Fw: Middle East Minute for July 16, 2021

If you have trouble reading this email, view it in a browser.   BREAKING NEWS Friday, July 16 |     Libya will keep Italian aid despite migrant abuse claims thenationalnews.com     France to host aid conference for Lebanon after Hariri resignation dpa-international.com     On the Ground     Hariri steps down as prime minister-designate after dispute with president Lebanon's prime minister-designate stepped down from his post on Thursday. Saad Hariri withdrew his nomination following a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. Hariri said they reached an impasse on the formation of Lebanon's government. The Lebanese government resigned en masse last August following an explosion at the Beirut port. Hariri was tapped to form a new government but was unable to do so. His stepping down further plunges the country into political and economic crisis as the Lebanese pound has plummeted to a record low of more than 20,000 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, while job losses and the price of necessities have skyrocketed. Read More   al-monitor.com     Egypt to release dozens of political detainees An Egyptian court has ordered the release of 130 political detainees, a human rights lawyer revealed on Thursday. Some of those to be freed were arrested on charges of joining the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group, a charge commonly used against opponents of the Egyptian government. Egypt has come under mounting international criticism over its human rights record in recent years as thousands of activists have been imprisoned while others have been held in pre-trial detention since the fall of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Read More   aa.com.tr     Saudi-backed forces advance in Yemen's Marib Yemen's government forces and local tribesmen took control of headquarters of a key district in the central province of Marib, an army spokesperson said on Thursday. The government forces, backed by Saudi-led airstrikes, have been pushing back against an offensive launched by the Houthi rebels in February in the oil-rich province of Marib, which is the government's last stronghold in the north of the country. The escalation comes despite renewed international efforts to end the war in Yemen. So far, the Houthis have not accepted a cease-fire proposal offered by Riyadh in March. Read More   arabnews.com     Facebook says Iranian hackers spied on US military personnel using fake accounts A group of Iranian hackers used fake Facebook accounts to target US military personnel and defense and aerospace workers, the social media company said Thursday. The hacking group, known as Tortoiseshell, used Facebook and other social media platforms to infect devices with malware for espionage purposes. According to Facebook, a fake account would "contact its targets, build trust and trick them into clicking on malicious links." Facebook said that in some cases, the hackers invested months to gain the trust of their targets before sending them links. Read More   al-monitor.com     Iraq to investigate trafficking networks to Lithuania via Belarus Iraq's foreign minister on Thursday vowed to investigate trafficking networks responsible for smuggling hundreds of Iraqis into Lithuania via Belarus. Fuad Hussein made the promise following a meeting in Baghdad with his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis. "It's our duty to protect our citizens, whether they be inside or outside the country," Hussein said. Lithuania recently declared a state of emergency due to the rising number of migrants from Africa and the Middle East arriving through Belarus. Read More   france24.com     UN envoy accuses 'spoilers' of trying to obstruct Libya elections The UN special envoy for Libya accused "spoilers" on Thursday of trying to obstruct the country's December elections. Jan Kubis told a ministerial meeting of the council that although many key players reiterated their commitment to presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, he believes many of them are not ready "to walk the talk." Kubis cited the failure of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to agree on a legal framework to hold elections. He also cited the failure of foreign forces and mercenaries to leave Libya within 90 days as required under last October's cease-fire. Libya has been split in two since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. A cease-fire in October led to the formation of a transitional government and a road map to elections. Read More   apnews.com     Iran's water crisis sparks protests Protests erupted in Iran on Friday over severe water shortages, according to Iranian news outlets and videos posted on social media. Videos showed protesters setting fire to tires and security forces were seen trying to disperse crowds. In May, Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian warned of water shortages, saying this year was "one of the driest in 50 years." The shortages have led to power blackouts and protest marches for several weeks over work conditions. Iran's economy has plummeted due to the impact of US sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. Read More   reuters.com     The Washington Connection     US troops in Iraq not ordered to withdraw, defense official confirms to Al-Monitor The US-led coalition in Iraq has not been given orders to draw down its presence, a defense official told Al-Monitor on Thursday. The clarification followed confusion about possible plans for a US troop withdrawal from the country. Following a Baghdad meeting on Thursday between White House Coordinator for Middle East Policy Brett McGurk and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, a statement from Kadhimi's office said they discussed "mechanisms for withdrawing combat forces from Iraq and moving to a new phase of strategic cooperation" between their countries. A BBC reporter cited anonymous Iraqi officials as saying McGurk relayed the message "that US troops would withdraw from Iraq" in a step-by-step process according to a timeline to be determined during Kadhimi's visit to Washington. But two US officials speaking on condition of anonymity denied the report. Another official said McGurk's comments to Kadhimi may have been misconstrued. Read More   al-monitor.com     US top diplomat calls Lebanon's failure to form government 'disappointing' The US Secretary of State said on Thursday the withdrawal of Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri was a "disappointment development." "Leaders in Beirut must urgently put aside partisan differences and form a government that serves the Lebanese people," said Antony Blinken in a statement. Hariri's stepping down followed a monthslong effort to form a new Lebanese government. The move further plunges Lebanon into crisis as international donors remain adamant that a government must be established before they can provide funding. Read More   timesofisrael.com     Tips, questions, comments? Contact us at MEM@al-monitor.com with all your requests and queries.       STAY CONNECTED CONTACT US Support & Contact Advertise NEWSLETTERS Subscribe TERMS OF USE Visitor Agreement Privacy Policy         © 2021 Al-Monitor. 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