Region

AMSTERDAM — The world’s chemical weapons watchdog, which is overseeing the destruction of Syria’s toxic arsenal, called on the government of President Bashar Assad to pick up momentum in handing over the remaining chemicals.

Syria missed a deadline to transport the most toxic substances out of the country by December 31, loading a first batch of chemicals onto a Danish cargo vessel on Tuesday, a week late.

The Syrian government has until the end of March to hand over the so-called first priority chemicals, including around 20 tonnes of lethal mustard gas, and to the end of June to completely eliminate its chemical weapons programme.

“We are exhorting the Syrian government to intensify its efforts, so we can conclude the critical part of this mission absolutely as fast as the conditions allow,” Michael Luhan, spokesman for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said on Wednesday.

“We are happy to see there is finally movement. We hope to see that that movement continues regularly now through the next few weeks, so we can get these chemicals out of the country as quickly as possible.”

Syria declared 1,300 tonnes of chemical weapons to the OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace prize last year, and is transporting them by road to the port of Latakia so they can be destroyed abroad.

Chemical weapons were likely used in five out of seven attacks investigated by UN experts in Syria, where a nearly three-year-old year civil war has killed more than 100,000 people, a UN investigation found.

The most serious attack was on August 21, when hundreds of people died in a sarin gas strike in the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.

That attack prompted the United States to threaten to use military force against Assad’s regime, which it said was likely responsible.

The bulk of the chemicals will be processed on the Cape Ray, a 200-metre US cargo ship, which is being fitted with a portable hydrolysis system to neutralise around 560 tonnes of the most deadly toxins.

The remainder will go to commercial toxic waste processing plants, including one in England.

KUWAIT CITY –– Several Kuwaiti MPs sharply criticised the Cabinet on Wednesday, two days after its formation, saying it will fail to resolve problems in the oil-rich emirate, and urged the premier to quit.

Since early 2006, Kuwait has been in almost continuous political crisis, with a dozen Cabinets quitting and parliament dissolved six times.

“This is a strange Cabinet. It is a cocktail that lacks harmony,” said MP Safa Al Hashem, a well-known critic of the prime minister, during a parliamentary debate.

Shiite MP Saleh Ashour said “the formation of the Cabinet takes place through consultations with people of influence and interests... No one is satisfied with this government which cannot be trusted to resolve our problems”.

Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, on Monday carried out an expanded reshuffle that replaced seven ministers and affected six others in the 16-member Cabinet, formed just five months ago.

Before the reshuffle, MPs had questioned several ministers over alleged mismanagement and corruption.

During Wednesday’s debate, some MPs still accused the new government of promoting corruption.

“How can we trust a government that promotes corruption ... We are very disgusted at the new Cabinet line-up,” independent MP Yacoub Al Sane said.

“Today, the prime minister proves that he cannot run the country ... I call on the premier to rescue the country by quitting,” said MP Ali Al Rashed, until recently a well-known government supporter.

The reshuffle included a new oil minister, Ali Al Omair, a lawmaker who is a senior member of the Islamist Salaf Alliance. Commerce and Industry Minister Anas Al Saleh was also moved to the finance portfolio.

The number of Islamist ministers rose from two to four in the current Cabinet. Besides the oil portfolio, Islamists head the ministries of Islamic affairs and justice, communications and health.

The reshuffle came after the constitutional court last month rejected two petitions to nullify July parliamentary polls and dissolve the five-month-old assembly.

The ruling, which cannot be challenged, means that the current parliament may become the first since 2003 to complete a full four-year term.

TRIPOLI –– Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan warned oil tankers to stay away from eastern terminals seized by armed protesters or they could be sunk, as a confrontation over control of Libya’s crude escalated.

The warning came on Wednesday after Libya’s navy fired warning shots at the weekend to ward off a tanker that the state-run National Oil Corp. (NOC) said had attempted to load crude at one port that has been out of government control for six months.

Negotiations to end the protests have failed as eastern federalists, seeking more autonomy from Zeidan’s government in Tripoli, have threatened to ship oil independently to world markets.

Protesters on Tuesday said they would guarantee security for vessels docking at the three eastern ports that they have held since summer, inviting foreign tankers to load crude and bypass government control.

“Any country or company or gang trying to send tankers to take oil from the seized ports without coordinating with the NOC, we will deal with them, even if we are forced to destroy or sink them,” Zeidan said. “We warn all countries there will be no leniency.”

The confrontation is a major challenge facing the OPEC member’s fragile government two years after the fall of Muammar Qadhafi. Former rebels, militias and tribesman have all resorted to force to make demands on a state that is still mapping out its new democracy.

