عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Lebanon: Bassil Eliminates Bou Saab from FPM after Differences over Presidency

Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker and former minister stands as Lebanon's parliament convenes in a bid to elect a head of state to fill the vacant presidency, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker and former minister stands as Lebanon's parliament convenes in a bid to elect a head of state to fill the vacant presidency, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
TT
TT

Lebanon: Bassil Eliminates Bou Saab from FPM after Differences over Presidency

Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker and former minister stands as Lebanon's parliament convenes in a bid to elect a head of state to fill the vacant presidency, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker and former minister stands as Lebanon's parliament convenes in a bid to elect a head of state to fill the vacant presidency, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Disputes between leader of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil and Deputy Speaker and FPM official Elias Bou Saab have ended with a rift two years after murky ties between the two.
Bou Saab is not the first to be eliminated from the party. Bassil eliminated several prominent officials from the party in recent years.
Bou Saab was a prominent figure of the FPM and adviser to former President and founder of the FPM, Michel Aoun.
“Bou Saab is no longer among the ranks of the party”, prominent sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. “He has not taken part in the meetings of the (FPM’s) parliamentary bloc in months”.
Two Years of Differences
The first sign of the differences between Bassil and Bou Saab began during the 2022 parliamentary elections. Bassil was blamed for supporting an FPM candidate on the party’s electoral lists in the Metn area other than Bou Saab.
Divisions got deeper after the elections when the candidates for the post of deputy speaker were named.
FPM deputies and lawmakers of the Amal and Hezbollah parties had all voted in favor of Bou Saab who enjoyed the backing of Speaker Nabih Berri, the leader of Amal party.
This “silent dispute” did not shatter the relations between the two men, nor did it affect Bou Saab’s relation with Aoun. Bou Saab, a deputy speaker and parliamentarian, had continuous contacts with Berri, and played a “mediating” role between the FPM and Aoun on one hand, and Berri on the other before the presidential vacuum.
Bou Saab also had a negotiator role with US official Amos Hochstein who mediated the demarcation of Lebanon’s maritime border with Israel in 2022.
Different Relations with the Political Components
Tense relations peaked between the two during the presidential elections. FPM lawmakers were casting blank ballot votes while Bou Saab voted in favor of former minister Ziad Baroud.
In the final presidential election session, Bou Saab was accused of not abiding by an agreement struck between the Lebanese Forces party, the Progressive Socialist Party and the FPM to support former minister Jihad Azour.
In a televised interview two months before, Bou Saab said that Marada leader Sleiman Franjieh had the highest stakes to win the elections. He said that he would vote for him if his triumph stands at one vote.
According to sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the differences between the two grew to their highest that Bassil could no longer tolerate, which drove him to eliminate Bou Saab.
Sources informed about the atmosphere with the FPM said the move is unlikely to affect the political future of Bou Saab.
They said his presence as a lawmaker is not linked to the FPM. He was a deputy before the FPM and will continue to be one despite any developments.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Türkiye Planning Special Flights to Bring Back Activists on Gaza Flotilla

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Türkiye Planning Special Flights to Bring Back Activists on Gaza Flotilla

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye is planning special flights ​from Israel on Thursday to fly out its citizens and some activists from ‌third ‌countries ​who ‌joined ⁠a ​global aid flotilla that ⁠was intercepted by Israeli forces while trying to break ⁠its Gaza blockade, ‌Foreign ‌Minister Hakan ​Fidan ‌said.
Fidan said ‌on X that all Turkish institutions were working to ‌ensure the security and safe ⁠return ⁠of Turkish nationals. Broadcaster NTV separately said Turkish Airlines has sent three planes to Israel for the repatriations.

Arab World

Sudan’s Security and Defense Council Orders Curbs on Armed Movement Inside Cities

Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  
Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  
TT
TT

Sudan’s Security and Defense Council Orders Curbs on Armed Movement Inside Cities

Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  
Al-Burhan chairs a meeting of Sudan’s Security and Defense Council on Tuesday (Transitional Sovereignty Council)  

Sudan’s highest military and security authority has called for tighter controls on the movement of armed personnel, combat vehicles, and security cells inside cities and marketplaces, following reports and videos alleging incidents of “disorder” attributed to armed forces and army-aligned groups in areas recently recaptured by the military or currently under its control.

Following the Security and Defense Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening, Sudanese Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Hassan Daoud Kabroun said that the council had instructed the relevant authorities to regulate the movement of armed individuals and vehicles inside cities and markets, and to establish rules governing the work of “security cells” in local districts, with a focus on investigations involving those authorities describe as collaborators with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The term “security cells” refers to groups or units operating in support of military and security agencies. They are typically engaged in surveillance, monitoring, inspections, and intelligence-gathering activities in neighborhoods, markets, and conflict zones.

