Macron says Syria’s Assad cannot be an agent of Iran while acting against security of Israel and stability of Lebanon

In an exclusive interview with Annahar and Randa Takieddine (R), French President Emmanuel Macron talks about recent events in Syria. (Randa Takieddine for Annahar)
In an exclusive interview with Annahar and Randa Takieddine (R), French President Emmanuel Macron talks about recent events in Syria. (Randa Takieddine for Annahar)
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Updated 05 December 2024
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Macron says Syria’s Assad cannot be an agent of Iran while acting against security of Israel and stability of Lebanon

In an exclusive interview with Annahar and Randa Takieddine (R), French President Emmanuel Macron talks about events in Syria.
  • “We and Saudi Arabia are convinced that a ceasefire is needed in Gaza that enables the liberation of the hostages…and protects the people of Gaza”: Macron

In an exclusive interview with Annahar and Randa Takieddine, French President Emmanuel Macron said recent events show that Syria’s future requires more than normalization with Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom he said cannot be an agent of Iran and act against the security of Israel and the stability of Lebanon.

You are making a state visit to Saudi Arabia. What are your expectations in bilateral terms, having recently received a Saudi business delegation, the minister of investment, and the director of Saudi Aramco?

This will be my third visit to Saudi Arabia. The prime minister and crown prince has also visited Paris several times, and we are in regular contact. This state visit is particularly important, however, as it will enhance our relations to a strategic partnership. It comes at a particular time in which Saudi Arabia is swiftly transforming, opening up and diversifying its economy. For France, this will be an opportunity to show our support for Saudi Vision 2030 and the international events Riyadh will be hosting.

I will also be visiting AlUla, which is the jewel of our cultural cooperation. This visit also comes at a critical time of multiple regional and international crises. It will therefore be an opportunity to take initiatives together to foster peace, security and international prosperity. Our two countries have a major role in this respect and can also strengthen ties between this part of the world and Europe, in the spirit of the ambition shown by the recent EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit.

Saudi Arabia has an important role in the region. What are your expectations for its involvement in Lebanon and the region? If there is a ceasefire, what role do you think you and Saudi Arabia can play in Lebanon and Gaza?

Strengthening our political dialogue is one of our goals. France and Saudi Arabia share the same commitment to regional security and stability and will work together to find lasting political solutions to crises. That will be at the heart of our discussions with the crown prince. Our efforts to achieve a de-escalation in regional conflicts are aligned, particularly in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and Sudan.

We and Saudi Arabia are both convinced that a ceasefire is needed in Gaza that enables the liberation of the hostages, including our two nationals, and of course protects the people of Gaza who are in an unacceptable situation of distress, while allowing humanitarian aid to be delivered. We have been calling for this ceasefire since November, and we have been waiting too long. It must come now, it must be permanent, and it must re-open the prospect of a two-state solution. I welcome the work by Saudi Arabia and its Arab partners in defining an Arab vision for peace, updating the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 and sketching out a pathway out of the crisis. A credible framework needs to be worked on jointly to achieve a Palestinian state and guarantee Israel’s security. The UN Security Council and everyone who has a role to play must shoulder their responsibilities.

We will not stop calling for the ceasefire in Lebanon. It is essential for all parties — and this goes for both Hezbollah and Israel — to fulfill their obligations. The international community must continue its efforts to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are essential to this agreement and to the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty, in line with the conference we held in Paris on Oct. 24 this year.

Saudi Arabia contributes to Lebanon’s stability and has a role to play in bringing an end to the political crisis. At this crucial time for Lebanon’s future, it is important for us to discuss the reconstruction of the country, as well as the political prospects of the upcoming Jan. 9 session of the Lebanese Parliament with the aim of electing a president. All Lebanese actors must contribute to the solution. Hezbollah must facilitate consensus and foster Lebanese unity.

When will France recognize the Palestinian state?

