Excerpts: Alawite's anti-Assad movement. Russia,Turkey remain
unresolved.Saudi editorial re Turkey,Russia. Saudi-Russia business
relations. Nearly 1,000 'security risks' denied France entry November 28,
2015

+++SOURCE:Al Arabiya News 28 Nov.’15:”Alawites’ anti-Assad movement has been
brewing for years,says head”, by Dina al Shibeeb
SUBJECT:Alawites’ anti-Assad movement

QUOTE:”many followers have long been working to topple the embattled leader”

FULL TEXT:For many observers, Syrian Alawites appeared on the surface to be
supporters of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

However, Fouad Hamira, the founder of a movement made up of members from the
Shiite offshoot sect, says that many followers have long been working to
topple the embattled leader.

The Alawite “Upcoming Syria” movement was founded on Nov. 21 in Istanbul,
Turkey’s largest city, which is also home to hundreds of thousands of
Syrians who have fled the devastating conflict. The group is considered the
first grassroots movement of Alawites heralding further involvement in
opposition politics against Assad’s regime.

Alawites - who make about 12 percent of Syria’s population - highly revere
Ali, the fourth of the “Rightly Guided” or Rashidun caliphs following
Prophet Mohammed’s death 14 centuries ago. They follow a branch of the
Twelver School of Shiite Islam blended with syncretistic elements.

“The circumstances have finally allowed the project to mature. We have been
working for four and a half years for this project,” said Hamira. He said it
took a long time to form the movement because “some factions” he declined to
name had prevented its formation.

Hamira was a prominent writer for Syrian TV dramas before his arrest and
torture for 13 days by the Assad regime in 2013. He left the country shortly
after.

Upcoming Syria is also backed by “thousands of supporters inside Syria,”
Hamira said. “[They] are working with the movement despite the extreme
suppression by the [Assad] regime. They are cooperating with us but
clandestinely.”

While the main Western-backed opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC)
includes Alawites and Christians among other minorities, Hamira said that
the group is not representative of Alawites for ideological reasons.

“These Alawites [in the SNC] are Marxists and dismiss their [religious]
identity as such. They do not represent Alawites and this is a shortage in
the body of the coalition,” he said.

The new movement aims to act as a “voice directed” to Alawites, and does not
claim to represent all members of the sect, he added.

Asked if Alawites will eventually join the SNC, Hamira said the movement has
not yet decided.

“The decision will be taken after a meeting with [Upcoming Syria’s]
political office. They did not propose the topic to talk about, but we will
discuss it soon,” he said. “We are in the process of birth, we need to
finish our internal work first and then we can deal with others.”

The number of Alawites killed in comparison to their number [in proportion
to Syria’s population] is very big. The regime is using them as fuel, they
started thinking why my son is being killed but not those close to Assad’s
family? No one is killed in Assad’s family

Omar Kouch, a senior SNC leader



Hamira, who in 2006 lobbied Assad’s government to air his “Gazelles in a
Forest of Wolves” TV drama, which showcased poignant criticism of corruption
and abuse of power in Syria, explained that the movement is “open to all
opposition institutions, and all of its parties.”

Assad has always claimed that Syria’s minorities – including Alawites and
Christians, which make up about 10 percent of the population – would be
defenseless in face of an uprising heavily hijacked by Islamists.

But Hamira said that this narrative was false, and had long been propagated
by Assad’s father Hafez, who ruled Syria for three decades until his death
in 2000.

“Through lying and rumors…. [Hafez al-Assad] had implanted the idea that
Alawites and Sunnis are not partners but enemies,” said the activist, adding
that the Assad dynasty had always strived to present itself as a protector
of minorities.

“The truth showed that these minorities are the ones who are protecting the
regime,” Hamira explained, claiming thousands of Alawites were killed to
protect Assad’s “throne” and stay in power.

After the losses, Hamira said the Alawites are now “awakened.”



