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Syria is hosting its first international trade fair in five years, a sign of increased stability in the embattled nations capital and a statement of victory from the government, which has been embroiled in awar with armed opposition groups and jihadists since 2011.

Despite ongoing violence between the Syrianarmy and insurgentsin the citys suburbs, the 59th Damascus International Fair was set to commence Thursday, claiming to host representatives of 23 nations and companies from 20 more. Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis, who was appointed last year by President Bashar al-Assad, said the event marked a major turning point for the country and that nations such as Russia and Iran, which supported Assad and his army throughout the war, would be given priority in securing trade deals to invest in Syria, according to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Related: Russia and Syria target ISIS territory as big as two U.S. states

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We must be partners of the Syrian Arab Army in victory and establishing the best future for our people andfuture generations, Khamis said Wednesday in a press statement, accordingto SANA. For this, we have made a commitment to introduce an exceptional international exhibition worthy of our country, history, culture and love for life and peace."

Preparations for the Damascus International Fair in the countryside of the Syrian capital, on August 10. The fair will reportedly host 43 nations directly or indirectly and is the first such event to take place in five years in the war-torn country. LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

The list of nations involved either directly or through businesses included traditionally pro-opposition countries such as France, Germany and Spain in the West as well as Bahrain, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, but made no mention of the U.S. Washington, along with a number of governments reportedly represented at the fair, have accused Assad and his government of perpetrating human rights abuses and potential war crimes. As a result, Syria has been the subject of numerous economic sanctions, but a number of international actors have either continued to strike deals with the Syrian government or have renewed relations as its prospects improved in the conflict.

In addition to Russia and Iran, countries like Belarus, China, the Czech Republic, India and Japan have also invested in Syria in recent years, according to The Times. Talk of rebuilding Syrias devastated infrastructure has increasingly surfaced, as the countrysarmed forces and their allies, including pro-government militias, retake territory nationwide from rebels and jihadists, especially the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), This years trade fair marks the first time since 1954 that visiting countries will be permitted to sell their products.

Assad is trying to project confidence and a business-as-usual attitude, Sami Nader, head of the Beirut-based Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, told Bloomberg News. The trade fair is sending a message that the new era of Syrias reconstruction has begun and Assad is here to stay.

Smoke billows following a reported air strike by Syrian government forces in the rebel-held parts of the Jobar district, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on August 9. Parts of the Syrian capital remain under rebel control and continue to see fierce fighting between Syrias armed forces and insurgents. AMMAR SULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Coinciding with the fairs opening, Khamis met with Lebanese Minister of IndustryHussein al-Hajj Hassan to discuss greater economic ties between the neighboring countries. The meeting also included Syrian Minister of Industry Ahmed Al-Hamo,Secretary General of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council Nassri Al-Khouri and Director of Relations in the Council Ahmad Al-Haj Hassan. After discussions, the Lebanese minister called the Damascus International Fair evidence of Syrias political, economic, military and security recovery, according to Lebanon 24. The Syrian and Lebanese armies are both involved in operations to clear ISIS from their mutual border but receive backing from opposing international powers and maintain no formal alliance.

Despite heightened tensions between U.S.-backed forces in Syria and those supported by Russia and Iranin recent months, Washington and Moscow established a ceasefire between the Syrian militaryand rebels battling in the countrys southwest in July. The lull in fighting has allowed both pro-government forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a mostly Kurdish coalition of Arabs and ethnic minorities, to concentrate on dismantling the remains of ISISs self-proclaimed caliphate. U.S. officials, however, have remained deeply critical of Assad even after pledging closer cooperation with Russia, and have called for his eventual removal from power.

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Russia, Iran, Other Assad Allies and Enemies Cash In on Success in Syria, But US Left Out - Newsweek

Iraq and Saudi Arabia are negotiating a new alliance that would give Riyadh a leading role in rebuilding Iraqs war-torn towns and cities, while bolstering Baghdads credentials across the region.

Meetings between senior officials on both sides over the past six months have focused on shepherding Iraq away from its powerful neighbour and Saudi Arabias long-time rival, Iran, whose influence over Iraqi affairs has grown sharply since the 2003 ousting of Saddam Hussein.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia have long been considered opponents in the region, but a visit by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to Riyadh last week and a follow-up trip to the UAE further thawed relations which had already been much improved by high-profile visits between the two countries.