It is urgent to preserve the two-state solution and the viability of a Palestinian state in the context of increased settlement-building, the measures taken against UNRWA and growing pro-annexation discourse. It is absolutely necessary to offer Palestinians real hope of a better life in an independent state and thus cut short any source of legitimacy for Hamas, which has nothing to offer but violence and destruction. The two peoples, Israelis and Palestinians, must be offered a response to their legitimate aspirations, otherwise the region cannot hope for lasting stability.

The recognition of the Palestinian state must contribute to speeding up the two-state solution, and France is ready. In that spirit, we supported Palestine’s accession to the UN as a fully-fledged member. We have voted for all UN General Assembly resolutions in this regard. For it to happen, recognition must take place in a context that enables a lasting end to the crisis. Alongside Saudi Arabia, we will co-chair a conference to give renewed political momentum to the two-state solution and will work on this in Paris.

Will resuming dialogue with Bashar Assad enable the return of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to Syria and control of the Syria-Lebanon border to prevent Iran from rearming Hezbollah?

Recent events have clearly shown that Syria’s future needs far more than normalization with Bashar Assad. The Syrian people need unity and hope. Dialogue with the regime is not an end in itself. The fighting in recent months has pushed many refugees, along with a million displaced Lebanese people, onto the roads toward Syria, but the question remains fully open. The Syrian regime must create an environment that enables the safe return of Syrians to their country. I have discussed this recently with my European and Arab counterparts. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is talking about it with the Syrian regime, which must provide answers. Assad cannot be Iran’s agent and undermine Israel’s security and Lebanon’s stability.

What role will France play during this ceasefire? Do you think displaced persons will be able to return to the bombarded southern villages? What role can Saudi Arabia play in the implementation of this ceasefire?

France has always stood with Lebanon and the Lebanese people and does so, once again, at this critical moment. The ceasefire agreement follows months of joint diplomatic efforts with the US, and France is contributing to the monitoring mechanism. On Oct. 24, we laid the groundwork for its implementation by holding a conference that raised €1 billion ($1.05 billion) for Lebanon, including €800 million for displaced persons and €200 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces. This effort needs to continue, and France has already decided to deploy additional engineering and mine clearance assets to support the Lebanese army. I will send our army and foreign ministers to Lebanon very soon to work on all these points. Lebanon’s reconstruction will of course be another one of our priorities and will require a sustained international effort.

Will you continue talking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite France’s recognition of the International Criminal Court’s decisions? Could France’s independent judiciary itself execute the arrest warrant?

We have always supported international justice. France will fulfill its obligations under international law, in this case and all others. The judiciary’s decisions are totally independent.

France talks to everyone, and that is what enables it to play a role in the region. We must be clear-sighted: The region’s crises cannot be resolved without dialogue with the Israeli authorities.


What to know about the latest effort to bring an end to Turkiye’s 40-year Kurdish conflict

What to know about the latest effort to bring an end to Turkiye’s 40-year Kurdish conflict
Updated 13 January 2025
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What to know about the latest effort to bring an end to Turkiye’s 40-year Kurdish conflict

What to know about the latest effort to bring an end to Turkiye’s 40-year Kurdish conflict
  • The objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkiye

ANKARA: Talks between politicians from Turkiye’s pro-Kurdish party and jailed Kurdish leaders have been gathering steam as they try to end 40 years of fighting between the state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
The latest peace effort comes at a time of heightened instability and fundamental changes reshaping the region. These include the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the weakening of the Hezbollah militant movement in Lebanon, and the reconfiguration of power in Syria after the toppling of President Bashar Assad.
The cautious process was initiated in October by Devlet Bahceli, a firebrand ultranationalist who has usually opposed any concessions to Kurdish identity or rights.
Since then, the fall of Assad in a lightning rebel offensive has triggered intensified fighting between Turkish-backed and Kurdish groups in northern Syria.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who have controlled northeast Syria for the past decade, are under attack from the Syrian National Army, an umbrella of militias fighting on behalf of Turkiye, which regards the SDF as an extension of the PKK and wants to neutralize it as an independent fighting force.
Recently, senior members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, met jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Selahattin Demirtas, another imprisoned figurehead of the Kurdish movement. They have also met with the leaders of other political parties to explain their discussions.
What is the PKK?
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkiye since 1984, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Turkiye.
The conflict between militants and state forces, which has spread beyond Turkiye’s borders into Iraq and Syria, has killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is considered to be a terror group by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union.
Who is Ocalan?
Abdullah Ocalan, who as a student of political science in Ankara became deeply involved in leftist movements, formed the PKK in 1978 as a Marxist organization. He fled to Syria in 1979, along with other PKK members, where he remained until 1998, when Syria expelled him under intense pressure from Turkiye.
Ocalan was captured in Kenya in 1999 and imprisoned on Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara, where he remains to this day. His death sentence for treason was commuted to a life term in prison after Turkiye abolished the death penalty.
The 75-year-old endures as a symbol for Kurdish independence and rights and continues to wield influence over the Kurdish movement, with past messages relayed through family members or lawyers resonating beyond Turkiye, in Iraq and Syria.
In a message relayed by his nephew in December, Ocalan said he has the power to end the conflict if the conditions are right.
Renewed effort for peace
In October, Bahceli, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggested Ocalan could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands the PKK. It was a major shift for the hard-line politician who had previously strongly supported the state’s military action against the militant group and its affiliates in neighboring Syria and rejected any notion of negotiation.
Erdogan appears to have endorsed Bahceli’s stance.
There is a mixed reaction among politicians and analysts to suggestions of a new peace effort. Some describe it it as a historic opportunity, while others strongly oppose any notion of leniency toward Ocalan or the PKK.
A recent attack on Turkiye’s key aerospace company outside of Ankara that killed several people was claimed by the PKK, complicating the debate.
Past peace efforts
There have been several peace efforts between the Turkish state and the PKK over the years, including secret negotiations held in Oslo, Norway from 2009 until 2011. However, none have yielded results.
The last attempt to reach a peace deal took place between 2013 and 2015 with a series of talks between Turkish officials and Ocalan, who declared a ceasefire and withdrew fighters to bases in northern Iraq.
Turkish officials took steps to improve Kurdish rights, including allowing Kurdish-language broadcasts. The process collapsed in July 2015, after a series of violent attacks, including one by the Daesh group that killed 33 pro-Kurdish activists.
Since then, Turkiye has cracked down on its pro-Kurdish movement and has jailed thousands of people, including the former leader of the main pro-Kurdish political party, Selahattin Demirtas, over alleged links to the PKK.
Why now?
The latest peace effort comes at a time when Turkiye and the Kurds are both seeking security to face the challenges in the Middle East.
However, some believe the main aim of the reconciliation effort is for Erdogan’s government to garner Kurdish support for a new constitution that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2028, when his term ends.
Bahceli has openly called for a new constitution, saying it was essential to keep Erdogan in power for Turkiye’s future. Erdogan and Bahceli are reportedly seeking parliamentary support from the DEM.


Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in call with Netanyahu, White House says

Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in call with Netanyahu, White House says
Updated 13 January 2025
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Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in call with Netanyahu, White House says

Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in call with Netanyahu, White House says
  • Development takes place as US officials race to reach Gaza ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office
  • Parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal, still have to get it across finish line, says Biden aide

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said, as US officials race to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20.
Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts underway to reach a deal to halt the fighting in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining hostages there, the White House said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
Biden “stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal,” it said.
Netanyahu updated Biden on progress in the talks and on the mandate he has given his top-level security delegation now in Doha in order to advance a hostage deal, Netanyahu said in a statement.
The two leaders also discussed “the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s power in the region,” the White House said.