Ramadan Haidar, father of Mahmoud, a 23-year-old Syrian who was killed while
fighting in the military, sits in his living room under photos of his son,
in the city of Tartous, the capital of a coastal province in Syria. (File
photo: AP)

Omar Kouch, a senior SNC leader, said the founding of Upcoming Syria shows
that “Alawite opposition figures also want to have a role in finding a
political solution in Syria and to represent them among the opposition.”

In Riyadh, a Saudi-backed conference is expected to bring together members
of Syria’s fragmented opposition, in an attempt by the kingdom’s authorities
to unify the groups.

Like Hamira, Kouch said that the high number of Alawites killed in the
conflict spelled a change of heart for them.

“The number of Alawites killed in comparison to their number [in proportion
to Syria’s population] is very big. The regime is using them as fuel, they
started thinking why my son is being killed but not those close to Assad’s
family? No one is killed in Assad’s family,” he said.

Kouch described protest slogans such as “you are in palaces and our sons in
graves” as becoming more conspicuous.

“Even in funerals, the [Alawite] families do not accept Assad’s relatives or
those close to the regime, making it a form of protest,” said Kouch.

Both Hamira and Kouch agree that Assad’s “real supporters” come different
backgrounds - including Sunnis, who make the majority of the Syrian
population.

“Yes, of course, there are Sunnis who are still with Bashar
Al-Assad…especially bourgeoisie of the Sunnis such as merchants from
Damascus, Aleppo, even Homs cities,” Kouch said, showcasing how pledging
political support to an embattled leader and personal interests interest and
overlap.



+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 28 Nov.’15:”Putin orderss sanctions against
Turkey:, Staff Writeer with Assciated Press, Agence France Presse & Reuters
SUBJECT: Russia,Turkey remain unresolved
FULL TEXT:Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday[28 Nov] called for
sanctions against Turkey, following the downing this week by Turkey of a
Russian warplane.

The decree published on the Kremlin’s website Saturday[28 Nov] came hours
after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had voiced regret over the
incident, saying his country was “truly saddened” by the event and wished it
hadn’t occurred.

The decree includes a ban on some goods and forbids extensions of labor
contracts for Turks working in Russia.

It doesn’t specify what goods are to be banned or give other details, but it
also calls for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for
Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would
include a stay in Turkey.

In response, a senior Turkish official said sanctions like those Russia
imposed only serve to deepen the problem between them.

“Sanctions like this would only damage relations. These steps do not make
anything easier, but deepen the problem,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Erdogan’s expression of regret Saturday[28 Nov] was the first
since Tuesday’s[24 Nov] incident in which Turkish F-16 jets shot down the
Russian jet on grounds that it had violated Turkey’s airspace despite
repeated warnings to change course. It was the first time in half a century
that a NATO member shot down a Russian plane and drew a harsh response from
Moscow.

Earlier, Turkey advised its nationals on Saturday[28 Nov] to postpone all
non-urgent travel to Russia, the latest move in an escalating row between
Moscow and Ankara over a Russian jet downed by Turkey on Tuesday[24 Nov].

NATO member Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement that following
difficulties faced by Turkish visitors and residents in Russia, it advised
Turks to postpone all non-urgent travel.

The ministry said it issued the warning because Turkish travelers were
facing “problems” in Russia.

It said Turks should delay travel plans until “the situation becomes clear.”

Turkey’s downing of the Russian military jet Tuesday,[24 Nov] the first time
in half a century that a NATO member shot down a Russian plane, has drawn a
harsh response from Moscow.

Russia has since restricted tourist travel, left Turkish trucks stranded at
the border, confiscated large quantities of Turkish food imports and started
preparing a raft of broader economic sanctions.

Erdogan warned Russia on Friday[27 Nov.] not to "play with fire", citing
reports Turkish businessmen had been detained in Russia, while Moscow said
it would suspend visa-free travel with Turkey.

