aid the belligerents, "and although the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 ignored the crime, it rectified its legal gap in its first annex in 1977.

The African Union, to which Libya is subject to its geographical jurisdiction, was the first to ratify a convention against the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries in 1977, to enter into force in 1985.

Article 2 of the international agreement, which is the most comprehensive, provides that "every person who recruits, uses, finances or trains mercenaries, according to the definition of Article (1), commits an offense in the provision of this agreement," and its predecessor by stressing that "any person who commits any of These crimes should be either tried or extradited, "and it is mandatory" to strengthen international cooperation among nations to prevent, prosecute and punish these crimes. "

From Iraq and Syria to Libya and its environs, to Europe and China! The madness of the illusion of the Ottoman caliphate transcends all the bishop, and the pillars of the crime are fixed and public.

Al-Bayan: Two people were killed in a demonstration against the government in Baghdad

On Iraqi affairs, Al-Bayan newspaper said, "Two Iraqi demonstrators were killed and dozens were wounded yesterday during their participation in an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad.

One of the two killed was wounded by live ammunition and the second with a tear gas canister, a source said.

Yesterday evening, there were clashes between the security forces and the protesters at the Muhammad al-Qasim highway in Baghdad, while religious authority Ali al-Sistani urged the political parties in the country to form a new government as soon as possible, and demanded that the authorities respect the right of the protesters to express themselves, warning against delaying Implement repairs.

(T/S)

ANHA