English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 22/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but
those who are sick.
Saint Matthew 09/09-13/:”As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man
called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he
got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many
tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher
eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who
are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what
this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the
righteous but sinners.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
21-22/2026
Video & Text:
Commemorating the Annual Brutal Damour Massacre/Elias Bejjani/January 21, 2025
From 2025 Archive
Link to a video interview with writer and director Youssef Y. El Khoury/A
strategic reading of the future of the region… a New Middle East
Two dead in wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Israel army says struck four Syria-Lebanon border crossings used by Hezbollah
Israel Strikes Buildings in South Lebanon Towns
Lebanese Army says Israeli attacks obstruct completion of its operational plan
Israel Strikes Buildings in South Lebanon Towns
Israeli army warns residents of Kharayeb and Ansar in South Lebanon to evacuate
ahead of strikes
UK, US, and Canada reaffirm support for Lebanese Army border security efforts
Growth at last, strength still missing: Lebanon's economic reality
Israel says will strike Jarjouaa, al-Kfour and Qennarit in south
Karam says Israel wants Lebanon to accept 'extremely difficult' conditions
UK, US and Canada reaffirm support for Lebanese Army at High-Level Steering
Committee
Issa visits north to assess support for vulnerable communities
Court fines Khalil and Zoaiter for obstructing port blast probe
Aoun slams ‘systematic policy of aggression’ as Israeli strikes kill 2, wound
journalists in south Lebanon escalation
Mémoires de Guerre/ le massacre de Damour, 20 janvier 1976,
War Memory / the Damour Massacre, 20 January 1976/Charles Elias Chartouni/January
21/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
21-22/2026
Trump
warns Iran it will be wiped ‘off the face of this earth’ if he is assassinated
Iran not the bully of the Middle East anymore,’ Trump says at Davos
‘Negotiations with Iran have to happen,’ Steve Witkoff tells Arab News
Iran says 3,117 people killed during protests
Pope invited to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace,’ Vatican says
Hamas will be ‘blown away’ if it does not disarm, Trump warns
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, UAE join ‘Board
of Peace’
Egypt accepts Trump’s invitation to join Board of Peace
Egypt’s al-Sisi delivers special address at World Economic Forum in Davos
Israeli fire kills 11 Palestinians in Gaza, including two children, local
hospital officials say
Trump rules out force over Greenland but insists only US can secure territory
Denmark says Trump not planning to use force to take Greenland is positive
Trump wanting to take Greenland ‘a serious threat to our country’: Danish MP
US military transfers first 150 Daesh detainees from Syria to Iraq
Where are ISIS detainees in Syria?
US military launches new mission to transfer ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq:
CENTCOM
New precarious truce in Syria as US throws full support behind Sharaa
Syria accuses Kurdish force of truce breach as army enters ISIS-linked camp
How Syria’s al-Sharaa captured Kurdish-held areas while keeping the US onside
Israel says will strike Jarjouaa, al-Kfour and Qennarit in south
Karam says Israel wants Lebanon to accept 'extremely difficult' conditions
UK, US and Canada reaffirm support for Lebanese Army at High-Level Steering
Committee
Issa visits north to assess support for vulnerable communities
Court fines Khalil and Zoaiter for obstructing port blast probe
Syria's Rifaat al-Assad, the 'butcher of Hama', dies at 88
'Canada lives because of the U.S.,' Trump says during Davos speech. 'Remember
that, Mark'
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
21-22/2026
Trump's
Strategic Pause: If Trump Betrays Iran's Protesters, Russia and China will
Celebrate/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/January 21, 2026
Canada’s Bet on Beijing Puts USMCA at Risk /Elaine K. Dezenski & Susan Soh/January
21, 2026
Preventing Houthi Rearmament Now Can Avert a Costly Future Confrontation/Bridget
Toomey & Ahmad Sharawi/FDD-Policy Brief/January 21/2026
As Iran’s uprising intensifies, Israel cannot afford to sit this one out/Saeed
Ghasseminejad & Navid Mohebbi/Ynet News/January 21/2026
Syrian Offensive Against Kurdish-Led SDF Risks Escape of ISIS Prisoners/Ahmad
Sharawi/FDD-Policy Brief/January 21/2026
Saudi Arabia’s bold new chapter: How the Kingdom is redefining growth, global
integration/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 21/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
21-22/2026
Video & Text: Commemorating the Annual Brutal Damour Massacre
Elias Bejjani/January 21, 2025 From 2025 Archive
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/126200/
The memory of the Damour Massacre, perpetrated by the Syrian Assad regime,
Palestinian terrorism, leftist and Arab nationalist groups, and jihadists on
January 20, 1976, remains etched in the Lebanese, Christian, moral, national,
and faith-based consciousness. It serves as a painful reminder of a brutal
chapter in Lebanon’s history and the resilient struggle of its free Christian
community.
On Naim
Qassem’s Speech: Insolence, Delusion, and Street-Level Vulgarity in Open
Rebellion Against Lebanon and the World
Elias Bejjani/January 19/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151257/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRlRrHRUmUg
Sheikh Naïm Qassem’s latest speech was not a mere slip of the tongue or a
momentary emotional outburst. It was a blatant declaration of total estrangement
from Lebanon as a state, and a brazen rebellion against the Lebanese
people—their institutions, their decisions, and their national dignity. It was a
speech drawn from the gutter language of the street, not from the position of a
political leader, deliberately confrontational, crude, and saturated with
arrogance and coercion.
When Qassem declares that Hezbollah’s weapons will remain “by force, over the
necks of the Lebanese,” he is not expressing a political stance; he is
effectively signing a document of internal occupation. That statement alone is
sufficient to strip away all the masks of “resistance,” “protection,” and
“defense of the homeland,” revealing the naked truth: we are facing an armed
organization that views the Lebanese as subjects, not citizens, and sees the
state as an obstacle to be smashed, not an authority to which it is accountable.
From Political Speech to Verbal Thuggery
What was labeled a “speech” was nothing more than a bundle of obscene,
street-level insults and a reckless flight forward. Qassem did not debate, did
not argue, did not reason. He insulted, threatened, and waved the specter of
civil war, as if Lebanon were a private estate and Lebanese blood merely a
bargaining chip.
He targeted the President of the Republic, attacked the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and appointed himself guardian over the government, ordering it either
to submit, to silence itself, or to change course. This is not the language of
leadership; it is the language of a militia in distress. It is not a sign of
strength, but of weakness and fear. The tighter the noose grows around the
party’s regional patron in Tehran, the louder the shouting becomes in Beirut’s
southern suburbs, Hezbollah’s stronghold. And the closer Lebanon comes to a
serious reckoning over placing weapons exclusively under state authority, the
more Qassem emerges threatening that “not one stone will be left upon another.”
Weapons: From “Resistance” to Burden and Threat
The most dangerous aspect of Qassem’s speech is not merely its vulgarity or its
detachment from reality and actual capabilities, but its open contempt for
everything Lebanese—national sovereignty, civil peace, and its servile
submission to Iranian dictates.
He trivialized and leapt over international resolutions, trampled the Armistice
Agreement that binds Lebanon and prohibits any armed organization outside state
legitimacy, mocked Arab and international consensus, ignored Israel’s military
power, and insulted and derided the will of the vast majority of Lebanese who
want a normal state—without rogue weapons and without militias that know nothing
but stupidity, hatred, and the glorification and sanctification of suicidal
death.
When Qassem challenges the state and declares his weapons beyond any discussion,
he implicitly admits that these weapons no longer serve any national purpose.
They serve only one function: protecting the party’s apparatus and its
mini-state, even if that comes at the ruins of Lebanon itself.
Branding Sovereignty as Treason… to Cover Defeat
Qassem reverted to the easiest weapon of all: accusations of treason. Anyone who
demands state sovereignty is a “traitor.” Anyone who works through diplomacy is
a “tool.” Anyone who rejects his weapons is “inciting civil war.” But the truth
is far too clear to be concealed by insults: the party’s project has reached a
dead end. The illusions of “victory” can no longer feed a hungry people, rebuild
a destroyed city, or rescue a collapsed economy.
What Comes After This Defiance?
After this speech, silence is no longer an option, and evasiveness is no longer
acceptable. What Naïm Qassem said imposes firm and unequivocal steps on the
Lebanese government—not vague, grey statements:
The immediate expulsion of Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers from the
government, because anyone who threatens the state cannot be a partner in
governing it.
A clear and official declaration of the end of the state of war with Israel, and
an end to its use as a pretext for retaining weapons.
The designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization at the national level,
consistent with its threatening and insurrectionary behavior.
The arrest of Hezbollah leaders involved in threatening civil peace and their
referral to the judiciary, rather than rewarding them with positions of power.
Conclusion
Naïm Qassem’s speech was not a defense of “resistance,” but a declaration of
open hostility toward Lebanon. It was not a show of strength, but a fit of
political panic. It was not directed at Israel or the outside world, but at the
Lebanese themselves—as if to tell them: “The state is finished, and we are the
alternative.”
Here lies the crux of the matter: Either a state, or Naïm Qassem. Either the
rule of law, or the logic of “by force, over your necks.”History does not
forgive the hesitant.
Link to a video interview
with writer and director Youssef Y. El Khoury/A strategic reading of the future
of the region… a New Middle East
The interview is from the website “Kell Lebanon”
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151339/
21 January 2026
Two dead in wave of Israeli
strikes on Lebanon
AFP/January 21, 2026
BEIRUT: Israel launched fresh strikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in
south Lebanon after raids earlier Wednesday killed two people, the latest
violence despite a year-old ceasefire with the militant group. The state-run
National News Agency said Israeli warplanes launched raids on buildings in
several south Lebanon towns including Qanarit and Kfour, after the Israeli army
issued evacuation warnings to residents identifying sites it intended to strike
there. An AFP photographer was slightly wounded along with two other journalists
who were working near the site of a heavy strike in Qanarit.
The Israeli army said it was striking Hezbollah targets in response to the
group’s “repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings.”Under heavy US
pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to
disarming Hezbollah. But Israel has criticized the Lebanese army’s progress as
insufficient and has kept up regular strikes, usually saying it is targeting
members of the Iran-backed group or its infrastructure. Earlier Wednesday, the
health ministry said an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the town of Zahrani, in
the Sidon district, killed one person. An AFP correspondent saw a charred car on
a main road with debris strewn across the area and emergency workers in
attendance. Later, the ministry said another strike targeting a vehicle in the
town of Bazuriyeh in the Tyre district killed one person. Israel said it struck
Hezbollah operatives in both areas. A Lebanese army statement decried the
Israeli targeting of “civilian buildings and homes” in a “blatant violation of
Lebanon’s sovereignty” and the ceasefire deal. It also said such attacks “hinder
the army’s efforts” to complete the disarmament plan. This month, the army said
it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the
area south of the Litani river, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli
border. Most of Wednesday’s strikes were north of the river. More than 350
people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire,
according to an AFP tally of health ministry reports. The November 2024 truce
sought to end more than a year of hostilities, but Israel accuses Hezbollah of
rearming, while the militant group has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
Israel army says struck
four Syria-Lebanon border crossings used by Hezbollah
LBCI/January 21, 2026
The Israeli military said it struck four crossings along the Syria-Lebanon
border on Wednesday that were used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons. "A short
while ago, the (Israeli military) struck four border crossings on the
Syria-Lebanon Border used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons in the area of Hermel,"
the military said in a statement. AFP
Israel Strikes Buildings in South Lebanon Towns
This is Beirut/January 21, 2026
On Wednesday, following earlier strikes in Zahrani, additional Israeli
airstrikes targeted buildings in the south Lebanon towns of Jarjouaa, Qenarrit,
and Kfour. The Israeli army carried out the attacks aiming to impair alleged
Hezbollah military infrastructure. Prior to the strikes, Israeli army
spokesperson Avichay Adraee released an evacuation warning on X to the residents
of these towns prior to the anticipated hits. Residents and occupants within 300
meters of the targeted sites were urged to vacate the scene. This set of
bombardments by the Israeli army follows attacks that killed two people in
Zahrani, in the district of Sidon, earlier on Wednesday. This earlier strike was
aimed at alleged Hezbollah operatives operating in the region, notably north of
the Litani river. The Israeli army issued a statement outlining its intent to
counter Hezbollah’s ability to regroup and resume activity in south Lebanon,
asserting that attacks will be focused on damaging Hezbollah military
infrastructure.
Lebanese Army says Israeli attacks obstruct completion of
its operational plan
LBCI/January 21, 2026
The Lebanese Army said Israeli attacks and violations against Lebanon are
continuing, targeting civilian buildings and homes in several areas, most
recently in southern villages, in what it described as a blatant breach of
Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and the ceasefire agreement, as well as U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1701. In a statement, the army said the attacks it
condemned were hindering its efforts and obstructing the completion of its
operational plan, while also intimidating civilians. The military said the
strikes have resulted in civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries, and
have forced dozens of families to flee after losing their homes. The army warned
that the continued attacks are negatively affecting stability in the region,
stressing that such violations undermine efforts to maintain calm and enforce
the terms of the cessation of hostilities.
Israel Strikes Buildings in South Lebanon Towns
This is Beirut/January 21, 2026
On Wednesday, following earlier strikes in Zahrani, additional Israeli
airstrikes targeted buildings in the south Lebanon towns of Jarjouaa, Qenarrit,
and Kfour. The Israeli army carried out the attacks aiming to impair alleged
Hezbollah military infrastructure. Prior to the strikes, Israeli army
spokesperson Avichay Adraee released an evacuation warning on X to the residents
of these towns prior to the anticipated hits. Residents and occupants within 300
meters of the targeted sites were urged to vacate the scene.This set of
bombardments by the Israeli army follows attacks that killed two people in
Zahrani, in the district of Sidon, earlier on Wednesday. This earlier strike was
aimed at alleged Hezbollah operatives operating in the region, notably north of
the Litani river. The Israeli army issued a statement outlining its intent to
counter Hezbollah’s ability to regroup and resume activity in south Lebanon,
asserting that attacks will be focused on damaging Hezbollah military
infrastructure.
Israeli army warns residents of Kharayeb and Ansar in South
Lebanon to evacuate ahead of strikes
LBCI/January 21, 2026
The Israeli army on Wednesday issued an urgent evacuation warning to residents
of the southern Lebanese towns of Kharayeb and Ansar, citing imminent strikes.
In a post on X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the army would
soon target what it described as Hezbollah military infrastructure, accusing the
group of attempting to rebuild its activities in the area. Adraee urged
residents living in buildings marked in red on accompanying maps, as well as
nearby structures, to evacuate immediately and move at least 300 meters away.
UK, US, and Canada reaffirm support for Lebanese Army border security efforts
Lebanon News
LBCI/January 21, 2026
The British, U.S., and Canadian ambassadors to Lebanon met on Wednesday with
Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal during a High Supervision
Committee meeting on the Border Protection Assistance Program to secure
Lebanon's land borders. In a statement issued by the British Embassy in Beirut,
the committee said it reviewed progress made and challenges facing efforts to
secure Lebanon's eastern and northern borders, reaffirming its support for the
Lebanese Armed Forces in strengthening state authority at what it described as a
critical time.
The statement noted that the United Kingdom has supported the Lebanese Army's
Land Border Regiments since 2013, leading to the establishment of 84 operational
bases along the border with Syria. Six additional bases have been built since
January 2025.