+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 28 Nov.’15:”EDITORIAL:Turkey extends an olive
branch”
SUBJECT:Saudi editorial re Turkey,Russia

FULL TEXT:Turkey would now like to smooth over relations with Russia after
it shot down a Russian warplane which served to highlight the chaotic and
complex nature of the Syrian civil war.

Tensions sharply escalated between Ankara and Moscow over Tuesday’s incident
after a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian SU-24 bomber over Syria
and one of the two Russian pilots was killed. Turkey says the bomber
violated its airspace, while Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of
“serious consequences” and rejected Turkey’s claim that it did not know the
downed plane was Russian.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s military released an audio recording of what it says was
its warning to the Russian warplane although the surviving pilot said he had
received no warning and that the aircraft did not violate Turkish air space.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government will not
apologize for the air strike. In turn, Russia started to deploy long-range
air defense missiles to its base in Syria to destroy any target that may
threaten its warplanes.

In trying to calm the situation, Turkey is stressing that fighting Daesh
(the self-proclaimed IS) is the main priority. But it is hard to imagine
Russia and Turkey in the same anti-Daesh coalition given their stark
differences on the Syrian conflict. Ankara is supporting rebels opposed to
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, a key ally of Moscow.

It remains to be seen what if any action Putin may take to retaliate against
Turkey for the downing of the aircraft. The two countries have strong trade
and economic ties, with Turkey providing a major tourist destination for
Russians and Russia providing over half of Turkey’s natural gas. Russia also
needs all of the revenues it can generate in light of Western-led sanctions
over Moscow’s Ukraine adventure. So, it makes a great deal of sense for
Russia and Turkey to continue cooperating.

There is also the question of the Kurds whose importance has been elevated
thanks to the entire Middle East imbroglio. While as recently as this year
Erdogan was engaged in peace negotiations with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party,
these have stalled after Erdogan blamed the PKK in part for the Oct. 10
bombing in Ankara that left over 100 dead. Now, Erdogan has even threatened
to strike US-backed Kurds that have been fighting Daesh, a situation Russia
can easily exploit should it choose to do so.

The Democratic Union Party of Syrian Kurds has already reached out to Russia
and discussed a desire for greater self-rule in Syria. Russia appears to
have been open to this. It is not difficult to envision the Syrian Kurds
striking a deal with Russia to gain more autonomy, up to and including a de
facto state. This is something the West will not accept given ties to Turkey
and fears of a spillover effect into Turkey itself.

We may never learn definitively whether the pilots strayed into Turkish
airspace accidentally or whether this incursion was a test of Turkish and
NATO resolve. It may mean it will be harder to reach international
agreements that include Russia, including on finding a solution to the
conflict.

In the immediate wake of the incident, the situation looked alarming because
the Russian and Turkish presidents are strongmen and would be reluctant to
back down or seek a compromise. Although a direct military confrontation was
always unlikely, the shooting down of the Russian plane will further fuel
the Syrian conflict and complicate international peace efforts.

+++SOURCE:Saudi Gazette 28 Nov.’14:”Saudi-Russia business relations get a
boost.”,by Saudi Gazette Report SUBJECT: Saudi-Russia business relations
QUOTE:”a turning point in the history of relations between the two
countries”

FULL TEXT:Saudi Arabia and Russia business relations will get a further
boost as a meeting of Saudi-Russian Joint Committee for trade, economic,
scientific and technical cooperation recommended the need to work in the
fields of energy, oil and gas and peaceful use of nuclear energy. The
meeting held in Moscow on Thursday[26 Nov], also called for expediting work
to achieve consensus on the draft memorandum of understanding in the field
of cooperation between agriculture ministries of the two countries.

The Kingdom’s delegation also wanted Russia to study reduction of custom
tariffs on products of Saudi Sabic polypropylene and polyethylene of low and
high density to the proportion of zero percent, Saudi Press Agency (SPA)
said Friday[27 Nov].

