Albin SzakolaVerified account

@AlbinSzakola

Writing on Iran in Syria, Hezbollah, illicit finance, articles w/ Former Senior editor/analyst ; Former head of newsdesk

thenational.ae/topics/Author/…
Joined February 2013
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  1. Pinned Tweet
    Dec 10

    Syria to move forward with establishment of two new refineries, with another instance of a Lebanon-based firm's involvement in Syria's petroleum sector 1)

    2 replies 11 retweets 21 likes
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  2. Retweeted
    56 minutes ago

    . New law today: high school students have to pay 1000 SYP to be allowed to set the final exam. If in a private school they have to pay 5000 SYP.

    10 retweets 4 likes
  3. Retweeted
    3 hours ago

    : For the second time (at least) caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he is no longer a candidate for PM.

    1 reply 20 retweets 44 likes
  4. Retweeted
    4 hours ago

    Horrible. Continued intimidation and abuse of press covering the protests in Lebanon by loyalists of Hezbollah and Amal Movement parties as the next sit-in approaches at 6:00pm near the Parliament square

    0:13
    العفويين ومحاولات لترهيب الإعلام 🙂
    5 retweets 3 likes
  5. Retweeted
    7 hours ago

    A man gets pushed out of a bank after standing in the doorway for a while because they refuse to give him his money. As said, this is pre-pitchfork faze.

    1:05
    أمن بنك BLOM فرع المنصورية يحاول بالقوة طرد المواطن علي سليم والذي يعتصم منذ بعض الوقت…
    10 retweets 15 likes
  6. Retweeted
    11 hours ago

    The fact that Gebran Basil—arguably the single most poisonous anti-refugee politician in the region—would receive a platform at is an indictment of the event and the system it represents

    Speaking at the Global , Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil makes a pitch for the international community to organize returns of Syrian refugees to safe zones, claims that their presence in Lebanon is "one of the reasons for the economic crisis.”
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    1 reply 20 retweets 25 likes
  7. Retweeted
    7 hours ago

    In the newly built wall in Downtown Beirut, the Lebanese authorities just provided the revolution with a new symbolic purpose: To tear it down and the establishment and separation it represents...

    1 reply 4 retweets 20 likes
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  8. Dec 17

    Syria and Russia to start a regular maritime route starting in January to transport Syrian citrus from Latakia to the Port of Novorossiysk 21)

    1 retweet 2 likes
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  9. Dec 17

    Syrian Export and Production Support and Development Authority official says contract signed with Iraqi businessman for the export of Syrian citrus to Iraq, lifting of fees on trucks at Albu Kamal border crossing to facilitate trade, Al-Watan reports 10)

    1 retweet 1 like
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  10. Dec 17

    Siamco resumed work in 2019 after suspending work due to the war in Syria 18)

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  11. Dec 17

    Siamco, a joint-venture Iranian-Syrian automobile manufacturer, had to stop work due to freeze of import licenses and funding problems; Siamco is looking for a financing option between Export Development Bank of Iran and Syrian Commercial Bank 17)

    1 reply 2 likes
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  12. Dec 17

    Head of Economic and Energy Affairs Committee says Syria will have 12.5% share of revenues of exploration contract, and potential of 60-70% of profits if oil is found 3)

    1 retweet
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  13. Dec 17

    Syria's Parliament approves contracts between Oil Ministry and two Russian firms (Mercury and Velada) for oil exploration at Blocs 7, 19, and 23, Al-Watan reports 2)

    1 reply 5 retweets 2 likes
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  14. Retweeted
    Dec 17

    The DRC gets involved: "The Democratic Republic of Congo froze the assets of Lebanese businessman Saleh Assi, who owns a huge industrial bakery in Kinshasa, in compliance with sanctions imposed by the against financing."

    2 retweets 7 likes
  15. Dec 17

    Liwa Fatemiyoun fighter injured after vehicle caught on fire outside Palmyra, pro-opposition says 4)

    1 like
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  16. Dec 17

    Syria's Public Works and Housing deputy minister says discussions underway for Iran to build 30,000 housing units in Syria as well as for Syria and Iran to create joint companies in the fields of construction and transport infrastructure 16)

    1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
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  17. Dec 17

    Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov says there is a "plan to build a railway across Syria and Iraq that will link Syria's Mediterranean coast with the Persian Gulf" 5)

    1 retweet 2 likes
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  18. Dec 17

    Syrian Democratic Forces commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi says oil in SDF-controlled areas of Syria goes to government-controlled areas in the West, but denies any deal on petroleum distribution with Damascus

    6 retweets 4 likes
  19. Retweeted
    Dec 15

    So a few of my followers told me that they disliked what they felt was my excessive pessimism regarding the Lebanese economic situation. Forgive me, but I don’t know how to put this lightly: our central bank stole an entire population’s life savings to fund a corrupt government

    23 replies 213 retweets 688 likes
  20. Retweeted
    Dec 16

    This chart shows the limit on dollar withdrawals per week set for small depositors by Lebanese banks. I created the following chart based on people's experience. Kindly note that the amounts might change at any moment.