Alongside training and equipment, the support aims to enhance the army's
capacity to secure Lebanon's eastern and northern borders, including combating
smuggling and other illegal activities. During the meeting, British Ambassador
Hamish Cowell stressed the United Kingdom's steadfast backing for the Lebanese
Army's central role in maintaining security and stability, including in South
Lebanon. He welcomed progress toward confining weapons to state authority,
describing it as a key step toward a stable and secure Lebanon.Following the
meeting, Cowell said it was an honor to meet with General Haykal and review
advances in border security. He praised the Lebanese Armed Forces for
demonstrating high professionalism and exceptional resilience in safeguarding
Lebanon's sovereignty under difficult circumstances, adding that the United
Kingdom would continue to work closely with partners in the United States,
Canada, and the broader international community to strengthen Lebanon's
security, stability, and territorial integrity.
Growth at last, strength still missing: Lebanon's economic
reality
LBCI/January 21, 2026
Lebanon recorded economic growth of around 5% in 2025, its first positive growth
rate in more than 15 years, a figure that may appear encouraging at first glance
but requires careful interpretation. The growth comes after a severe contraction
in 2024, when the economy shrank by about 7%, reflecting the weakness of overall
economic activity. As a result, the improvement seen in 2025 is measured against
an exceptionally low base, making the rebound appear stronger than it is in real
terms. Analysts compare the situation to an economy that suffered a major shock
and then managed to take a small step forward. While the step may look
significant, the economy remains fragile and far from regaining its strength.
Growth figures are calculated by comparing one year to the previous one, meaning
the 5% increase in 2025 reflects a modest improvement from a deeply negative
year rather than a return to robust economic health. Despite the uptick, overall
economic performance remains below pre-crisis levels.
Israel says will strike
Jarjouaa, al-Kfour and Qennarit in south
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
"For your safety you must evacuate them immediately and move away to a distance
of no less than 300 meters", the army's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee
wrote on X to residents living near certain buildings in the villages of
Qennarit, Al-Kfour, and Jarjouaa -- all located north of the Litani river.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli strikes in south Lebanon killed two people, as
Israel said it targeted operatives from Hezbollah. Israel has kept up regular
strikes in Lebanon despite the November 2024 truce that sought to end more than
a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, usually saying it is targeting members of
the Iran-backed group or its infrastructure.
The health ministry said that an "Israeli enemy strike... on a vehicle in the
town of Zahrani in the Sidon district killed one person", referring to an area
far from the Israeli border.
An AFP correspondent saw a charred car on a main road with debris strewn across
the area and emergency workers in attendance. Later, the ministry said another
strike targeting a vehicle in the town of Bazouriyeh in the Tyre district killed
one person.
Israel said it struck operatives from the militant group in both areas, saying
the raids came "in response to Hezbollah's repeated violations of the ceasefire
understandings".
This month, Lebanon's army said it had completed the first phase of its plan to
disarm the group, covering the area south of the Litani river, around 30
kilometers from the Israeli border. The strike in Zahrani on Wednesday was north
of the Litani.
Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming, has criticized the army's progress
as insufficient, while Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
More than 350 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the
ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of health ministry reports.
Karam says Israel wants Lebanon to accept 'extremely difficult' conditions
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
Israel and the U.S. are trying to suspend a committee monitoring the ceasefire
between Lebanon and Israel and are instead asking Lebanon to accept "extremely
difficult" conditions, the head of Lebanon's delegation to the committee said.
Lebanese diplomat and lawyer Simon Karam told journalists Tuesday that the
American-Israeli decision and continuous pressure to obstruct the committee's
work are "pushing things toward the unknown" and that Lebanon cannot agree to
the extremely difficult conditions that Israel is demanding. Karam confirmed
that there is a clear disagreement between the U.S. and France over the
situation in south Lebanon, after local media previously reported that the U.S.
is trying to sideline France. "Israel is not willing to take any step on the
ground and what it is instead demanding is extremely harsh. It is something that
Lebanon cannot go along with," Karam said. Karam said that in the latest
Mechanism's meeting, the Israeli side refused to admit in the statement, that
usually follows the meetings, the achievements of the Lebanese army after it
completed the first phase of Hezbollah's disarmament south of the Litani River.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said in a statement that Lebanon's
efforts to disarm Hezbollah were encouraging but "far from sufficient", after
the Lebanese army announced it had completed the first phase of the process,
earlier this month.
UK, US and Canada reaffirm support for Lebanese Army at High-Level Steering
Committee
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell, U.S. Ambassador, Michel Issa, and
Canadian Ambassador Gregory Galligan met Lebanese Army chief General Rodolphe
Haykal during the High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) meeting on Wednesday.
“The Committee convened to review progress and challenges in securing Lebanon’s
eastern and northern borders, and reaffirmed support for the LAF’s (Lebanese
Army’s) efforts to reinforce state authority at this critical time,” the British
embassy said.
The UK has supported the army’s Land Border Regiments since 2013, with the
construction of 84 operating bases along the border with Syria, including a
further six built since January 2025. “Alongside training and equipment, this
supports the LAF to protect Lebanon’s eastern and northern borders, including
from smuggling and illegal activity,” the embassy added. During the meeting,
Ambassador Cowell underlined “the UK’s steadfast support for the LAF’s pivotal
role in maintaining security and stability during a period of significant
challenge, including in South Lebanon.” He welcomed “progress towards achieving
state monopoly of arms -- a key step for a stable and secure Lebanon.”Following
the meeting, Cowell said: “It was an honor to meet General Haykal and review
progress on Lebanon’s border security. The Lebanese Armed Forces have shown
exceptional professionalism and resilience in safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty
during these challenging times”. “We will continue working closely with our U.S.
and Canadian partners -- and with the wider international community -- to
further strengthen Lebanon’s security, stability, and territorial integrity,” he
added.
Issa visits north to assess support for vulnerable communities
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said the United States remains “committed to
delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance and supporting durable solutions
for vulnerable communities across Lebanon,” after U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa
made a recent visit to North Lebanon and Akkar. Issa and his wife joined
officials from the Lebanon offices of the World Food Program, the U.N. Refugee
Agency and UNICEF to “see firsthand the humanitarian situation on the ground,”
the Embassy said in a post on X. The visit included meetings with local partners
and communities to discuss “ongoing challenges and progress toward voluntary
refugee returns.”
Court fines Khalil and Zoaiter for obstructing port blast probe
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
The Beirut Court of First Instance has ordered former ministers Ali Hassan
Khalil and Ghazi Zoaiter to pay a compensation of 10 billion Lebanese pounds
over “the abuse of the right to litigate, defend and appeal,” and for stalling
the Beirut port blast case.
The court accused the two ex-ministers of filing successive motions to dismiss
the investigating judge and the judges overseeing those motions, with the intent
of paralyzing the investigation. This ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Judge
Dania Dahdah through her legal representatives against Zoaiter and Khalil.The
lawsuit detailed the trajectory of the investigation's obstruction, beginning
with the legal action against the former first investigating judge, Fadi Sawan,
to disqualify him under the guise of "legitimate suspicion" after he summoned
the two ministers. This led to a months-long suspension of the probe until Judge
Tarek Bitar was appointed as his successor, followed by a series of motions to
dismiss Bitar, which also resulted in long periods of paralysis.Over 40
lawsuits, including motions for dismissal, recusal, and "usurpation of
authority" were filed against Judge Bitar by several defendants, including
former State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, before the judiciary ultimately issued
a decision dismissing the charges against Bitar. In mid-January 2024, Bitar
resumed his investigation despite the pending lawsuits after more than two years
of obstruction, summoning senior officials and security personnel.
Following the election of President Joseph Aoun and the formation of Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam’s government, both leaders pledged that justice would be
served and emphasized that "no one has immunity."In March 2025, human rights
organizations and victims' families urged the government to ensure the
investigation proceeds without political interference. A Human Rights Watch
report previously linked the disaster to government failure and the potential
involvement of high-ranking officials. In December 2024, State Prosecutor Jamal
Al-Hajjar lifted a travel ban on Bitar, allowing him to travel to Bulgaria to
interrogate Igor Grechushkin, the owner of the ship Rhosus, which had brought
the ammonium nitrate shipment to Beirut in 2013. A Bulgarian court refused to
extradite Grechushkin to Lebanon, citing a lack of guarantees regarding the
death penalty. Grechushkin subsequently refused to testify during Bitar's visit,
stalling a lead that many hoped would reveal the ultimate truth behind the
explosion.
Aoun slams ‘systematic
policy of aggression’ as Israeli strikes kill 2, wound journalists in south
Lebanon escalation
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/January 21, 2026
BEIRUT: Two people were killed and several journalists wounded in a series of
Israeli attacks on Wednesday targeting southern areas, most of which lie north
of the Litani River.
The Lebanese Army Command described the escalation as “impeding the army’s
efforts and hindering the completion of its plan to confine weapons to Lebanese
territory.” It said that the strikes terrorized civilians, caused deaths and
injuries, displaced dozens of families and undermined regional stability. The
day’s security situation was dominated by hours of Israeli escalation, including
airstrikes and evacuation warnings targeting villages and populated areas ahead
of further bombardment. The Israeli army said that warplanes carried out
precision strikes on civilian vehicles in Bazouriyeh, killing a Hezbollah
member. A separate drone strike hit a civilian vehicle on the Zahrani-Mseileh
road, killing one person, with Israel claiming the target was another Hezbollah
operative. Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee said that the military
“eliminated Abu Ali Salameh, who served as a Hezbollah liaison officer” in the
village of Yanouh, in southern Lebanon. He accused Salameh of managing Hezbollah
activities to “enable the group to operate within civilian areas and on private
property, and to establish terrorist infrastructure in the heart of populated
civilian areas, through the deliberate and cynical exploitation of the residents
to serve Hezbollah’s objectives.”Adraee claimed that on Dec. 13, Israel alerted
Lebanon’s enforcement mechanism about a Hezbollah weapons depot in Yanouh.
Salameh allegedly relayed the notification to other Hezbollah members, who then
blocked Lebanese army access by staging a gathering while removing weapons from
the site. He said that Salameh also coordinated with the Lebanese army to
falsely document the property as weapons-free, even as “suspicious boxes” were
removed via a back entrance. Adraee called these actions a violation of
Israel-Lebanon understandings, adding that “the Israeli army will continue to
take measures to eliminate all threats.”Israeli artillery also shelled the
Harmoun area in the Bint Jbeil district, south of the Litani River, prompting
Israeli army warnings — complete with maps — for residents of Qanarit, Kfour in
Nabatieh and Jarjouh to evacuate immediately.
Israeli drones then hammered the sites with heavy airstrikes, wounding
journalists in Qanarit and destroying their equipment, cameras and vehicles. The
Press Photographers Syndicate said: “Israeli claims of maintaining safe
distances offer no protection, just as the warnings issued by the enemy to
civilians offer no protection. It seems that cameras are not a red line.” The
statement urged photojournalists “to exercise caution and avoid turning their
professional commitment into a reckless gamble.” Civilians in the targeted areas
reported receiving phone calls from Israel ordering them to clear squares,
residential neighborhoods and a mosque. The Lebanese Army Command confirmed that
“Israeli attacks and violations targeted civilian buildings and homes in several
areas, most recently in villages in the south, in a blatant violation of
Lebanon’s sovereignty and security, the cessation of hostilities agreement, and
UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a
statement on Wednesday evening condemning the strikes and accused Tel Aviv of
“pursuing a systematic policy of aggression” that targeted civilians and
violated international humanitarian law, and constituted “a dangerous
escalation.”
“This repeated aggressive behavior proves Israel’s refusal to abide by its
commitments under the cessation of hostilities agreement and reflects a
deliberate disregard for the efforts exerted by the Lebanese state to control
the situation on the ground, maintain stability, and prevent the escalation of
the confrontation,” he said.He called on the international community —
particularly the agreement’s sponsors — “to assume their legal and political
responsibilities and take clear and effective measures to stop these violations
and put an end to the policy of impunity.”The escalation also came as Aoun
reaffirmed his commitment to “monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state
throughout all Lebanese territory.”At a meeting of the Higher Supervisory
Committee for Lebanon’s border protection program — attended by the US and
Canadian ambassadors — Army Commander Gen. Rudolph Haykal stressed the army’s
“absolute commitment” to securing borders but called for “qualitative military
support” to tackle challenges on the northern and eastern fronts. The army said
that the ambassadors praised “its professionalism and success,” stressing the
need to bolster the military institution to enhance its ability to maintain
security nationwide. Lebanese military units are currently securing the northern
and eastern borders with Syria to combat smuggling, weapons transfers and
illegal infiltration.
Mémoires de Guerre/ le
massacre de Damour, 20 janvier 1976,
témoignage personnel
Charles Elias Chartouni/January 21/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151345/
Le 20 Janvier 1976, la ville côtière de Damour ( située au sud de Beyrouth )
tombe après 11 jours de siège ( coupure d’eau, d’électricité,
d’approvisionnement, bombardement massif, massacres à l’arme blanche et
interdiction d’accès à la Croix Rouge ). La chute de la plus grande bourgade
chrétienne située entre Beyrouth et Sidon répondait à des impératifs
stratégiques multiples et croisés: la cassure des plateformes géopolitiques de
la présence chrétienne, l’instrumentalisation de cette cassure au profit des
agendas contrastés de ce noeud de vipères qu’était l’alliance entre les
organisations palestiniennes ( Fath, FPLP, FDLP, Saika,… ) et la gauche
libanaise, et la mise en lambeaux de la souveraineté territoriale, le Liban se
transforme en terrain d’affrontement par procuration à des forces politiques
infra-étatiques ( OLP, brigades internationales marxistes- Brigada Rota , Baader
Meinhof, Armée Rouge japonaise-, mercenaires de tout acabit, soudanais, lybien,
afghan, somalien,… ) ainsi qu’aux politiques de puissance régionale ( Syrie,
Iraq, Lybie, Arabie Saoudite ) dans le cadre de la guerre froide. Ce massacre a
laissé un lourd bilan de 600 victimes et 3000 déplacés. Les photos que je
reproduis récapitulent l’épisode douloureux de l’évacuation par voie de mer des
habitants en direction de Jounieh, au cœur du pays chrétien. Les opérations de
secours ont été organisées et dirigées par le Père Boulos Naaman qui a
réquisitionné des embarcations de toutes tailles, bateaux et yachts de l’ATCL
afin d’assurer l’évacuation des 3000 habitants restés dans la bourgade.
L’opération a duré trois longues journées avec des aléas sécuritaires de grande
envergure, comment fallait t’il assurer le passage entre les deux villes situées
à une quarantaine de kilomètres, en évitant les attaques maritimes, ce qui
nécessitait une navigation en haute mer et de préférence la nuit, avec des
embarcations peu adéquates pour ce genre d’entreprises périlleuses. Cette
gageure a été réussie sans victimes, mais elle inaugurait l’ère des déplacements
massifs et remaniements géopolitiques majeurs. Les habitants de Damour, à
l’instar de tous les déplacés chrétiens devaient recommencer leur vie dans un
espace vital extrêmement rétréci, sans ressources importantes et encerclés de
toutes parts. C’est le commencement de la grande vague migratoire qui mettra les
chrétiens du Chouf, du Sud, de la Bekaa et du Nord sur le chemin de leurs aïeux
en direction de l’Australie, des Amériques latines, des USA, du Canada et plus
tard la France, la Suède et l’Allemagne ( 1000000 ). Ayant pris part à cette
équipée, je me rappelle très vivement de cet épisode et me dis qu’après tant de
tragédies et de malheurs nous méritions mieux qu’un faux semblant de pays, mis
en coupe réglée par les politiques de puissance chiite et sunnite, dans le cadre
d’un Moyen Orient éclaté, et des oligarchies politico-financières véreuses,
traîtresses et sans foi ni loi. Ce qui est grave c’est la volonté de nous
imposer une oblitération mémorielle et de faire comme si tout cela n’a jamais
existé. C’est sur la base de cette amnésie forcée qu’un certain Liban est en
train d’émerger.
