Day: 25 August 2023

Milley noted that the presence of military forces is only one part of maintaining stability, stressing the importance of economic, humanitarian, diplomatic and of course military aid. Regarding the nature of the threat at the present time, Milley believes that there are many threats, especially to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. Milley pointed out to the threat of terrorism, as surveillance, intelligence gathering and reconnaissance operations on the terrorist organization of (ISIS) should be ensured. Speaking about ISIS, Milley said: “The ISIS caliphate was eliminated in the battles of Mosul and Raqqa, so the ISIS caliphate itself was eliminated, but the movement has not died yet, and the ideology has not died yet.” When asked if ISIS existed until now, Milley said that some ISIS terrorists are still roaming the deserts of Syria and to some extent Iraq, and this constitutes a threat to Jordan and stability in the region in general and is a threat to American interests. “If you look beyond the region here to East Africa and Somalia and across the central belt until you reach West Africa, you will see a variety of organizations branching out from these terrorist organizations under different names,” Milley noted. He underlined that countering terrorism remains a higher interest for the United States. Speaking about Iran, Milley said, “Iran is still an important issue, especially with Iranian capabilities and its negative influence and Iran’s support for a number of terrorist organizations in the region, and of course there is the ever-present issue: Iran’s nuclear capabilities, which we are watching closely.” He said the United States is committed to ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. Regarding his visit to Syria in March, Milley confirmed this visit, and the presence of US forces in Syria for a while and their mission is to combat ISIS. He said that ISIS was destroyed a long time ago and this required great efforts. “We must remember that in 2011 we withdrew our forces from Iraq, and we did not have forces in Syria, and ISIS emerged from the desert in Syria to enter Iraq in 2014, and took control of a large part of northern Iraq and eastern Syria, and the organization was very radical, very violent and a destabilizing force in the area,” Milley added. Milley described the size of the US forces in Syria as “modest,” adding that there are forces in Iraq still working to consolidate the defeat of “ISIS.” On the reason behind the US military presence in northern Syria, he said that the whole matter is to consolidate the defeat of “ISIS”, noting that doing so means that you maintain the stability of the region. When asked if the moment the threat was eliminated, the United States would leave Syria, Milley said that this is a political decision, taken by the political leadership. It is taken by the US President and the US government. “I don’t want to predict a decision of this kind, but the main reason we were in Syria from the beginning was entirely about consolidating the defeat of ISIS,” Milley added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

On his upcoming visit to Israel in light of the recent violence spree and if the United States is pressuring Israel to calm down, Milley said that the US position is clear and it seeks stability and peace in the region. Milley admitted that the situation in the West Bank and with the Palestinian Authority is very complex and difficult, adding that this is a matter for Israel to solve and the United States plays a role in this issue. He confirmed that there is a responsible officer working closely with the Palestinian Authority to try to bring the two parties together in order to reach calm and creat a more stable situation. Speaking about the war in Ukraine and the victory in that battle, he said that the US political leadership, US President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin gave a clear definition of victory, as well as NATO political leaders and European countries. He said that they defined the victory that Ukraine is free, independent and sovereign over its entire territory. He said that for Ukraine, the battle is a battle of existence and survival. “Russia invaded Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of soldiers in February 24. This is illegal and unjustified because Ukraine poses no threat to Russia,” the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “So this was a direct attack on the very principles on which the rules that ended World War II were based on. These are the rules that established the United Nations and are the same rules that most members of the international community adhere to.” Milley underscored that international borders cannot be changed and other countries cannot be invaded by military force, except in the case of self-defense. According to Milley, “Russia was not in a state of defense, but what it did was illegal and unjustified.” For Ukraine, Milley emphasized, the battle is a battle of survival, but for NATO, the rest of Europe and the world as a whole, in fact, the issue is bigger than that, it is related to the rules that were established in 1945 with the aim of reaching a more stable, prosperous and peaceful world.

