Syria: Spanish Intelligence has resumed contacts with Bashar al-Assad

Spanish Intelligence ("diplomat") has resumed contacts with Bashar al-Assad in Syria, according Georges Malbrunot, well informed Middle East expert and blogger on French newspaper Le Figaro.

On November 28, Le Figaro wrote that "a Spanish diplomat has been located at a major hotel in Damascus" where he is in contact with security officials of Syrian Intelligence for an information exchange about "the numerous Moroccan jihadis passing trough Spain for going to fight in Syria".

Madrid has authorized a Syrian intelligence agent to work in the Spanish capital.

Egyptian Intelligence Service Monitor Account on Social Media

According Al Bawaba website Egyptian Intelligence Service is monitoring Social Media accounts of Muslim Brotherhood, the 6th April Movement, a number of human rights organizations, that have launched new accounts on various social media websites Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Viber.

Sources pointed out that the Intelligence services in coordination with the National Security Department will trace voice mail and e-emails across social media websites with the use of the latest technical equipment that permit to monitor social networking programs such as Facebook, Viber, Twitter, WhatsApp, Twitter, Line, and other websites.

"Egyptian Intelligence Service is monitoring Social Media accounts of human rights organizations"

Egyptian Intelligence sources said that the Interior Ministry's General Internet Investigation Department also intensified security investigations into the accounts belonging to a number of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) organization who are using social media to promote violent ideas and deliver instructions to target the army and police forces.

Russia's Banks Try to Enter Iran's Financial Market

Russian newspaper Izvestiya reports that “ten major Russian credit organizations are already planning to deal with the new Iranian market” and that “Russia's Banks have the opportunity to be first international actor to enter Iran's Financial Market”.
Izvestiya writes that “a meeting was held in Iran in the framework of Russian-Iranian collaboration at which Russia was represented by Dmitriy Skobelkin, Deputy of the Central Bank, and Iran by Gholamali Kamyab, Deputy of the Islamic Republic Central Bank”.

"Russia's Bank Will Try to Be the First to Enter Iran's Financial Market"

According to Izvestiya Russia and Iran “reached agreement on cooperation with the Iranian regulator in a number of areas, primarily making provision for interbank accounting in rubles and Iranian rials and developing correspondent relationships between Russian and Iranian credit organizations”.

A source close to the Russian Central Bank told to Izvestiya that during the meeting emerged as “anian market could offer good prospects for Russian banks not only in supporting contracts between Russian and Iranian companies but also because the population of the country, partially freed from sanctions, is young and with more financially power”.

"Iranian population is young and with financial power"

Russian banks have no offshoots in Iran. The only bank with Iranian roots operating in Russia is the Mir Business Bank. Western banks have no hurry to open branches in Iran, preferring to wait for the situation to become clearer. But the Russian Federation banking sector has no history or experience of transnational banks.

Tamara Kasyanova, who runs the 2K Company, says that "the absence of Western banks, which can access to cheaper credit resources in European markets, makes Iran highly interesting territory for Russian banks”.

Yuriy Amvrosiyev, Director of the international business and financial institutions department at Binbank, says that "VTB Bank, whose network abroad is partly based on old Soviet Foreign Bank Sovzagranbank outposts, does have that kind of experience".

Bosnian Intelligence Agency Investigates Real Estate Purchases by Arab Tourists

Bosnian Intelligence Agency investigates the real estate purchases at attractive locations, as in the countryside of Sarajevo, by Arab tourists who invested huge amount of money.

Bosnia Intellicence Agency (SIPA) launched investigations that have reached the total of 108 companies.

According Bosnian website Nezavisne Novine, SIPA have found a lot of bogus companies, owned by individuals who have never entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are not residents, but they authorized Bosnian citizens to buy real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their companies“.

Nezavisne Novine reported that “51 legal entities linked with foreign citizen, with an initial capital of 2,000 marks” had bought real estate.

Bosnian website writes that “Arabs are buying land in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Kuwait citizen said that he visited some attractive locations in Sarajevo suburb of Hadzici, with already constructed objects, or under construction, specifically for the needs of visitors from his Country”.

"Bosnia Intellicence Agency (SIPA) launched investigations that have reached the total of 108 companies owned by foreigners"

Bosnia and Herzegovina Central Bank released data that show as around 86 million euros were invested in different projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of 2015. According to that data Kuwait is the 15th biggest investor in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnian Intelligence Agency (SIPA) carried out an operation to determine the legality of that projects as the land purchases in this country, to detect potential tax evasion and money laundering.