The joint committee meeting held under the joint chairmanship of Abdullatif
Al-Othman, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
(SAGIA); and Alexander Novak, Russian Minister of Energy; included several
topics including cooperation in the field of energy. The Russian side showed
the desire of several companies to cooperate with their counterparts in
Saudi Arabia, to provide geophysical services, the supply, design and
installation of oil and gas projects and other security technology systems,
including alternative energy projects and to provide services supply of
equipment and construction of oil and gas plants via turnkey system, in
addition to the provision of services relating to oil and gas.

In the domain of peaceful use of nuclear energy, the two sides welcomed the
cooperation agreement between the two countries signed in June this year.

The two sides showed interest in a joint deal within the framework of this
agreement, in particular: Setting up a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia,
implementation of projects in the field of nuclear desalination technologies
and cooperation in the field of radioactive technology and nuclear medicine.

The Russian side will organize a visit of a Saudi delegation to explore and
get to know some Russian nuclear sectors.

With regard to the Foreign Ministry, the two sides suggested beginning of
negotiations on a convention to facilitate granting of visas for investors
and businessmen.

On food and medicine, the two sides discussed exporting meat, meat products,
poultry meat products, sheep meat and their products, processed food and
fish products to the UK.

The Russian side recommended to form a joint aluminum industry team, with
participation of delegates from the competent authorities and operators in
the two countries, in order to find a mechanism to work on the stability of
prices in the global aluminum industry. At present, the industry is
witnessing a severe crisis due to low prices and increased supply.

Later, the SAGIA governor and the Russian minister jointly opened the Saudi
Russian Investment Forum. Co-organized by SAGIA in collaboration with the
Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and the Saudi Russian Joint Council,
the forum is being attended by several businessmen from the two sides.

Al-Othman said the motto of the Saudi joint committee, the business forum
and the exhibition held on the sidelines is ‘Enhancing of friendship,
building of partnerships and investing of opportunities’. He called the
event a turning point in the history of relations between the two countries.

He said the Saudi Russian Joint Committee for cooperation in the commercial,
economic, scientific and technological fields between the two countries has
reached an understanding on almost all areas of discussion over the last
three days.

Shedding light on the Kingdom’s economic situation, Al-Othman said the GDP
of his country, also a G20 member, has doubled from $328b in 2005 to nearly
$752b in 2014, scoring a record growth rate of 129 percent. He noted that
the national debt has, at the same time, been reduced to less than 2 percent
of the GDP in 2014, putting the Kingdom among the world’s low-rated indebted
states in terms of GDP.


+++: Naharnet (Lebanon) 28 Nov.’15:”Nearly 1,000 ‘Security Risks Denied
Entry to France since Paris Attacks”,by Agence France Presse

SUBJECT:Nearly 1,000 ‘security risks denied France entry

FULL TEXT:Nearly 1,000 people thought to pose security risks have been
denied entry into France since stepped-up border controls were imposed ahead
of the COP21 climate talks on November 13, just hours before the Paris
attacks, the interior minister said Saturday.[28 Nov]

They were prevented from entering France "because of the risk these people
could represent for public order and security in our country," Bernard
Cazeneuve said during a visit to the northeastern city of Strasbourg.

He said nearly 15,000 police, gendarmes and customs agents have been
deployed to the borders.

The aim of the boosted controls is to enable the authorities to reinforce
security as the COP21 climate talks officially get under way in Paris on
Monday and also to confront the high terrorist threat level facing the
country, Cazeneuve said, adding that they would make any necessary arrests.

A few hours after the tougher border controls ahead of the climate talks
took effect on November 13, extremists carried a series of attacks at
several sites in Paris, killing 130 people.

The French government, which has declared a state of emergency, said it
would continue the increased border security as long as the terrorist threat
remains high.

SourceAgence France Presse
=================
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA