NEW YORK // An increase in the mandatory altitude for US airlines flying over Iraq to 30,000 feet indicates that air safety officials are taking additional precautions in the face of evidence that extremists in Iraq and Syria may have shoulder-fired missile launchers and possibly even more powerful surface-to-air missile systems.
After the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over rebel-held eastern Ukraine two weeks ago there is increasing concern about rules governing airspace above conflict zones.
The US Federal Aviation Administration, which previously restricted US airliners from flying below 20,000 feet over Iraq, raised the altitude requirement by 10,000 feet on Thursday as a result of “the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict” there.
The FAA also prohibited US passenger planes from flying to the two international airports in Iraq’s Kurdish region, in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
There was no indication if the revised rules were prompted by specific intelligence about the Islamic State, the extremist militant group that has captured large areas of Iraq and Syria and sized military equipment from their armies.
The FAA’s altitude revision is an “indication that they’re afraid that somebody might fire a manpads,” said Anthony Cordesman, a senior defence expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Manpads is a military acronym for shoulder-fired man-portable air-defence system.
“These are systems you can hit an airliner with” during landing or take-off, but not at 30,000 feet, which is above the reach of even the most advanced manpads, Mr Cordesman said.
It is unlikely Iraq’s weapons stockpiles would have provided the militants with surface-to-air missile systems, whether shoulder or vehicle-mounted versions, because the Iraqi military did not have much, if any, anti-aircraft capability. “Iraqi forces didn’t need any manpads because there was no air force they were opposing,” Mr Cordesman said.
“Syria is a different story — you don’t know exactly what more sophisticated systems could have been taken out of Syrian hands.”
The Syrian military was believed to possess a range of anti-aircraft systems, and Islamic State militants have been seen firing what was likely a Russian-made Igla-series manpads, which likely came from Syrian regime stockpiles.
More worryingly, there is some evidence to suggest that the militants captured a “Kub” SA-6 mobile air-defence system in recent fighting with Syrian forces, the forerunner of the “Buk” system rebels in Ukraine are suspected to have used to down an airliner, said Jeremy Binnie, Middle East editor at IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly.
“So far I have only seen a launcher vehicle with no radar vehicle or missiles,” Mr Binnie said. “Even if they have all the required components in a serviceable condition, they would need personnel who have been trained on the Kub to operate it.”
Pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine are thought to have received training or even direct assistance from Russian military personnel — expertise that Islamic State militants are unlikely to have.
While former military officers from Iraq’s now banned Baath party are fighting the government in an alliance with the Islamic State, it is unclear how integrated the various insurgent factions are.
The Syrian military has at least five Kub-type systems in its arsenal, all of which would be exceedingly difficult for Islamic State militants to operate without training, but they are designed to be used by tired field crews and do not have advanced safety measures, Mr Cordesman said. “You just don’t know whether [the Islamic State], if they got any of these, could operate them.”
More moderate Syrian rebels not aligned with the Islamic State or Syria’s Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Nusra Front, have been seen operating an Osa SA-8, similar to the Kub, Mr Binnie said, adding, “it has been a few months now since we have seen this system in action”.
But despite the threat to civilian aircraft over Syria, the FAA only “strongly discourages … flying to, from, or over” the country. In May 2013, the organisation reported that “ incidents include situations where civil aircraft unexpectedly found themselves in close proximity to munitions and missile firings. ”
Mr Cordesman said he had not seen any reports that rebels have taken vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft systems in Syria, and that if US intelligence officials had evidence that Islamic State had not only manpads but the larger missiles also, the FAA would have banned flights over Iraq and Syria entirely.
US flights are already entirely prohibited from Libyan airspace, where militias looted vast quantities of arms during and after the war that overthrew dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
tkhan@thenational.ae
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
Results
5.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Al Battar, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer).
6.05pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Good Fighter, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
6.40pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
7.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Immortalised, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
7.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Franz Kafka, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
8.25pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Mayadeen, Connor Beasley, Doug Watson.
9pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Chiefdom, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
Company%20Profile
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Euro 2020 qualifier
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if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
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The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
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Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
