Iraq and Syria Sign Memorandum for Security Cooperation

Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari welcomes his Syrian counterpart, Muhammad Khaled Al-Rahmoun in Baghdad (Iraqi Interior Ministry)
Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari welcomes his Syrian counterpart, Muhammad Khaled Al-Rahmoun in Baghdad (Iraqi Interior Ministry)
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Iraq and Syria Sign Memorandum for Security Cooperation

Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari welcomes his Syrian counterpart, Muhammad Khaled Al-Rahmoun in Baghdad (Iraqi Interior Ministry)
Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari welcomes his Syrian counterpart, Muhammad Khaled Al-Rahmoun in Baghdad (Iraqi Interior Ministry)

Iraq and Syria inked on Sunday a memorandum of understanding for security cooperation in various areas, including combating terrorism.
“The agreement included a number of articles related to cooperation in combating drug trafficking, border control, extradition of wanted persons, combating organized crime, and money laundering,” said Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari.
His remarks came in a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Muhammad Khaled Al-Rahmoun.
In January, Iraq built a concrete wall of 160-km -- 3 meters deep and 3 meters across -- along part of its border with Syria to stop people and vehicles crossing the vast, sparsely populated desert that joins western Anbar province to Syria.
On Sunday, Al-Shammari spoke of a “good” intelligence cooperation between Baghdad and Damascus, saying the two countries “have joint work in exchanging information.”
For his part, the Syrian Minister said: “Cooperation in all fields, especially security, was discussed, as we suffered from terrorism in our countries. There is a criminal phenomenon managed by drug trafficking and human trafficking gangs, so we signed a memorandum of joint security cooperation.”
In a related security development, the Security Media Cell, an affiliate of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, announced in a statement that Iraqi security forces have successfully dismantled two international networks engaged in human and drug trafficking and arrested 40 foreigners across the country.
Security forces arrested the suspects in Baghdad and several other Iraqi provinces based on intelligence reports, the statement read.
“The Iraqi National Intelligence Service, in collaboration with the Interior Ministry, arrested 40 foreigners suspected of being involved in crimes of kidnapping, extortion, forgery, as well as human and drug trafficking,” it added.
The statement said the majority of the victims targeted by these two rings were foreigners residing in Iraq.



Palestinian Authority to Introduce Major Reforms amid Mounting Pressure from Gaza War 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Reuters)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Reuters)
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Palestinian Authority to Introduce Major Reforms amid Mounting Pressure from Gaza War 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Reuters)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Reuters)

The Palestinian Central Council will hold an extraordinary meeting to establish the position of vice president to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The meeting, set for April 23 and 24, will cap a series of reforms and changes to the Palestinian Authority (PA) that Abbas had kicked off in recent weeks under internal and foreign pressure prompted by Israel’s war on Gaza.

Some 180 members of the council have been invited to the meeting in Ramallah where they will establish the new post, but not necessarily name a person to fill it.

Abbas had announced during an emergency Arab summit in Cairo in March that he was forging ahead with changes in the PA, revealing that he will name a vice president for Palestine and for the Palestine Liberation Organization.

He also said he will restructure leadership frameworks in the state and pump new blood in the PLO, Fatah and state agencies.

The National Council, which acts as the Palestinian parliament, had in 2018 tasked the Central Council with assuming its duties.

The Council meeting will also discuss efforts to reclaim Gaza and national unity.

Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that discussions are underway over whether the post of vice president and the appointment of a figure should take place during the meeting; or whether the appointment should take place at a later date.

Regardless of the decision, what matters is that the decision to establish the post has been taken, said the sources, explaining that it meets local and international calls for reforms.

Debate had raged for years over the establishment of the position given Abbas’ age – 90 – but the war on Gaza has forced him to take decisive steps.

Arab countries have conditioned any support to the PA in Gaza after the war to it introducing wide-scale reforms and changes. The US has been making the call for years, but Abbas has repeatedly avoided the issue.