Some Iraqi officials refer to it as “the gap,” and it is becoming as pressing a concern as the fight against the Islamic State. Each month, Iraq’s government pays out nearly $4 billion in salaries and pensions to the military and a bloated array of public-sector workers. But with more than 90 percent of government revenue coming from oil, it is bringing in only about half that as crude prices plunge. – Washington Post
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"Two factions within the Muslim Brotherhood are dueling for control, diminishing the group’s ability to address challenges from the regime and driving its supporters to other actors, among them the Islamic State. In February 2014, the youth -- who were increasingly calling for revolutionary action -- successfully pressured the group to hold internal elections to restructure its governing bodies and address the leadership vacuum. This allowed them to take a more active role in internal leadership, especially on the ‘crisis management committee.’ Since then, following the arrest of Mohamed Wahdan, a member of the guidance bureau aligned with the youth, the crisis management committee has been disbanded and replaced by the ‘high administrative committee.’ This has added to the tension between the youth and old guard, whom the youth claim were behind Wahdan’s arrest and took advantage of the leadership vacuum to place Mahmoud Ezzat (also a member of the guidance office and deputy guide) as the Brotherhood’s default supreme guide.” Carnegie: http://carnegieendowment.org/sada/?fa=62942&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign= New%20Campaign&utm_term=%2AMideast%20Brief Summary
Israel is starting to deliver the David's Sling Weapon System, or DSWS, it has been jointly developing with the U.S., Defense News reports. DSWS is designed to fill the donut hole in Israeli missile defense that exists between missile defense systems like Iron Dome, designed to take out smaller rockets and the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3, used to knock out ballistic missiles. DSWS would be used against short range rockets and missiles in the arsenals of Israeli neighbors like Syria and Hezbollah, like the Scud B and Fateh-110 missiles. The system, already through live fire testing, will be rolled out piece by piece for use by the Israeli Air Force before initial operational capability is declared. Defense News: http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/03/01/ us-israel-start-delivering-davids-sling-system-israel-air-force/81145694/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign& utm_term=%2ASituation%20Report Summary
With Iraqi forces taking back swaths of territory from ISIS, what role will Shia militias play in the country's future? Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy runs down the tensions playing out between the militias and the central government. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his allies are trying to reassert the authority of the state and limit Iranian influence by pushing to cut the budget for militias and thwart their ability to detain citizens and foreigners. But the leaders of Iranian-backed militias like Hadi al-Amiri and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis are pushing to make their organizations a permanent arm of the state. Washington Institute Near East Policy: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iraqs-popular-demobilisation?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20 Campaign&utm_term=%2ASituation%20Report Summary
“This counterterrorism emphasis meshes with U.S. domestic politics. Polls indicate an American public still suspicious of U.S. leadership in the Middle East (and the world at large), but also increasingly in favor of strong action against the Islamic State. So any administration has a political incentive -- and a political reality -- to be chary of intervention or heavy involvement in the Middle East, aside from counterterrorism. As I’ve argued elsewhere, such a counterterrorism focus is a mistake -- even if our primary goal is fighting terrorism. The source of terrorism in the Middle East is linked to civil wars, poor governance, the unresolved Palestinian issue, and numerous other problems. A narrow focus on counterterrorism also risks jeopardizing other interests, such as the ones above, that may resume their traditional importance in the long-term.” Brookings: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/03/02-shifting-us -interests-middle-east-byman?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20 Campaign&utm_term=%2AMideast%20Brief Talk of who will replace the nearly 81-year-old Mr. Abbas, and when, has surged. Arab countries like Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have provided financial and political support to Abbas rivals, including the former Gaza strongman, Muhammad Dahlan, now in exile in Abu Dhabi. Nathan Thrall, a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, recently published a piece titled “The End of the Abbas Era.
NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/world/middleeast/talk-grows-about -who-will-succeed-palestinians-fading-mahmoudabbas.html?_r=0 |
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