Lebanon

Riyadh’s struggle with Iran and Hizbullah sours relationship with Beirut

Lebanon Hizbullah leader: Saudis dictated Hariri resignation

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Secretary-General of Hizbullah, the Lebanese party-militia, Hassan Nasrullah, gave a major speech Sunday in the wake of the resignation of prime minister Saad Hariri. Nasrullah characterized this step as a Saudi move dictated to Hariri by Riyadh. Lebanon’s three big religio-ethnic groups are Sunnis, Shiites […]

Hizbullah

Lebanon PM Hariri Resigns in fear for Life, Slamming Iran

contributors

Long known for Saudi Ties, Hariri Accuses Tehran of trying to Destroy Arab World

Hizbullah

Hezbollah and Syrian Army Liberate Large ISIL Enclave: Nasrallah

contributors

By TeleSur | – – Following the joint offensive, the Islamic State group only controls 40 square kilometers on the Syrian side, and 20 on the Lebanese side. A joint offensive between Shia resistance movement Hezbollah and the Syrian army has liberated the majority of a significant enclave controlled by the so-called Islamic State group, […]

Displaced and Refugees

Tense Eid for 1.2 mn Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

contributors

By Billie Jeanne Brownlee | (The Conversation) | – – For Syrian refugees in Lebanon marking the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it has been a struggle to find enough food to break their fast each evening after sunset. This is not what Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the festival at its end, should be about. […]

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 […]

Hizbullah

Israeli Pol threatens Crimes against Humanity in Lebanon

contributors

TeleSur | – – A far-right Israeli minister said Lebanese civilians must be direct targets in a future war over Hezbollah’s rising political sway in Lebanon. The next war Israel will launch against Lebanon must take the country back to the “Middle Ages” and should target civilians in the country, far-right Israeli Education Minister Naftali […]

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 […]

Featured

Hizbullah’s Candidate becomes Lebanese President after Sunni Compromise

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Lebanon finally has a president, Michel Aoun. In accordance with the country’s national pact, he is a Maronite Christian (a Catholic uniate church), and happens to be a former general. The US and Israel won’t be pleased that he is a strong ally of the Shiite […]