In the east, the self-proclaimed Cyrenaica regional government and its armed protesters have taken over three ports: Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zueitina, which previously accounted for 600,000 bpd in crude exports.

Zeidan also said he could reshuffle his Cabinet this week or next in a bid to counter critics, who are pursuing a parliamentary vote of no-confidence against him amid Libya’s mounting disorder.

ADDIS ABABA –– South Sudanese rebels and a government delegation started peace talks on Tuesday to try to end fighting that has left the world’s newest state on the brink of civil war.

The talks in neighbouring Ethiopia will focus on brokering a ceasefire to halt three weeks of violence that has killed at least 1,000 people and driven 200,000 from their homes.

“We have begun our meeting on the cessation of hostilities,” a member of the government delegation told Reuters. After opening, the talks quickly took a break to allow consultations in Juba about the release of detained rebels.

The fighting, often along ethnic fault lines, has pitted President Salva Kiir’s SPLA government forces against rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar.

Tuesday was the first face-to-face session, after a formal opening ceremony on Saturday, due to delays caused by haggling over the fate of 11 detainees held by the government in Juba. The rebels initially insisted on securing their release before negotiations started.

A diplomat said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional grouping of east African nations that initiated the talks, had sent its envoys to Juba to press Kiir to free the detainees.

The trio of envoys is led by Seyoum Mesfin, a former Ethiopian foreign minister, the diplomat said. “They will push for the detainees’ release,” said the diplomat, close to the talks.

“The talks are going on but we are here for consultations,” Kenyan Lieutenant-General Lazarus Sumbeiywo, one of the three IGAD envoys, told Reuters on arrival in Juba.

The talks in Addis paused to await the return of the IGAD envoys, expected later on Tuesday, officials said.

China, the biggest investor in South Sudan’s oil industry through state-owned Chinese oil giants National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and Sinopec, called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire. Beijing is concerned by the unrest that had forced the government to cut oil production by about a fifth.

Sudan, which also has an economic interest in its southern neighbour’s oil output, said the Juba government discussed the deployment of a joint force to secure its oilfields during a visit by Sudanese President Omar Bashir on Monday.

The prospect of security cooperation between the two countries would represent an improvement in ties, after the civil war foes came close to conflict again in disputes over oil fees and the border in the early part of 2012.

All of landlocked South Sudan’s oil is piped through its northern neighbour, providing vital hard currency in transit fees for Khartoum.

South Sudan’s oil production fell by 45,000 barrels per day to 200,000bpd after oilfields in its northern unity state were shut down due to fighting. Upper Nile state is still pumping about 200,000bpd, the government said.

Oil major BP estimates that South Sudan holds sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest reserves.

TEHRAN –– Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani defended Tuesday a landmark nuclear deal with world powers that promises modest sanctions relief, saying his government did not fear “the few” domestic critics.

Rouhani’s defence came after repeated criticism by hardliners in parliament and the powerful Revolutionary Guards of the deal clinched in November that also requires Iran to curb temporarily parts of its nuclear drive.

“The initial agreement with the six major powers on the nuclear issue was not a simple task but very difficult and complicated,” Rouhani said in remarks broadcast live on state television.

“It required brave decision-making ... We should not and do not fear the fuss made by the few people or a small percentage criticising the deal,” he said.

The critics, however, have been united in questioning what Iran gains from the deal, under which the Islamic republic agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new sanctions.

They say fewer concessions could have been made by the nuclear negotiating team, led by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

In recent weeks, hardliners in the conservative-dominated parliament have sought to form a committee to supervise the negotiating process but to no avail.

Government officials say the nuclear dossier will remain under direct control of the Supreme National Security Council and that final decisions still rest with Iran’s ultimate authority, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Rouhani on Tuesday insisted he has the full support of Khamenei.

“In all important and sensitive steps along the way, the supreme leader has backed the government and its policies,” he said. “Iran is in a special situation that needs to be replaced by normalcy.”

Iran’s economy has been hard hit by international sanctions, while the vital oil exports have been more than halved by US and European embargoes.

In Tehran, lawmakers meanwhile are readying a bill that would oblige the government to enrich uranium to 60 per cent if Iran is hit by new sanctions.

Under the nuclear deal in Geneva, Iran will limit its enrichment of uranium to 5 per cent. Higher level purities of above 90 per cent could provide fissile material for nuclear weapons.

The deal –– which is yet to come into force –– is aimed at creating a window of diplomatic opportunity for Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers, comprising the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany.

