CAIRO: US Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Cairo on Saturday at the start of a brief visit to the region against a backdrop of widespread anger at the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.
The issue topped the agenda at talks with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The two men also discussed the global fight against terrorism and Egypt’s role in providing peace and stability.
Pence will also visit Jordan and Israel on the the three-day trip. It had been scheduled to begin in Israel on Dec. 17, but the plans were changed after the uproar over the US decision on Jerusalem.
The visit was delayed twice, and Pence decided to come to Egypt first because it was the ideal platform to address Muslims and the Arab world.
One US official said Washington hoped Pence’s visit would help to end the emotional fury caused by the US decision, and to open a new page focusing on priorities such as fighting terrorism. Nevertheless, the Vice President has been snubbed by Egypt’s two main religious leaders, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and the Coptic Pope Tawadros, both of whom refused to meet him.
Mohammed El-Orabi, a former Egyptian foreign minister and a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told Arab News Pence would listen to Egypt’s stance on the Jerusalem decision and its effect on US-Arab relations.
Tariq Fahmi, a professor of political science, said Cairo would use Pence’s visit to send important messages and clear warnings to the US administration. They would focus on respect for the two-state solution and the rejection of the US decision on Jerusalem. He said the Egyptian leadership would tell the US Vice President that any acts in this regard would harm US credibility in the region.
Pence spokesman Elisa Farah said the vice president’s meetings with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Israel formed part of US national security interests, and the visit would go ahead despite the shutdown of the US federal administration following failure of Congress to agree on a budget.
US officials in the White House said that in addition to the Middle East peace process, Pence would discuss countering Iran’s support of terrorism, how to help refugees in Syria, and the protection of Christians and other minorities in the region from attacks by terrorist groups.
Pence will not meet Palestinian officials during his visit. Spokesmen for both Fatah and Hamas said on Saturday that the vice president’s visit was unwelcome because he was biased in favor of Israel, and there was no justification for meeting him.
US decision on Jerusalem casts shadow over Pence visit
US decision on Jerusalem casts shadow over Pence visit
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
