SYRIA’S CHEMICAL WEAPONS UPDATE
As of April 16, Syria has either exported, or destroyed in-country, just over three quarters of the chemicals it promised to destroy at last year’s Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons. The process met with major delays early this year, resulting in missed deadlines. In the past three weeks, however, the process has accelerated. Christian Chartier, a spokesperson for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, is monitoring the shipments and is pessimistic Syria will be able to meet the new April 27 deadline, even with this improved pace. (New York Times April 18, 2014)
ISRAEL RETALIATES AFTER MORE ROCKETS FROM THE GAZA STRIP
Unidentified militants from the Gaza Strip fired seven rockets into southern Israel this week. The Israeli army retaliated by striking two training camps run by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls Gaza. Israel holds Hamas responsible for any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and responded in kind to a similar rocket attack in March. (Reuters April 21, 2014)
YEMEN WORKING WITH U.S. AGAINST AL QAEDA
This month, Yemeni forces conducted an operation targeting al Qaeda militants in the provinces of Abyan, Shabwa and al-Bayda. The attacks, including both air strikes and ground assault, reportedly were aided by U.S. unmanned drone strikes on a southern mountain range in Abyan province. A high-ranking Yemini official reports as many as 65 militants were killed in the operations, though the number has not been verified. (CNN April 21, 2014)
LAST REBEL STRONGHOLD IN SYRIA HEAVILY BOMBED
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out “near continuous” bombing of Homs last weekend, claiming that only insurgents remained the in the city. Opposition activists cried foul, noting some of the dead were university students and Palestinian refugees. Assad has refused to allow supplies to reach the besieged city, in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2139, which was adopted in February. Homs is one of the last few rebel-held areas of Syria. Assad also reportedly bombed targets nearby Waer, where many residents of Homs had taken shelter. Like Homs, Waer has been cut off from supplies, leaving the population of nearly 200,000 people without food or medicine. (New York Times April 19, 2014)
JORDANIAN RETURNING FROM SYRIA ARRESTED
Jordan’s government is trying Mr. Ahmad Mahoud on charges of terrorism for joining Syrian rebels in the fight against the Assad. While Amman allows Jordanians to fight with rebels in Syria, it does not want seasoned Islamist fighters returning home. Those who do are often accused of committing “acts not authorized by the stay that sour relations with legitimate Syrian relations.” With this policy Jordan is hoping to maintain diplomatic relations with Assad and the U.S. while mitigating security risks that returned jihadist fighters may pose to the Hashemite Kingdom. (Reuters April 18, 2014)