Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Iraq's Sistani becomes top target as elections approach

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Tuesday, February 20 | Daily Briefing [By: Adnan Abu Zeed on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018]( Iraq 1 [Iraq's Sistani becomes top target as elections approach]( Both militant and media efforts to undermine top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani are increasing, likely part of a campaign to reduce his influence and hold him and others accountable for corruption in the Iraqi government. Gulf 2 [Pakistani guard returns to Saudi Arabia]( Although the small force is officially there on a train-and-assist mission, the arrangement is reminiscent of a military practice from decades ago designed to protect the Saudi royal family from domestic and foreign threats. Washington 3 [Trump takes center stage in Abbas-Putin talks]( While the Russian president expressed a desire to play a role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he made it clear that Washington remains a key party in future talks. Washington 4 [What Trump needs to know about Iranians]( US President Donald Trump must take note of the erosion in goodwill toward the United States among Iranians before it is too late. Israel 5 [Netanyahu risks implication in third scandal]( After recommending to the attorney general to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in cases 1000 and 2000, investigators are now looking into another case involving Netanyahu and his associates. Washington 6 [Former Cheney aide will not take Syria envoy post]( John Hannah, the national security adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney, has decided to decline the post as the US administration casts about for heavyweight diplomats. 7 [Migration from Libya down but threat of torture, death remains]( Despite the risks of getting caught and tortured or killed, migrants still chance the route to Europe through Libya, where the volatile security situation can work in their favor. Egypt 8 [Turkish-Egyptian war of words in eastern Mediterranean heats up]( In an official statement, Egypt warned of any violation of its rights in the eastern Mediterranean region in response to the official Turkish position, which refused to recognize the legality of the agreement between Egypt and Cyprus on the exploitation of natural resources of the two countries’ exclusive economic zones. Egypt 9 [Old meets Magic Kingdom: Disneyland-style park comes to Egypt]( After years of planning, Egypt is finally making progress toward establishing its own Disneyland-style theme park. STAY CONNECTED [fb_icon_footer]( [twitter_icon_footer]( [instagram_icon_footer]( [rss_icon_footer]( CONTACT US [Support & Contact]( [Advertise](mailto:advertise@al-monitor.com) NEWSLETTERS [Subscribe]( TERMS OF USE [Visitor Agreement]( [Privacy Policy]( © 2017 Al-Monitor. All Rights Reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe or manage your preferences]( at any time. Al-Monitor · 1850 K St NW · Suite 1225 · Washington, DC 20006 · USA