This photo taken on July 25, 2024, shows US President Joe Biden, right, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington. (REUTERS File)

Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” program earlier on Sunday that the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal, but still had to get it across the finish line.
He said Biden was getting daily updates on the talks in Doha, where Israeli and Palestinian officials have said since Thursday that some progress has been made in the indirect talks between Israel and militant group Hamas.
“We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done,” Sullivan said, “and we are not, by any stretch of imagination, setting this aside.”
He said there was still a chance to reach an agreement before Biden leaves office, but that it was also possible “Hamas, in particular, remains intransigent.”
During their call, Netanyahu also thanked Biden for his lifelong support of Israel and “the extraordinary support from the United States for Israel’s security and national defense,” the White House said.
Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the enclave laid to waste and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, and most of its population displaced.
Vice President-elect JD Vance told the “Fox News Sunday” program in an interview taped on Saturday that he expects a deal for the release of US hostages in the Middle East to be announced in the final days of the Biden administration, maybe in the last day or two.
President-elect Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has strongly backed Netanyahu’s goal of destroying Hamas. He has promised to bring peace to the Middle East, but has not said how he would accomplish that.


New Lebanon president starts consultations on naming PM

New Lebanon president starts consultations on naming PM
Updated 13 January 2025
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New Lebanon president starts consultations on naming PM

New Lebanon president starts consultations on naming PM
  • Names floated for the post of prime minster, which is reserved for a Sunni Muslim, include current caretaker premier Najib Mikati, anti-Hezbollah lawmaker Fouad Makhzoumi, and Nawaf Salam, presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in the Hague

BEIRUT, Lebanon: New Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will begin parliamentary consultations Monday over designating a prime minister to form a government that will have to face major challenges in the crisis-hit country.
The consultations, a constitutional requirement under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, come just days after Aoun’s election amid foreign pressure for swift progress — particularly from the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The small Mediterranean nation had been without a president since October 2022, run by a caretaker government despite a crushing economic crisis and a war between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel.
Names floated for the post of prime minster, which is reserved for a Sunni Muslim, include current caretaker premier Najib Mikati, anti-Hezbollah lawmaker Fouad Makhzoumi, and Nawaf Salam, presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
Aoun’s consultations with political blocs begin at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) with a meeting with powerful parliament speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that both the group and Berri’s Amal movement supported Mikati.
The incumbent’s re-designation is “part of the accord reached with the Saudi envoy to Lebanon... that led Hezbollah and Amal to vote for Aoun as president” last week, the source said on condition of anonymity as the matter is sensitive.
Saudi Arabia and the United States were among key countries driving diplomatic efforts to end the presidential vacuum.
Riyadh has restored its interest in Lebanon’s political scene after years of distancing itself in protest at the influence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened in its latest devastating war with Israel.
Mikati, who has already formed three governments and has good relations with Lebanon’s political parties and several foreign countries, has denied any such prior arrangement exists.
One of the country’s richest men, Mikati has headed the country in a caretaker capacity throughout the presidential vacuum.

Mikati said on the sidelines of the presidential vote on Thursday that he was ready to serve the country “if needed.”
Whoever heads Lebanon’s new government will face major challenges, including implementing reforms to satisfy international donors amid the grinding five-year economic crisis.
They will also face the daunting task of reconstructing swathes of the country after the Israel-Hezbollah war and implementing the November 27 ceasefire agreement, which includes the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah.
Opposition lawmakers from a grouping that includes the Christian party Lebanese Forces (LF) and smaller blocs announced on Saturday they would nominate Makhzoumi, a wealthy businessman who has good ties with Gulf countries and Washington.
US envoy Amos Hochstein visited Makhzoumi’s home last week for a meeting with opposition lawmakers as part of a trip to Lebanon.
Other lawmakers have instead proposed International Court of Justice judge Salam, a highly respected former ambassador whose name frequently comes up in such consultations.
Late Sunday saw last-ditch attempts to unify opposition and independent positions, with the aim of rallying around Salam and blocking Mikati’s path to the premiership.
Hezbollah’s opponents see Mikati as part of an old political system that the militant group has within its grip.
After Aoun pledged a “new phase” for Lebanon in his inaugural speech, LF leader Samir Geagea said that “like it or not, Mikati was from the previous lot.”
According to Lebanon’s constitution, the president designates the prime minister in consultation with the parliament speaker, choosing the candidate with the most votes during the consultations.
Nominating a premier does not guarantee a new government will be formed imminently.
The process has previously taken weeks or even months due to deep political divisions and horse-trading.
 