The arrival in the Saudi capital of Sadr a protagonist in the sectarian war that ravaged Iraq from 2004-08 and who has enduring ties to Iran highlights a new level of engagement which could see Riyadh play a significant role in the reconstruction of the predominantly Sunni cities of Mosul, Fallujah, Ramadi and Tikrit.

This visit was an important step in ensuring that Iraq returns to the Arab fold and is supported in doing so by friendly partners, said the former Saudi minister of state Saad al-Jabri. This necessitates limiting Tehrans continued attempts to dominate Iraq and spread sectarianism. Broader engagement between Riyadh and Baghdad will lead the way for enhanced regional support for Iraq, especially from the Gulf states. This is essential after the capture of Mosul from Isis and as Iraq looks towards national reconstruction.

Sunni areas of Iraq have borne the brunt of the three-year US-led war against Islamic State, which has been largely successful. Isis no longer controls any city; it is confined to a series of towns in the north-west and throughout Anbar province.

But it is thought it will cost more than $100bn (78bn) to rebuild Iraq, and the four Sunni cities, as well as three mainly Sunni provinces, are central to hopes of national reconciliation in a country where more than two-thirds of the population are Shia.

As Iraq moves towards national elections early next year, the prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, and Sadr have both said the re-enfranchisement of Sunnis who lost privileges and status after the fall of Saddam must be central to rebuilding plans.

It is also worth noting that Sadrs visit had a practical aspect and led to some immediate benefits, from the reopening of border crossings and support for internally displaced people, to the potential appointment of a new ambassador and the opening of a consulate in Najaf, said Jabri. These are clear signs that there is a concrete desire to recreate a strategic relationship between the two countries of mutual benefit.

In Baghdad, where attitudes towards Saudi Arabia have been openly hostile throughout the war on Isis, rhetoric blaming Riyadh for the jihadist insurgency has softened recently.

The relationship is growing now more than ever and this is due to the new US administration helping Saudi Arabia and the Gulf rebuild its relationship with the rest of the region, said Abdulbari al-Zebari, the head of the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi parliament. We welcome any foreign or regional funding. This would be a really smart move on behalf of the Arab countries and foreign countries.

Baghdad and Riyadh had not exchanged ambassadors for 25 years until the ill-fated return of a Saudi envoy in 2015, which prompted a vitriolic series of allegations about responsibility for Iraqs insurgency and the broader regional chaos. But over the past year, Abadi and the Iraqi president, Fuad Masum, have visited Riyadh, and the Saudi foreign minister has travelled to Baghdad.

This is a new beginning, a new page of Iraqi Saudi relations, said Ihsan Al Shameri, the head of the Political Thought Centre in Baghdad. It was troubled and on edge in the past, especially during [the former prime minister] al-Malikis rule. Now that the Saudis have found a non-sectarian political figure in Haider al-Abadi, they are willing to work together. They are no longer focused on a Shia-Sunni rift. Moreover, Iraq wants to return to the Arab fold and the window to the Arab world is Saudi Arabia.

This funding now to rebuild the country is an act of goodwill and their way to show solidarity with the Iraqis knowing we are going through tough economic times.

Senior officials in Riyadh, which has set itself an ambitious economic and cultural reform agenda, see opportunity in rebuilding the Sunni areas of Iraq as part of broader moves to curb Iran and assert the kingdom as a post-Isis force.

The situation in Iraq matters to the entire region, in security, economic and political terms, said Jabri. It is therefore natural for the Saudi leadership to seek foreign policy avenues to support Iraq at this critical moment. This visit is a clear step in that direction. Muqtada al-Sadr is a respected leader with significant influence. He understands that Iraqs future lies within the Arab world, and has repeatedly expressed concern about Irans growing influence in Iraq.

Iraq will certainly need significant regional and international support with reconstruction, particularly of cities such as Mosul, Fallujah and Ramadi. Set against the backdrop of a reinvigorated Saudi foreign policy and the importance of the historic Saudi-Iraqi relationship, I would not be surprised to see significant Saudi investment in reconstruction efforts in addition to regional and international leadership on the issue.

Additional reporting: Nadia al-Faour

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Saudis in talks over alliance to rebuild Iraq and 'return it to the Arab fold' - The Guardian

A Snatch Land Rover vehicle on patrol. Photograph: John D Mchugh/AFP/Getty

The defence secretary has apologised to families of British soldiers killed while travelling in Snatch Land Rovers for delays in replacing the lightly armoured vehicles.