War Memory / the Damour
Massacre, 20 January 1976
Charles Elias Chartouni/January 21/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151345/
On 20 January 1976, the coastal town of Damour (located south of Beirut) fell
after 11 days of siege (cut off from water, electricity, and supplies; heavy
bombardment; machete massacres; and denial of Red Cross access). The fall of the
largest Christian town between Beirut and Sidon responded to multiple,
overlapping strategic imperatives: breaking the geopolitical platforms of the
Christian presence; exploiting that break for the divergent agendas of the
venomous alliance of Palestinian organizations (Fatah, PFLP, PLFP, Saika, …) and
the Lebanese left; and shredding territorial sovereignty. Lebanon was
transformed into a proxy battleground for infra-state political forces (PLO,
international Marxist brigades — Brigada Rota, Baader-Meinhof, Japanese Red Army
— mercenaries of all kinds: Sudanese, Libyan, Afghan, Somali, …) as well as
regional power politics (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia) within the framework
of the Cold War.This massacre left a heavy toll of 600 dead and 3,000 displaced.
The photos I reproduce summarize the painful episode of evacuating inhabitants
by sea toward Jounieh, in the heart of the Christian area. Relief operations
were organized and led by Father Boulos Naaman, who requisitioned vessels of all
sizes — boats and yachts from the ATCL — to evacuate the 3,000 residents who
remained in the town. The operation lasted three long days with major security
hazards: how to ensure passage between the two towns some forty kilometers apart
while avoiding maritime attacks, which required high-sea navigation preferably
at night, using craft ill-suited to such perilous ventures.This challenge was
achieved without casualties, but it marked the beginning of massive
displacements and major geopolitical reshuffling. The inhabitants of Damour,
like all displaced Christians, had to restart their lives in an extremely
constricted living space, with few resources and surrounded on all sides. It is
the beginning of the large migratory wave that would send Christians from the
Chouf, the South, the Bekaa and the North along their ancestors’ routes to
Australia, Latin America, the USA, Canada and later France, Sweden and Germany
(1,000,000). Having taken part in this exodus, I remember this episode very
vividly and tell myself that after so many tragedies and misfortunes we deserved
better than a sham of a country, run roughshod by Shiite and Sunni power
policies within a fragmented Middle East, and by corrupt, treacherous, lawless
political-financial oligarchies. What is grave is the will to impose collective
amnesia on us and to act as if none of this ever happened. It is on the basis of
this forced amnesia that a certain Lebanon is emerging.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
21-22/2026
Trump warns Iran it will be wiped ‘off the face of this earth’ if he is
assassinated
AFP, Washington/21 January/2026
President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated a warning that Iran would be wiped
“off the face of this earth” if Tehran ever succeeded in assassinating the US
leader. In a heated exchange of threats, Iran and the United States both
threatened broadscale wars if the leaders of either country are assassinated. “I
have very firm instructions. Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off
the face of this earth,” Trump said in a News Nation interview that aired
Tuesday, in response to a question on Iran’s threats on the 79-year-old’s life.
Earlier Tuesday, in response to any threats facing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi was quoted as saying Trump already knew
Tehran would not hold back if the tables were turned. “Trump knows that if a
hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we will not only sever that
hand, and this is not a mere slogan,” Shekarchi was quoted as telling Iranian
state media. “But we will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven
in the region.”Trump issued a similar warning to Iran a year ago, shortly after
returning to the White House, when he told reporters “if they do it, they get
obliterated.”Iran is still reeling from violence unleashed during some of the
biggest anti-government protests since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Human
rights groups are working to confirm the number of people killed during the
protests, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency reporting more than 4,000
confirmed deaths. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO has said verification
of deaths in the crackdown remains severely hampered due to the communication
restrictions, but noted on Monday that available information “indicates that the
number of protesters killed may exceed even the highest media estimates”, which
reach 20,000. Iranians began holding mass demonstrations to call for relief from
economic woes in December, when the country’s currency hit a new low under the
leadership of the 86-year-old ayatollah, who has resisted democratic reform for
decades. Many in Iran’s global diaspora, including exiled Nobel Peace Prize
winner Shirin Ebadi, have called for US intervention against the ruling
apparatus in Tehran. Ebadi urged “highly targeted actions” against Iran’s
supreme leader and commanders of his Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran not the bully of the
Middle East anymore,’ Trump says at Davos
Arab News/January 21, 2026
DAVOS: Iran is no longer the “bully of the Middle East,” thanks to US military
strikes against Tehran’s nuclear facilities last year, President Donald Trump
told the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. “If we didn’t take them out, they
would have had a nuclear weapon within two months,” Trump said regarding the
strikes in June. The attack on Iran’s atomic program had paved the way for the
Gaza peace deal that followed in September, he added, largely ending Israel’s
two-year war on the territory. While he said the US actions had brought “peace
in the Middle East,” Trump urged Hamas to comply with the agreement and give up
its weapons, or risk being “blown away.”
‘Negotiations with Iran
have to happen,’ Steve Witkoff tells Arab News
TAREK ALI AHMAD/Arab News/January 21, 2026
DAVOS: Iran must come and sit at the diplomatic table, US Special Envoy to the
Middle East Steve Witkoff told Arab News on Wednesday on the sidelines of the
World Economic Forum in Davos. “That has to happen. It’s important. If Iran
goes, so the region goes, and so we have to get that straight,” the envoy said.
Since the outbreak of anti-government demonstrations, US President Donald Trump
has repeatedly urged Iran’s leaders to halt the violent crackdown on protesters,
vowing “very strong action” if executions go ahead. He has also called on
Iranians to keep demonstrating and “take over institutions,” declaring that
“help is on the way.”Although Trump has so far stepped back from direct military
intervention (at least since June’s attack on Iranian nuclear facilities),
tensions remain high and a diplomatic breakthrough has proved elusive. On
Tuesday, Davos organizers announced that the invitation to Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi had been rescinded, citing “the tragic loss of lives of
civilians in Iran over the past few weeks.”Araghchi condemned the move, accusing
the forum of “blatant double standards” and of bowing to Western pressure. The
decision came as the newly created Gaza peace board drew mixed reactions from
governments already wary of further inflaming regional sensitivities. Despite
the fraught context, Witkoff insisted that the Middle East was moving in the
right direction. “I think it’s amazing what’s happening. Everybody is, I think,
working together towards peace. Everyone’s bought into presidents Trump’s ideas
about border peace, and I think I’m very hopeful.”More than ten countries have
reportedly signed on to the main “Board of Peace” (chaired by Trump), which
carries a reported budget of $1 billion. Saudi Arabia has welcomed the
initiative but as of Wednesday had not released any official statement. European
leaders in Davos appeared more skeptical, with France’s Emmanuel Macron,
Germany’s Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italy’s Giorgia
Meloni all reported to be weighing whether to decline the invitation. Witkoff,
alongside six others on the seven-member executive board (including Marco Rubio,
Jared Kushner and Tony Blair), are expected to focus on diplomacy and investment
while overseeing Gaza’s on-the-ground administration through the “Gaza Executive
Board” and a national committee involving Palestinian technocrats. Further
announcements on participation are expected on Thursday following a fresh round
of diplomatic maneuvering in Davos, as capitals weigh the board’s potential
impact on existing UN-led efforts.final destination.
Iran says 3,117 people killed
during protests
AFP/21 January/2026
Iranian official media on Wednesday said 3,117 people were killed during
protests which first erupted in late December and which activists say were
suppressed with a deadly crackdown. A statement by Iran’s foundation for
veterans and martyrs, cited by state television, said 2,427 people in that toll
including members of the security forces were considered under Islam to be
“martyrs,” calling them “innocent” victims. The clerical authorities have
condemned the protest wave as a “terrorist” incident characterized by violent
“riots” fueled by the United States. Rights groups however say thousands of
protesters demanding change were killed by direct fire from the security forces.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO says it has verified the deaths of
3,428 protesters killed by security forces but has warned this may only
represent a minority of cases, adding that some estimates that “between 5,000
and 20,000 protesters may have been killed.”However all organizations monitoring
the toll have said that efforts to give a precise figure are being severely
impeded by the ongoing Internet blackout imposed by authorities in the Islamic
Republic, which according to monitor Netblocks has now lasted over 300 hours.
“Attempts to obscure the truth will be documented in real time. The world is
watching,” said Netblocks on the continued internet shutdown which it says is
aimed at masking the extent of the crackdown. The statement by the foundation
for veterans and martyrs quoted by state television said “many of the martyrs
were bystanders” shot dead during the protests. It also claimed that “some were
protesters who were shot by organized terrorist elements in the crowd,” without
providing evidence or details. Rights groups, including Amnesty International,
have accused security forces of deliberately targeting protesters from rooftops
and also seeking to shoot protesters in the eyes. The veterans and martyrs
foundation condemned the “treacherous hand of Iran’s enemies,” accusing the
“criminal leaders” of the United States of “supporting, equipping and arming”
those who carried out the violence.
Pope invited to Trump’s
‘Board of Peace,’ Vatican says
AFP/21 January /2026
Pope Leo XIV has been invited to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of
Peace,” the Vatican’s secretary of state said Wednesday, as reported by local
news agencies. “We’ve also received this invitation and the pope received it and
we are looking at what to do. We are researching and I believe it’s a question
that demands a little time to be considered in order to give a response,” the
Vatican’s number two, Pietro Parolin, told journalists at an event in Rome.
Hamas will be ‘blown away’ if it does not disarm, Trump
warns
Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the Palestinian group Hamas
would be “blown away” if it does not give up its weapons. Speaking at the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said the United States would soon know whether
Hamas intended to disarm. “If they don’t do it, they will be blown away very
quickly,” he said. Trump also praised US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities
carried out in June, saying they were necessary to secure peace in the Middle
East. He described Iran as “the bully of the Middle East.”During the same
appearance, Trump said he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on
Wednesday, adding that he believed both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir
Putin wanted to end the nearly four-year-old war in Ukraine. Trump later said he
would meet Zelenskyy in Davos on Thursday, not Wednesday. Turning to Europe,
Trump said parts of the continent were “not recognizable,” adding that while he
loved Europe, it was “not heading in the right direction.”He also took aim at
Canada, saying it “should be grateful” to the United States, a day after
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned of a rupture in the US-led global
system. “I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful,” Trump
said, referring to Carney’s speech at Davos, which drew a rare standing ovation.
“Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time
you make your statements.”Trump described the United States as the world’s
“economic engine,” saying global growth depended on American prosperity, while
criticizing Europe amid pushback from US allies over Washington’s bid to seize
Greenland. “The USA is the economic engine on the planet. And when America
booms, the entire world booms. It’s been the history,” he said. Trump also
repeated claims that the 2020 US election was “rigged,” saying people would be
prosecuted for their actions related to the vote.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan,
Qatar, UAE join ‘Board of Peace’
Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the UAE
have accepted invitations to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of
Peace” for Gaza, their foreign ministers said in a joint statement on
Wednesday. Each country will sign the accession documents according to its legal
procedures, the statement added. The foreign ministers reiterated their
countries’ support to the peace efforts led by Trump and commitment to help
implement the board’s mission which aims to solidify a permanent ceasefire in
the Gaza Strip and rebuild it.
Egypt accepts Trump’s invitation to join Board of Peace
Reuters, Cairo/21 January/2026
Egypt’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has
accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his “Board of
Peace”.
Egypt “announces its acceptance of the invitation and its commitment to
fulfilling the relevant legal and constitutional procedures,” the statement
said, praising Trump for his Middle East policies. “Egypt expresses its support
for the Board of Peace’s mission for the second phase of the comprehensive plan
to end the conflict in Gaza,” it added.
Egypt’s al-Sisi delivers special address at World
Economic Forum in Davos
Abeer Khan - Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delivered a special address at the World
Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, stressing that Egypt continues to build
solid regional and international partnerships to make way for comprehensive
peace and establish a thriving private-sector conducive environment. Al-Sisi
emphasized the need for non-interference in the domestic affairs of other
states, especially pertaining to countries facing internal conflict. “We call
upon all the friends in Sudan, in Somalia, in Libya, in Yemen. We call upon them
to work on stability and to make sure the principle of non-interference of
domestic affairs should [is] highlighted,” al-Sisi added. Answering questions
posed by President and CEO at the World Economic Forum, Borge Brende, al-Sisi
highlighted that there have been positive developments in Lebanon and Syria, and
expressed his hopes for “no exclusion of any component in the newly established
state of Syria.”“In Syria, there are developments indeed, and we’re hopeful that
the trend will be encompassing and inclusive for all the components that make up
Syria. They should all be represented in the government and there should be no
exclusion,” al-Sisi said. Reiterating the principle of political stability and
inclusion, he added: “Since 2014, the aim Egypt is working towards is to make
sure that statehood comes back to Libya, to Sudan, to Somalia, to Syria, so that
an all-abled state government should be encompassing and should be a stabilizing
force in all these countries.”In his address, the Egyptian leader also thanked
US President Donald Trump for facilitating an end to the war in Gaza. He said
Egypt is “paying the price” for the drastic impact that the Gaza war had on the
Suez Canal, a major waterway connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. “[During the
last two years, the Suez Canal] has been affected very hard by the war in Gaza.
And therefore, we as Egypt, are paying the price. We have lost billions of
dollars because of the impact of the war on the Suez Canal.”Al-Sisi said Egypt
has consistently worked on having a constructive role, sticking to stabilization
in “our country, in the region and in the world.”
While introducing al-Sisi, Brende called Egypt “an anchor of peace and security
in a deeply turbulent region,” and announced that the World Economic Forum will
convene a business-focused country strategy meeting in Cairo in Fall 2026.
“Egypt has played a critical role in supporting efforts towards a ceasefire in
Gaza, including through the Sharm el-Sheikh peace declaration and has
consistently advocated for dialogue and political solutions for the whole
Africa,” he added.
Israeli fire kills 11 Palestinians in Gaza, including
two children, local hospital officials say
AP/January 21, 2026
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the men had crossed into Israeli-controlled
areas
CAIRO: Israeli forces on Wednesday killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza,
including two 13-year-old boys who were collecting firewood, three journalists
and a woman, hospitals in the war-battered enclave said. The Israeli military
did not immediately comment on any of the incidents.
The two boys were killed in separate incidents. In one strike, the 13-year-old,
his father and a 22-year old man were hit by Israeli drones on the eastern side
of the central Bureij refugee camp, according to officials from Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Hospital in the central town of Deir Al-Balah, which received the bodies.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the men had crossed into Israeli-controlled
areas. The other 13-year-old was shot and killed by troops while collecting
firewood in the eastern town of Bani Suheila, the Nasser hospital said, after
receiving the body. In a footage circulated online, the boy’s father is seen
weeping over his son’s body on a hospital bed. Later Wednesday, an Israeli
strike on the central town of Zahraa hit a vehicle carrying three Palestinian
journalists who were filming a newly established displacement camp managed by an
Egyptian government committee, said Mohammed Mansour, the committee’s spokesman.
The bodies of two journalists were taken to the Shifa hospital in Gaza City,
while the third body was taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. Mansour said the
journalists were documenting the committee’s work in the newly established camp
in the Netzarim area in central Gaza. He said the strike occurred about 5
kilometers (3 miles) from the Israeli-controlled area. He said the vehicle was
known to the Israeli military as belonging to the Egyptian committee. Video
footage circulating online showed the charred, bombed-out vehicle by the
roadside, smoke still rising from the wreckage, with debris scattered about.
