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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Excerpts: Hamas calls for new elections.Trouble in Syria peace talks.F.M. Judeh,Pres. Abbas discussed latest developments. Jordan,Saudi discuss latest regional developments February 02, 2016

Excerpts: Hamas calls for new elections.Trouble in Syria peace talks.F.M.
Judeh,Pres. Abbas discussed latest developments. Jordan,Saudi discuss latest
regional developments February 02, 2016

+++SOURCE:Naharnet (Lebanon)2 Feb.’16: “Hamas Calls for Palestinian
Elections 10 Years On”,by Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Hamas calls for new elections

QUOTE:”The international community refused to accept the[positive] result
of the polls demanding that Hamas renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and
recognizes agreements signed between Palestinian and Israeli leaders””

FULL TEXT:Islamist movement Hamas on Tuesday[2 Feb] marked the 10th
anniversary of the legislative election it won in 2006 with a call for new
parliamentary and presidential polls in the Palestinian territories.

At a news conference, senior Hamas figures in Gaza called for "the
announcement of a precise date for presidential and legislative elections."

First deputy speaker of parliament Ahmed Bahar said Hamas and rival
Palestinian factions should work to achieve reconciliation "and to close the
gaps opened by years of political division."

Palestinian elections have not been held in a decade due to the bitter split
between Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank-based Fatah
faction led by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

Representatives from the rival factions are expected to meet, however, in
the coming days in Doha in a fresh attempt to implement a 2014
reconciliation deal which provided for elections by the end of that year.

The elections never materialized, with the two sides blaming each other.

Bahar welcomed the talks due to take place in the Qatari capital.

The Palestinian parliament has not met since 2007, the year Hamas seized the
Gaza Strip by force and drove out Fatah from the enclave buoyed by its 2006
election victory.

Hamas caused a shock by winning the majority of seats in the polls, which
were seen by some as the most transparent to be held in the Palestinian
territories.

But the international community refused to accept the results, demanding
that Hamas renounces violence, recognizes Israel and respects agreements
signed between Palestinian and Israeli leaders.


+++SOURCE: Naharnet(Lebanon)2Feb,’16:”Syria Peace Talks in Trouble after
Intense Russian Strikes”,by Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Trouble in Syria peace talks

QUOTE:” ‘the International community is completely blind’ ”

FULL TEXT:The latest push to end Syria's tangled conflict was in fresh
disarray Tuesday[2 Feb] as the government denied formal talks had begun and
the opposition canceled a meeting with the U.N. envoy following intense
Russian air strikes.

The main opposition umbrella group attending the biggest effort yet to end
the war called Russia's bombardment near Aleppo -- with 270 raids since
Monday morning, according to monitors – "unprecedented."

"Since last night a big massacre is taking place in Syria and nobody is
doing anything. Nobody is saying anything, the international community is
completely blind," said Salem al-Meslet from the High Negotiations Committee
(HNC).

On Monday, U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura had declared that indirect
talks between the government and the opposition had officially begun in
Switzerland, saying he hoped to "achieve something" by February 11.

But chief government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari on Tuesday shot this down,
saying the talks were still "in a preparatory phase," that the opposition
had failed to even name its negotiating team and that there was no agenda.

"We are still in the preparatory phase for indirect talks ... We still don't
know who the opposition delegation is," Jaafari told reporters after meeting
de Mistura, the third U.N. envoy for Syria since the war began in March
2011.

The HNC then canceled a meeting with de Mistura scheduled for Tuesday
afternoon.

"At this moment, there is no reason to repeat ourselves with de Mistura,"
said HNC member Farah Atassi.

The HNC has demanded the regime allow humanitarian access to besieged towns,
stop bombing civilians and release thousands of prisoners -- some of them
children -- languishing in regime jails.

It also expressed outrage at the regime offensive, backed by Russian jets
and allied militants, that allowed government forces to edge closer to
breaking a long-running rebel siege on two government-held Shiite villages
in Aleppo province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said at least
18 civilians had been killed in the raids on Tuesday, including five women,
three children and two emergency workers.