The sides are engaged in negotiations to find a lasting solution to the decade-long standoff over Iran’s nuclear activities, which Western powers suspect mask military objectives despite repeated denials by Tehran.

Talks to remove remaining obstacles before the deal is implemented will resume in Geneva on Thursday.

RAMADI –– Iraqi troops will delay assaulting the militant-held city of Fallujah, an officer said Tuesday, citing fear of civilian casualties, as fighting and missile strikes in nearby Ramadi killed 29 people.

Parts of Ramadi –– the capital of Anbar province, west of Baghdad –– and all of Fallujah have been outside government control since last week.

It is the first time militants have exercised such open control in major cities since the height of the insurgency that followed the 2003 US-led invasion.

“It is not possible to assault [Fallujah] now” over concerns about civilian casualties, defence ministry spokesman Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Al Askari told AFP.

Attacking the Sunni-majority city would also be extremely politically sensitive, as it would inflame already high tensions between the Sunni Arab minority and the Shiite-led government.

It would also be a major test for Iraqi security forces, which have yet to undertake such a major operation without the backing of American troops.

Overnight, security forces and allied tribesmen sought to retake south Ramadi from fighters loyal to Al Qaeda-linked group the ISIL, but the assault failed.

“Security forces and armed tribesmen tried last night to enter areas controlled by ISIL fighters in the south of the city,” a police captain told AFP.

“Clashes between the two sides began about 11pm (2000 GMT) last night and continued until 6am,” he said, adding that “security forces were not able to enter these areas and ISIL fighters are still in control”.

Four civilians were killed and 14 wounded, said Ramadi hospital’s Dr Ahmed Abdul Salam, who had no casualty figures for security forces or militants.

Later Tuesday, missile strikes in Ramadi killed 25 militants, Askari said.

Three loud explosions were heard outside Fallujah early Tuesday, a witness said, as the army deployed reinforcements.

“Today, the army sent new reinforcements, including tanks and vehicles, to an area about 15 kilometres east of Fallujah,” a police captain told AFP.

Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has called on residents to expel ISIL to stave off a military offensive.

But senior tribal leader Sheikh Ali Al Hammad told AFP Monday ISIL had left Fallujah, and that it was now held by tribesmen.

US working with Iraq to isolate Al Qaeda

As violence in Anbar entered its second week, the Pentagon said Washington would accelerate delivery of 100 Hellfire missiles, which were due to be sent to Iraq in the next few months.

Colonel Steven Warren said an additional 10 ScanEagle surveillance drones would also be supplied.

Warren said Washington was working with Iraq to develop a “holistic strategy to isolate Al Qaeda-affiliated groups so the tribes working with the security forces can drive them out of the populated areas”.

But he reiterated statements by US Secretary of State John Kerry that no American forces would enter the fray.

Fighting erupted near Ramadi on December 30, when security forces cleared a year-old protest camp where Sunni Arabs had demonstrated against what they see as the marginalisation and targeting of their community by the government in Baghdad.

The violence spread to Fallujah, and militants moved in and seized the city after security forces withdrew.

Maliki had long sought the closure of the protest camp, dubbing it a “headquarters for the leadership of Al Qaeda”.

But its removal has come at the cost of a sharp decline in Anbar’s security situation.

Both Ramadi and Fallujah were insurgent strongholds in the years after 2003, and Fallujah was the target of two major assaults in which US forces saw some of their heaviest fighting since the Vietnam War.

They eventually wrested back control of Anbar from militants, with the support of Sunni Arab tribesmen who formed the Sahwa (Awakening) militias, which allied with US troops against Al Qaeda from late 2006.

But two years after US forces withdrew from Iraq, Sunni militants have regained strength, bolstered by the war in neighbouring Syria and widespread Sunni Arab anger with the central government.

Iraq also suffered violence outside Anbar on Tuesday, when a suicide bomber detonating an explosives-rigged vehicle near a police station in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing four people and wounding 56.

DAMASCUS –– A first shipment of material has been removed from Syria under a deal to rid the country of its chemical weapons arsenal, the joint mission overseeing the disarmament said Tuesday.

“A first quantity of priority chemical materials was moved from two sites to the port of Latakia for verification and was then loaded onto a Danish commercial vessel today,” the mission said in a statement.

It added that the ship had sailed for international waters and would remain at sea “awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port”.

“This movement initiates the process of transfer of chemical materials from the Syrian Arab Republic to locations outside its territory for destruction,” the statement said.

Maritime security is being provided by naval escorts from China, Denmark, Norway and Russia, it added.