Nasser Hospital officials also said they received the body of a Palestinian
woman shot and killed by Israeli troops in the Muwasi area of the southern city
of Khan Younis, which is not controlled by the military. In a separate attack,
three brothers were killed in a tank shelling in the Bureij camp, according to
Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where the bodies were taken. The deaths were the
latest among Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire that stopped the war
between Hamas and Israel went into effect in October. More than 470 Palestinians
have been killed by Israeli fire, according to the strip’s health ministry. At
least 77 have been killed by Israeli gunfire near a ceasefire line that splits
the territory between Israeli-held areas and most of Gaza’s Palestinian
population, the ministry says. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led
government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally
reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. The ceasefire paused two years
of war between Israel and Hamas militants and allowed a surge in humanitarian
aid into Gaza, mainly food. But residents say shortages of blankets and warm
clothes remain, and there is little wood for fires. There’s been no central
electricity in Gaza since the first few days of the war in 2023, and fuel for
generators is scarce. More than 100 children who have died since the start of
the ceasefire in October — a figure that includes a 27-day-old girl who died
from hypothermia over the weekend.
Trump rules out force over Greenland but insists only US
can secure territory
Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not use military force in
his bid to gain control of Greenland, but insisted that no country other than
the United States could secure the Danish territory. Speaking at the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Trump dismissed speculation about the use of force.
“People thought I would use force, but I don’t have to use force,” he said. “I
don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”The comments came during a closely
watched economic address that was overshadowed by growing transatlantic tensions
and European unease over Trump’s push to acquire Greenland. Trump downplayed the
issue as a “small ask” involving a “piece of ice,” arguing that US control of
the territory would pose no threat to NATO, which includes both Denmark and the
United States. “No nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to
secure Greenland other than the United States,” Trump said, adding that he was
seeking “immediate negotiations” to discuss the territory’s acquisition. His
remarks dominated discussions at Davos, where global political and business
leaders were gathered to debate economic and geopolitical challenges. NATO
officials have warned that Trump’s Greenland strategy could strain the alliance,
while leaders in Denmark and Greenland have proposed expanded US access and
cooperation on the strategically located island, which has a population of about
57,000. “We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it,”
Trump told a packed congress hall.
Denmark says Trump not planning to use force to take
Greenland is positive
Reuters/21 January/2026
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Wednesday that US
President Donald Trump’s statement that he would not use force to take
Greenland was positive despite Trump’s ambitions to acquire the island remaining
intact. Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Switzerland’s Davos,
Trump earlier on Wednesday said he would not use force to take over
Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, but repeated his goal to make
the island part of the United States.
Trump wanting to take Greenland ‘a serious threat to our
country’: Danish MP
David Kampmann, Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
Danish Member of Parliament for the Conservative People’s Party Rasmus Jarlov
has reaffirmed Denmark’s stance rejecting the handover of Greenland to the
United States. “Denmark has had Greenland since 1380, and it is a very
well-established ownership. In 1954, the entire world, including the United
States themselves voted in the United Nations Plenary Assembly for the full
integration of Greenland into Denmark. So, it’s not just owned by Denmark, it’s
a part of Denmark,” he told Al Arabiya English’s Tom Burges Watson on GNT.
Jarlov stressed that both the parliaments of Denmark and Greenland were united
on the issue and rejected US control over the world’s largest island. “It’s the
same in the Greenlandic parliament. Their local parliament where they have 31
members, it’s 31 members that don’t want to become part of the United States.
They’re crystal clear about it,” he said. Meanwhile, Jarlov highlighted
Greenland’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the United States, particularly
on resources and defense. “We want to talk to the Americans about what we can do
for them in Greenland. The door is wide open. If they have concrete mining
projects in mind, they’re more than welcome. {…} the military access has already
been given to them, so they can actually have as many bases as they want up
there as well,” he said. Denmark and the US are both founding members of NATO
which legally obliges either country to come to the defense of the other in the
event of an invasion by another country.
In addition, the Greenland Defense Agreement from 1951 between the US and
Denmark, grants to the US full military access to the island and the right to
build military bases. While deploying over 10,000 military personnel to the
island and maintaining three military bases on the height of the Cold War, it
has reduced the number to between 150 and 200 and only maintains the small
Pituffik Space Base in the northwest. Jarlov further warned that the takeover
would be completely unreasonable, adding that Americans wouldn’t gain anything
from it. “It’s not only completely unreasonable that you go to another country
and say you want their land because you think you need it. It’s also completely
illogical. The Americans wouldn’t gain anything by having Greenland that they
don’t already have because we have already given them full access to the
country,” he said. Nevertheless, Jarlov stressed that the threat posed by
President Trump and his renewed claims for the island is real. “I’m absolutely
convinced that he means it. He wants to take Greenland and it’s not something
that we can just laugh off. This is a serious threat to our country.”Jarlov
expressed Denmark’s disdain for a military confrontation with the US in the
event of an invasion of the island but also made it clear that it would not shy
away from it and defend the territory. “Our troops up there would have to fight
back against the Americans, and we would have a war between Denmark and the
United States…,” he said. “It should be a completely unthinkable scenario but
right now a scenario that cannot be ruled out. It would be such a disaster and
one of the dumbest wars in history.” He warned that such a scenario would set a
dangerous precedent, destroy NATO, leave the US completely alone against China
and encourage other countries to annex territory at their pleasure.
Partnership with the US, not confrontation
Despite the ongoing crisis over Greenland, Jarlov also said that Denmark wishes
to work with the US as a partner on international issues. “It’s not what we
want. We want to work with the Americans to keep the world safe against threats
but it’s difficult when we wake up every morning to new threats and new
accusations about how we’re not doing our job in our own country,” he said.
Trump has since 2019 voiced repeated interest in the US taking over Greenland,
citing security and economic interests for the US and warning of danger from
China and Russia. He has also refused to rule out the possible use of military
force. His comments were widely criticized by Denmark and Greenland in addition
to other NATO members. A poll published by pollster Verian in early 2025 shows
that 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose to be part of the US, while a recent poll
published by Reuters shows that only 17 percent of Americans support Trump’s
ambition to acquire the island. With Reuters
US military transfers first 150 Daesh detainees from
Syria to Iraq
AP/January 21, 2026
Transfer follows Syrian government forces taking control of Al-Hol camp from SDF
US Central Command says up to 7,000 detainees could be transferred to
Iraqi-controlled facilities
AL-HOL, Syria: The US military said Wednesday it has started transferring
detainees from the Daesh group being held in northeastern Syria to secure
facilities in Iraq.
The move came after Syrian government forces took control of a sprawling camp,
housing thousands of mostly women and children, from the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces, or SDF, which withdrew as part of a ceasefire. Troops on
Monday seized a prison in the northeastern town of Shaddadeh, where some Daesh
detainees escaped and many were recaptured, state media reported. The
Kurdish-led SDF still controls more than a dozen detention facilities holding
around 9,000 Daesh members. US Central Command said the first transfer involved
150 Daesh members, who were taken from Syria’s northeastern province of Hassakah
to “secure locations” in Iraq. The statement said that up to 7,000 detainees
could be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.“Facilitating the orderly
and secure transfer of Daesh detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that
would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security,” said
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. He said the transfer was in coordination
with regional partners, including Iraq. US troops and their partner forces
detained more than 300 Daesh operatives in Syria and killed over 20 last year,
the US military said. An ambush last month by Daesh militants killed two US
soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in Syria.An Iraqi intelligence
general told The Associated Press that an agreement was reached with the US to
transfer 7,000 detainees from Syria to Iraq. He said that Iraqi authorities
received the first batch of 144 detainees Wednesday night, after which they will
be transferred in stages by aircraft to Iraqi prisons.The general, who spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said
the Daesh members who will be transferred to Iraq are of different
nationalities. He said they include around 240 Tunisians, in addition to others
from countries including Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and some Syrians. “They will
be interrogated and then put on trial. All of them are commanders in Daesh and
are considered highly dangerous,” the general said. He added that in previous
years, 3,194 Iraqi detainees and 47 French citizens have been transferred to
Iraq.
Regional threat
The Daesh group was defeated in Iraq in 2017, and in Syria two years later, but
the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both countries. The
SDF played a major role in defeating Daesh. Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria,
said in a statement on Tuesday that the SDF’s role as the primary anti-Daesh
force “has largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to
take over security responsibilities.”He added that the “recent developments show
the US actively facilitating this transition, rather than prolonging a separate
SDF role.”Syria’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the transfer of detainees, calling
it “an important step to strengthen security and stability.”Earlier on
Wednesday, a convoy of armored vehicles with government forces moved into the
Al-Hol camp following two weeks of clashes with the SDF, which appeared closer
to merging into the Syrian military, in accordance with government demands. At
its peak in 2019, some 73,000 people were living at Al-Hol. Their number has
since declined with some countries repatriating their citizens. The camp is
still home to some 24,000, most of them women and children. They include about
14,500 Syrians and nearly 3,000 Iraqis. Some 6,500 others, many of them loyal
Daesh supporters who came from around the world to join the extremist group, are
separately held in a highly secured section of the camp.The Syrian government
and the SDF announced a new four-day truce on late Tuesday after a previous
ceasefire broke down.
Where are ISIS detainees in Syria?
Reuters/21 January/2026
The rapid collapse of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the
northeast of the country this week triggered uncertainty over the security of
around a dozen prisons and detention camps that they had been guarding, where
more than 10,000 ISIS members and thousands more women and children with ties
to the group are being held. Here is an overview of some of the most important
prisons and camps holding IS-linked people in northeast Syria:
Hasakah prisons under SDF control
The two main prisons in Hasakah province are the Ghwayran and Panorama prisons,
where thousands of battle-hardened ISIS fighters are held. Ghwayran, which was a
school before being refurbished into a jail, holds around 4,000 inmates. Other
prisons hold adolescent and juvenile boys, some of whom were born in Syria to
parents who travelled to join ISIS. Military personnel from a US-led coalition
secure the prison’s outer perimeters and Kurdish forces maintain control inside
the prison. Reuters was granted rare access to one of those prisons in 2025 and
spoke to detainees from Britain, Russia and Germany.
Other detention centers are located in the cities of Qamishli and Malikiyah,
which - like Hasakah city - remain under Kurdish control. The US military said
on Wednesday that it had transferred 150 ISIS fighters from a facility in
Hasakah to “a secure location in Iraq.” It said up to 7,000 ISIS detainees
could ultimately be transferred from Syria to Iraqi facilities.
Prisons now under government control
The Syrian government has taken over some of the other prisons holding ISIS
detainees.
One of them is Shaddadi, which is in the Hasakah countryside. The SDF said it
lost control of the prison as Syrian troops approached and that inmates
escaped. Syria’s government said the SDF abandoned its posts and released some
200 ISIS inmates, saying Syrian troops subsequently recaptured most of them. A
US official confirmed that Syrian troops recaptured many of the 200 escapees,
describing them as low-level ISIS members. Another facility that came under
Syrian government control is Al-Aqtan, in the neighboring province of Raqqa.
Detention camps
Tens of thousands of civilians who fled ISIS’s last strongholds as the group
lost territory over the last decade were also rounded up by Kurdish security
forces and held in two main camps, known as the al-Hol and Roj camps. As of
2024, al-Hol held 44,000 people, virtually all of them women and children. Most
of them are Syrians or Iraqis, but Westerners also live there in a separate
annex. Those held at the Roj camp also include some Westerners such as Shamima
Begum, a British-born woman who joined ISIS. A resident of Roj told Reuters in
2025 that women from Tanzania and Trinidad also lived in the camp. Kurdish
forces said they were forced to pull out of al-Hol as government troops
approached. On Wednesday, Reuters reporters saw dozens of children and women in
black pressing up against the camp fence as Syrian government forces looked on.
It was not immediately clear what the status of the Roj camp was.
US military launches new mission to transfer ISIS detainees
from Syria to Iraq: CENTCOM
Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
The US military has launched a new mission to transfer ISIS detainees from
northeastern Syria to Iraq, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on
Wednesday. At least 150 ISIS militants have already been transferred from
Syria’s Hasakah region, and up to 7,000 more could be moved to Iraqi-controlled
detention facilities, according to the CENTCOM statement. The mission follows
intense armed clashes between Syrian government forces and the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), which had been a key US ally in the fight against ISIS
for the past decade. The SDF had been responsible for guarding ISIS detention
facilities in Syria. However, after suffering a crushing military defeat by
Syrian government forces this week, videos emerged showing ISIS detainees
fleeing some of the prisons. Damascus accused the SDF of abandoning the
facilities.
“We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi
government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring
defeat of ISIS,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said on Wednesday.
“Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to
preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and
regional security.”
New precarious truce in Syria as US throws full support
behind Sharaa
The Arab Weekly/January 21/2026
Syria on Tuesday announced a new ceasefire with Kurdish forces and gave them
four days to agree on integrating into the central state as their main ally, the
United States, urged them to accept the deal while clearly backing President
Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The lightning government advances in recent days and the apparent withdrawal of
US support for the continued holding of territory by the Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) represent the biggest change of control in the country since rebels
ousted Bashar al-Assad 13 months ago. The new situation reflects a US policy
shift and Turkish pressures to clip the wings of Kurdish armed formation in
Syria, say analysts. Speaking at a news conference in Washington, President
Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed support for his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa,
saying a “choir boy” could not handle the situation. “He’s working very hard,
the president of Syria. He’s working very, very hard. Strong guy, tough guy,”
Trump told journalists at the White House. “Pretty rough resumé. But you’re not
gonna put a choir boy in there and get the job done,” he added. Washington’s
relationship with the SDF has shifted since Trump came into office last year
with US support gradually shifting behind Sharaa. The shift is now clearer than
ever. The US president presented the past cooperation with the SDF as a largely
transactional relationship. Asked by a reporter about protecting Kurdish rights
in Syria, Trump said, “I like the Kurds, but just so you understand, the Kurds
were paid tremendous amounts of money, were given oil and other things. So they
were doing it for themselves, more so than they were doing for us,” Trump told
reporters at the White House, “But we get along with the Kurds, and we are
trying to protect the Kurds.”In the meanwhile, US envoy Tom Barrack in a social
media post described the offer of integration into the central Syrian state with
citizenship rights, cultural protections and political participation as the
“greatest opportunity” the Kurds have. He added that the original purpose of the
SDF, which Washington had supported as its main local ally battling Islamic
State (ISIS) extremist group, had “largely expired”, and that the US had no
long-term interest in retaining its presence in Syria. The Syrian government
announced a four-day ceasefire starting on Tuesday evening and said it had asked
the SDF to submit the name of a candidate to take the role of assistant to the
defence minister in Damascus as part of the integration. The SDF said it
accepted the ceasefire agreement with the Damascus government and that it would
not engage in any military action unless attacked. A Syrian government statement
said it had reached an understanding with the SDF for it to devise an
integration plan for Hasakah province or risk state forces entering two SDF-controlled
cities.
ISIS detainees
Northeast Syria, wedged between Turkey and Iraq, is home to both Kurds and Arabs
and was largely overrun by Islamic State fighters a decade ago before the SDF
drove them back with air support from a US-led coalition. However, advances by
the SDF’s main component, the Kurdish YPG force, were concerning to US ally
Turkey, which regarded it as an offshoot of the PKK group that had waged a
years-long insurgency inside Turkey. Since Assad was overthrown in December
2024, Syria has been led by al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader who at one stage
controlled the al-Qaeda offshoot in the country, and who has emerged as a close
ally of Turkey. Northeast Syria remains sensitive to Ankara, and is of wider
international concern because of the presence of SDF-guarded facilities holding
thousands of detained ISIS extremists and civilians associated with them. About
200 low-level ISIS fighters escaped Shaddadi prison in northeast Syria on Monday
when the SDF departed, but Syrian government forces recaptured many of them, a
US official said on Tuesday. Trump said he spoke on the phone with Sharaa about
the prisons. “I spoke with him yesterday because we were talking about the
prisons, and you know what was going … we have some of the worst terrorists in
the world in those prisons,” he said.
He did not provide further details.
