After US President Donald Trump struck a regime airbase last year, Bashar Al Assad continued undeterred, striking rebel-held areas across the country. Mohamad Abazeed / AFP
After US President Donald Trump struck a regime airbase last year, Bashar Al Assad continued undeterred, striking rebel-held areas across the country. Mohamad Abazeed / AFP
After US President Donald Trump struck a regime airbase last year, Bashar Al Assad continued undeterred, striking rebel-held areas across the country. Mohamad Abazeed / AFP
After US President Donald Trump struck a regime airbase last year, Bashar Al Assad continued undeterred, striking rebel-held areas across the country. Mohamad Abazeed / AFP

This region must forge a new path in the Syrian civil war


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  • Arabic

Optimism following the US-led airstrikes on Syrian regime targets quickly gave way to realism. It is a road the world walked down last year when a chemical attack in Idlib prompted US President Donald Trump to strike a Syrian airbase in retaliation. That action ultimately failed to deter Bashar Al Assad's use of chemical weapons and led us right back to last weekend's strikes. Although a welcome intervention, the joint actions by the US, UK and France on Saturday were more restrained than many hoped and are unlikely to spur real change. They also seemed to exist without a broader plan in place to end this long and ruinous conflict. Undeterred, Mr Al Assad is expected to turn his attention to Idlib – the last pocket of rebel activity – where many more are likely to die by his sword. Far from resolving the protracted conflict or even charting a new course, the strikes have thickened the fault lines on which they were drawn. Mr Al Assad, who turned up for work on Saturday morning dressed in business attire and carrying a briefcase, claimed the attacks would only strengthen his determination. Again he looks impervious, shielded by his Russian and Iranian backers. And without crippling military action or a sustainable political solution, genuine change looks out of reach.

In a measured statement, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations expressed support for the airstrikes and measures to eradicate Mr Al Assad's chemical arsenal, but rightly voiced concern about the prospect of escalating violence. While Mr Trump and his partners pursue a short-term deterrent, one which, unwittingly, seems to permit non-chemical warfare to carry on as normal, regional governments favour a political solution to end the wider crisis, adding even greater significance to the Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia. Certainly, some of the answers to the bloodshed will need to be forged in this region.

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That is easier said than done. Arab nations pursuing a peaceful resolution in Syria must overcome the antagonism of Iran, which supports the Assad regime as part of its regional destabilisation efforts. With no hint of irony, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the coalition of committing a “military crime” with its airstrikes. The situation is further complicated by the vortex of misinformation that today characterises the war. Damascus and Moscow continue to deny that chemical attacks took place. And while Mr Trump insisted the airstrikes had been “perfectly executed”, Russia claims 71 missiles were intercepted.

In 2013, then-US President Barack Obama drew a red-line over the use of chemical weapons, which Mr Al Assad quickly crossed. After last year's airbase strikes, the Syrian leader restarted his campaign of chemical attacks. After seven years, the conflict needs a rethink and Arab nations need to ensure they are central to the dialogue. With Palestine and Iran also on the agenda at the Arab League summit, the stakes could not be higher.

Results

2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)

3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson

3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar

4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi

5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly

6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson

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MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

Spec%20sheet
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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero

UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match