​​​​​​​Arab press: Damascus suffers from new fuel crisis, Qatar still sticks with its relation with Turkey, Iran

The Arab newspapers discussed the fuel crisis in the areas of the Damascus government, in addition to the results of the Gulf reconciliation, as well as the Turkish intervention in Libya.

'Quick return of fuel queues in Syrian cities'

The beginning of the Syrian issue, and in this context Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper said: “Before the severe gasoline crisis that Syria witnessed in the last quarter of last year subsided completely, the Ministry of Oil announced a new high wave of gasoline crisis, due to the delay in the arrival of contracted oil derivatives supplies it justified this with "the US sanctions and blockade," and said in a statement, Sunday, that it "temporarily reduced the quantities of gasoline distributed to the provinces by 17 percent and the quantities of diesel by 24 percent," in order to "manage the available stock."

Observers in Damascus saw that the direct cause of the renewed gasoline and diesel crisis is the increase in ISIS attacks in the Syrian Badia and cutting the Damascus - Deir-ez-Zor road.

For months, the country has been suffering from a severe transportation crisis due to the lack of allocated quantities of diesel at the subsidized price for domestic transport vehicles, and the high prices of gasoline for taxis, whose wages have skyrocketed from an average of 500-1000 Syrian Pounds per request inside the city, to 2,000-3,000 Syrian Pounds. Whereas, the average salaries of workers in the state range from 50 to 80 thousand Syrian pounds, equivalent to 20-30 US dollars.

'Qatar's ambitions extend to a broader Gulf reconciliation that includes Iran'

Regarding the Gulf issue, Al Arab newspaper said: “Official Qatari positions or leaked by personalities who are not currently directly participating in government, such as the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani. Doha does not only intend not to change its positions on Iran, after the reconciliation that took place. It was reached recently between Qatar and the four countries that were boycotting it, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain. It is also working to ensure that the benefits of that reconciliation include its regional "ally, Tehran."

A call by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim to open a Gulf-Iranian dialogue bore the features of a Qatari ambition for a broader reconciliation that goes beyond the Gulf and Arab sphere, to include Iran, which Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, have rejected their many previous calls for dialogue, as they are formal calls that do not contain any references to change. Iranian policies that threaten the stability of the region and the security of its countries.

This call went beyond the mere personal position of a sheikh from the ruling family who was no longer directly participating in the ruling process, when an official in the Qatari government blessed it.

Sheikh Hamad called for opening a dialogue between the Gulf states and Iran and not betting on the tension between Tehran and Washington.

Following the Gulf summit held last week in the city of al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the four countries signed a declaration of reconciliation that included the resumption of relations and the re-opening of borders and airspace, as the beginning of a process through which confidence would be built later and the controversial files between Qatar and militant organizations were discussed. And also its relations with both Turkey and Iran and providing them with a foothold in the Gulf.

In anticipation of the opening of the latest file, Doha was keen to ensure that no changes were made to those relations that particularly disturb Saudi Arabia.

The Qatari Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al Thani, told the Financial Times, “The Gulf reconciliation will not affect Doha’s relationship with Tehran and Ankara,” stressing that Qatar’s bilateral relations with other countries “result from sovereign decisions and the national interest.”

'Brotherhood guards are a Turkish project threatening to ignite western Libya'

On the Libyan issue, Al-Bayan newspaper said: “The announcement by the Minister of Interior, the Commissioner of the Government of National Accord, Fathi Bashagha, about the imminent launch of a new war in the west of the country, against groups that are fundamentally dissatisfied with Turkish influence, and which the Government of National Accord considers terrorist groups, smugglers and human traffickers, a widespread clamor among Libyans Informed sources confirmed that militia leaders in western Tripoli regions met to determine their position on the threat of the upcoming confrontation, which observers believe will mainly target the armed forces that reject Turkish intervention and the growing influence of Misurata militias in the capital.

Analysts said that the anticipated war will be between parties loyal to the Government of National Accord, which until recently were fighting under Turkish cover against the National Army, and that its goal is to remove militias that represent a financial, political and social burden on GNA, and Misurata militias compete for influence, and stand in the way of implementing the project which is preparing it in Tripoli with Turkish support, especially in its aspect related to the formation of what he called an ideological-oriented National Guard similar to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, to be a striking force in the face of any political option that does not fit with the aspirations of the Brotherhood and their allies to control the joints of the state.

Observers see that Turkey has put an option in front of its allies in western Libya, which is to unite the regional Misurata militias and the militias associated with political Islam in Tripoli under the banner of the so-called National Guard, which was previously called by the so-called Libyan Revolutionaries' Association, and the idea of ​​establishing it was proposed by the Brotherhood Since 2013, to be a substitute for the army, and to be entrusted with the tasks of protecting the borders and vital and oil installations in the country, and finally it was announced that Turkey decided to form this apparatus, provided that its leadership devolved to the terrorist Khaled al-Sharif, a leader in the fighting group who has lived for years in Istanbul.

In addition, the Libyan analyst Mukhtar al-Jadal considered that “a part of the GNA is today against another part of the GNA and a party to the next war that Bashagha announced from within the same house that was fighting against the army,” warning of the state of polarization in the western region and the outbreak of a new war Among the militias, the Libyan people will suffer from it.

T/S

ANHA