The Syrian interior ministry said on Tuesday that about 120 ISIS detainees
escaped, 81 of whom had been recaptured. The SDF said it had also withdrawn from
al-Hol camp housing thousands of civilians linked to the jihadist group near the
Iraqi border. A senior Syrian government defence official said Damascus had
notified the US of the SDF intention to withdraw from the vicinity of al-Hol
camp and that government forces were ready to deploy there. The SDF has
previously said it was guarding some 10,000 ISIS fighters. The Kurdish group has
to reckon now with dwindling ranks. The SDF and Kurdish security forces had an
estimated 100,000 fighters who at their peak controlled vast swathes of oil-rich
north and northeastern Syria. But Arabs within their ranks defected en masse
after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s army on Monday took control of two
Kurdish-held provinces, Raqa and Deir Ezzor. According to Syria specialist
Fabrice Balanche, the strength of the Kurdish forces, the SDF and the Asayish
domestic security force, has now fallen to around 50,000, after Arab fighters
defected to the government side. Balanche said the SDF’s hard core remains
intact, comprising the People’s Protection Units (YPG) of some 30,000 members as
well as the all-female Women’s Protection Units. Despite denying any links with
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), “it is indeed the PKK that directs the YPG
behind the scenes”, Balanche said. YPG units operate under an iron discipline,
similar to the model of the PKK banned in Turkey.
Syria accuses Kurdish force of truce breach as army
enters ISIS-linked camp
Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
Syria on Wednesday accused Kurdish-led forces of breaching a ceasefire after
seven soldiers were killed in a strike, while authorities entered a camp holding
suspected relatives of ISIS extremists. The government announced a new truce
with the Kurds on Tuesday after taking swathes of north and east Syria that had
long been under the control of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The
United States, which heads an international coalition that has backed the Kurds
against ISIS, said the purpose of its alliance with the SDF had largely ended
years after they defeated the extremists. Washington now backs Syria’s new
authorities who are seeking to extend their control across the country after
years of civil war. The defense ministry said an SDF drone strike targeted an
arms factory that its forces found in Hasaka province, causing a blast that
killed seven soldiers. The army condemned the incident as “a dangerous
escalation and clear violation of the ceasefire.”The SDF denied it attacked the
factory and instead accused the government of carrying out “a series of attacks”
since the ceasefire, adding it was committed to the truce. In a deal reached
Sunday that included a ceasefire and the integration of the Kurds’
administration into the state, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief
Mazloum Abdi agreed that the government would take over responsibility for ISIS
prisoners. Syria’s army entered the vast al-Hol camp that houses relatives of
suspected ISIS extremists on Wednesday after Kurdish forces withdrew, an AFP
journalist at the scene said. Thousands of extremists, including many
Westerners, are held in seven Kurdish-run prisons in northeast Syria, while tens
of thousands of their suspected family members live in the al-Hol and Roj camps.
At al-Hol, the AFP correspondent saw soldiers open the camp’s metal gate and
enter while others stood guard, as women and children milled among the site’s
tents. The camp in a desert region of Hasaka province is the largest such
facility established by Kurdish forces after they took control of swathes of
Syria while ousting ISIS with coalition backing. It holds around 24,000 people,
including some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities. The
extremists were territorially defeated in Syria in 2019. Roj is still under
Kurdish control in eastern Hasaka province.
In ar-Raqqah province, state media said Tuesday that security forces had
deployed around the al-Aqtan prison. A security official on the ground told AFP
that Kurdish forces were still inside the facility on Wednesday. Authorities on
Wednesday accused the SDF of targeting an army vehicle near the town of Kobane,
also known as Ain al-Arab, which Kurdish forces said the army had tried to
storm. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said people displaced
from military operations nearby had converged on the town on the border with
Turkey, the only part of Aleppo province still under Kurdish control. On
Tuesday, the interior ministry said 120 ISIS members escaped from the Shadadi
prison in Hasaka province, later saying it had arrested “81 of the
fugitives.”The army had accused the SDF of releasing ISIS detainees from the
facility, while the Kurds said they lost control of the facility after an attack
by Damascus. US President Donald Trump told the New York Post Tuesday he had
helped stop a prison break of European extremists in Syria, referring to the
Shadadi incident. He also told a press conference that “I like the Kurds, but...
the Kurds were paid tremendous amounts of money, were given oil and other
things, so they were doing it for themselves more so than they were doing it for
us.” “We got along with the Kurds and we are trying to protect the Kurds,” he
added. Syria’s presidency on Tuesday announced an “understanding” with the Kurds
over the fate of Kurdish-majority areas of Hasaka province, and gave them “four
days for consultations to develop a detailed plan” for the area’s integration.
If finalized, government forces “will not enter the city centers of Hasaka and
Qamishli... and Kurdish villages,” it added. Under the agreement, Abdi would
nominate candidates for the posts of Hasaka governor and deputy defense
minister, as well as lawmakers for the transitional parliament.with AFP
How Syria’s al-Sharaa captured Kurdish-held areas while
keeping the US onside
Reuters/21 January/2026
The Syrian government’s rapid takeover of territory long held by the Kurdish-led
Syrian Democratic Forces took shape in a string of high-stakes meetings in
Damascus, Paris and Iraq earlier this month, nine sources briefed on the
closed-door summits told Reuters.
The accounts, not previously reported and shared on condition of anonymity,
showed that the US did not stand in the way of an operation that has radically
altered Syria’s balance of power, at the expense of a one-time ally. The
meetings paved the way for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to score two major
wins: advance his vow to unite all Syrian territory under one leadership and
become the favored Syrian partner for the US administration under President
Donald Trump, the sources said. His offensive effectively wiped out the
autonomous zone that Kurdish authorities had hoped to maintain in Syria’s
northeast and tested the boundaries of Washington’s support for al-Sharaa, who
once led al-Qaeda’s local affiliate. But the Syrian rebel-turned-president came
out on top, with US envoy Tom Barrack saying Washington could now partner with
the Syrian state and had no interest in maintaining a separate role for the SDF.
“It seems al-Sharaa is a master strategist,” said a US source briefed on
Washington’s position on Syria.
Syria proposed offensive weeks ago
The US had been a backer of the SDF since 2015, when the force was conceived to
expel ISIS from Syria’s northeast. The SDF later used that territory to
establish an autonomous enclave, with separate civilian and military
institutions. But in late 2024, al-Sharaa’s rebel forces ousted longtime ruler
Bashar al-Assad and pledged to bring all of Syria under the new government’s
control, including SDF-run areas. After months of talks in 2025, a year-end
deadline for the SDF to integrate with Damascus passed with little progress.
That’s when momentum for an offensive began to build.
On January 4, a Damascus meeting between Syrian officials and the SDF on
integration was abruptly shut down by a Syrian minister, according to three
Kurdish officials. The following day, a Syrian delegation traveled to Paris for
US-brokered talks with Israel on a security pact. Syrian officials have accused
Israel of backing the SDF and in Paris, they urged Israeli officials to stop
encouraging Kurds to delay integrating, two Syrian sources briefed on the
meeting said. While there, Syrian officials suggested a limited operation to
recapture some SDF-held territory and received no objections, another Syrian
source briefed on the matter said. Syria’s information and foreign ministries
and the Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to Reuters
questions about the Paris meeting. The US State Department referred Reuters to
a statement by Barrack issued on Tuesday that urged the SDF to integrate and
said the US had no interest in a long-term military presence in Syria. The
Syrian government received a separate message from Turkey that Washington would
approve an operation against the SDF if Kurdish civilians were protected, a
Syrian official said. Turkey has repeatedly intervened in Syria against the SDF,
accusing it of ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which fought a
decades-long insurgency in Turkey. “The agreement in Paris gave the green light
for this war,” said Kurdish political official Hadiya Youssef.
Kurds say US betrayed them
Two weeks later, the offensive was underway and Washington began signaling to
the SDF that it was retracting its longstanding support, a US diplomat, one of
the Syrian sources and another Syrian interlocutor briefed on the issue said. On
January 17, Barrack met with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in the Kurdistan region
of Iraq and told him that US interests lie with al-Sharaa, not the SDF, the
three sources said. An SDF official denied the account. A US military official
and two Kurdish officials said the US had given the SDF assurances of protection
if al-Sharaa’s offensive harmed Kurdish civilians or destabilized detention
centers holding ISIS detainees. As Syrian troops pushed past the zone they
originally proposed to capture, the US military urged them to halt their
advances and coalition aircraft fired warning flares over some flashpoint areas.
But those actions fell far short of Kurdish expectations. “What the coalition
forces and American officials are doing is not acceptable,” said Youssef, the
Kurdish political official. “Are you truly lacking in principles? Are you so
willing to betray your allies?”Asked about US assurances, the US State
Department referred Reuters to Barrack’s statement on SDF integration.
Al-Sharaa nearly overplays hand
Al-Sharaa nearly overplayed his hand in the offensive’s final stage, the US
source briefed on Washington’s position and two other US sources familiar with
its policy said. His forces had swiftly recaptured Arab-majority provinces from
the SDF and kept advancing. By January 19, they were encircling the final
Kurdish-held cities in Syria’s northeast, despite a ceasefire announced the
previous day. But the US administration was angry that Syrian troops had ignored
the truce and feared mass violence against Kurdish civilians, the three US
sources said. Two of the sources said US lawmakers were considering reimposing
sanctions on Syria if fighting continued. A White House official told Reuters
the US was monitoring developments in Syria “with grave concern” and urged all
parties to “prioritize the protection of civilians across all minority
groups.”With his forces approaching the Kurds’ last strongholds, al-Sharaa
suddenly announced a new ceasefire on Tuesday. He said his troops would not
proceed if the SDF proposed an integration plan by the end of the week. The
three US sources said Sharaa’s abrupt announcement had satisfied Washington and
that he was now “in the clear.”Minutes later, Barrack issued his statement. The
original purpose of the SDF as a combat force against ISIS had “largely
expired,” he said, and the greatest opportunity for Kurds was under al-Sharaa’s
new government.
Israel says will strike Jarjouaa, al-Kfour and Qennarit
in south
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
"For your safety you must evacuate them immediately and move away to a distance
of no less than 300 meters", the army's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee
wrote on X to residents living near certain buildings in the villages of
Qennarit, Al-Kfour, and Jarjouaa -- all located north of the Litani river.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli strikes in south Lebanon killed two people, as
Israel said it targeted operatives from Hezbollah. Israel has kept up regular
strikes in Lebanon despite the November 2024 truce that sought to end more than
a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, usually saying it is targeting members of
the Iran-backed group or its infrastructure. The health ministry said that an
"Israeli enemy strike... on a vehicle in the town of Zahrani in the Sidon
district killed one person", referring to an area far from the Israeli border.
An AFP correspondent saw a charred car on a main road with debris strewn across
the area and emergency workers in attendance. Later, the ministry said another
strike targeting a vehicle in the town of Bazouriyeh in the Tyre district killed
one person. Israel said it struck operatives from the militant group in both
areas, saying the raids came "in response to Hezbollah's repeated violations of
the ceasefire understandings".This month, Lebanon's army said it had completed
the first phase of its plan to disarm the group, covering the area south of the
Litani river, around 30 kilometers from the Israeli border. The strike in
Zahrani on Wednesday was north of the Litani.
Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming, has criticized the army's progress
as insufficient, while Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
More than 350 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the
ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of health ministry reports.
Karam says Israel wants Lebanon to accept 'extremely
difficult' conditions
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
Israel and the U.S. are trying to suspend a committee monitoring the ceasefire
between Lebanon and Israel and are instead asking Lebanon to accept "extremely
difficult" conditions, the head of Lebanon's delegation to the committee said.
Lebanese diplomat and lawyer Simon Karam told journalists Tuesday that the
American-Israeli decision and continuous pressure to obstruct the committee's
work are "pushing things toward the unknown" and that Lebanon cannot agree to
the extremely difficult conditions that Israel is demanding. Karam confirmed
that there is a clear disagreement between the U.S. and France over the
situation in south Lebanon, after local media previously reported that the U.S.
is trying to sideline France. "Israel is not willing to take any step on the
ground and what it is instead demanding is extremely harsh. It is something that
Lebanon cannot go along with," Karam said. Karam said that in the latest
Mechanism's meeting, the Israeli side refused to admit in the statement, that
usually follows the meetings, the achievements of the Lebanese army after it
completed the first phase of Hezbollah's disarmament south of the Litani River.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said in a statement that Lebanon's
efforts to disarm Hezbollah were encouraging but "far from sufficient", after
the Lebanese army announced it had completed the first phase of the process,
earlier this month.
UK, US and Canada reaffirm support for Lebanese Army at High-Level Steering
Committee
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell, U.S. Ambassador, Michel Issa, and
Canadian Ambassador Gregory Galligan met Lebanese Army chief General Rodolphe
Haykal during the High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) meeting on Wednesday.
“The Committee convened to review progress and challenges in securing Lebanon’s
eastern and northern borders, and reaffirmed support for the LAF’s (Lebanese
Army’s) efforts to reinforce state authority at this critical time,” the British
embassy said.
The UK has supported the army’s Land Border Regiments since 2013, with the
construction of 84 operating bases along the border with Syria, including a
further six built since January 2025. “Alongside training and equipment, this
supports the LAF to protect Lebanon’s eastern and northern borders, including
from smuggling and illegal activity,” the embassy added. During the meeting,
Ambassador Cowell underlined “the UK’s steadfast support for the LAF’s pivotal
role in maintaining security and stability during a period of significant
challenge, including in South Lebanon.” He welcomed “progress towards achieving
state monopoly of arms -- a key step for a stable and secure Lebanon.”Following
the meeting, Cowell said: “It was an honor to meet General Haykal and review
progress on Lebanon’s border security. The Lebanese Armed Forces have shown
exceptional professionalism and resilience in safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty
during these challenging times”. “We will continue working closely with our U.S.
and Canadian partners -- and with the wider international community -- to
further strengthen Lebanon’s security, stability, and territorial integrity,” he
added.
Issa visits north to assess support for vulnerable
communities
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said the United States remains “committed to
delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance and supporting durable solutions
for vulnerable communities across Lebanon,” after U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa
made a recent visit to North Lebanon and Akkar. Issa and his wife joined
officials from the Lebanon offices of the World Food Program, the U.N. Refugee
Agency and UNICEF to “see firsthand the humanitarian situation on the ground,”
the Embassy said in a post on X. The visit included meetings with local partners
and communities to discuss “ongoing challenges and progress toward voluntary
refugee returns.”
Court fines Khalil and Zoaiter for obstructing port blast
probe
Naharnet/January 21, 2026
The Beirut Court of First Instance has ordered former ministers Ali Hassan
Khalil and Ghazi Zoaiter to pay a compensation of 10 billion Lebanese pounds
over “the abuse of the right to litigate, defend and appeal,” and for stalling
the Beirut port blast case.
The court accused the two ex-ministers of filing successive motions to dismiss
the investigating judge and the judges overseeing those motions, with the intent
of paralyzing the investigation. This ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Judge
Dania Dahdah through her legal representatives against Zoaiter and Khalil.The
lawsuit detailed the trajectory of the investigation's obstruction, beginning
with the legal action against the former first investigating judge, Fadi Sawan,
to disqualify him under the guise of "legitimate suspicion" after he summoned
the two ministers. This led to a months-long suspension of the probe until Judge
Tarek Bitar was appointed as his successor, followed by a series of motions to
dismiss Bitar, which also resulted in long periods of paralysis.Over 40
lawsuits, including motions for dismissal, recusal, and "usurpation of
authority" were filed against Judge Bitar by several defendants, including
former State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, before the judiciary ultimately issued
a decision dismissing the charges against Bitar. In mid-January 2024, Bitar
resumed his investigation despite the pending lawsuits after more than two years
of obstruction, summoning senior officials and security personnel.
