Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: US troops 'secure' northeast Syria oil, as contamination from it imperils lives

If you have trouble reading this email, [view it in a browser](. [logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Wednesday, July 1 | Daily Briefing [By: Dan Wilkofsky on Tuesday, Jun. 30, 2020]( Syria 1 [US troops 'secure' northeast Syria oil, as contamination from it imperils lives]( Dilapidated pipelines and oil waste coat polluted rivers and streams in Kurdish-run northeast Syria. 2 [Podcast: Israeli and Palestinian UN ambassadors discuss annexation]( Danny Danon and Riyad Mansour talk about the prospects for annexation, the Trump Administration’s peace plan, and the prospects for resumed direct Israel-Palestinian talks. 3 [Bolton, Pentagon rallied to keep al-Tanf base in Syria]( After Donald Trump's surprising tweet in late 2018 that all US troops would return from Syria, John Bolton says he spoke out against the abandonment of the US garrison at al-Tanf. Washington 4 [Intel: AOC incurs AIPAC’s wrath with anti-annexation letter]( Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are facing off over a letter the progressive firebrand sent Tuesday warning against Israeli efforts to annex parts of the West Bank. Israel 5 [Israeli left chills public support for annexation]( New campaigns by the Israeli political left seem to be effectively throwing cold water on the public's support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s annexation plan. Iran 6 [Iran sentences dissident journalist to death]( Iran sees Rouhollah Zam as an enemy of the state in part as a result of his controversial coverage of anti-government protests in Iran; Iranian Supreme Court also upholds a five-year sentence for French-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah. 7 [Can Tunisia stay out of Libya war?]( During his visit to France, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied stressed his country’s unwavering neutral position on the conflict raging in Libya, to the dismay of the country’s Islamist Ennahda movement. Washington 8 [Pompeo’s push to extend Iran arms embargo faces uphill battle at UN]( The UN Security Council is not keen on extending the Iran arms embargo despite US threats to instate snapback sanctions. 9 [Intel: Pompeo warns Turkey against reverting Hagia Sophia to mosque]( US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waded into the Turkish debate today over whether the historic Hagia Sophia museum should be made back into a mosque. Israel 10 [Netanyahu calls for 'snapback sanctions' against Iran]( Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook — the perfect opportunity for the premier to show his tight ties with Washington and control of the Iranian file. 11 [Intel: Iran, Russia, Turkey discuss stabilizing Syria in virtual summit]( The presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia held a virtual summit to discuss the latest developments in Syria today. 12 [Horrific patterns of torture catalogued in Yemen’s unofficial prisons]( More than 1,000 people have been arbitrarily detained and hundreds tortured by Yemen's warring parties, finds a new report. 13 [Intel: Congress urges UN to reopen humanitarian aid crossings into Syria]( A bipartisan group of US lawmakers urged the United Nations to reopen a key border crossing into Syria, which Russia shut down in January using its veto power at the Security Council. Egypt 14 [Syrian refugees hopeful as Egypt eases coronavirus restrictions]( Syrian refugees in Egypt have arguably suffered the most from the restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but with the recent lifting some of those measures, they may get a chance at economic recovery. Egypt 15 [Can Arab League push Ethiopia to delay filling of Nile dam?]( Arab foreign ministers called on Ethiopia to refrain from filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next month without prior agreement with Egypt and Sudan, but Arab experts and observers believe this position must be translated into action to support Egypt and Sudan in their dispute with Ethiopia. Palestine 16 [Israel’s Arab communities claim state turns blind eye to crimes]( Crimes continue to take place in the Palestinian villages and towns of Israel, while the Israeli government fails to pursue them legally. Egypt 17 [Egypt boosts navy amid Turkish threats in the region]( Differences and conflicts between Egypt and Turkey have intensified, while Turkish threats became clear in the Mediterranean, which disturbed Cairo and prompted it to conclude armament deals for the Egyptian navy to face any military dangers from the Turkish side. 18 [Egyptian company strikes gold in Eastern Desert]( Egypt has sought to attract gold mining investment recently. 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]( © 2020 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