Aron Lund
@aronlund
I write mostly about Syria and the Middle East. In English: The Century Foundation, The New Humanitarian, SIPRI. På svenska: Expressen, UNT, Eskilstuna-Kuriren.
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Perspectives on the protests in Iraq and Lebanon – brand new
@TCFdotorg roundtable with@tcambanis,@mwhanna1,@DEsfandiary,@simaghaddar, and me. Read!https://tcf.org/content/report/perspectives-protests-iraq-lebanon…Show this thread -
Good news, though: now that Iraqi Kurdistan has a flag, an army, prisons with journalists in them, and a mismanaged economy, this was actually the last box they needed to tick on the Arab League's independence checklist.https://twitter.com/aronlund/status/1195133949896515585…
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Iraqi Kurdistan cruises to victory over Syria in regional corruption games: the Makhloufs bought twenty luxury apartments in Moscow for $40m, but the Barzanis have spent $47m on just two Beverly Hills mansions and they aren't even using them. https://variety.com/2019/dirt/more-dirt/kurdistans-barzani-family-spends-47-million-on-two-beverly-hills-homes-1203401895 … via
@Ehsani22Show this thread -
Algerian parliament okays long-debated liberalizing measures: foreign-owned companies will be permitted in nonstrategic sectors (ending the 51% national ownership rule) and, separately, a new law to attract international oil companies. Protesters protest.https://www.tsa-algerie.com/deux-projets-de-lois-controverses-adoptes-a-la-majorite-par-les-deputes-de-lapn…
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Lebanese banks close, open, close, and things don't look good at all. Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab (FPM) claims that the tensions are dangerous and remind him “of the civil war, what happened in 1975.”
@nadine_awadalla &@trperrry:http://reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-protests-idUSKBN1XO1YK…Show this thread -
Another report on the situation in post-recapture Eastern Ghouta, by
@ETANA_Syria.https://www.mei.edu/publications/despair-and-decay-east-ghouta-after-18-months-renewed-regime-rule…Show this thread -
The Syrian Islamic Council, which gathers some of Syria's most influential Sunni preachers and scholars, branches out from Istanbul to establish its first office inside rebel-held Syria, in Azaz.https://nedaa-sy.com/news/16929
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Aron Lund Retweeted
Why No Arab Spring in Palestine? It’s the Occupation, Stupidhttps://carnegieendowment.org/2019/11/13/why-no-arab-spring-in-palestine-pub-80329…
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On Syria's Turkmen minority, by
@enabbaladi's Zeinab al-Masri. En: https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2019/11/complex-nationalities-the-stories-of-syrias-turkmen … Ar:https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/338103 -
Russian Defense Ministry says it has set up a helicopter base at the government-run Qamishli Airport, report
@A_Osborn &@alexmarrow57; but a Kurdish source tells them Russians have been there informally for a while, so this might be partly political spin.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-russia/russia-sets-up-helicopter-base-in-northern-syria-after-u-s-exit-idUSKBN1XO0XT… -
As Turkey-backed rebels press into SDF-SAA lines in the northeast, al-Watan's Khaled Zenklo reports SAA attacks in Jabal al-Akrad and bombing deeper inside. Unclear if it's an attempt to link the fronts or just the northwest being a bad place on its own.http://alwatan.sy/archives/220548
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"The United States Can’t Have It All," by
@daphnemccurdy and@NicholasDanfort. Mandatory reading if you're involved in making U.S. foreign policy, warmly recommended if you're on the receiving end.https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/12/the-united-states-cant-have-it-all… -
Aron Lund Retweeted
Latest displacement figures on NE Syria (since 9 October): •74,381 people remain displaced •More than 30,000 displaced are children •117,132 people have returned to their homes
check out our latest snapshot: https://bit.ly/373ujha
© UNICEF/ Souleiman/AFP-Servicespic.twitter.com/tDFo3cLlPF
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Syrian pound passes 700 to the dollar, for the first time.
@TheSyriaReport sees three reasons: (1) Lebanon's banking crisis, (2) the failure of a government-backed campaign to make investors sell dollars, (3) Trump's decision to hold on to the oil fields. https://www.syria-report.com/news/finance/dollar-crosses-all-time-high-700-pounds-developments-lebanon-bite … -
It works until it doesn't:
@franceszbrown on what happens when a superpower's foreign policy is subordinated to an angry old crank toilet-tweeting delphic fortune cookie slips about ISIS, Obama, and Endless War.https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/turkey/2019-11-13/why-trumps-shapeshifting-syria-policy-worked-until-it-didnt… -
Aron Lund Retweeted
At
@CarnegieMEC’s Diwan,@fanarhaddad,@OulaKadhum,@ajaltamimi and@harith_hasan weigh in on the extent of anti-Iran sentiment in Iraq – less a rejection of “Iran” per se, and more a rejection of an Iraqi system in which Iran has entangled itself:https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/80313 -
Really interesting tour through Iran's internal security politics and a string of spy scandals that embarrassed IRGC hardliners, by
@MaysamBehravesh.https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/iran/2019-11-12/ayatollahs-den-espionage… -
On the processing of Syrian peace, by
@laraseligman and@columlynch. Senior U.S. official warns SDC/SDF against working with Damascus, e.g. by backing it in talks: "then we’d have to severely limit relations with SDC just like we do other regime backers."https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/12/as-assad-gains-ground-new-syria-talks-offer-little-hope-of-peace… -
How EU can handle the Lebanon-Iraq crises, by
@jbdacey: 1) Don't make it about Iran 2) Offer mediation, but seek realistic outcomes & don't oversell potential for change 3) Support stabilizing institutions 4) Incentivize dealmaking by dangling aid packageshttps://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_4_ways_europeans_should_respond_to_the_lebanon_and_iraq_protests…Show this thread -
Aron Lund Retweeted
In Bahrain, when you want the cat to come close, we say طعو and when we want it to go away we say تت . These words are used only with cats!