Following the election of President Joseph Aoun and the formation of Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam’s government, both leaders pledged that justice would be
served and emphasized that "no one has immunity."In March 2025, human rights
organizations and victims' families urged the government to ensure the
investigation proceeds without political interference. A Human Rights Watch
report previously linked the disaster to government failure and the potential
involvement of high-ranking officials. In December 2024, State Prosecutor Jamal
Al-Hajjar lifted a travel ban on Bitar, allowing him to travel to Bulgaria to
interrogate Igor Grechushkin, the owner of the ship Rhosus, which had brought
the ammonium nitrate shipment to Beirut in 2013.
A Bulgarian court refused to extradite Grechushkin to Lebanon, citing a lack of
guarantees regarding the death penalty. Grechushkin subsequently refused to
testify during Bitar's visit, stalling a lead that many hoped would reveal the
ultimate truth behind the explosion.
Syria's Rifaat al-Assad, the 'butcher of Hama', dies at
88
Reuters/January 21, 2026
Jan 21 (Reuters) - Rifaat al-Assad, the brother of the late Syrian President
Hafez al-Assad known by critics as the "butcher of Hama" for crushing an
Islamist uprising in the city in 1982 before unsuccessfully challenging for
power and going into exile, died on Tuesday.
He was 88. He died in the United Arab Emirates, two sources with knowledge of
his passing said. The Reuters Gulf Currents newsletter brings you the latest on
geopolitics, energy and finance in the region. Sign up here. A former army
officer who helped Hafez al-Assad seize power in a 1970 coup and establish his
iron rule, Rifaat continued to harbour presidential ambitions during years of
exile spent mostly in France. He returned to Syria in 2021, before fleeing again
in 2024 following the ouster of his nephew, President Bashar al-Assad. When
Hafez died in 2000, Rifaat objected to the power transfer to Bashar and declared
himself the legitimate successor in what proved to be an ultimately toothless
leadership challenge. He weighed in from abroad again in 2011 as rebellion swept
Syria, urging his nephew to step down quickly to prevent civil war. But he also
deflected blame away from Bashar, attributing the revolt against his rule to an
accumulation of errors.More than a decade later, Bashar - still in power at the
time - allowed his uncle to return home, helping him escape jail in France where
he was found guilty of acquiring millions of euros of property using funds
diverted from the Syrian state. When Bashar fell, Rifaat had tried to escape via
a Russian airbase but was denied entry and eventually crossed to Lebanon,
carried over a river on the back of a close associate, according to one of the
sources, who had direct knowledge of the incident.
HAMA ASSAULT
Rifaat al-Assad, a younger brother to Hafez, was born in the village of Qardaha
in a mountainous area near the Mediterranean coast which forms the heartland of
the minority Alawite community to which the family belongs. Rifaat became a
powerful figure in the Assad regime after the 1970 coup. He commanded the
loyalty of elite forces that crushed the 1982 Muslim Brotherhood uprising in
Hama, one of the biggest threats to Hafez al-Assad during his 30-year rule. The
devastating three-week assault, which killed more than 10,000 people, has often
been described as a model for how Bashar would deal with the rebellion against
his rule some three decades later. In 2022 the independent Syrian Network for
Human Rights (SNHR) monitoring group, citing informed estimates, alleged that
between 30,000 and 40,000 civilians were killed in Hama. In March 2024, the
Attorney General's Office of Switzerland said that it would put Rifaat al-Assad
on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his actions in Hama.
According to the Swiss prosecutors' indictment, between 3,000 and 60,000 people,
the majority civilians, died in the Hama assault. In response Rifaat's lawyers
said in a statement that he had always denied any involvement in the alleged
acts.
CONFRONTATION WITH HAFEZ
His role in crushing the Hama insurrection further elevated his standing in that
administration.
In his book - "Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East" - journalist Patrick
Seale listed victory over the Brotherhood as one of the factors that led senior
regime figures to turn to Rifaat when Hafez fell ill in 1983 and they feared he
would not recover. He was appointed vice president the following year.
While Hafez was still unwell, Rifaat started pressing for changes in government,
and posters of him in uniform appeared in Damascus. When Assad recovered, he was
"extremely displeased", Seale wrote. Their rivalry culminated in 1984 when
Rifaat ordered his forces to seize control of key points in Damascus,
threatening all-out conflict. But Hafez talked his younger brother down from
confrontation. Rifaat left Syria after the failed coup.
AVOIDING PRISON
Establishing himself as a rich businessman in Europe, he initially settled in
Geneva, later moving to France and Spain.In his later years, he could be seen
walking with an entourage of bodyguards in southern Spain’s Puerto Banus in
Marbella, where he also had seaside property. But his wealth increasingly became
the focus of corruption investigations. In 2020, a French court found him guilty
of acquiring millions of euros' worth of French property using funds diverted
from the Syrian state, and sentenced him to four years in jail. All of his
property in France, estimated to be worth 100 million euros at the time, was
ordered seized, as well as a property worth 29 million euros in London. Rifaat
repeatedly denied the accusations. His return to Syria in 2021 was not the first
time he had gone home since the failed coup: in 1992, he attended his mother's
funeral. A pro-government newspaper reported he had returned in 2021 "in order
to prevent his imprisonment in France" and would play no political or social
role.A photo posted on social media in April 2023 showed him among a group of
people, including a smiling Bashar. **Reporting by Timour Azhari and Tom Perry;
Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by William Maclean and Olivier Holmey
'Canada lives because of the U.S.,' Trump says during
Davos speech. 'Remember that, Mark'
Courtney Greenberg , Jordan Gowling , Christopher Nardi/National Post/January
21, 2026
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND AND OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney left the World
Economic Forum in Davos without meeting President Donald Trump Wednesday as the
U.S. leader warned Canada should be more “grateful” for its southern neighbour.
“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way,” Trump told the WEF
audience, after mentioning the U.S. plan to build a missile defence system
called the Golden Dome that would also protect Canada. “They should be grateful
also, but they’re not.”Trump’s remarks come one day after Carney delivered a
striking speech in front of the forum, declaring the old rules-based order dead
and called on middle powers to call out bullies and hegemons, without naming
specific countries. Trump said he watched Carney’s address. “He wasn’t so
grateful,” said Trump. “They should be grateful to us, Canada — but they’re not.
Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time
you make your statements.” Carney left Davos around 2 p.m. local time, almost
exactly when the U.S. president arrived to deliver an over hour-long speech at
the glitzy international summit. Carney’s office confirmed that the prime
minister did not meet or talk with Trump Wednesday. Carney was not the only
leader to avoid Trump at the summit. European Union President Ursula von der
Leyen also delivered a speech to the WEF on Tuesday and jetted out of Davos
without seeing the U.S. president. European allies have been on edge over
Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory that belongs
to the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO). During his speech, Trump said “I won’t use force” but reiterated that
the U.S. will have Greenland. “This enormous unsecured island is actually part
of North America,” said Trump, while he called for negotiations with Denmark.
Carney has said he strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland and the future of the
territory should be determined by the people of Denmark and Greenland. During
the summit, Carney also acknowledged the growing importance of Arctic security
among NATO partners and said Russia does pose a “prospective” threat to that
region. While in Davos, Carney met with multiple world and business leaders over
two days, including French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General
Mark Rutte, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Apple CEO Tim Cook and
representatives from Saudi Arabia oil giant Aramco and Luxembourg-based steel
manufacturer ArcelorMittal. Carney wrapped up an eight-day international trip
that included stops in Qatar and China, the first trip by a Canadian prime
minister to Beijing in over eight years. Viewed as a reset in relations between
China and Canada, the visit also included a “landmark agreement” that will allow
market access of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada in exchange for a
lowering of Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola and seafood exports. Carney’s
goal is to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade. On Wednesday, Carney
did not respond to a question by a reporter on Trump’s comments as he embarked
on Can Force One to return to Ottawa.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
21-22/2026
Trump's Strategic Pause: If Trump Betrays Iran's Protesters, Russia and China
will Celebrate
Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute/January 21, 2026
What is not in dispute is that, despite Trump's claim that regime officials have
told him they will not exact reprisals against the protestors, telling the White
House they will not execute them, the killing has continued unabated. Trump's
intense involvement in diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war has so far
achieved little, with Russian President Vladimir Putin promising peace while
continuing merciless attacks on Ukraine, making no credible effort to engage
with the Trump administration's various peace initiatives.
As former Chief of Romanian intelligence Ion Mihai Pacepa noted decades ago: "[I]nstructions
on how to behave in Washington. 'You simply have to keep on pretending that
you'll break with terrorism... over, and over, and over'" -- and then presumably
do whatever you want. While it can be argued that removing Venezuelan dictator
Nicolas Maduro and protecting Greenland from the nefarious designs of China and
Russia are all worthy objectives, if Trump is serious about reasserting
America's dominant role in world affairs, then he needs to show that he
genuinely means business when dealing with implacable foes such as Russia, China
and Iran.
Iran's Islamic regime is basically employing the same tactics of brutal
repression that it used during similar anti-government protests, such as during
the 2009 Green Movement and more recent protests in 2022. The risk for US
President Donald Trump is that, having raised the prospect of launching a regime
change in Iran, his failure to do so will seriously undermine his own
credibility and, with it, the effectiveness of American deterrence. Pictured:
Security forces detain protesters in Mashhad, Iran on January 3, 2026. (Photo by
Anonymous/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
US president Donald J. Trump's delay in delivering on his "locked and loaded"
promise to Iran's brave protestors, it appears, is merely the result of placing
the final touches on his "It's time to look for new leadership in Iran."
From the moment a fresh wave of anti-government protests erupted throughout Iran
at the start of the year, Trump has made numerous threats to intervene if
Tehran's theocratic regime continued to resort to acts of extreme violence to
suppress the will of the Iranian people.Trump's most explicit warning to the
ayatollahs came at the height of the recent disturbances, when it became clear
the regime was resorting to extreme violence to crush the protestors. The
president urged Iranians to keep protesting, declaring that help was on its way,
without saying what that help might be:
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the
names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.... HELP IS ON ITS
WAY."Trump also revealed that he had "cancelled all meetings with Iranian
Officials," who had attempted to reopen negotiations on Iran's controversial
nuclear programme in a deliberate attempt to deflect attention away from their
domestic woes and buy time to restore order. The president insisted that no such
talks would take place "until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS." When
asked what he meant by "help is on its way", Trump indicated that military
action was among the options being weighed to punish Iran over the crackdown.
"The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain,"
Trump said. "We'll act accordingly," he added. In another sign that the US was
preparing to attack Iran, the State Department urged American citizens to leave
Iran, including by land through Turkey or Armenia. Trump's subsequent decision
to tone down his anti-Iran rhetoric, claiming that his warnings have led to Iran
ending the killings -- which apparently it has not -- initially raised doubts
about Trump's willingness to act.
That Trump so far has not followed through on his threats must be a source of
profound disappointment for Iranian protestors. Trump's official position on the
unrest is that he intends to "watch and see what the process is" before deciding
what to do next.
This caveat appeared despite the fact that even regime officials, including
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have publicly acknowledged that thousands
of Iranian protestors have been killed during the past two weeks of violence. In
a speech at the weekend, Khamenei said thousands had been killed, "some in an
inhuman, savage manner", and blamed the US for the deaths.
Assessments on the number of protestors killed during the recent unrest differ
wildly. The US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has
claimed more than 3,000 lives have been lost, while some activists are claiming
that at least 16,500 protestors have been killed and 330,000 injured. Providing
precise casualty figures is difficult because of the internet blackout
implemented by the regime to curb the violence. What is not in dispute is that,
despite Trump's claim that regime officials have told him they will not exact
reprisals against the protestors, telling the White House they will not execute
them, the killing has continued unabated. Iran's Chief Justice Gholamhossein
Mohseni-Ejei said that "the government must act quickly to punish more than
18,000 people who have been detained through rapid trials and executions."The
Islamic regime is basically employing the same tactics of brutal repression that
it used during similar anti-government protests, such as during the 2009 Green
Movement and more recent protests in 2022.
The risk for Trump is that, having raised the prospect of launching a regime
change in Iran, his failure to do so will seriously undermine his own
credibility and, with it, the effectiveness of American deterrence. Hostile
powers such as Russia and China, both of which are allies of Iran, will
certainly be taking a close interest in how the latest drama plays out in Iran
and just how willing the American leader is to follow through on his threats of
serious action.
Trump's involvement in major global security challenges is already under fierce
scrutiny over his involvement in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, where his
interventions have achieved only mixed results.
Trump's intense involvement in diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war has so
far achieved little, with Russian President Vladimir Putin promising peace while
continuing merciless attacks on Ukraine, making no credible effort to engage
with the Trump administration's various peace initiatives. As former Chief of
Romanian intelligence Ion Mihai Pacepa noted decades ago: "[I]nstructions on how
to behave in Washington. 'You simply have to keep on pretending that you'll
break with terrorism... over, and over, and over'" -- and then presumably do
whatever you want.
In Gaza, meanwhile, Trump's initial success in negotiating the release of all
the living Israeli hostages, and all but one of the deceased, has stalled at the
start of "Phase 2" of his "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,"
especially on the key question of requiring Hamas terrorists to disarm and end
their involvement in the Gaza Strip. So long as Hamas remains an active force in
Gaza, the prospects of a lasting peace will remain remote.
The perception that Trump might not have the staying power to achieve his stated
objectives in conflicts such as Iran, Ukraine and Gaza, will be carefully
watched as he pursues other policy objectives in Venezuela, Greenland and
possibly Cuba.
While it can be argued that removing Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and
protecting Greenland from the nefarious designs of China and Russia are all
worthy objectives, if Trump is serious about reasserting America's dominant role
in world affairs, then he needs to show that he genuinely means business when
dealing with implacable foes such as Russia, China and Iran.
**Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22218/trump-iran-protesters
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Canada’s Bet on Beijing Puts USMCA at Risk
Elaine K. Dezenski & Susan Soh/January
21, 2026
Does Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney really consider China to be a “more
predictable” partner than the United States? During a visit to Beijing last
week, Carney unveiled a “new strategic partnership” between the two nations that
could be detrimental to U.S.-Canada relations. It could also jeopardize the
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) renegotiations slated for July.
Under the partnership announced on January 16, Canada agreed to admit up to
49,000 Chinese electric vehicles (EV) — constituting nearly 20 percent of all
new EVs sold in Canada in 2024 — in exchange for Beijing lowering duties on
canola seeds, used in industrial production, food preparation, and livestock
feed, to 15 percent by March. The countries are also working to further increase
investments in and exports of Canadian energy to China. Carney may view these
moves as generating leverage ahead of the upcoming USMCA renegotiations, but
they are more likely to harden the U.S. position than soften it.
The EV Deal and Its Risks
Chinese EVs represent a significant threat to Canada’s automotive industry. In
tandem with the United States, Canada levied 100 percent tariffs on Chinese EV
imports in 2024 to combat manipulative trade practices that then-Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said gave China an “unfair advantage in the global
marketplace.”Chinese EVs are priced artificially low to undercut foreign
competitors and erode foreign industry. Inviting Chinese EVs into Canada’s
market — let alone prioritizing importation of the cheapest options — is a
mistake. Recognizing this risk, Ontario Premier Doug Ford condemned the deal,
warning on January 16 that China now has a “foothold” in Canada that it will use
“at the expense of Canadian workers.”The partnership also threatens North
American automotive production, a key aspect of USMCA. Car parts cross the
U.S.-Canada border up to eight times during the manufacturing and assembling of
a vehicle. An opening to Chinese EVs will introduce risks to an ecosystem that
depends on North American supply chain integration.
Implications for USMCA
Canada’s deal with Beijing disrupts what appeared to be a path toward a smoother
USMCA renegotiation process. Mexican President Claudia Sheibaum had signaled a
willingness to stabilize the trade relationship with the U.S. and make needed
tariff concessions on China-related concerns. And prior to the partnership with
Beijing, Carney seemed to be warming to Trump following months of tension.