Authorities say their role is focused on “tracking down collaborators with the RSF, dismantling sabotage cells, and protecting areas retaken by the army.” Critics of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, however, describe them in social media commentary as an extension of Islamist organizations tied to the former regime, alleging that they seek to eliminate political opponents.

The Security and Defense Council is one of Sudan’s most prominent military and sovereign decision-making bodies. It includes executive, military, and security leaders, among them the ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, and finance, as well as army commanders and heads of security agencies. The council is chaired by Sovereignty Council President and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

According to media affiliated with it, the council met Tuesday under al-Burhan’s chairmanship, with all members in attendance, to review the country’s security and military situation.

The council’s role in managing security and military affairs has expanded since the outbreak of war between the army and the RSF on April 15, 2023, amid the widening conflict and mounting concerns over security violations in war-affected areas.

On the military front, Kabroun said the armed forces and allied troops had achieved “major victories” in recent weeks on several battlefronts, particularly in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur.

He added that the council stressed the importance of adherence to the law, respect for human rights and Sudan’s sovereignty, as well as the need to provide essential services to citizens returning to their areas, especially electricity and water.

Citizens’ Complaints

Residents in some army-controlled areas - particularly the capital, Khartoum, parts of Al Jazirah State, and other states retaken by the military in recent months - have complained of what they describe as growing “security abuses.”

The allegations include looting, arrests, and other violations attributed to armed groups or individuals wearing military uniforms, in addition to the widespread presence of weapons and combat vehicles in neighborhoods and markets.

Videos and local testimonies concerning these incidents have circulated widely on social media platforms, while authorities say they are working to regulate armed movements and pursue those responsible.

Independent verification of all the accounts has not been possible because of the ongoing war and the complexity of the security situation.

Arab World

Iraq: Al-Sadr Warns Against Being Branded a ‘Traitor’ after Backing Government

A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).
A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).
TT
TT

Iraq: Al-Sadr Warns Against Being Branded a ‘Traitor’ after Backing Government

A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).
A photo from a meeting of the Coordination Framework forces in Baghdad (Iraqi News Agency).

Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr is facing mounting criticism over reports that he supports Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, as major political factions reassess their alliances after failing to secure key cabinet posts in the new government.

Among the dissatisfied parties are Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition and Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), both of which saw their influence weakened by the passage of al-Zaidi’s cabinet. The developments have revived debate over the collapse of the Tripartite Alliance formed in 2021 by the Sadrist Movement, the KDP, and the Sunni-led Taqaddum coalition.

Al-Sadr’s phone call with al-Zaidi earlier this week further complicated the political landscape, reportedly unsettling factions within the Coordination Framework, the umbrella coalition of Iran-aligned Shiite groups, as well as Kurdish parties angered by the parliamentary confidence vote.

Shakhawan Abdullah, head of the KDP bloc in parliament, said candidates from both the KDP and the State of Law Coalition had filed appeals with Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court challenging the legitimacy of the session that approved al-Zaidi’s government.

According to Abdullah, the appeals focus on voting procedures and the rejection of certain nominees. He claimed there are “documents and recordings” proving procedural violations during the parliamentary vote on ministerial portfolios.

Legal experts say candidates who failed to win parliamentary approval cannot be renominated under parliament’s internal rules, which require political blocs to submit alternative names for vacant ministries.

Despite the political turmoil, al-Zaidi has sought to project an image of decisiveness. During his first cabinet meeting, he issued rapid directives aimed at addressing administrative problems, reducing bureaucracy, and accelerating government procedures.

The clearest shift, however, came in his tougher stance toward armed factions. Al-Zaidi strongly condemned attacks targeting neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, even though the factions denied responsibility.

On May 17, 2026, al-Sadr called al-Zaidi to congratulate him on forming the government and urged him to improve public services and combat corruption.

Observers believe al-Sadr’s support could provide al-Zaidi with political cover if he chooses to confront the influence of armed groups, especially amid widening divisions within the Coordination Framework.

At the same time, support voiced by US President Donald Trump for al-Zaidi has placed both the prime minister and al-Sadr in indirect confrontation with factions that identify themselves as the “Resistance” and accuse their rivals of being too close to Washington.

Al-Sadr responded sharply to the criticism, accusing some opponents of “selling their consciences” and attempting to distort his political positions through media campaigns and personal attacks.

He said he was dealing with critics “patiently,” but warned against accusations of “treason” or collaboration with foreign powers, threatening legal action against those promoting such claims.