Lima Charlie’s Middle East / North Africa Update In Brief

‪ JUL13-14

#SYRIA: UNCONFIRMED ‪#‎REPORTS made by ‪#‎ISIS affiliated news outlets claim that the group has shot down a MIG fighter jet south of Deir ez-Zor.

The ‪#‎ISIS news agency Amaq Agency has announced the death of ISIS senior commander Omar al-Shishani.

“Both the ‪#‎Taliban and ‪#‎ISIS claimed responsibility for a deadly terror attack in the ‪#‎Afghan capital on Monday, underscoring competition between the rival militant groups and what could be territorial incursion.” Via CBS.

#SOUTH SUDAN: “Chinese firms evacuate 330 staff in South Sudan as deadly fighting escalates”

Via South China Morning Post

 “UN’s Ladsous calls for urgent arms embargo on S.Sudan ”

Via Kuwait News Agency, KUNA

“South Sudan Civil Society Rejects Foreign Interference In South Sudan’s Conflict”

Via Gurtong News

“Uganda is losing about $1 million (Shs3.3 billion) every day since war resumed in Juba, the South Sudan capital last weekend. According to the traders’ leadership in Kampala, this figure is a very conservative estimate, considering that it does not factor in losses inflicted on life and properties. ”

Via AllAfrica

‪#‎UN – In a few hours the UN Security Council will receive a public briefing on South Sudan from Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, which will be followed by consultations. In addition to Ladsous, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Ellen Margrethe Løj is expected to participate via video-teleconference in the consultations. It is also possible that the UNMISS Force Commander, Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam, will take part in the consultations via video-teleconference, although this had yet to be confirmed at press time.

Lima Charlie will be reporting on the findings in summarization once the report has been released.

TIMESTAMP: 1017 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎INDIA ‪#‎SOUTHSUDAN: “Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh is on board one of the two C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force that are on their way to South Sudan’s capital Juba. He is accompanied by by Amar Sinha, secretary (economic relations) in the external affairs ministry, joint secretary Satbir Singh and director Anjani Kumar.”

Via Rediff

‪#‎JORDAN: “The King’s Advisor for Military Affairs and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General, Mashal Al Zaben, Wednesday, met a US delegation led by Commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Joseph Votel, for talks on military cooperation.

At the meeting, General Al Zaben discussed with Votel cooperation and coordination between the armed forces of both countries.

The meeting was attended by the U.S. Defense Attache in Amman.”

This according to the Jordanian wire service Ammon.

TIMESTAMP: 0014 ZULU+2 JUL14

‪#‎Jordan will host experts from 22 countries for a global nursing and midwifery summit on JUL18 under the patronage of HRH Princess Muna, according to a statement made by the Columbia Global Centres in Amman and New York’s Columbia University School of Nursing whom are organizing the event.

TIMESTAMP: 1013 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎Jordan has agreed to a one-time delivery of 30 days’ worth of food to tens of thousands of ‪#‎Syrian refugees currently stuck on the kingdom’s sealed border according to a statement made by the director of the U.N. World Food Program, Erharin Cousin, on JUL12.

The number of refugees on the border area is believed to be more than 100,000 at the present, according to UN numbers.

TIMESTAMP: 1012 ZULU+2 JUL13

#INDIA: The ‪#‎Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has directed the country’s civilian security forces to exercise “absolute restraint” and ensure safe passage of civilians in Kashmir following the killing of a popular Hindy militant leader. Thirty-two people have died in clashes between protesters since the weekend, and Pakistan summoned India’s high commissioner to discuss the violence.

TIMESTAMP: 1548ZULU+2 JUL13

#FRANCE: ‪#‎France shuts diplomatic missions in ‪#‎Turkey until further notice for security reasons. VIA AFP

#‎ITALY ‪#‎SYRIA: re Intelligence Information Sharing; The head of the syrian General Intelligence Directorate (GED) is Major General Deeb Zeitoun, and has been on the EU sanctions blacklist for since 2007.

Despite this the Italian government extended him an official invitation to join the Italian Intelligence Community in Rome to discuss cooperation. While in Rome, the Major stayed stayed at a private villa provided by Italian intelligence, regional news reports.

Mr. Manenti’s, the head of the Italian Intelligence Community, visit to Damascus was confidential. The head of AISE, the Italian secret service, was not only granted a personal meeting with Syrian President Bashar al Assad, but also held talks with Syria’s head of intelligence organizations while the discussion of the possibilities of cooperating on counter-terrorism.

The meetings were, reportedly, fruitful for both parties.

TIMESTAMP: 1323 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎ITALY’s intelligence chief, Alberto Manenti, has allegedly held unannounced meetings with the President of ‪#‎Syria, Basher Al Assad, during which the two representatives discussed counter-terrorism cooperation and sharing of information on Jihadists active in Europe. Last week Mr Manenti’s Syrian counterpart, Deeb Zeitoun, visited Rome to engage in similar discussions with the Italian Intelligence community and its Political affiliates. This behind-the-scenes exchange of visits of intelligence chiefs became the first official contact between high-level Syrian and EU officials since 2011.

TIMESTAMP: 1319 ZULU+2 JUL13

#‪RUSSIA: ‎ “Russia may have lied about losing a gunship to ISIS in Syria. ” Via Washington Post

‪#‎IRAQ: The Iraqi military regained control over the key airbase Qayyarah Airfield West, or Q-West, outside of Mosul late JUL11. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter remarked that Q-West “will become a vital springboard for the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] offensive into Mosul,” while “Coalition forces will also continue to provide enabler support to Kurdish Peshmerga as they converge on Mosul from Iraq’s north.”