Source: Jordan News Agency

On the date of the withdrawal of the Russian forces, Milley said that he does not know when this day will come, as there are many ways to reach this result, and one of these ways is the military way. He noted that Ukraine is carrying out an offensive operation now, and it has been going on for almost eight weeks, and this way is bloody and slow, leaving victims in large numbers and very difficult. Milley added that the idea of ??expelling 200,000 or 300,000 military personnel would be very difficult. Regarding other ways to resolve the conflict, he said that there is another way out of this situation through negotiations, and this way may also happen, but in the end it does not matter which way it was, whether through diplomatic means or through military means. Ultimately, Ukraine must remain free, sovereign and independent, and this is the victory. Regarding his opinion of the Ukrainian counterattack, which Milley described as slow, the US Army chief stressed that it did not fail, but it was slow. Milley believes that Ukrainians have already liberated a large part of the Ukrainian lands occupied by Russia since the beginning of the offensive, and in particular the progress that is being made now. Milley explained that planners, when preparing for the attack, believed that things would go a little faster, but the matter is not over yet, and there is steady progress being made from day to day and it is measured at 400 or 500 meters per day or 1000 meters per day and so on, but there is steady progress and the Ukrainians are fighting this battle. When asked if he believed that his country was late in providing the Ukrainians with reliable weapons, Milley confirmed that, pointing out that there are many observations on this subject. Milley said the Ukrainians got what they needed when they needed it. He added that when the Ukrainians needed anti-tank systems, NATO, the United States and others provided a large amount of anti-tank systems and other types of weapon systems. According to Milley, the other thing the Ukrainians needed was an air defense capability in order to defeat the Russian Air Force, which they succeeded in both cases. Milley believes that the Russian Air Force has not played a major role in this war so far, as the Russian offensive armored formations were defeated by anti-tank weapons. He said that the Ukrainians were provided with a lot of artillery, which is the basis for the ground maneuver. Milley added that war is firing and that is why Ukraine has a lot of artillery ammunition and artillery tubes. As for the F-16s, Milley said, “We’re in the process of actually having a training program in place and they’re likely to receive F-16s in the not-too-distant future.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

The cleaning and improvement sector in Hajjah province witnessed a qualitative leap in providing services and highlighting the civilized face of the province’s center and districts’ centers during the past year 1444 AH.

The management of the Cleaning Fund worked in accordance with the plans and programs drawn up, the national vision for building the modern Yemeni state, and the directions of the revolutionary leadership, the Supreme Political Council, and the Salvation Government to enhance the cleaning fleet and support it with many equipment and mechanisms to improve the level of services provided to citizens.

The joint efforts and coordination between the leadership of the province and the Ministry of Finance resulted in the provision of a number of pieces of equipment and machinery during the year 1444 as part of a plan launched in the year 1443 to cover the province’s need for machinery.

A report issued by the fund indicated that the number of pieces of cleaning equipment that the fund’s management received from the Ministry of Finance during the past year was nine, including five dumping trucks and four “BOBCATS” machines, at a cost of more than 200 million riyals.

The report indicated that this step comes within the framework of the revolutionary leadership’s and the Supreme Political Council’s interest in cleaning funds to ensure the implementation of programs for cleaning work, the removal of waste and dust from the main streets, and continued follow-up and field monitoring to preserve them.

According to the report, the last year witnessed the inauguration of the networking of the fund’s procurement and warehouse system and the provision of devices and printers within the framework of the national vision to shift from manual to electronic work, improving and evaluating financial performance in terms of revenues, expenses, supplies, and purchasing equipment, and contributing to correcting the fund’s conditions, avoiding deficiencies, and providing better services to citizens.

In the field of improvement, the report indicated that a project to paint the balconies of the median islands was implemented in a number of streets in the province’s center and the main street in Abs, with a length of more than 21 kilometers, to highlight the civilized face of the capital of the province and the center of the district of Abs.

The report stated the completion of the Hajjah city lighting project with solar energy, installing 314 lighting units, painting 201 poles, installing 61 poles instead of damaged ones, and implementing 35 concrete bases at a total cost of 99 million riyals.

Among the projects that have been implemented to improve the performance level are the purchase of a 30,000-liter tank for storing diesel for cleaning equipment, a fuel pump and a meter with their accessories, and the supply of 150 barrels of garbage at a total cost of more than 34,600,000 riyals.

In the field of cleaning, the report indicated that dozens of campaigns were carried out during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and the birth anniversary of the Noble Prophet, in addition to other campaigns, during which more than 47,066 tons were lifted.

The report mentioned that the quantities of construction waste and rainwater transferred during the past year amounted to 795 cubic meters.

