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SNC Voices Desire to Hold Constitutional Committee Meeting in Riyadh

UN envoy Geir Pedersen during the meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva in June (United Nations)
UN envoy Geir Pedersen during the meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva in June (United Nations)
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SNC Voices Desire to Hold Constitutional Committee Meeting in Riyadh

UN envoy Geir Pedersen during the meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva in June (United Nations)
UN envoy Geir Pedersen during the meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva in June (United Nations)

The Syrian Negotiating Committee (SNC) expressed its wish that the next meeting of the Constitutional Committee be held in the Saudi capital. This came as Damascus and its supporter, Moscow, asked UN envoy Geir Pedersen to change the location of the scheduled meetings in Geneva.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the head of the SNC, Badr Jamous, said: In my capacity as Chairman of the Negotiating Committee, I asked the United Nations and informed the brothers in Saudi Arabia of our desire for the meetings to be held in Riyadh, especially since the Negotiating Committee was formed in the Saudi capital.

He continued: “We will be honored to hold the meetings in Riyadh, which represents our Arab depth and has supported the Syrian people since the first day of the revolution.”

Jamous criticized the Syrian regime delegation for “trying to play the game of the place and have the meeting held in Baghdad.”

“But what is more important: Does it really want to discuss the constitution and the political solution, or continue the game by moving meetings from one place to another?” He asked.

For his part, Pedersen said in a briefing before the Security Council at the end of February that the Russian Federation “no longer considers Switzerland a neutral venue, and the Syrian Government did not accept Geneva as a result.”

“With no consensus among the Syrian parties, [Pedersen] issued formal invitations for a ninth round in Geneva in late April, appealing to them to respond positively — and to all key international stakeholders to support the UN as a facilitator and refrain from interfering regarding a venue the Syrian parties themselves had formally agreed,” a UN press release said.

On Sunday, the UN envoy renewed his call on the Syrian government to go to Geneva to participate in the next meeting of the Constitutional Committee, at the end of April, warning that things were going “in the wrong direction.”

Following his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad, Pedersen said that he informed the latter that “as long as there is no agreement between the opposition and the government, we must continue to meet in Geneva, develop the Constitutional Committee, and work in a way that can give hope to the Syrian people.”

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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.