The Iraqi military, often backed by Iranian-supported Shia militias, has regained the initiative after a string of defeats beginning in January 2014 that saw nearly one third of the country fall under the Islamic State’s control.

The Iraqi government has said it hopes to retake Mosul, the last major city in Iraq under Islamic State control, by the end of the year. The Islamic State also controls a large area south of Mosul; most of these areas will need to be cleared before Iraqi forces can enter the city.

Carter said that the Iraqi government and the US are working to “hasten ISIL’s lasting defeat.”

TIMESTAMP: 1009 ZULU+2 JUL13

#‪YEMEN: #‎UN’s Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has requested to meet with Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in an attempt to save peace negotiations in the war-torn country, according to well-informed sources. Yassin Makawi, the advisor of the Yemeni president, told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Monday that Ould Cheikh Ahmed had asked to meet with Hadi, in the wake of the latter’s threats to boycott the ongoing peace talks in Kuwait if the United Nations keeps insisting on a roadmap for the formation of a unity government.

TIMESTAMP: 1008 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎YEMEN ‪#‎IRAN ‪#‎SAUDI: Hadi/Saudi loyal media outlets in Yemen reported yesterday that the Hadi loyal military and Saudi lead coalition had seized a ship loaded with weapons and ammunition on Friday afternoon. The ship is allegedly to have been heading to rearm al Houthi forces. In a statement, Aden city governor General Aidroos Al-Zubaidi said that forces seized the shipment near the coast of Somalia and Djibouti coming from the Horn of Africa while heading to Al-Mukha District.

Al-Zubaidi said that the ship is currently being held until authorities can complete their investigations. He did not mention what personnel were found on board the ship.

TIMESTAMP: 1005 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎SOMALIA: 8 Somalian soldiers were killed when a suicide VBIED targeting the Lanta Buro Base, in the Lower Shabelle region, late Sunday/early Monday. Lanta Buro is an military training camp. After the VBIED the attackers followed up by an on-foot assault of the base.

TIMESTAMP 0934 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎ALEPPO: The past 96 hours has seen a surge in violence in the Northern city of Aleppo in Syria. Monday saw 26 people killed, and untold number of wounded. Tuesday a reported VBIED and direct attacks and counter attacks by parties involved saw a reported mid 30s killed. Already this Wednesday morning we have heard reports of up towards 8 people killed in the fighting for a power station.

A more comprehensive and summarizing post will be made later today.

TIMESTAMP: 1002 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#‎ISRAEL: Israel’s ambassador to the UN stated yesterday that the Lebanon-based group ‪#‎Hezbollah has amassed a larger arsenal of hidden rockets and missiles. The Ambassador, Danny Danon, said that the group had 120,000 rockets and missile, more than all of the European NATO allied nations combined.

TIMESTAMP: 0942 ZULU+2 JUL13

‪#ISRAEL #PALESTINE: #‎UN S-G Ban Ki-Moon urges both parties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to immediately begin discussions on implementing the recommendations made in a recent report published. “The parties will have to make the necessary compromises for peace. At the same time, the region and the wider international community must exercise its influence to encourage both sides,” the Secretary-General said this Tuesday morning in remarks to the Security Council’s briefing on the situation in the Middle East.

TIMESTAMP: 0911 ZULU+2 JUL13

#AUSTRALIA: According to Australian News, Australian and Indonesian intelligence agencies has set up a joint task force group to combat the unprecedented rise of militant Islamism in Southeast Asia, which is fueled by the Islamic State. The program is already deployed, and a center has been set up in Indonesia staffed with regional intelligence representatives as well as Australian intelligence officers. The regional ISIS militant group appears to have replaced al-Qaeda in the minds of many radical Islamists in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and elsewhere, and is fueling the resurgence of smaller Islamist sects that have laid largely dormant for years.

Relations between militant Islamist sects in Indonesia —the world’s most populous Muslim nation— have traditionally been factional in nature. But some experts fear that the unprecedented growth of the Islamic State is galvanizing and uniting Islamist factions throughout Southeast Asia. Chief among them is the Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group operating across the region, which was behind the 2002 Bali bombings that killed over 200 people, 88 of them Australians. In January of this year, Jemaah Islamiyah praised a series of attacks in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, which were perpetrated by militants connected to the Islamic State. The attacks killed four people, far fewer than their perpetrators had hoped to harm. But they lasted for several hours and shocked many due to the ease with which the heavily armed terrorists were able to evade security measures. Similar attacks were recently prevented in their planning stages by security agencies in Malaysia and the Philippines.

This motivated the two nations to spearhead the creation of said task force group. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and Indonesia’s State Intelligence Agency, commonly referred to as BIN, have been given mandate to operate together within the task force until summer of 2017, when there will be a review of mission successes.

TIMESTAMP: 0858 ZULU+2 JUL13

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John Sjoholm, Lima Charlie’s Middle East Bureau Chief

john.sjoholm@limacharliemedia.com

John Sjoholm is a seasoned Middle East specialist with a past in the Swedish Army’s Special Forces branch, and in the Private Military Contracting industry. He lived and operated extensively in the Middle East between 2005-2012 as part of regional stabilizing projects, and currently resides in Jordan. Follow John on Twitter: @JohnSjoholmLC

Lima Charlie provides global news, analysis and opinion by military veterans and service members Worldwide.

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