The Executive Director of the Fund, Hamza Sharaf Al-Din, explained that the Fund’s management is working to expand the service department in new districts such as Al-Shahel, Kushar, Qul Shammat, Kuaidna, Khairan, and Muharraq, which requires more equipment, cleaning mechanisms, and workers.

He pointed out that the Fund’s interventions at the present time include the province center and the districts of Abs, Al-Mahabeshah, Mabyan, Najra, Bani Qais, Kuhlan Afar, and Sharis.

Sharaf Al-Din indicated that the Fund’s management is seeking, during the current year, to purchase a piece of land to build a building for the Fund, pave the way to the garbage dump in the center of the province, and fence the dump.

He appreciated the interest of the leadership of the Ministry of Finance and the province’s leadership in overcoming difficulties and supporting the fund with equipment to improve the level of performance and develop services.

Source: Yemen News Agency

At least one citizen was killed and two others wounded, all members of one family, on Friday as a result of the explosion of a projectile from the US-Saudi aggression remnants in Al-Durayhimi district of Hodeida province.

A local source told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that an object of the aggression’s remnants exploded north of the village of Al-Mahal in the Al-Durayhimi district, killing a citizen and injuring two others, including a woman.

Source: Yemen News Agency

The General Management of Parks and Gardens in the Capital Sana’a has installed 42 free games for children in 17 parks, at a cost of $61,500.

The director of the parks in the capital Sana’a, Samir Hamza, told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that these games will include the Al-Samad and Al-Thawra parks at the airport street and the neighborhood parks in the districts of Sha`ub, Al-Tahrir, Ma’een, Al-Wahda, and Al-Sabeen, with the support of the Yemeni Red Crescent.

Hamza confirmed the continuation of efforts to rehabilitate all public gardens and parks, find outlets for citizens, and improve services provided to visitors to parks.

Source: Yemen News Agency

The EU strongly condemned the comments by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on the freedom of movement of Arabs in the occupied West Bank. The EU, in a statement, recalled that relations between Israel and the EU shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles. ‘All human beings are equal and should be treated the same way. In this context, the values of democracy and respect for human rights stand central to the EU-Israel partnership, including as regards the people living under occupation in the Palestinian territory.’ The EU recalled that settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace, and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible. The EU reiterated its strong opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in this context. This includes restrictions on movement and access. EU called on Israel to allow for a tangible improvement of freedom of movement and access for the Palestinians, to enable accelerated Palestinian construction, as well as social and economic development in Area C, and to reverse the worsening of living conditions for Palestinians in Area C.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Israeli forces today quelled an anti-settlement rally in the village of Beit Dajan, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and assaulted a journalist who was covering the event, local sources said. Forces attacked protesters with stun grenades and tear gas canisters. No injuries were reported. A journalist identified as Mohammed Abu Thabet was beaten up by the soldiers while covering the events of the march and the attack by Israeli military forces. Heeding calls by the people’s committee for the defense of land in Beit Dejan, the Commission against the Wall and settlement, and the Factional Coordination Committee in Nablus, Participants rallied in defense of land threatened with confiscation by the Israeli authorities in the said town. Palestinians there have been protesting against the theft of Palestinian land for the benefit of settlement expansion.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA

Weather inshore tonight until 6:00 am on Saturday will see some clouds and become hazy to misty with chance of fog at places by late night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather report, warning of poor horizontal visibility at places by late night.

Offshore, it will see hazy to misty at places at times with some clouds, the report added.

Wind inshore will be mainly northwesterly to northeasterly at a speed of 03 to 13 knot.

Offshore, it will be variable mainly northwesterly to northeasterly at a speed of 03 to 12 knot.

Visibility will be 04 to 08 kilometers or 2 kilometers or less at places by late night.

Sea state inshore will be 1 to 2 feet. Offshore will be 1 to 3 feet.

Area High Tide Low Tide Mini-Max ———- —————- ——————- ————- Messaid ** : ** 15:22 ** : ** 05:54 31 Wakrah: 21:58 14:15 19:33 06:04 33 Doha: ** : ** 13:34 ** : ** 04:53 33 Al Khor: 20:56 13:23 17:21 04:56 30 Ruwais 23:42 12:17 17:46 05:37 30 Dukhan: 16:22 04:47 22:49 10:51 30 Sunrise: 05:12 LT Sunset: 17:59 LT ——————

Source: Qatar News Agency