Aboul Gheit Welcomes UN Report on Iran’s Involvement in Attacks against Saudi Arabia

 Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends the Arab Foreign Ministers extraordinary meeting to discuss the Syrian crisis in Cairo, Egypt December 19, 2016. Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends the Arab Foreign Ministers extraordinary meeting to discuss the Syrian crisis in Cairo, Egypt December 19, 2016. Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Aboul Gheit Welcomes UN Report on Iran’s Involvement in Attacks against Saudi Arabia

 Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends the Arab Foreign Ministers extraordinary meeting to discuss the Syrian crisis in Cairo, Egypt December 19, 2016. Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends the Arab Foreign Ministers extraordinary meeting to discuss the Syrian crisis in Cairo, Egypt December 19, 2016. Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit has welcomed a recently published report by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, that unequivocally proved Iran’s direct responsibility for the terrorist attacks targeting oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

“The report adds to other evidence that the cruise missiles used in several attacks on Abha International Airport and oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais in 2019 were of Iranian origin,” Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed in a statement.

He called on the international community to hold Iran accountable for those dangerous actions that undermine regional stability, noting that the report unveiled the “Iranian hostile activities” in the region and against some Arab countries, including Yemen.

According to an AL general-secretariat official source, Guterres’s report is the ninth on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), under which the Iranian nuclear agreement was approved. It is also concerned with following up on Iran’s regional activities and commitment to the deal.

Aboul Gheit delivered press statements to the Middle East News Agency (MENA) on the AL’s position regarding Iran’s ongoing support for the Houthi militias in Yemen.

He highlighted decisions issued by the Arab Summit to condemn and reject all Iranian interventions, not only in Yemen but also in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

He further noted that an Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee on Iranian Interventions has been operating in the AL framework since 2016.

Asked about the reason why the Riyadh Agreement hasn’t been implemented yet, Aboul Gheit affirmed the Kingdom’s intensive efforts in this regard, expressing hope that it would be fully implemented soon.

“It is important to focus on addressing the original conflict with the militias.”

The AL supports every effort made to preserve Yemen’s unity and integration, he affirmed, noting that both sides have confidence in the Saudi mediation.

Regarding coordination between the AL, UN and its envoy to Yemen, Aboul Gheit said there is permanent and continuous coordination, stressing that he trusts Martin Griffiths’ experience and his sincere intentions towards Yemen.



More than 14 Syrian Police Killed in Ambush as Unrest Spreads

Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)
Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)
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More than 14 Syrian Police Killed in Ambush as Unrest Spreads

Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)
Soldiers stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous earlier this month (AFP)

More than 14 members of the Syrian police were killed in an "ambush" by forces loyal to the ousted government in the Tartous countryside, the transitional administration said early on Thursday, as demonstrations and an overnight curfew elsewhere marked the most widespread unrest since Bashar al-Assad's removal more than two weeks ago.

Syria's new interior minister said on Telegram that 10 police members were also wounded by what he called "remnants" of the Assad government in Tartous, vowing to crack down on "anyone who dares to undermine Syria's security or endanger the lives of its citizens."

Earlier, Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shi’ite Muslim religious communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to Assad, who was toppled by opposition factions on Dec. 8.

Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former al Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6 pm local time (1500 GMT) until 8 am on Thursday morning.

The country's new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups, who fear the former rebels now in control could seek to impose a conservative form of Islamist government.

Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in Tartous.

The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.

The interior ministry said on its official Telegram account the video dated back to the rebel offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.

The ministry also said some members of the former regime had attacked interior ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of dead and wounded.