Drone Strikes’ Dangers to Get Rare Moment in Public Eye

Source: The New York Times (Read full story)

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Mr. Brennan, a former C.I.A. station chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has taken a particular interest in Yemen, sounding early alarms within the administration about the threat developing there, working closely with neighboring Saudi Arabia to gain approval for a secret C.I.A. drone base there that is used for American strikes, and making the impoverished desert nation a test case for American counterterrorism strategy.

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Establishing a “Military Transition Council’ in Syria

Source: The Gulf Research Center (Read full story)

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Developments of a diplomatic and military nature have not been able to shift the
balance of power in favor of either side in the conflict in a decisive and speedy
manner. As the discussions at the recent Munich Security Conference underlined,
the international community appears paralyzed. No doubt the regime’s power and
control is being gradually “degraded”, which will eventually lead to a final collapse.
The Assad regime has lost prestige, credibility, and legitimacy, besides losing power and control on the ground.

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FNC condemns Iran’s visit to occupied islands

Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)

The UAE on Wednesday strongly condemned as “provocative and dangerous precedence” an inspection tour the members of the Iranian Shura Council’s committee for national security and foreign policy affairs plan to the UAE islands, occupied by Iran. The Federal National Council (FNC) decried in a statement on Wednesday the planned trip to UAE three islands – Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs – as a provocative step, dangerous precedence, and it violates the UAE sovereignty and contradicts all efforts aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to end the Iranian occupation of the UAE islands.

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Bahrain opposition invited to dialogue

Source: Gulf Times (Read full story)

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Bahraini officials said invitations would be issued later in the day to about 17 pro-government and opposition groups and delegates from the two houses of parliament to attend the talks starting on February 10. “We have every intention to make this dialogue a success,” Information Affairs Minister Samira Rajab told Reuters. “The onus is on the other parties and their seriousness in pursuing dialogue.” Khalil al-Marzouq, a senior official in the main opposition group Wefaq, said his and other dissident groups were at odds with the government over the aims and mechanism of the talks.

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Huge GCC construction spending changes global industry landscape

Source: The Saudi Gazette (Read full story)

As investments in the construction sector continue to grow in the GCC, the region has become a major driver of global change in the construction industry. In a seminar entitled ’The Future of EPC’, hosted by Deloitte Middle East and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLC in Dubai, the changing landscape of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) environment came under the spotlight. Experts gathered to provide perspectives from the largest project owners and international contractors in the region, and recommendations for industry participants on what they can do to plan for success.
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Opposition demonstrates after court jails three ex-MP

Source: Kuwait Times (Read full story)

A large number of opposition supporters gathered yesterday at the house of former MP Falah Al-Sawwagh to protest “harsh” jail terms against three former opposition MPs – Sawwagh, Khaled Al-Tahous and Bader Al-Dahoum – on charges of undermining the authorities of HH the Amir and criticizing him in public. Then they marched to from Fintas to Egailah, where the house of Tahous is located, chanting anti-government slogans. The opposition had earlier described the sentence as “political” and called for supporters to gather at Sawwagh’s house to express solidarity with him and to denounce the clampdown against opposition figures.

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Crown Prince in Cairo for Islamic Summit

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense arrived in Cairo today on a visit to Egypt during which he will head, on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the 12th Islamic Summit. Crown Prince Salman was received at Cairo International Airport by Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation Wael Ma’adawi and a number of senior officials.

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