DAILY SCOPE: Europe Needs Iranian Help, Wants Dialogue with Assad

Local Editor

Newspapers Headlines:

AS-SAFIR: 

Freezing Russian Arms, Jordan Military Delegation to Beirut
Threat War between Saudi Arabia and Ansarullah

AN-NAHAR:
Saud al-Faisal: Arabs Will Take Action of No Peaceful Solution Reached in Yemen 

AL-LIWAA:

Paris Links Financial Aid to Presidential Elections 

AL-BINAA:

Qatari Emir Between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Houtis at Doors of Aden

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American, Canadian Medics in ISIS Stronghold - THE GUARDIAN 

In another story revealed on young people joining the so-called Islamic State, an American and a British citizen have become part of the movement but this time as medics in the ISIS hospitals. 

The Guardian revealed that an American and a Canadian are among the group of medical students who have crossed into parts of Syria under the control of Islamic State and are believed to be working in hospitals there. The two, Mohammad Maleeh and Ismail Hamdoun had earlier been identified as British by a local politician trying to help the group's parents persuade their children to come home.

The parents, who asked not to be named, confirmed that there were 11 medical students and recent graduates in the group. In addition to the North Americans there are seven British citizens, including a brother and sister, and two Sudanese citizens.

Yet, the Home Office said even if they were in areas under Isis control, the medics would not automatically face prosecution under anti-terror laws if they tried to return to the UK, as long as they could prove they had not been fighting.

US Needs New Mideast Security Architecture --- NY TIMES

In comment on the current events in the region and a clear intervention in the Middle East, Aaron David Miller, an analyst at the Wilson Center and former State Department official said Iran "will emerge, whether we like it or not, as the central power in their sphere," adding "the United States lacks a coherent strategy for combating Iran's growing influence in the region."

"We're dealing with each problem as a vexing one-off issue," said James Mattis, a retired Marine general who was head of the US Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East. "We need a new Mideast security architecture to deal with what's happening."

"Israel" Spies on US to Foil Nuclear Talks --- WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Soon after the US and other major powers entered negotiations last year to curtail Iran's nuclear program, senior White House officials learned "Israel" was spying on the closed-door talks. The spying operation was part of a broader campaign by "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to penetrate the negotiations and then help build a case against the emerging terms of the deal, current and former US officials said.

In addition to eavesdropping, "Israel" acquired information from confidential US briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, the officials said. The espionage didn't upset the White House as much as "Israel's" sharing of inside information with US lawmakers and others to drain support from a high-stakes deal intended to limit Iran's nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal quoted current and former officials as saying.

"It is one thing for the US and "Israel" to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal US secrets and play them back to US legislators to undermine US diplomacy," said a senior US official briefed on the matter.

The US and "Israel", longtime allies who routinely swap information on security threats, sometimes operate behind the scenes like spy-versus-spy rivals. 

The White House discovered the operation, in fact, when US intelligence agencies spying on "Israel" intercepted communications among Israeli officials that carried details the US believed could have come only from access to the confidential talks, officials briefed on the matter said.

Russian Arms Deal Impeded by Sanctions - AS-SAFIR 

A deal that the Lebanese army had signed with Russia to buy anti-tank guided missiles and rocket launchers is facing an obstacle caused by the western sanctions imposed on Russia, as-Safir daily reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that the agreement with Moscow to buy Kornet missiles and the long range rocket launchers faced technical and political problems because Lebanese authorities failed to transfer 38 million dollars to Russia.

The transfer could not take place over the sanctions imposed on Moscow due to the Ukrainian crisis.

KSA Rejects Aoun Presence in Presidential Elections - AL-AKHBAR 

Sources told As-Safir newspaper that Head of the Future Party former MP Saad Hariri, in his visit to Saudi Arabia said that head of the Free Patriotic Movement Michel Aoun is a Maronite chief who represents a good majority in the Christian sect, and that his presence is a must in the Presidential elections. According to the paper, "[KSA Foreign Minister Saud] al-Faisal sharply rejected giving any change to the ‘General' claiming that by his stances, Aoun has been covering up for Hizbullah's and Iran's crimes against the Syrian regime!"

Iran Help Necessary, Europe Wants Dialogue with Assad --- AS-SAFIR
High-Ranked European Diplomatic source told as-Safir newspaper "the necessity of holding dialogue with [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad is a position adopted-in a way or another- by 26 European countries, except two countries who have demonstrated rejection."

The source said there need not be any elaboration on the US stance done by US Secretary of State John Kerry in his televised interview a few weeks ago, since what Kerry had said represents a clear change in the stance towards the crisis in Syria. 

Denmark's Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard also told as-Safir that an agreement with Iran can ‘involve it in many of the current crises," adding "when it comes to Syria and Iraq, we need comprehensive governments, we need support from Iran because it is very difficult to achieve anything without its help."

Sheikh Qassem: Lebanon Preserving its Security with its Army, Resistance --- Media Relations 

Hizbullah Secretary General Deputy His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem said he believes the Lebanese state is strong with its resistance, people and army, assuring no one accepts Lebanon as weak and urging support for the army. 

Sheikh Qassem noted that when the Hizbullah fighters reached Qalamoun's villages and raided the terrorist sites where the takfiris used to prepare the booby-trapped cars, Lebanon saw a kind of security stability. 

"How would the situation be if Qalamoun were controlled by ISIL and Qassayr were held by Nusra," he wondered, calling on all the Lebanese to back the Lebanese army in encountering the takfiris in Bekaa.

"Israeli" Violation to Lebanon Airspace --- NNA 

An "Israeli" reconnaissance plane violated on Monday morning at 9.10 a.m. violated the Lebanese airspace over the town of Shebaa Farms, effectuating u-turn maneuvers over the regions of Riyak, Baalbeck, Southern localities and West Bekaa, army command said in a communiqué. 

The enemy plane then left the Lebanese airspace at 14.35 p.m. from above the town of Naqoura. 

At 11.30 a.m., an "Israeli" reconnaissance plane violated the Lebanese airspace over the sea off the town of Naqoura, effectuating circular flights over the sea between Jounieh and Batroun, communiqué added. 

The enemy plane then left the Lebanese airspace at 13.55 p.m. over the sea west of the town of Naqoura, communiqué concluded.

Source: al-Ahed news