    13 replies 21 retweets 53 likes
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  21. Retweeted
    Dec 15
    Replying to

    Not sure of this narrative. There is no evidence to suggest they are “saboteurs,” nor that peaceful protesters left. Many of the peaceful protesters wielded sticks and threw stones. People on the ground are angry as hell, have been extremely peaceful and feel it hasn’t worked.

    1 reply 3 retweets 8 likes
  22. Retweeted
    Dec 15

    Photographer Mohamad Azakir, who works with & , was hit in the face with a rock thrown from the side of security forces. He is fine, save a gash on the face. Security forces have been throwing rocks at protesters.

    2 replies 40 retweets 45 likes
  23. Retweeted
    Dec 15

    's liquidity and credit crisis is squeezing its exo-economy of expatriates: many Lebanese companies operating in Africa rely on trade financing through LB banks in Europe with the collateral being deposits in LB. These are now frozen leading to a collapse of businesses

    5 replies 30 retweets 73 likes
  24. Retweeted
    Dec 15

    Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora kicked out of a Christmas concert at the American University of . Audience chanting “Get out, Siniora!”

    0:14
    عشنا وشفنا السنيورة عم ينشحط من الassembly hall بالجامعة الأميركية 😍 المجد للأصوات الحرة …
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    1 reply 32 retweets 67 likes
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  25. Retweeted
    Dec 15

    19. Shortages of gas also in the eastern governorates of despite availability of natural resources. Euphrates Eye reports that prices for gas cylinders in Assad loyalist held areas of DeZ reach 8000 SYP on the black market. Also Syrian pound loses value again $1 = 870 SYP

    1 reply 5 retweets 5 likes
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  26. Retweeted
    Dec 15

    Beirut 2019. A man volley-kicks a tear gas canister back towards riot police.

    Last night summed up in a GIF 🇱🇧
    7 replies 178 retweets 495 likes
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  27. Retweeted
    Dec 14

    My cousin being assaulted by (I presume) a plain-clothed officer, you can see him unarmed, holding his hand urging the man to stop but nothing - this and countless other videos/images show police brutality reaching its peak this week.

    2 replies 9 retweets 9 likes
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  28. Dec 14

    Syrian Electricity Ministry source says that country generating 3800 MW, but requires 5500 MW; the source also denied that Syria is providing electricity to Lebanon 2)

    3 retweets 2 likes
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  29. Dec 14

    Source in Syria's Electricity Ministry tells Al-Watan newspaper that sanctions hobbling the country's electricity sector, adding that Damascus can't execute a contract for 1,000 transformers from China 1)

    2 replies 18 retweets 29 likes
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  30. Dec 14

    Syria Trading director says 25,000 food baskets were sold in the first week of the new program, aimed to secure basic food goods for families at a subsidized price amid the increasingly high cost of living 3)

    1 retweet 1 like
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  31. Dec 14

    The Syrian-North Korean Joint Economic Committee also discussed the possibility of North Korea building power stations in Syria 5)

    2 retweets 1 like
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  32. Dec 14

    Syria's finance minister said he discussed with North Koreans the possibility of establishing banking relations between both country's financial institutions 4)

    1 reply 2 retweets
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  33. Dec 14

    Syrian-North Korean Joint Economic Committee concluded its meeting, inking memoranda of understanding in the fields of fishing resources, higher education and labor, Syria's Al-Watan newspaper reports 3)

    1 reply 3 retweets 3 likes
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  34. Dec 14

    Kuwaiti investors establish Diamond Lights company in Damascus countryside, which will provide tourism and hotel investment services, reports. Earlier in the year a Kuwaiti investor established Eastern Energy to provide oil services 13)

    1 reply 2 retweets 1 like
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  35. Dec 14

    State-run Syria Trading establishment is having trouble providing sugar and cooking oil for consumers, who recently have been offered a "smart card" system to purchase a basket of basic goods for 10,000 SYP 2)

    1 reply 2 retweets 3 likes
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  36. Dec 14

    Iranian Cultural Center continuing to raise banners of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad embracing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the border town of Albu Kamal, activist outlet reports 64)

    2 retweets 5 likes
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  37. Retweeted
    Dec 14

    The attack on Azarieh by pro-ruling parties thugs comes as anti-establishment protesters intend to take back Nejmeh square at 6PM. Etablishment possibly trying to scare away the people from going down to the streets by turning the surroundings of parliament into a riot scene.

    1 reply 7 retweets 14 likes
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  38. Retweeted
    Dec 14

    ISF calls for an end to the attack by a group of men from the Khandak neighborhood (Amal Movement supporters) else it escalate its response. First time we see such a statement after atleast 5 attacks by & Amal supporters in

    تتعرّض عناصر مكافحة الشغب لاعتداءات ورمي حجارة ومفرقعات نارية من قبل بعض الاشخاص. ان تطلب وقف هذه الاعتداءات والا ستضطر لاتخاذ اجراءات اضافية واكثر حزماً.
    21 retweets 33 likes
  39. Retweeted
    Dec 13

    Nobody makes a better show of an STS than the NITC.

    9 replies 37 retweets 139 likes
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  41. Retweeted
    Dec 13

    Nasrallah's conditions for the next govt: 1. Must be headed by Hariri or someone he approves and who will be given confidence by his Future Movement parliamentary bloc. 2. Must include the FPM.

    2 replies 6 retweets 17 likes