In the letter to families seen by the BBC, Michael Fallon said bringing better protected vehicles into service could have saved lives.

Among the recipients of the letter was Sue Smith, whose son, Pte Phillip Hewett, 21, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, died in July 2005 after the Snatch Land Rover he was travelling in was blown up in Amara, south-east Iraq.

Last year the Chilcot inquiry found a string of Ministry of Defence failings in the preparation for the Iraq war, including a delay in replacing the lightly armoured Snatch Land Rovers, which are vulnerable to bombs.

A number of families, including Smiths, have been given the go-ahead to bring compensation claims against the government under legislation covering negligence and human rights.

Fallon wrote to Smith to express his regret at Hewetts death. I am fully aware of the struggle you have had to bring this matter to court over the last decade and I recognise that this has had a significant impact on you and your family, he wrote.

The government entirely accepts the findings of Sir John Chilcot in the Iraq inquiry in relation to Snatch Land Rover.

I would like to express directly to you my deepest sympathies and apologise for the delay, resulting in decisions taken at the time in bringing into service alternative protected vehicles which could have saved lives.

He goes on to say that lessons have been learned, adding: The government must and will ensure that our armed forces are always properly equipped and resourced.

Smith told the BBC the apology was bittersweet, adding: Id like it to be that his death made a difference. Hes not just a casualty of Iraq.

Jocelyn Cockburn, lawyer for the families, said: The Ministry of Defences stance of delay, deny and defend has caused untold suffering to already grief-stricken families over a needlessly long period.

However, I am relieved that their battle is over and genuinely hope that their apology signals a sea change in the way the MoD seeks to deal with bereaved service families.

An MoD spokeswoman said: We offer our deepest sympathies and apologise for the delay in bringing into service alternative protected vehicles which could have saved lives. The government acknowledges and fully accepts the findings of Sir John Chilcots inquiry in relation to Snatch Land Rovers.

Our armed forces now use a number of highly capable and extremely well-protected patrol vehicles, including Mastiff, Ridgback, Husky and Wolfhound.

Gen Sir Mike Jackson, chief of the general staff between 2003 and 2006, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme it was a fair assumption that a more heavily armoured vehicle would have offered much better protection for British troops.

He said he believed replacements for the Snatch Land Rover could have been brought in more quickly, adding: The army at that point did not have its own procurement budget. It does now, and perhaps that is one of the good lessons learned thats come out of this whole rather sorry story: we do have our own procurement budget now.

Yes, better vehicles, better-protected vehicles were eventually procured, but the process was rather byzantine and inevitably, thereby, lengthy.

Link:
Fallon apologises to families of soldiers killed in Land Rovers in Iraq - The Guardian

The secrecy and subterfuge behind the Iraq war links Spain to Islamist terror.Jose Maria Aznar, the Prime Minister at the time, and his government misled the country by claiming that a devastating massacre in Madrid, a direct retaliation for the invasion, was the work of Basque separatists rather than al-Qaeda.

Mr Aznar had backed George W Bush and Tony Blair in the conflict which is now recognised as a catalyst for the upsurge in jihad which continues to this day. The coordinated attack on commuter trains at the Spanish capital in March 2004, killing 192 people and wounding 1,800, remainsthe deadliest terrorist attack on Europe this century andwas among the first of the murderous backlash.

Spain had escaped the worst of the Islamist terror attacks suffered by other European states since then. Some government ministers had claimed that this was due to the experience in confronting the Basque militants of ETA over decades and also because the countrys Muslim population was relatively assimilated.

A similar conceit had existed, to an extent, in the UK with its experience with the IRA and a similar view about the Muslim population before this was blown away by the 7/7 bombings and the atrocities which followed.

Security officials had been warning for a while that Spain, too, would be an arena for global jihad. The Iberian peninsula, which was under Moorish rule from the early 8th to the end of the 15thcentury, features regularly in Isis and al-Qaeda messages as Muslim land stolen by Christians which should be a primary target for retribution. One recent Isis exhortation was for assaults on tourist venues using guns, bombs and trucks.

A number of planned attacks had been averted, including one three months ago by two men of Moroccan origin who were allegedly planning to use vehicles and explosives in Madrid. One of them had sought to get a licence for a specific type of truck, the same as the oneused to murder 86 people in Nice on Bastille Day last year. Another suspect detained five months earlier had also said he wanted to emulate what happened at Nice.

