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.

aron@aronlund.com
tcf.org/experts/aron-l…
Joined December 2011
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  1. Pinned Tweet
    16 minutes ago

    Okay, so Russia and China have now jointly vetoed a proposal to continue UN cross-border aid to Syria. In so doing, they overruled all 13 other members of the Security Council, who had voted to continue the aid deliveries. Here's why this matters so much:

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  2. 7 minutes ago

    I still think this is what's happening, though. Whether it will work is another matter.

    It's worth recalling that a Russian veto wouldn't collapse the cross-border aid immediately—it runs until January 10. Moscow's gambit may be to veto now to show P3 they must choose between Bab Hawa and Yaroubiyeh, and then light up Idleb to remind them why they prefer the former.
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  3. 11 minutes ago

    And now, the Russian draft also failed to pass—it would have been vetoed by USA, UK, FRA if it had collected enough votes, but it didn't. Unless this is solved before the expiry date on January 10, Syria's humanitarian crisis will reach as-yet unseen levels of horrible next year.

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  4. 29 minutes ago

    It's worth recalling that a Russian veto wouldn't collapse the cross-border aid immediately—it runs until January 10. Moscow's gambit may be to veto now to show P3 they must choose between Bab Hawa and Yaroubiyeh, and then light up Idleb to remind them why they prefer the former.

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  5. 1 hour ago

    A statement by the Syrian NGO Alliance () urges the Security Council to renew UN permission to bring humanitarian aid through all four crossings, plus a fifth (Tell Abyad), for twelve months.

    بيان لـ تحالف المنظمات السورية غير الحكومية - Syrian NGO Alliance حول تصويت أعضاء مجلس الأمن…
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  6. 4 hours ago

    Russia targeting UN access to SDF areas was predictable, esp. after Trump decided to use SDF to starve Damascus of oil. The US now needs SDF to reject a deal with Assad, which means Moscow wants Assad to be able to hurt SDF. Few easy options, but giving him control of aid is one.

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  7. 5 hours ago

    The Security Council will vote on UN cross-border aid to Syria today. Dangerous game of chicken: non-agreement could see aid cut off for millions, but neither side wants to compromise. At the heart of the dispute: should SDF areas be cut off or not?

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  8. 5 hours ago

    .: "in Syria, all American aid programs—except for the assistance to the volunteer White Helmets—are currently running on foreign funds from Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom."

    6 retweets 10 likes
  9. Retweeted
    22 hours ago

    Planned 3pm vote on rival cross-border resolutions delayed as requested more time, dips say. Unclear how long delay , , draft proposes 12 month approval for 2 points in , one in . draft proposes 2 Turkey points/6 months

    Security Council set for showdown this week over cross-border aid deliveries - vs most of the 15-member council 👇🏻
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    2 replies 9 retweets 5 likes
  10. 22 hours ago

    Detailed background on the UN debate on Syria cross-border aid, which is apparently still ongoing: Rival drafts: • West: 1 year for 3 crossings (drops Ramtha). • Russia: 6 months for 2 crossings (drops Ramtha & Yaroubiyeh), wants UN to report on NGO use.

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  11. Retweeted
    Dec 18

    Two Tajiks believed to be involved in 2017 truck attack in Sweden reportedly detained in Syria:

    11 retweets 9 likes
  12. Dec 19

    New era in Algeria: the president can speak.

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  13. Retweeted
    Dec 19

    : 's Semi is out!

    4 retweets 8 likes
  14. Dec 19

    Latest figures on displacement and return in northeastern Syria says some 74,000 still remain displaced. But see also the article above this tweet for a discussion of how reliable these numbers are.

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  15. Dec 19

    Q&A with Russian UN representative Vassily Nebenzia about Moscow's plans for the Syrian cross-border aid mechanism.

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  16. Dec 19

    Statement calling for a renewal of the UN cross-border mechanism, including all existing crossings and for the full twelve-month period, signed by seven NGOs working in Syria: , , , , , and .