"We have never seen things like this since the beginning of the revolution,"
HNC spokeswoman Basma Kodmani said, calling the air raids "unprecedented."

"The regime's and Russia's actions gravely threaten the political process at
this early stage," fellow HNC member Atassi said.

- The war on IS -

Since the conflict began in March 2011, more than 260,000 people have died
and more than half of Syria's population have fled their homes.

The conflict has dragged in a range of international players, from Iran,
Turkey and the Gulf states -- the latter two on the opposition side -- to
Western nations and, since late September, Russia.

The chaos has also fueled the rise of the Islamic State (IS) group which has
overrun swathes of Syria and Iraq and staged a series of deadly attacks
across the globe, including in Paris in November.

The extremist Sunni Muslim group claimed responsibility for multiple blasts
on Sunday on a revered Shiite shrine south of Damascus that killed at least
70 people.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was in Rome on Tuesday meeting foreign
ministers from the U.S.-led coalition against IS to discuss efforts to
combat the group.

In a November meeting in Vienna, world powers agreed on an ambitious roadmap
that foresees six months of intra-Syrian talks, leading to a new
constitution and free elections within 18 months.

But it left unresolved the future of embattled Syrian President Bashar
Assad.

- 'Terrorist' negotiators -

Assad's government is objecting to the inclusion in the Saudi-backed HNC of
certain rebels it denounces as "terrorists", a stance supported by Moscow
and by Iran, Riyadh's arch rival.

One of these is Mohammed Alloush, a member of the powerful Army of Islam
armed rebel group who arrived in Geneva late Monday to act as the HNC's
chief negotiator.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that if
members of any such groups "take part in negotiations... (they) will do so
in a personal capacity," Interfax reported.

Outside powers were also in Geneva keeping a close eye on proceedings, with
Jaafari reportedly meeting with the Russian ambassador, Western envoys in
contact with the opposition and U.S. and Russian officials in discussions.

A Western diplomat said the HNC would likely meet with de Mistura on
Wednesday and that the U.N. was considering meeting the opposition and the
government delegations on alternate days.

SourceAgence France Presse



+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 2 Feb.’16:” Judeh meets Abbas over Mideast
developments

SUBJECT: Jordan’s F.M Judeh, Pres. Abbas discussed latest developments in
Palestine

FULL TEXT: AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh
and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday discussed the latest
developments in Palestine.

Discussions focused on the Israeli violations against Palestinians and
efforts to create an environment conducive to productive Palestinian-Israeli
negotiations, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

At a meeting with the Palestinian president, the two sides discussed the
increasing Israeli attacks and acts of aggression against the Palestinian
people. [IMRA: Palestinian Terrorism?]

Judeh stressed the importance of an immediate halt to all violations and
acts of aggression that can impede efforts exerted to achieve peace, in its
entirety, according to Petra.

He also stressed the importance of peace negotiations that deal with
final-status issues, leading to the two-state solution and the establishment
of a Palestinian state, in accordance with international resolutions.

Judeh noted that Islamic and Christian sites represent a top priority for
His Majesty King Abdullah and for Jordan, highlighting Jordan’s position on
the need to safeguard holy sites and protect them from any form of violation
or any acts of aggression.

Abbas expressed his understanding of His Majesty King Abdullah’s position
and efforts in support of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate
rights.

He also lauded Jordan’s recent efforts, under the leadership of His Majesty
King Abdullah, to stop Israeli violations and attacks.



+++SOURCE;Jordan Times 2 Feb.’16:” King, Saudi deputy crown prince discuss
region over phone”,by J T

SUBJECT:Jordan,Saudi discus latest regional developments

FULL TEXT:AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday[1Feb]Jordan,Saudi
Latest regionaldevelopments discussed received a telephone call from Saudi
Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defence Mohammad Bin Salman Bin
Abdulaziz, according to a Royal Court statement.

The latest regional developments, especially in Syria, as well as
Jordanian-Saudi relations were discussed, the statement said.

The contact was made as Syrian opposition representatives were in Geneva
Monday[1 Feb], where they met formally for the first time with UN special
envoy Staffan de Mistura.
================
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA

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