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Egypt

ARABICA - A Quick Shot Of What's Brewing In The Arab World

ARABICA - A Quick Shot Of What's Brewing In The Arab World

A R A B I C A ارابيكا

By Kristen Gillespie

EGYPT, ELECTIONS
In Cairo, the High Elections Commission is postponing for a third time the announcement of parliamentary election results. A larger-than-expected voter turnout is responsible for the delay, the commission said.

EGYPT, RESERVES
Also in Egypt, foreign-currency reserves are expected to drop to $15 billion by the end of January, while the budget deficit continues to rise. Reserves stood at $10 billion in October, which economists said at the time is not enough to sustain a looming currency crisis.

SYRIA, WARNINGS
Secretary General of the Arab League warned Damascus of the "risk" of foreign intervention to solve the crisis in Syria. Nabil al-Arabi told CNN Arabic that there is a way out for the Syrian regime, and that is to accept the Arab League plan, which includes sending monitors to Syria. "The Syrian government has continually failed to implement its obligations to the Arab League action plan," Arabi said. A Syrian government spokesman earlier condemned "the increasing political and media campaign against Syria."

SYRIA, WARNINGS II
In what can only be described as an understatment, the Kuwaiti government is asking its citizens to leave Syria because of "the unstable situation." It also "advises Kuwaiti citizens not to go to Syria at the present time." Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Syria over the summer.

JORDAN, CORRUPTION
The annual Transparency International report finds Jordan more corrupt in 2011 than the year before, Khaberni.com reports. Jordan dropped from 50th to number 56 in the global ranking of corruption. In the Arab world, Jordan was behind Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.

*Under the article, Khaled comments: "Corruption is a raging cancer with no hope of a cure."

*Another commenter writes, "You want us to join the Gulf Cooperation Council, where five out of six countries are slightly ahead of us in corruption?"


Dec. 1, 2011

photo credit: illustir

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Ukraine

Pilots First, Then The Planes? The West Looks Ready To Break A Big "Taboo" On Ukraine Aid

French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France will train Ukrainian pilots appears to pave the way for the delivery of fighter jets to Kyiv. Similar moves are coming from the UK. It's a delicate process to never declare war on Russia, while maximizing Ukraine's ability to repulse the invaders.

Image of a State of Emergency Service aviator in Ukraine.

A SES aviator in Ukraine.

State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — Another taboo has been broken. France will train Ukrainian fighter pilots, as announced by French President Emmanuel Macron Monday night in his interview on the TF1 television channel. The logical next step is to provide Mirage 2000 aircraft to the Ukrainian air force, but we haven't reached that point yet.

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It is however an important step forward in the commitment to Ukraine, and is in line with the logic of the last few months. It comes in addition to the Caesar guns, light armor, and air defense missile systems that France has already delivered and continues to supply to Ukraine.

Macron denied last night that there was any taboo on supplying aircraft. In fact, at each stage, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine's allies have weighed both the needs and capabilities of the Ukrainians, and the possible reaction of the Russians, before taking each new step.

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