Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 17 November 2017
Iraqi Kurd lawmakers returning to Baghdad after boycott

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN- ter a military and political attend Thursday’s session. prime minister to the nego- the constitution when they
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s standoff that followed the The party’s members have tiating table. “We want to campaigned and voted in
Kurdish lawmakers are re- divisive Kurdish indepen- boycotted the parliament start dialogue with the cen- the referendum.Earlier this
turning to Baghdad this dence vote in September. since it declared the Kurd- tral government,” he said, week, the self-ruled Kurd-
week after boycotting the Kurdish lawmakers had an- ish referendum unconstitu- adding that attempts to do ish regional government
national parliament, a se- nounced they would return tional just before the Sept. so from Irbil, the Kurdish re- accepted an earlier fed-
nior Kurdish official said to parliament, but an Iraqi 25 independence vote. gional capital, have failed. eral court ruling that Iraq
Thursday, though they lawmaker, Josef Slewa, Renas Jano, a lawmaker for Iraqi lawmaker Razzaq Mo- must remain unified. “It is a
have yet to attend any leg- told The Associated Press the party, said its legislators heibis said that the return catalyst toward removing
islative session. that Kurdish legislators from are returning to Baghdad in of the Kurdish lawmakers the impact of the uncon-
The move is an apparent Masoud Barzani’s Kurdish hopes their presence in the was still under discussion stitutional referendum the
concession to Baghdad af- Democratic Party did not Iraqi capital will bring the and that they had violated region held,” q
Egypt tries to avoid a fight as allies escalate against Iran

sis with Iran or Hezbollah, newspaper Al-Shorouk,
and he called for dialogue Imad Hussein, wrote this
to resolve tensions. week.
Other Egyptian officials Hussein, who is close to the
sharpened their rhetoric government, made sure to
against non-Arab, Shiite praise Saudi Arabia’s re-
Iran, but have not em- gional role, its financial sup-
braced the sectarian or port for Egypt and its cus-
ethnic slant used by their todianship of Islam’s holiest
Sunni-led Gulf friends. shrines.
In the past month, Saudi He also avoided naming
Arabia has twice accused Saudi Crown Prince Mo-
Iran and its Lebanese ally hammed bin Salman, the
Hezbollah of acts of war heir to the throne behind
against it. the kingdom’s more hawk-
A direct war between the ish anti-Iran stance. He has
two regional powerhouses driven aggressive regional
still seems unlikely; but the policies, including military
heightened rhetoric raised intervention in Yemen and
fears that it wasn’t out of the ostracizing of Qatar —
the question or that a new a move that Egypt fell in
proxy fight could erupt in line with.
In this Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 photo, released by the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Riyadh, Saudi Lebanon. Another prominent com-
Arabia. Egypt faces high expectations from Saudi Arabia and its other Gulf Arab benefactors that Egyptian commenta- mentator, veteran oppo-
it will have their back as tensions rise with their rival Iran. But Egypt clearly has no desire to be tors have bluntly warned sition figure Mohammed
dragged into a military conflict and that reluctance could lead to frictions between Cairo and against getting mired into Aboul-Ghar, counselled
Riyadh. a military conflict initiated the government to stay
(Saudi Press Agency via AP) by the Saudis. out of any potential Saudi-
By HAMZA HENDAWI desire to be dragged into to its Gulf allies while trying “Egypt’s real national duty Iran conflict, arguing that
Associated Press a military conflict or to to defuse their escalations is to tell our brothers ... that Egypt’s army was needed
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt faces see the tensions spiral into against Iran. we are with them to de- to fight an insurgency by Is-
high expectations from another Saudi-Iran proxy Last week, President Abdel- fend the security of Saudi lamic militants and protect
Saudi Arabia and its other battle like the many that Fattah el-Sissi proclaimed Arabia, the Gulf and the the porous borders.
Gulf Arab benefactors that are already tearing up the that any threat to Gulf se- entire region ... But that “Coming close to that
it will have their back as Middle East. curity “is a threat to our does not mean that we dangerous (Gulf) region is
tensions rise with their rival Its reluctance could lead own national security,” get dragged by them into a horrifying prospect. It’s
Iran, including throwing the to frictions between Cairo warning Iran to stop med- wars and conflicts that are neither wise nor sound to
weight of its military — the and Riyadh. dling. But he also said the essentially sectarian and even talk about that,” he
largest standing Arab army Egypt’s leadership has region “has enough insta- benefit no one except wrote in Tuesday’s edition
— into the crisis if needed. been striking a balancing bility and challenges as it the enemies of the (Arab) of the Cairo daily Al-Masry
But Egypt clearly has no act, giving nods of support is” and doesn’t need a cri- nation,” the editor of the Al-Youm.q
Syria activists: 22 civilians die in fighting near Damascus

By PHILIP ISSA The fighting in the opposi- Syrian state media, mean- Center. Fighting over the purporting to show several
Associated Press tion-held Eastern Ghouta while, said rebel shelling faci ity was still underway munitions caches it uncov-
BEIRUT (AP) — outside Damascus is the lat- from the area killed six peo- Thursday, according to ered inside the compound.
Syrian government shelling est in now regular breaches ple and wounded 45 in the the Observatory’s director, An aid warehouse was
and airstrikes have killed of a local truce brokered government-held capital. Rami Abdurrahman.Pro- damaged by the fighting,
nearly two dozen civilians by Russia, Turkey and Iran, Fighters from the rebel government forces lost 37 spoiling food stocks, the
in three days of fighting in that came into force in Au- Ahrar al-Sham faction on fighters, including nine offi- World Food Program said in
the suburbs of the capital gust.The Britain-based Syr- Wednesday penetrated a cers, in the clashes; scores a statement.
where rebels are trying to ian Observatory for Human military compound outside of rebels were also killed or It said WFP “condemns the
take over a military instal- Rights said 22 civilians have Harasta, a town in Eastern wounded, the Observatory destruction of humanitar-
lation, activists and a moni- been killed, and more than Ghouta, according to the said.Ahrar al-Sham’s me- ian food supplies in Eastern
toring group said Thursday. 100 wounded. activist-run Ghouta Media dia arm published photos Ghouta.”q