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Saudi State Security says report in al-Watan on listing feminism as an extremist ideology is false, and legal measures are being taken against the paper: https://www.al-madina.com/article/658863 Refers to this:https://twitter.com/aronlund/status/1194264844339429376…
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SDF-backed authorities release their own set of detailed statistics on civilian displacement after the Turkish operations in northeastern Syria.https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/hundreds-of-thousands-displaced-because-of-turkish-invasion-39134…
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Schools of northern Syria struggle to survive –
@EnabBaladi_Eng.https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2019/11/schools-of-northern-syria-struggle-to-survive…Show this thread -
Syrian Baath Party's assistant secretary Hilal Hilal visits Hassakeh, tours northeastern SAA and Baath Battalions units, meets local notables and party members, condoles Armenian-Catholics on the killing of a priest, and condemns Erdogan in colorful terms. http://newspaper.albaathmedia.sy/2019/11/13/%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%b9%d8%af%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%8b-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%b4%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b3%d9%83%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%82/ …
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Erdogan says he will use his meeting with Trump to explain that YPG hasn't complied with the withdrawal deal, and will show "with documents" that Mazloum Abdi is "a murderer and a terrorist" who shouldn't be allowed into the United States. Also, Gülen. https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/112518/president-erdogan-goes-to-the-u-s- …
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Turkish police and the Istanbul governor's office have launched probes into the death of James Le Mesurier, who helped organize the Syrian White Helmets, after he was found dead below his hotel window.http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/probe-launched-into-death-of-former-british-military-officer-148565…
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The Syrian National Coalition offers full support to the Syrian National Army's offensive in northern Syria. It condemns the Kurdish National Council for criticizing the rebels' conduct, demanding an apology. http://www.etilaf.org/press/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8048-%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A.html …pic.twitter.com/7posOdK4ZL
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Aron Lund Retweeted
I've learned two things today that are important to share: 1. "Nawiyy" is how to say "meow" in classical Arabic. It also means "sympathetic friend," as in: "I'm chilling with my meow". 2. The phrase "camels fed on dates" (ibil nawawiyya) now means "nuclear camels"pic.twitter.com/BLwo2bWkD8
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Aron Lund Retweeted
As presidential candidates begin to stand apart from the crowd, find out their stances on Iran, China, Syria and other foreign policy issues.https://buff.ly/2ymrxTR
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Saudi State Security adds "feminism" to its list of prosecutable extremist ideologies. According to a Saudi lawyer interviewed by
@iMoroojm, punishments for sharing or propagating feminist ideas are undetermined but may include jailtime and whipping.https://www.alwatan.com.sa/a/1027820Show this thread -
Aron Lund Retweeted
Russia selling weapons to Turkey who then gives it to Idlib to fight Russiapic.twitter.com/hW2TXxlrOG
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Aron Lund Retweeted
BREAKING: EU high court rules that all EU member states must label goods from the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights and precisely identify them as products from an Israeli settlementpic.twitter.com/lzW5e13ssc
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IAEA report: Iran refines uranium at Fordow, publicly overstepping nuclear deal to push back against U.S. sanctions. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-iaea/iran-adds-to-breaches-of-nuclear-deal-with-enrichment-push-iaea-report-idUSKBN1XL1Y8 … by
@francoismurphy A harder sell: unable to explain IAEA findings of illicit traces elsewhere, Iran blames Zionism.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear/iran-rejects-reports-of-iaea-finding-traces-of-uranium-at-unnamed-site-idUSKBN1XK072… -
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@ajaltamimi translates the Syrian National Army's code of conduct, and pushes back against two rival, dishonest claims: SDF backers portraying SNA as jihadis; and current/former FSA boosters trying to disassociate SNA from the West/Gulf-backed rebellion.http://www.aymennjawad.org/2019/11/the-syrian-national-army-code-of-conduct… -
Samuel Helfont on the "Faith Campaign" and Saddam-era Iraq's nonpermissive attitude to Salafism, contrary to portrayals of the Islamic State as some sort of mutant Baathism. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/12/what-radicalized-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi …
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Assad says more than 100,000 Syrian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the war. As far as I know, this is the first time Damascus offers a casualty figure since Dec 2011, when it handed the UN a list of about 900 dead. (If I remember correctly. Here: https://undocs.org/pdf?symbol=en/S/2011/798 …)pic.twitter.com/FqTZLwUwca
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Russia Today's
@afshinrattansi interviews Bashar al-Assad. English transcript: https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=178031 Arabic transcript: https://www.sana.sy/?p=1051631 Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9O3S1xjdd0…Show this thread -
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Syrian residency permits in Turkey aren't renewed, forcing people back across the border. The government says 350,000 returned to Syria since 2016. https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/some-syrian-refugees-say-they-would-rather-remain-in-turkey-1.935293 …
@kmyildiz via@OmarKadkoy -
Report on the Makhloufs' real estate purchases in Russia here, by
@Global_Witness:https://www.globalwitness.org/en-gb/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/assad-henchmens-russian-refuge…Show this thread