More fundamentally, the partnership between China and Canada undermines the
premise that North America will be able to function as a unified trade bloc with
shared enforcement mechanisms. Given the deep economic integration between the
three economies, a shift to more bilateral arrangements would be a worse outcome
and threaten the 17 million jobs dependent on trilateral trade.
Impacts on Energy
The U.S.-Canada energy relationship is tightly integrated. American refineries
are designed to refine Canadian crude, but the energy framework included in its
trade deal with China makes clear that Ottawa is actively exploring
alternatives, even touting potential roles for Chinese companies in Canada’s
expanding energy grid. Last year alone, Canada’s energy exports to China grew 81
percent. Additional pipeline projects to China, among other countries in Asia,
may significantly reduce American access to Canadian energy and complicate the
bilateral relationship with Washington.
North American energy independence is one of our continent’s greatest economic
advantages. Sacrificing it for China could force the United States to
recalibrate its northern strategy altogether.
The Stakes for North America
This past year, 2025, was one of the most difficult years in recent memory for
U.S.-Canadian economic engagement. The United States played a significant role
in damaging these ties, but Canada is now making its own mistakes. Rather than
elevate trade tensions, the United States and Mexico should be identifying areas
for further investment and co-production with Canada in the automotive, critical
minerals, and other priority sectors; harmonizing trade enforcement measures
that combat Chinese dumping and tariff evasion; and doubling down on labor,
immigration, and workforce upskilling that will sustain the North American free
trade engine. A reset built upon security concerns and national economic
interests is needed. North American economic security depends on it.
*Elaine Dezenski is senior director and head of the Center on Economic and
Financial Power (CEFP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where
Susan Soh is a research associate. For more analysis from Elaine, Susan, and FDD,
please subscribe HERE. Follow Elaine on X @ElaineDezenski. Follow Susan on X
@SusanSoh827. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_CEFP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based,
nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.
Preventing Houthi Rearmament Now Can Avert a Costly Future
Confrontation
Bridget Toomey & Ahmad Sharawi/FDD-Policy Brief/January 21/2026
Washington isn’t taking its eye off the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
On January 16, the Treasury Department designated elements of the Houthis’
smuggling and financial networks, including entities based in Oman. The Houthis’
illicit oil business, conducted with the support of the terror group’s backers
in Tehran generates $2 billion annually for its coffers. According to Treasury,
these illegal funding and weapons procurement efforts “enable the group to
sustain its capability to conduct destabilizing regional activities.”Despite a
pause in Houthi attacks precipitated by the October ceasefire in Gaza,
Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader of the Yemeni terror group, emphasized in a
January 16 address that the Houthis must prioritize preparation “because
conflict with the Israeli and American enemy is inevitable.”
Houthis Are Rearming Following Two Years of Conflict
The latest UN Panel of Experts report on Yemen, published in October 2025, noted
“widespread violation of the arms embargo” imposed upon the Houthis. In July
2025, Yemeni government-aligned forces intercepted one of the largest weapons
shipments from Iran, containing 750 tons of materiel, from anti-ship missiles to
small arms and communications equipment. Iran has been a consistent supplier to
the Houthis since 2015. Additional interceptions throughout 2025 indicated that
the Houthis are diversifying supply chains and attempting to improve domestic
production capacity, in an apparent bid to reduce dependence on Iran, which is
highly vulnerable in the wake of the Israeli attacks on its ballistic missile
program in 2024 and 2025, and which may well be targeted again. Notably, the
group purchases commercially available, dual-use components and manufacturing
equipment from China, particularly for drone production. Some of these materials
enter Yemen directly, while others are smuggled across the border with Oman.
Oman is a Critical Hub for Houthi Activity
The Houthis have maintained a presence in Oman since 2015, operating a
headquarters that hosts roughly 100 officials. These include Mohammad Abdulsalam,
the group’s spokesperson and de facto foreign minister, who was sanctioned in
March 2025. The Omanis claim that the Houthi presence in their country is to
facilitate negotiations to achieve peace in Yemen, but the group has leveraged
its stay in Oman to expand its military capabilities. Since at least 2016,
various reports have documented the use of Omani land routes, particularly
through Dhofar Province and its surrounding islands, as transit corridors for
Iranian weapons shipments. In 2025, the UN panel of experts claimed that “The
land border crossings of Shahn and Sarfayt, between Oman and Yemen, are
regularly used to bring in items intended for military use.”In addition to
weapons procurement, the Houthis have also expanded their financial footprint in
Oman. In September 2025, Treasury stated that Abdulsalam “oversees a network of
hundreds of Houthi-affiliated businesses importing Iranian oil products into
Yemen, collectively valued at approximately $1 billion.” Many of these companies
remain unsanctioned and operate freely. Additionally, Abdulsalam is allegedly
working with an Iranian-Omani financial group to establish a commercial
investment bank in Muscat, valued at approximately $400 million, to launder
money in Oman.
A Proactive Strategy Is Cheaper Than a Reactive One
Instead of waiting until the Houthis resume attacks on commercial shipping in
the Red Sea and against Israel, the United States should undertake a more
comprehensive effort to prevent arms from ever reaching the group. The Trump
administration, along with American partners in the Combined Maritime Forces,
should increase interdictions in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of
Aden. Washington should pair this with additional support to the Yemeni Coast
Guard and local forces to police the country’s waters. Washington should
continue scrutinizing the financial networks operating out of Oman that enable
Houthi activities, including by designating remaining members of Muhammad
Abdulsalam’s business network and sanctioning any affiliated companies in both
Yemen and Oman that have thus far escaped scrutiny. The U.S. should also demand
that Oman shut down the Houthis’ operations within its borders and expel their
leadership.
*Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD) focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and
the Houthis. Ahmad Sharawi is a senior research analyst at FDD focused on
Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the Levant. For more analysis from
Bridget, Ahmad, and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Bridget on X @BridgetKToomey
and Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington,
DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and
foreign policy.
As Iran’s uprising intensifies, Israel cannot afford to sit
this one out
Saeed Ghasseminejad & Navid Mohebbi/Ynet News/January 21/2026
As Iranians rise against the Islamic Republic amid a brutal crackdown, Israel
has both a moral duty and strategic interest to act now, warning that delay
risks crushing the uprising and strengthening a regime that remains Israel’s
core adversary. For years, a quiet but consequential shift has been unfolding
between millions of Iranians who reject the Islamic Republic and the State of
Israel. What once seemed politically unthinkable has become visible and, in many
circles, normal: open solidarity, a shared rejection of political Islam, and a
growing recognition that Tehran’s war with Israel is the regime’s obsession—not
the Iranian people’s.This relationship was not built on slogans or fleeting
sympathy. It was deliberately built over years of consistent signaling from both
sides. Sometimes the message was explicit; sometimes it was carefully implied.
But the core idea was clear: if Iranians ever rose against the regime in a
serious and sustained way, they would not rise alone. Those signals moved
through opposition networks, Persian-language media, and voices close to Israeli
security thinking, creating a real expectation that action would be met with
action. The depth of this alignment became impossible to ignore after October 7.
At a moment when much of the world turned hostile or ambivalent, Iranians were
among the rare communities that openly marched alongside Israelis in solidarity
rallies, often carrying the Lion and Sun flag to separate Iran from the Islamic
Republic. That action did not come out of nowhere.
The Crown Prince’s historic visit to Israel, along with the emerging concept of
a “Cyrus Accord”, a vision for post–Islamic Republic realignment, laid the
groundwork for it.
Today, that promise is colliding with bloodshed. Iran is living through one of
the most violent crackdowns in its modern history. What began as protests driven
by economic collapse and decades of systemic mismanagement has evolved into a
nationwide call for the end of the Islamic Republic regime. At least 12,000
protesters have been killed and the number is growing. For more than two weeks,
Iranians have resisted in the streets, night after night, city after city,
despite mass arrests, terror, and blackouts meant to hide the scale of the
killing. Funerals turn into protests; protests turn into funerals. The regime is
no longer pretending to govern. It is surviving through live ammunition, prison
cells, and fear.
From inside Iran, one question now echoes with urgency and bitterness: Where is
Israel?
This is not a request for sympathy statements. It is a demand for consistency.
Iranians have shattered taboos, chanting openly against Khamenei, rejecting the
regime’s ideology, and publicly separating “Iran” from “the Islamic Republic.”
Many did so, believing what they had heard for years, and directly from Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other prominent Israeli politicians, such
as former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet: you will not be left alone. If those
words meant anything, they must mean something now. And there is an
uncomfortable truth many Iranians have reached in their bones: clenched fists do
not defeat bullets and rifles. Courage matters. Numbers matter. But unarmed
civilians cannot be expected to outlast a regime that has chosen massacre as
policy. The longer this drags on without outside force, the higher the body
count climbs, and the more likely it becomes that the regime crushes the
uprising and then launches a ruthless campaign of revenge. Tens of thousands
will die.
That is why the case for Israeli action is not only moral. It is strategic.
Israel’s confrontation with the Islamic Republic is structural, not episodic.
The first round of direct war demonstrated Israel’s military edge and its
ability to strike Iran’s strategic infrastructure. It also revealed a harder
truth: partial action does not solve the problem. The regime survived, and
survival is enough. As long as the Islamic Republic remains in power, it retains
the capacity to rebuild missile production, restore command networks, and keep
advancing the capabilities that threaten Israel and destabilize the region.
There is no stable equilibrium here, only a cycle: strike, pause, rebuild,
escalate.
What makes this moment different is the Islamic Republic’s vulnerability. A
regime consumed by internal survival has far less capacity to absorb external
shocks. Pressure now does not unify society around the flag; it accelerates the
regime’s disintegration and empowers the Iranian people to reclaim their
country.
Meanwhile, Washington is moving. President Trump is talking about taking action
to punish the regime for killing protesters, signaling that the era of restraint
is ending. If the United States is preparing to act, Israel should not stand
aside. It should join that effort, or move immediately afterward, while the
regime is exposed, overstretched, and under maximum stress. Another
confrontation over Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities is coming regardless.
Delay does not avoid war; it postpones it on worse terms. Waiting allows the
regime to regroup, rebuild, and prepare for a deadlier future conflict. Acting
now, ideally coordinated with, or immediately following, American moves, offers
Israel its best chance to break the cycle that has poisoned the region for
decades. Israel does not need to own Iran’s uprising. It does not need to brand
it or pretend to lead it. But it must recognize the convergence of interests:
unavoidable security needs, a historic window of enemy weakness, and years of
promises, spoken and implied, that are now being tested.
This window will not remain open. For Iranians facing bullets tonight, the
question is painfully simple: If not now, when?
**Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies. Follow him on X: @SGhasseminejad. Navid Mohebbi is an independent
Iran expert living in Washington, DC. Follow him on X: @navidmohebbi.
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/bjtnwnnhbg
Read in Ynet News
Syrian Offensive Against Kurdish-Led SDF Risks Escape of ISIS Prisoners
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD-Policy Brief/January 21/2026
The ongoing conflict between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) risks unleashing tens of thousands of ISIS-linked detainees,
reviving a threat that the United States and the SDF spent years and much blood
trying to contain.Following intense clashes over the weekend, during which
Syrian government troops entered SDF-held territories east of the Euphrates
River, clashes were reported around two prisons in northeastern Syria where
members of ISIS were detained. These clashes came after a ceasefire deal was
announced on January 18 between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF
commander Mazloum Abdi, which sought to give the Syrian government control over
the Deir Ezzour and Raqqa governorates, as well as integrating the SDF into the
Syrian military as individuals rather than as distinct units. That agreement was
aligned with Turkey’s position on the integration mechanism, which views the
SDF’s primary component, the People’s Defense Units (YPG), as an extension of
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which remains a designated U.S. Foreign
Terrorist Organization and has engaged in an insurgency against Turkey for
decades. The integration agreement of March 2025, which did not specify an
integration mechanism, collapsed when Syrian government forces, along with
affiliated tribal militias, rapidly advanced into northeastern Syria on January
16.
Damascus Continues Offensive Despite Agreement
Despite the agreement announced on January 18, brief clashes between the SDF and
the Syrian government have continued. The violence followed Abdi’s January 19
visit to Damascus to discuss the integration deal. During the meeting, according
to pro-government sources, Abdi requested a five-day period to consult with SDF
leadership on key provisions of the agreement, particularly the terms of
integration and the future status of Kurdish-majority areas in northeastern
Syria, including Kobane, also known as Ayn al Arab. Sharaa rejected the request,
which prompted a brief resumption of clashes around Hasakah governorate, where
ISIS’s prison camps of al-Hol and al-Roj are located.
Clashes Around Prisons Holding ISIS Terrorists
Due to the rapid nature of Damascus’s military advances, clashes have erupted
around several prisons holding Islamic State fighters. On January 19, the SDF
claimed that al-Shaddadi prison in al-Hasakah, “which holds thousands of
detainees from the terrorist organization ISIS, has been subjected to repeated
attacks carried out by factions affiliated with Damascus.” At the same time,
Damascus accused the SDF of releasing ISIS detainees prior to the entry of
government forces into al-Shaddadi, adding the claim that they had rearrested 81
ISIS escapees during the clashes.
On January 20, the SDF said its forces had withdrawn from al-Hol camp,
redeploying to other areas in northern Syria because of what it claimed was
“international indifference” to the threat of ISIS. Reports later emerged that
the Syrian forces had positioned themselves inside the camp. However, with a
fragile ceasefire in place, the risk of clashes returning is likely, and a mass
escape from these prisons remains possible. Additionally, many of the forces
advancing with or on behalf of Damascus are tribal units with limited
discipline, bolstering concern that some of them may facilitate the release of
ISIS detainees.
U.S. Should Pressure Syrians To Halt Advance on Kurdish Areas
The United States should make clear to both sides that a return to conflict
would only unravel the hard-won counterterrorism gains achieved by the SDF and
Washington against the Islamic State. As Damascus moves to assert control over
ISIS camps and prisons, U.S. forces on the ground should continue monitoring
these facilities to prevent the escape of ISIS fighters. At the same time,
Washington should press the Syrian government to halt any advance into
Kurdish-majority areas and urge both parties to adhere to the January 18
agreement to prevent a renewed outbreak of hostilities.
*Ahmad Sharawi is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE.
Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington,
DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and
foreign policy.
Saudi Arabia’s bold new chapter:
How the Kingdom is redefining growth, global integration
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/21 January/2026
Saudi Arabia is entering a defining moment in its modern economic history. The
Kingdom is taking a major step forward by opening its financial markets to all
foreign investors, a move that reflects not only technical reform but a deeper
transformation in how the country positions itself within the global economy.
This development comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is rapidly reshaping its
economic model, broadening its sources of growth, and redefining its role as a
regional and international powerhouse.
For decades, Saudi Arabia was perceived primarily through the lens of energy
production and oil exports. While hydrocarbons remain central to the economy,
the country today is telling a different story – one of diversification,
openness, institutional reform, and long-term strategic planning. The decision
to allow full foreign participation in its financial markets symbolizes this
transition. This opening represents more than a regulatory change. It is an
invitation to global investors, financial institutions, corporations, and
governments to participate directly in the Kingdom’s growth story. It
underscores Saudi Arabia’s confidence in its economic fundamentals, its
regulatory framework, and its political commitment to sustained reform.
