Tunisia’s Saied Refuses to Meet with Ghannouchi, Mechichi to Resolve Political Crisis

 Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)
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Tunisia’s Saied Refuses to Meet with Ghannouchi, Mechichi to Resolve Political Crisis

 Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied refused a proposal to attend a round table meeting with Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, according to leader in Ennahda Movement Ali Larayedh.

Ghannouchi proposed organizing the dialogue, in an attempt to overcome the ongoing four-month-long political crisis in the country, said Larayedh.

Saied also refused to organize a national dialogue and ignored an initiative in this regard by the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT).

Observers consider Saied’s position a “disruption to the constitution” that enabled him to win the presidential race, he added, affirming that the disagreement among various parties “is not simple” but could be resolved through negotiations.

Larayedh also accuses Saied of “disrespecting” other parties, which led to the failure of all dialogue attempts.

He further refused to “play his constitutional role, which stipulates holding meetings with the PM and the parliament speaker to consult, define the state policy and preserve Tunisia’s supreme interest.”

Larayedh said the President is putting more obstacles against the government formation, citing his refusal to accept the cabinet reshuffle and receive the new ministers for the constitutional oath.

“Saied also refused to sign the constitutional court law amendments introduced by the parliament and called for toppling the government.”

Commenting on Mechichi’s government, Larayedh said “it is strongly supported by the parliamentary coalition, which enabled it to survive despite repeated calls to topple it.”

Saied sought in every way to “obstruct the government work and disrupt the work of state institutions by threatening, intimidating and dividing Tunisians,” he stressed.



Israeli Military Says Commandos Raided Missile Plant in Syria in September

People inspect a damaged area in the aftermath of what Syrian state media reported was an Israeli strike in Masyaf, Hama province, Syria September 9, 2024. (Reuters)
People inspect a damaged area in the aftermath of what Syrian state media reported was an Israeli strike in Masyaf, Hama province, Syria September 9, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Military Says Commandos Raided Missile Plant in Syria in September

People inspect a damaged area in the aftermath of what Syrian state media reported was an Israeli strike in Masyaf, Hama province, Syria September 9, 2024. (Reuters)
People inspect a damaged area in the aftermath of what Syrian state media reported was an Israeli strike in Masyaf, Hama province, Syria September 9, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel's military said on Thursday its special forces had raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September that it said was primed to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use against Israel by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

The complex near Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast, was "the flagship of Iranian manufacturing efforts in our region", Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told a briefing with reporters.

"This facility was designed to manufacture hundreds of strategic missiles per year from start to finish, for Hezbollah to use in their aerial attacks on Israel."

He said the plant, dug into a mountainside, had been under observation by Israel since construction began in 2017 and was on the point of being able to manufacture precision-guided missiles, some with a range of up to 300 km (190 miles).

"This ability was becoming active, so we're talking about an immediate threat," he said.

Details of the Sept. 8 raid have been reported in Israeli media but Shoshani said this was the first confirmation by the military, which rarely comments on special forces operations.

At the time, Syrian state media said at least 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the west of the country.

Shoshani said the nighttime raid was "one of the more complex operations the IDF has done in recent years". Accompanied by airstrikes, it involved dozens of aircraft and around 100 helicopter-borne troops, he said.

"At the end of the raid, the troops dismantled the facility, including the machines and the manufacturing equipment, themselves," he said.

The military released footage showing Israeli troops boarding and dismounting from helicopters and moving through what appears to be a concrete-lined tunnel and industrial site, where they examine documents.

Other footage showed senior commanders at a control center, apparently as the operation proceeds.

Israeli officials have accused the former Syrian government of president Bahar al-Assad of helping the Lebanese-based Hezbollah movement receive arms from Iran and say they are determined to stop the flow of weapons into Lebanon.

As Assad's government crumbled towards the end of last year, Israel launched a series of strikes against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to prevent them falling into the hands of enemies.