 


Israel says strikes Hezbollah sites, Lebanon-Syria border smuggling routes

Israel says strikes Hezbollah sites, Lebanon-Syria border smuggling routes
Updated 13 January 2025
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Israel says strikes Hezbollah sites, Lebanon-Syria border smuggling routes

Israel says strikes Hezbollah sites, Lebanon-Syria border smuggling routes
  • The strikes come just two weeks before the January 26 deadline for implementing the November ceasefire, which both sides have accused the other of violating

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Israel carried out air strikes in Lebanon Sunday, targeting areas in the east and south according to Lebanese state media, with the Israeli military saying it hit Hezbollah targets including smuggling routes along the border with Syria.
The air strikes placed further strain on a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, which came into effect on November 27.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli aircraft targeted the outskirts of Janta in the eastern Baalbek region as well as areas near Nabatieh in the south. It did not say whether there were casualties.
The Israeli military said it struck a number of targets it had presented to ceasefire monitors as threats.
“Among the targets struck were a rocket launcher site, a military site, and routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah,” it said.
The strikes come just two weeks before the January 26 deadline for implementing the November ceasefire, which both sides have accused the other of violating.
The Israeli military statement said it was operating “in accordance with the ceasefire understandings.”
Under the terms of the deal, Hezbollah is to dismantle its remaining military infrastructure in the south and pull its forces back north of the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon this month accused Israel of a “flagrant violation” of the Security Council resolution which forms the basis of the ceasefire.
Israeli strikes in south Lebanon killed five people on Friday, according to the Lebanese health ministry, with the Israeli military saying it targeted a Hezbollah weapons truck.
 

 


Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in call with Netanyahu, White House says

Smoke rises from a building destroyed in Israeli airstrike at the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip
Smoke rises from a building destroyed in Israeli airstrike at the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip
Updated 13 January 2025
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Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in call with Netanyahu, White House says

Smoke rises from a building destroyed in Israeli airstrike at the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip
  • Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” program earlier on Sunday that the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal
  • Netanyahu thanked Biden for lifelong support of Israel, White House says

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said, as US officials race to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20.
Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts underway to reach a deal to halt the fighting in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining hostages there, the White House said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
Biden “stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal,” it said.
Netanyahu updated Biden on progress in the talks and on the mandate he has given his top-level security delegation now in Doha in order to advance a hostage deal, Netanyahu said in a statement.
The two leaders also discussed “the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s power in the region,” the White House said.

This photo taken on July 25, 2024, shows US President Joe Biden, right, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington. (REUTERS File)

Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” program earlier on Sunday that the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal, but still had to get it across the finish line.
He said Biden was getting daily updates on the talks in Doha, where Israeli and Palestinian officials have said since Thursday that some progress has been made in the indirect talks between Israel and militant group Hamas.
“We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done,” Sullivan said, “and we are not, by any stretch of imagination, setting this aside.”
He said there was still a chance to reach an agreement before Biden leaves office, but that it was also possible “Hamas, in particular, remains intransigent.”
During their call, Netanyahu also thanked Biden for his lifelong support of Israel and “the extraordinary support from the United States for Israel’s security and national defense,” the White House said.
Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the enclave laid to waste and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, and most of its population displaced.
Vice President-elect JD Vance told the “Fox News Sunday” program in an interview taped on Saturday that he expects a deal for the release of US hostages in the Middle East to be announced in the final days of the Biden administration, maybe in the last day or two.
President-elect Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has strongly backed Netanyahu’s goal of destroying Hamas. He has promised to bring peace to the Middle East, but has not said how he would accomplish that.