A historic opening of Saudi financial markets
The opening of Saudi Arabia’s financial markets to all foreign investors marks a
turning point in the evolution of the Kingdom’s economic system. By removing
barriers, Saudi Arabia is transforming its stock market from a largely regional
platform into a truly international marketplace. The Tadawul, already the
largest stock exchange in the Middle East, now stands to become one of the most
influential emerging markets globally. This reform places Saudi Arabia in direct
competition with established financial centers, not only in the Gulf but across
Asia and Europe. The timing of this decision is also significant. It comes after
years of regulatory strengthening, modernization of financial infrastructure,
and improvements in transparency and compliance. In other words, the Kingdom is
not opening its markets prematurely, but rather after laying the institutional
groundwork needed to support global participation. This step also reflects
growing confidence by Saudi policymakers that the domestic economy, corporate
sector, and banking system are mature enough to operate under full international
scrutiny. It is an expression of stability, ambition, and strategic patience – a
recognition that long-term growth depends on integration, not isolation.
What this opening really means
At its core, the opening of Saudi financial markets changes the mechanics of how
capital enters, circulates, and shapes the economy. First, it dramatically
expands the pool of available investment. Instead of relying primarily on
domestic institutions or restricted foreign funds, Saudi companies will now be
able to attract capital from a vast global audience: Pension funds in Europe,
asset managers in Asia, sovereign wealth funds in the Americas, and individual
investors worldwide. This diversification of capital sources strengthens the
resilience of the market and reduces vulnerability to localized economic shocks.
Second, the reform increases liquidity. A market with more participants, higher
trading volumes, and greater diversity of strategies becomes more efficient in
pricing assets and allocating resources. For Saudi companies, this means easier
access to financing. For entrepreneurs, it means greater opportunities to scale.
For the economy as a whole, it means faster circulation of capital into
productive sectors.
Third, this shift promotes higher standards of corporate governance. Global
investors demand transparency, accountability, and professional management.
Their presence creates natural pressure for listed companies to improve
reporting practices, internal controls, and strategic planning. Over time, this
raises the quality of the entire business environment. Fourth, the opening
enhances Saudi Arabia’s position in global financial indices and investment
benchmarks. Inclusion and weighting in these indices influence trillions of
dollars in passive investment flows. As accessibility increases, so too does the
likelihood that Saudi equities will occupy a larger share of global portfolios.
Taken together, these changes transform the stock market from a domestic
financial tool into a strategic engine of national development.
Why this is good for Saudi Arabia
For Saudi Arabia, the benefits of this reform extend far beyond short-term
investment inflows. Economically, it accelerates diversification. One of the
central challenges facing the Kingdom has been reducing dependence on oil
revenues. Opening the financial markets helps channel capital into sectors such
as technology, renewable energy, manufacturing, tourism, logistics, healthcare,
and education. These industries are essential for building a sustainable
post-oil economy. Institutionally, it strengthens financial discipline.
Companies exposed to international investors are compelled to adopt long-term
planning rather than short-term speculation. This encourages productivity,
innovation, and competitiveness.
Socially, the reform contributes to job creation. As investment expands,
companies grow, projects multiply, and demand for skilled labor increases. This
is particularly significant for Saudi youth, who represent a large and ambitious
segment of the population seeking meaningful employment in modern industries.
Strategically, it enhances Saudi Arabia’s influence. Financial integration
deepens relationships not only with corporations but with governments and global
institutions. Capital ties often evolve into political, technological, and
diplomatic partnerships, strengthening the Kingdom’s position on the world
stage.
In short, the opening of financial markets supports economic stability, social
development, and geopolitical leverage simultaneously.
Why this is good for other countries and global economy
The impact of Saudi Arabia’s decision is not limited to its borders.
For international investors, it offers access to one of the largest and most
dynamic economies in the developing world. Saudi Arabia’s market includes major
energy firms, banks, industrial companies, infrastructure developers, and
consumer brands – many of which operate at scales unmatched elsewhere in the
region. For regional economies, greater financial integration encourages
cross-border investment and collaboration. Companies from neighboring countries
gain new opportunities to raise capital, form partnerships, and expand
operations. This strengthens the Middle East as a collective economic bloc. For
the global system, Saudi Arabia’s integration adds stability. A more
interconnected financial network distributes risk more evenly and supports
global growth. When capital flows freely to productive markets, innovation
accelerates and supply chains become more robust. Furthermore, by opening its
economy, Saudi Arabia contributes to a broader trend toward multipolar economic
leadership. Growth is no longer concentrated in a few traditional centers;
instead, emerging economies increasingly shape global demand, investment, and
innovation.
A pillar of vision 2030 and MBS leadership
This reform cannot be understood in isolation from Vision 2030, the
comprehensive strategy launched under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman.
Vision 2030 is not merely an economic plan. It is a blueprint for national
transformation. It addresses education, governance, infrastructure, technology,
culture, and social development alongside financial reform. Its central
philosophy is simple but ambitious: that Saudi Arabia’s future prosperity
depends on openness, competitiveness, and human potential. Over the past several
years, the Kingdom has introduced sweeping changes – modernizing regulations,
investing in mega-projects, expanding women’s participation in the workforce,
developing tourism, and fostering entrepreneurship. These initiatives are
interconnected. Financial reform supports industrial growth; industrial growth
supports employment; employment supports social stability.
The opening of financial markets stands as one of the most visible outcomes of
this vision. It demonstrates political will, institutional capacity, and
strategic coherence. It reflects leadership that is willing to challenge
tradition when necessary, while preserving stability.
Mohammed bin Salman’s approach has emphasized speed, scale, and structural
change. While such ambition naturally attracts debate, its economic results are
increasingly evident in growth rates, investment figures, infrastructure
development, and international partnerships.
Saudi Arabia and a new global economic reality
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia today stands at the threshold of a new era. By
opening its financial markets to the world, the Kingdom is not only reforming
its economy but redefining its identity – from a resource-based state to a
diversified, investment-driven, globally integrated power. Thanks to Vision 2030
and the leadership driving it forward, Saudi Arabia has become one of the
fastest-growing and most strategically significant economies in the Middle East.
Its transformation is not occurring in isolation; it is reshaping regional
dynamics and influencing global economic patterns. This opening is therefore
more than a technical milestone. It is a statement of intent. It says that Saudi
Arabia is ready to compete, collaborate, and lead. And in doing so, it offers
not only new opportunities for its own people, but tangible benefits for
investors, partners, and economies around the world.rs, and economies around the
world.
Selected Face Book & X tweets/
January 21/2026
Ambassador Tom Barrack
@USAMBTurkiye
The greatest opportunity for the Kurds in Syria right now lies in the post-Assad
transition under the new government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. This
moment offers a pathway to full integration into a unified Syrian state with
citizenship rights, cultural protections, and political participation— long
denied under Bashar al-Assad’s regime, where many Kurds faced statelessness,
language restrictions, and systemic discrimination.
Historically, the US military presence in northeastern Syria was justified
primarily as a counter-ISIS partnership. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led
by Kurds, proved the most effective ground partner in defeating ISIS’s
territorial caliphate by 2019, detaining thousands of ISIS fighters and family
members in prisons and camps like al-Hol and al-Shaddadi. At that time, there
was no functioning central Syrian state to partner with—the Assad regime was
weakened, contested, and not a viable partner against ISIS due to its alliances
with Iran and Russia.
Today, the situation has fundamentally changed. Syria now has an acknowledged
central government that has joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (as its
90th member in late 2025), signaling a westward pivot and cooperation with the
US on counterterrorism. This shifts the rationale for the US-SDF partnership:
the original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has
largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to take over
security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and
camps.
Recent developments show the US actively facilitating this transition, rather
than prolonging a separate SDF role:
• We have engaged extensively with the Syrian Government and SDF leadership to
secure an integration agreement, signed on January 18, and to set a clear
pathway for timely and peaceful implementation.
• The deal integrates SDF fighters into the national military (as individuals,
which remains among the most contentious issues), hand over key infrastructure
(oil fields, dams, border crossings), and cede control of ISIS prisons and camps
to Damascus.
• The US has no interest in long-term military presence; it prioritizes
defeating ISIS remnants, supporting reconciliation, and advancing national unity
without endorsing separatism or federalism.
This creates a unique window for the Kurds: integration into the new Syrian
state offers full citizenship rights (including for those previously stateless),
recognition as an integral part of Syria, constitutional protections for Kurdish
language and culture (e.g., teaching in Kurdish, celebrating Nawruz as a
national holiday), and participation in governance—far beyond the semi-autonomy
the SDF held amid civil war chaos.
While risks remain (e.g., fragile ceasefires, occasional clashes, concerns over
hardliners, or the desire of some actors to relitigate past grievances), the
United States is pushing for safeguards on Kurdish rights and counter-ISIS
cooperation. The alternative—prolonged separation—could invite instability or
ISIS resurgence. This integration, backed by US diplomacy, represents the
strongest chance yet for Kurds to secure enduring rights and security within a
recognized Syrian nation-state.
In Syria, the United States is focused on: 1) ensuring the security of prison
facilities holding ISIS prisoners, currently guarded by the SDF; and 2)
facilitating talks between the SDF and the Syrian Government to allow for the
peaceful integration of the SDF and the political inclusion of Syria’s Kurdish
population into a historic full Syrian citizenship.
The path to SDF integration into
the Syrian state
Hassan Al-Mustafa/Arab News/January
21, 2026
Syria’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday declared a four-day ceasefire with the
Syrian Democratic Forces, an announcement that coincided with a significant
American policy signal. US envoy Tom Barrack stated that integration into the
Syrian state — complete with “citizenship rights, cultural protection and
political participation” — represents “the greatest opportunity for the Kurds in
Syria right now.” He added that the SDF’s original anti-Daesh support mission
has “largely expired” and emphasized America has “no interest in (a) long-term
military presence in Syria.”Barrack’s remarks clearly favored Damascus’ central
government, likely surprising Kurdish expectations. They signal a recalibration
of American engagement in post-Assad Syria, fundamentally reframing the SDF’s
status from anti-Daesh combat force to a local faction expected to merge into
state structures.
The EU adopted a similar stance, declaring that “the integration of military,
security and civilian institutions into unified state frameworks, alongside
meaningful political and local participation, is essential.” Brussels did
stress, however, that “the full protection of Kurdish rights is also crucial” —
seeking simultaneously to empower Damascus while preventing Kurdish
marginalization.Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry welcomed both the ceasefire and
“the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces, encompassing all civilian and
military institutions, into the Syrian state.” Riyadh commended “the efforts
made by the United States of America in reaching this agreement,” while
expressing hope for “strengthened security and stability, institutional
development and the rule of law.”
The Saudi position reflects its consistent support for Syrian sovereignty and
territorial integrity, while preventing the escalation of conflict into
ethnically or sectarian-driven civil war. Syria’s government last week moved to
establish the legal-political foundations for integration through a presidential
decree tackling core Kurdish grievances. The decree eliminated “exceptional
measures” stemming from the controversial 1962 Hasakah census, extended
citizenship “to all residents of Kurdish origin” — including previously
unregistered individuals — and designated Nowruz as a nationwide paid public
holiday.
These decisions demonstrate Damascus’ intent to offer more than military
capitulation — instead proposing genuine citizenship free from cultural or
ethnic bias against Kurds. The goal: making state reintegration an attractive,
socially acceptable option within Kurdish communities, rather than a submission
to a superior force.Yet, despite these diplomatic and legislative initiatives,
conditions on the ground remain volatile. Fighting resumed after an initial
pause and gunfire exchanges continued, prompting Damascus to issue the four-day
extension. Serious security concerns arose when 120 Daesh detainees escaped Al-Shaddadi
prison during redeployment chaos — 81 were recaptured, according to Associated
Press reports, though other Western sources cited higher figures.
The SDF has long justified its international standing by effectively managing
the Daesh threat — controlling prisons, administering Al-Hol camp and combating
extremist remnants. The prison break and associated risks to Syria and its
neighbors, especially Iraq, directly challenge this security credibility. The
notion of the SDF being a stable alternative faces scrutiny, particularly since
Daesh threatens both Damascus and the SDF equally. Three factors now define the
SDF’s trajectory. First, American backing no longer guarantees its survival as a
quasi-independent entity viewed by central authorities as separatist. Instead,
Washington is applying pressure for state integration.The SDF must recognize
that integration into the state better serves Kurdish interests than separatist
positioning.
Second, regional endorsement for integration from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and
Qatar increases the costs of reverting to being an armed militia operating
outside state control. Integration, on the other hand, fits within a broader
regional stability framework that emphasizes institution-building, sovereignty
and territorial unity.Third, Syria’s government must demonstrate its governance
capacity domestically and internationally — managing the country effectively,
ensuring stability, improving economic conditions and attracting investment.
This requires tangible evidence that it can accommodate Kurdish diversity
without triggering new cycles of rebellion. Damascus therefore prioritizes
resolving the SDF question regardless of the perceived costs. Real operational
complications exist. Trust between Syria’s central authority and Kurdish
communities remains tenuous. Yet transparent dialogue, unambiguous
antidiscrimination legislation establishing citizenship as the baseline, and
authentic representation across government, military, security services and
state institutions would make SDF integration substantially more achievable.
Simultaneously, the SDF must abandon unrealistic aspirations of expansive
Kurdish autonomy, recognizing that integration into the state with equal rights
and genuine partnership better serves Kurdish interests than separatist
positioning.
**Hassan Al-Mustafa is a Saudi writer and researcher interested in Islamic
movements, the development of religious discourse, and the relationship between
Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran. X: @Halmustafa
Shlomo Levi שלמה לוי
Tom Barrack is, without a doubt, the most incompetent American politician
history has ever seen. He should be removed from office immediately. Tom has
done a great injustice to the Kurds because of his Arab ancestry, and this is
absolutely unacceptable.
Michel Hajji Georgiou
Forgetting Rifaat el-Assad?
If minimal decency is forbidden to rejoice even at the death of a monster, it
does not prevent, however, from feeling some sudden lightness, or even comfort,
even if fleeting, at the announcement of this one.
Rifaat el-Assad is no more.In the retrospective and retroactive feeling of
powerlessness and desolation in the face of the worst atrocities in history, we
console ourselves as we can (... )
To read my new editorial, go here:
https://levanttime.com/.../f9597ed0-694e-4283-9b68...
Secretary Marco Rubio
In just one year, President Trump has reclaimed American sovereignty by boldly
pursuing peace through strength. Because of his decisive leadership, our allies
respect us, our adversaries fear us, and the American people are put first.
Promises made, promises kept.
Reza Pahlavi
@PahlaviReza
The Islamic Republic is at war with the Iranian people. A decisive strike
against its tools of oppression—especially the IRGC leadership and command
infrastructure—would shift the balance and empower the people to collapse the
regime on its last legs.
https://x.com/i/status/2013710094014263524
@johnrobertsFox @FoxNews
Urgent Press Release 4: Blackout and Renewed Attacks on Kobane
Jonathan Spyer/Face Book/January 21, 2026
Water and electricity have been cut off in Kobane. Internet access was also
severed shortly after this information was last shared. Local sources report
that extremist forces are closing in on the city, in what appears to be a
targeted campaign of retaliation against a city that achieved a historic victory
over ISIS in 2014. With essential services deliberately shut down, a
humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding. Civilians—among them children and the
elderly—are trapped in darkness, deprived of basic necessities.
Water, food, and fuel are running out.
The four-day ceasefire declared by the al Sharaa’s Transitional
Government is not holding, and the city is facing renewed attacks. Meanwhile,
Turkish military deployments are amassing at the Turkish border with tanks,
soldiers, and heavy weaponry. The sense of vengeance directed at Kobane is
unmistakable. The forces encircling the city seek to erase both the symbolic and
strategic significance of the Kurdish-led defeat of global terrorism. For
Kurds—and for the world—Kobane is a symbol of hope and resistance. By cutting
off life-sustaining infrastructure, the forces of the Syrian.Transitional
Government, acting in coordination with Turkey and backed by jihadist militias,
are weaponising basic human needs against a population that once stood on the
world’s front line of defence.