The head of the disarmament mission, Sigrid Kaag, was on Wednesday to brief the United Nations Security Council on the latest progress in the operation.

The removal had been scheduled to take place before December 31, but Syria’s worsening civil war, logistical problems and bad weather had delayed the operation.

The year-end deadline for the removal of key weapons components was the first major milestone under a UN Security Council-backed deal arranged by Russia and the United States that aims to eliminate all of Syria’s chemical arms by the middle of this year.

Under the plan, the chemicals will be taken from Latakia to a port in Italy where they will be transferred to a US navy vessel fitted with equipment to destroy them at sea.

The OPCW has turned to the US military for assistance after no country volunteered to destroy the chemical weapons on its soil, despite an international consensus that the weapons be neutralised outside Syria.

The US-Russia deal was aimed at heading off US military strikes against President Bashar Assad’s regime after hundreds of people were killed last August in a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus.

BEIRUT –– The chief of Syria’s Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda affiliate, called Tuesday for an end to fighting between rebel groups and the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

In an audio recording posted on Twitter, Abu Mohamed Al Jolani announced an initiative to end the fighting, including a “ceasefire” and the establishment of an independent Islamic committee to serve as mediator.

“This unfortunate situation pushed us to launch an initiative to solve the situation,” Jolani said.

“It consists of forming a committee based on Islamic law and composed of the key brigades [and]... the establishment of a ceasefire,” he said, calling on all fighters “to give priority to the fight against the regime.”

In recent days, widespread fighting has broken out pitting coalitions of Islamist and moderate rebel forces against ISIL.

The Nusra Front, which is Al Qaeda’s official affiliate in Syria, has joined the fight against ISIL in places, but Jolani said the battles were detracting from the key battle against President Bashar Assad’s regime.

The jihadist leader said some of the blame for the clashes lay with ISIL’s behaviour, but he called for a speedy end to divisions among opposition Islamist fighters.

Fighting rages

At least 34 foreign jihadists from the ISIL and an ally were killed after clashes with rival Syrian rebels, a watchdog said on Tuesday.

The jihadists had apparently been executed after the fighting in the Jabal Zawiya district of the northwestern province of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The fighters, from ISIL and a group called Jund Al Aqsa, were killed by non-jihadist rebels over the past few days, the observatory said.

The deaths came amid fighting on several fronts pitting several coalitions of rebel fighters against jihadists from ISIL.

There was renewed fighting on Tuesday in the city of Raqqa, the only provincial capital outside government control and previously an ISIL stronghold, the observatory said.

The fighting centred on the provincial governor’s office, taken over by ISIL for a headquarters, and “heavy weaponry was being used”.

Both Islamists and moderate rebels have joined the fight against ISIL, which has been accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing rival rebels and civilians.

The rebels, many of them civilians who took up arms against the regime, initially welcomed the arrival of battle-hardened jihadists.

But tensions have mounted, with activists accusing ISIL of imposing a reign of terror, and rebels saying the group has focused on accumulating territory and fighting other rebels rather than battling the regime.

Elsewhere in the country, the observatory said the death toll from a government air campaign launched in Aleppo province in mid-December now topped 600, among them 172 children.

The relentless campaign has included the use of explosive-packed barrels dropped from aircraft on residential areas.

PRAGUE –– Czech authorities are seeking answers over an arms find at the Palestinian mission in Prague, as the body of an envoy killed by an apparently accidental explosion there was flown home.

The coffin bearing the remains of 56-year-old Palestinian ambassador Jamal Al Jamal was placed aboard a regular flight to Amman from where it will be repatriated to the Palestinian Territories, the Czech CTK agency reported.

Jamal, who had been ambassador to the Czech Republic since October, died on January 1 of injuries caused by the explosion, which police suggest was triggered by an anti-theft device inside a safe Jamal was manipulating.

They have ruled out an assassination.

This version of events has been contested by the late diplomat’s daughter Rana Al Jamal, who believes her father was murdered.

On Sunday, Czech police announced that investigators had found 12 weapons inside the Palestinian mission in Prague where the new year’s day explosion happened.

At the same time Prague police chief Martin Cervicek denied media speculation that an arsenal of more than 70 weapons had been kept at the embassy, but would not give details.

Cervicek said the weapons discovered included sub-machineguns and pistols, which would undergo DNA and ballistic tests.

The Czech foreign ministry on Monday denounced a “flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations”.

“The Czech Republic expects the Palestinian side to explain clearly and without equivocation the situation concerning these arms found in the Palestinian mission,” it said in a statement.