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  17. Retweeted
    Dec 19

    Analysts: Diab Designation Risks to Deepen Sectarian Rift, Block Aid

    1 retweet
  18. Dec 18

    The United States & Co. must not let Russia veto resolution 2165, and should shift its humanitarian funding from the UN to sympathetic NGOs or local Syrian groups if it does, argue and .

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  19. Dec 18

    U.N. Security Council set for showdown over Syria cross-border aid deliveries - .

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  20. Dec 18

    Det gäller alltså den här absurda härvan, förtjänstfullt beskriven av Niklas Orrenius: (Och de lagar som ledde dit är förstås fortfarande inte ändrade.)

    . on the failed (or rather, foiled) 'Matchstick Plot' in Copenhagen in 2016, which provides useful insights into the way IS organizes and facilitates attack plans abroad.
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  21. Dec 18

    . on the failed (or rather, foiled) 'Matchstick Plot' in Copenhagen in 2016, which provides useful insights into the way IS organizes and facilitates attack plans abroad.

    1 reply 2 retweets 6 likes
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  22. Retweeted
    Dec 18

    renews call for ‘safe zone’ support as return -

    1 retweet 3 likes
  23. Dec 18

    European diplomat takes hard line on SCR2165, telling : “The question remains, 'will Russia veto this text?' If they aren't going to, there's no point in granting them concessions, because they'll never stop. This is how Russia negotiates.”

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  24. Dec 18

    Human Rights Watch questions Israel's right to jail nonviolent Palestinian critics using military decrees, noting that the laws of occupation were designed to manage areas under temporary military control, not to legitimize permanent authoritarian rule.

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  25. Dec 18

    Senate Clears Defense-Policy Bill, With a View Toward Punishing Syria, by .

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  26. Dec 18

    On Cham Wings and its strange Berlin announcement, the misfortunes of Rami Makhlouf, and dodgy travel bloggers in Damascus, by .

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  27. Dec 18

    Russia and China in the Middle East: Playing their best cards, by and for .

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  28. Dec 18

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres wants a "swift renewal" of resolution 2165 to ensure continued cross-border aid to Syrians. More info on how and where UN cross-border aid is delivered in Syria on pages 8, 9, 12.

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  29. Retweeted
    Dec 18

    After Mesut Özil's decision to speak out against China's oppression of Uighur Muslims -- and the reluctance of many nations to criticise Beijing -- the takes a look at who has said what.

    3 replies 61 retweets 84 likes
  30. Dec 17

    . on the Security Council debate about extending cross-border aid to Syria under resolution 2165.

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  31. Retweeted
    Dec 17

    Maritime zones under dispute btw TR & Greece in Aegean Sea

    2 replies 20 retweets 37 likes
  32. Retweeted
    Dec 14

    Meanwhile, there's a billboard in Beirut advertising 22 karat gold chewing gum.

    5 replies 7 retweets 22 likes
  33. Retweeted
    Dec 17

    The silence of officials regarding the number of those killed in the November protests has concerned even hard-line media

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  34. Dec 17

    Vassily Nebenzia explains Moscow's demand to restrict UN cross-border aid to SDF areas of Syria, threatens to use veto: "If it so happens that our draft does not pass, this will mean that the mechanism that we have proposed to extend will not be extended."

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  35. Retweeted
    Dec 17

    Så gör de nordiska länderna med barnen i al-Hollägret

    16 replies 3 retweets 8 likes
  36. Dec 17

    Assad and Iran won't budge politically because of the new U.S. sanctions on Syria, but maybe Russia will, writes .

    2 replies 4 retweets 19 likes
  37. Retweeted
    Dec 17

    A long time coming: Congress Authorizes Sanctions On Syria, Iran And Russia : NPR

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  38. Retweeted
    Dec 17

    Congress is close to expanding sanctions on the Assad government and its supporters after 3 years of struggling to pass the legislation via

    1 reply 4 retweets 7 likes
  39. Dec 17

    While the Security Council debates resolution 2165, another set of controversial changes to Syria's humanitarian architecture has been put on hold after complaints they would grant Assad's government too much control over aid distribution. :

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  40. Dec 17

    All three rulings are available in Danish here.

    2 replies 1 retweet 3 likes
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