Arab press: Hmeimim base is to expand in Mid east, International intentions to establish the presence of mercenaries in Libya

On Monday, Arab newspapers have discussed the Russian presence in Syria, in addition to the Libyan situation, as well as the Tunisian crisis.

'Russia reassures Israel in Syria ... and is expanding'

The beginning of the Syrian issue, and in this context, Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper said: "Russia has resumed its efforts to search for the remains of two Israeli soldiers who were killed along with others in Lebanon 39 years ago, in conjunction with expanding its military base in Hmeimim to become a" strategic platform "for expansion in the Middle East and North Africa. ".

Eyewitnesses told Al-Sharq al-Awsat yesterday that an intensive security was imposed on a cemetery in the southeast of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, after a Russian military delegation carried out “exhumations in it, believed to be searching for the remains of two Israeli soldiers buried there.”

The "Voice of the Capital" website reported that "the Russians used a medical vehicle to collect samples from the corpses for DNA analysis in the cemetery and its surroundings." Other sources said that the search related to the remains of the two soldiers (Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman) who were killed along with others. In the battle of "Sultan Yaqoub" in Lebanon in 1982.

The search operation in the camp cemetery is the second for the Russian forces, as they previously found the body of the Israeli soldier Zakaria Baumel, who was killed in the same battle, and Moscow delivered it to Tel Aviv in April 2019, and in return, Israel released the two Syrian captives Ahmed Khamis. Ziad al-Tawil, and later released another Syrian prisoner from its prisons.

In parallel, satellite imagery showed ongoing operations to expand one of the runways at the Hmeimim base near Latakia, as part of a move to use it as a strategic starting point for Russian warplanes throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

'Mercenaries outside the accounts of the new Libyan government'

Regarding the Libyan issue, Al-Arab newspaper said: “The features of the coming period, which will be transitional in Libya, began to become clear gradually after the election of the transitional authority last Friday, which produced faces close to Ankara similar to the former Libyan ambassador to Greece who was expelled by Athens after the signing of the maritime border demarcation agreement. Between Libya and Turkey, Mohammad al-Manfi as Chairman of the Presidential Council, and Misratan businessman Abdul Hamid al-Dabaiba as Head of the Interim Government.

In his first speech following his election as head of the Interim Government, al-Dabaiba avoided touching on the mercenaries and militias file, as he pledged on Saturday evening to “work to support the role of women and provide the opportunity for young people to contribute to building state institutions and providing them with experts and competencies.”

Stressing that his government is "keen to fulfill its obligations," referring to the election due in December.

It seems that the intentions of the international parties that supported the Libyan factions are moving towards imposing the survival of mercenaries which the war-ravaged, especially Turkey rushed to promote that the new government does not oppose the Turkish military presence there, in addition to its support for Ankara's role.

Observers believe that the recent understandings that took place at the Libyan political dialogue forum, which culminated in the election of a new presidential council and an interim government that will lead the transitional phase until the holding of general elections next December, will not end foreign military interventions, so it will be forced to work among the mercenaries who sought the help of the parties to the conflict. Earlier.

The statements of the Turkish President's advisor, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, regarding Ankara's role in Libya, reflected this desire to keep the mercenaries, who had not yet succeeded in the 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee in forcing the parties to start withdrawing them.

In the statements that did not surprise the observers, especially in light of the failure of the 5 + 5 committee to implement the understandings that were reached, most notably the expulsion of mercenaries from Libya, Yassin Aktay, advisor to the Turkish president, said, “The new Libyan government supports Ankara’s role in Libya, and is not opposed to the presence. Turkish military in the country."

Observers believe that the success of the political track set by the United Nations Support Mission to Libya remains dependent on the cessation of foreign interventions that deepened the differences between the Libyan factions.

However, the intentions of the parties that significantly interfered in the crisis, such as Turkey, which brought thousands of mercenaries to Libya, raise doubts about the ability of the ceasefire agreement and the UN agenda to succeed.

'Tunisians rise up against the Brotherhood on the anniversary of Belaid's assassination'

On the Tunisian issue, Al-Bayan newspaper said: "In light of a tight security siege, Tunisians marched yesterday, raising loud slogans denouncing the rule of the Brotherhood and the failure of the government and the political elite that has dominated the public scene in the country for ten years."

The security forces pushed massive reinforcements to close the streets in front of thousands of demonstrators on the eighth anniversary of the assassination of the leftist opposition leader Chokri Belaid, and the Tunisian General Union criticized what it described as the militarization of Habib Bourguiba Street in the center of the capital, and its assistant secretary-general, Sami Taheri, said that the closure of the street is due to the horror of the rulers and those in The ruling coalition, in reference to the Ennahda Movement and its allies.

The head of the Democratic Bloc in Parliament, Muhammad Ammar, stated that he had contacted Prime Minister Hisham al-Mishishi, and had spoken with him about the issue of closing all roads leading to the capital at the level of the main streets.

Ammar said, “I have informed the Prime Minister of my condemnation of these dangerous practices, who said that he will communicate with the security units to find a solution to this,” noting that “it is unreasonable to close all outlets leading to the capital, close the main streets, disrupt the interests of citizens and even return to their homes."

The opposition forces criticized the government agencies' intention to prevent protesters from inside the country from joining the march called for by 66 organizations, parties and associations, including the Tunisian General Labor Union, in which a number of opposition and trade union leaderships participated in it.

T/S

ANHA