The alliance between Sunnis and Kurds against ISIL on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border could be a major milestone in the coalition against the extremist group. Backed by UK fighter jets, both Iraqi and Syrian Kurds joined forces with Sunni fighters to take back a strategic border crossing.
The involvement of Sunnis, especially in Iraq, where they have recently been alienated from the Shia-led government in Baghdad, is a significant development, comparable to the Awakening movement among Sunnis in Iraq in 2005, which led to the calming of the post-Saddam civil war.
In particular, this joining of forces against ISIL has highlighted what should already have been clear. That in a region as tied together as the Middle East, problems in one area will inevitably bleed across borders. The wide spaces between Syria and Iraq have for years been crisscrossed by farmers, who do not recognise the colonial-era borders. Large families, too, extend across the borders of the map.
That interdependence is true even within countries. Nothing illustrates this so clearly as the situation in Iraq, with regard to the three major communties of Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. The ISIL threat was bred in the discontent of Sunnis in the west of Iraq over their treatment by the Shia-led government in Baghdad. Shias, after years of repression under Saddam Hussein, were willing to turn a blind eye to the sectarianism of Nouri Al Maliki, feeling that they were merely redressing a historic imbalance of power. But the problem that started in the Sunni area spread rapidly, until ISIL threatened the Shia communties in Baghdad itself.
The same occurred with the Kurds in northern Iraq, who have, for similar historic reasons, tried to carve out a de facto state in Iraqi Kurdistan. Even as the ISIL problem developed, Kurds felt it was something for “Iraq” – the Arab parts of the country to the south. But then ISIL routed the Kurdish peshmerga, and the Kurds had to appeal to the central government in Baghdad for assistance.
Such interdependence works both ways. The Sunni-Kurdish alliance is essential to drive ISIL out. But for the long-term security of Iraq, the Sunnis and the Kurds must be given true and fair representation in the government in Baghdad. Such representation is not a reward; it is a right.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20Specs
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Company%20profile
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)