Bosnian Intelligence Agency (SIPA) discovered that there are 108 companies registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina owned by foreigners: 71 are owned by Kuwaitis, 13 by Lybians, 12 by nationals of the United Arab Emirates, 10 by Syrians, and two by Qatar nationals.

Germany finalizes an arms deal with Saudi Arabia

On the evening of July 5, the Economics Ministry under the leadership of Sigmar Gabriel informed the Bundestag, lower house of German parliament, that the Federal Security Council which convenes behind closed doors has approved the arms deals with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Brunei, and Mexico.

Saudi Arabia has therefore obtained the final approval for the export of the 48 military patrol boats it had ordered, while Egypt will receive a German submarine equipped with torpedoes.

The deal could include sending Brunei 900,000 rounds for machine guns, and Kuwait, Oman, and the UAE will receive armored tanks as testing models. Mexico, on the other hand, may import five German anti-tank weapons. 

"In recent months, Saudis have used German weapons in their Yemen offensive"

The Federal Security Council had already reached these decisions over a week and a half earlier, but only key ministries and the chancellery were aware of the details of its confidential meetings. 

The approval of these arms exports proves that the German government is willing to continue exporting weapons to conflict and high-tension regions. The main force behind this decision is the financial volume of the exports that would protect German companies on the global market.

The controversial aspect of the deal lies in finalizing the agreement with the autocratic state of Saudi Arabia, and the issue has become even more politically sensitive with the Kingdom’s intervention in the civil war in Yemen and its use of excessive force to protect its own interests there.

It has also been revealed that in recent months, Saudis have used German weapons in their Yemen offensive.

This issue has created a political divide in the German government.

On several occasions, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Minister Gabriel has publically called to stop further exports and sought to prevent or at least vote against the patrol boat export license in the Federal Security Council.

On the other hand, the rest of the Federal Government views Riyadh as one of the few reliable partners in the region.

Despite this dispute, the majority voted to honor the deal that was negotiated with Riyadh in 2012. Securing and obtaining arms deals is always a long process. 

The Saudis sought to obtain 48 patrol boats from the Luerssen shipyard back in 2012, and the Federal Security Council authorized the deal only in principle in 2013.

The government can always decide to stop the delivery if it chooses to take into consideration any developments in crisis regions. Needless to say, the Saudi offensive in Yemen has not been a deterring factor in the completion of the current deal.

Bruxelles Bombers Mentor Oussama Atar Trying to Reach Europe from Syria Via Albania

Oussama Atar, the Bruxelles Bombers' Mentor is apparently trying to reach Europe from Syria via Albania.

At the age of 32, Oussama Atar is already a veteran of the Iraq-Syria zone. This Belgian national first went there in 2002, to do humanitarian work, he said.

After that his movements convinced the antiterrorist services that he was a jihadi, probably connected to the attacks in Bruxelles. For instance, 22 March, just a few hours after the attacks, his home in Anderlecht was one off the first to be searched by investigators. Unfortunately, the bird had flown.

According the French newspaper Le Parisien, a "vigilance message," distributed to French police during the past matter of hours, which we were able to consult, attests to Oussama Atar’s presence in Syria. The law and order forces have instructions to arrest him, while keeping in mind that he is a “dangerous and armed foreign combatant.”

"Atar encountered Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIL group's present leader"

This detail is far from unimportant in view of his background. At the age of 21, he was arrested in Ramadi (Iraq,) in February 2005.

At the time, close associates described him as just a charity worker. But US intelligence is convinced that he is a combatant. Oussama Atar spent 10 years in prison, partly at Camp Bucca, in Iraq, where he encountered Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIL group's present leader. That was where ISIL was born, the outcome of a rapprochement between Sunni and secular radicals, former members of Saddam Husayn’s intelligence services.

Following a major media support campaign orchestrated by his family, he eventually returned to Belgium in 2012. A year later he was arrested while about to join a group of jihadis in Tunisia. He returned to the country again, but subsequently disappeared off the radar. Until the attacks in Brussels.

This, because, Oussama Atar is a cousin of the brothers, Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui, no less. The former was one of the suicide bombers at Zaventem airport, while the latter blew himself up in the subway.

"According to Belgian intelligence, Atar was the Mentor of Bruxelles Suicide Bombers"

His younger brother, Yacine, was also arrested following the attacks. Traces of explosives were discovered on his face and clothing. Oussama Atar apparently also influenced Moustapha and Jawad Benhattal.

Since 18 June, this uncle and another cousin of the El-Bakraoui has been in prison. These known criminals were arrested during a major dragnet in connection with "an imminent threat of attack.

"Surveillance and the fact that their car was found close to a fan zone on the sidelines of the Ireland–Belgium match convinced the authorities that they were planning a terrorist attack".