Jordan

By David B Roberts | – When the Jordanian royal family gathered on April 11 to celebrate 100 years since the kingdom’s foundation, it was a picture of dynastic unity. Alongside King Abdullah was his half-brother, the former crown prince Hamzah bin al-Hussein, who had only days ago been placed under house arrest, following what […]

Arab World

Jordan’s King Abdullah warns Pence-Trump of Major instability over Jerusalem

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Political scientist John Mearsheimer wrote a book on the tragedy of great power politics. While that subject is indeed shockingly depressing, imagine the tragedy of small power politics. Poor King Abdullah II of Jordan was forced to host Trump’s vice president Mike Pence, the world’s biggest […]

Arab World

Trump’s Ally: Saudi Arabia’s drive for Aristocratic Hegemony in the Middle East

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Saudi Arabia is making a drive to become a regional hegemon. It has long used its oil wealth to achieve a great deal of influence among neighbors, of course. But it is now flexing military muscles. From a Saudi point of view, they have suffered decades […]

Bahrain

With Fall of Aleppo, will a Russo-Iranian Middle East challenge Trump?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – On Thursday, the Syrian government announced that the last of those who wanted to be evacuated from the East Aleppo pocket had been bused out, and that the Bashar al-Assad regime had reestablished complete control over the entire city of Aleppo. Bashar al-Assad in his remarks […]

Egypt

Arab nationalist press Reacts to Erdogan’s Crackdown with cries of “Dictator!”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s firing of some 50,000 people, including educators, bureaucrats, police and military personnel, in the wake of the failed July 15 coup against him, provoked sharp criticism in Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries that have an adversarial attitude toward the Religious Right […]

Central Intelligence Agency

CIA Arms For Syria Sold by Jordan Spies on Black Market For Terrorists

contributors

Jo Ankier, Elliot Hill and Mark Sovel | (TheLipTV) | – – “Weapons sent by the CIA to Jordan for Syrian rebels were stolen by Jordanian intelligence operatives and sold to arms merchants on the black market, a joint investigation by The New York Times and Al Jazeera has revealed, citing American and Jordanian officials. […]

Displaced and Refugees

Beset by Loneliness and Memories, Syrian Refugees Struggle even in Safe Spaces

contributors

By Silvia Boarini | (Inter Press Service) | – – ZARQa, Jordan (IPS) – Emelline Mahmoud Ilyas is an outgoing 35-year-old mother of three from Syria. Sitting in a community centre in Zarqa, Jordan, where she just held a meeting with Jordanian and Syrian parents on the subject of childcare, she remembers the ‘journey of […]

Children

Wars targeting Children: 20 mn Homeless, 300K Conscripted & now Mass Abductions by ISIL

contributors

By Beatriz Ciordia | (Inter Press Service) | – – UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – Whether in Palestine, Ukraine or Somalia, wars result in millions of children threatened by the brutality of armed conflict. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 300,000 child soldiers are currently exploited in situations of armed conflict and six million children […]

Displaced and Refugees

Syrian Refugees Blocked, Stranded in Jordan Desert

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – Jordanian authorities have severely restricted informal border crossings in the eastern part of the country since late March, 2015, stranding hundreds of Syrians in remote desert areas just inside Jordan’s border. Human Rights Watch analyzed satellite imagery and interviewed international aid workers. They said the Syrians have […]