Europol figures show that Spain had the second highest number of Islamist terrorist arrests, with 187, in 2015. France was top with 424. However, the Muslim community make up 2.1 per cent of the population in Spain compared to 7.5 per cent in France.

As in other countries, there has been increasing evidence in Spain that prisons had become recruiting ground for jihad. According to reports in Spain some of those who plotted the Barcelona and Cambrils attacks had previous criminal convictions.

A study by academics from the University of Granada and officials from the Union of Prisons found that: The activities of jihadist recruiters are not curtailed once they are arrested and deprived of their liberties but can be continued within penitentiary institutions. Radical extremists are able to carry out various activities within prison walls, indoctrinate, generate group identity, legitimise terrorism Activities that may be considered favourable for Islamist radicalism and recruitment.

There are now additional pressures on public safety. Around 170 Spanish Muslims have gone to fight in Syria. This is a lower number than some other European states, but the whereabouts of most of them are unknown. In addition the security agencies say they are monitoring 1,100 people with extremist views. The country is also receiving large numbers of refugees from North Africa with 9,000 arriving in the last eight months, three times as many as last year. Although the vast majority are genuinely seeking refugee status there are indications, say security officials, that Isis, as it loses its bases in Libya, is trying to infiltrate fighters.

Spain announced in 2015 that it would not join the US-led air campaign against Isis in Iraq and Syria. It has an army training team in Iraq but its members do not take part in combat.

In 2003 the Aznar government had sent a small force to join the Iraq invasion. Twelve years later Mr Aznar was claiming that in terms of international support for our goals, Spain emerged a winner. In 2005 a Spanish parliamentary panel investigating the Madrid bombing concluded that the Aznar government had manipulated and twisted information to blame the Basques rather than al-Qaeda for the attacks.

General Francisco Jose Gan, a former head of the intelligence service, spoke in May of the Basque factor in facing the security threat: I do not say Spain is safe. I say it is better prepared because we learnt in a very traumatic way.ETA announced in April this year that it has disarmed and will not take up weapons again. But as the attacks on Thursday have shown, the trauma from terrorism is not about to end.

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Barcelona attack: How the Iraq war is linked to Spain's outbreak of Islamist terror - The Independent

Benghazi - The forces of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar said on Friday they had detained a senior commander two weeks before the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest over unlawful killings in the flashpoint city of Benghazi.

"We hereby inform you that the defendant... has been arrested and investigated by the military prosecutor on those charges" since August 2, as ordered by Haftar, said the general command of his armed forces.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Tuesday that it had issued a war crimes arrest warrant for Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli, "allegedly responsible for murder as a war crime in the context of the non-international armed conflict in Libya".

Werfalli commanded a unit battling alongside Haftar's forces in Libya's second largest city, from which jihadists were finally ousted in July following a three-year military campaign.

He is accused of involvement in at least seven incidents in 2016 and 2017 in which he allegedly personally shot or ordered the execution of either civilians or injured fighters, The Hague-based court said.

Haftar's general command, in a statement received by AFP, stressed its "respect for international conventions, international human law and the teachings of Islamic Sharia laws".

It had "stated on many occasions and in official statements" for members of Haftar's forces "to respect these rules" and to "hand over terrorists to the competent authorities".

"The ICC should rest assured that investigation procedures ensuring justice are ongoing under Libyan military law and the defendant has been suspended and detained," it said.

"We are ready to cooperate with ICC by sharing the trial proceedings."

The ICC announcement on Werfalli came with the court still in a legal tug-of-war with Libyan authorities to transfer Seif al-Islam, the son of the country's ousted leader Moammar Gaddafi, to The Hague.

The ICC and Libyan authorities have been in dispute over who has the right to judge him.

Seif faces crimes against humanity charges for his role in the Gaddafi regime's brutal attempts to put down the 2011 uprising which eventually toppled and killed his father.

Seif's exact whereabouts are unknown, following a claim in June by militia that it had freed him.

The ICC, set up to investigate and prosecute the world's worst crimes, opened its Libya probe in March 2011 to investigate atrocities committed during the uprising that erupted a month earlier.

The ICC aims to complement but not replace national courts and only prosecutes cases when countries are "unwilling or unable to do so genuinely".

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Libyan on ICC wanted list already in detention: Haftar forces - News24