Sisi Calls for Joint Arab Responsibility to Combat Terrorism

President Sisi addresses the forum. (Presidency spokesman)
President Sisi addresses the forum. (Presidency spokesman)
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Sisi Calls for Joint Arab Responsibility to Combat Terrorism

President Sisi addresses the forum. (Presidency spokesman)
President Sisi addresses the forum. (Presidency spokesman)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Tuesday for the “adoption of the principle of joint responsibility” to deal with challenges in the region, especially terrorism and extremism.

Speaking virtually during an extraordinary meeting of the Arab Intelligence Forum held in Cairo, Sisi said combatting terrorism on a regional scale requires comprehensive approaches, including ending foreign meddling in Arab affairs, as well as respecting the Arab peoples’ voice and Arab states’ sovereignty.

“Egypt had not and will not spare any effort to assist its fellow Arab states in protecting themselves through comprehensive political solutions,” he stressed.

These solutions should be based on unifying each country’s military institutions, the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries and ending the presence of armed militias.

Presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady said Sisi commended the initiatives launched by the forum to achieve joint security work and exchange assessments in a transparent way.

The extraordinary meeting of the Arab Intelligence Forum was attended by chiefs of intelligence agencies at Arab countries.

They highlighted the importance of the forum as a firm mechanism that supports close intelligence cooperation among Arab states and contributes to establishing a comprehensive and tight system to combat terrorism.



US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
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US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)

American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group.

Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead.

He told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Bashar al-Assad. He added that US President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive.

Zakka said Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating.

Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip.

Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status.