Arab World

By Amira Abo el-Fetouh | – We may be too optimistic to hope that the massive demonstrations that have spread in all the cities of Lebanon will lead to the collapse of Hariri’s regime that has ruled the country for about 30 years. This regime was established when businessman Rafik Hariri, close to Saudi Arabia, […]

Donald Trump

No, Trump isn’t Bringing Troops home: Not those in Syria, or any of the 60,000 in the Mideast

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Although Trump keeps talking about bringing the troops home from the Middle East, that isn’t what he is doing. There are some 60,000 US troops in and around the Middle East. There is no prospect of any significant number of them “coming home” any time soon. In fact, Trump just […]

Iraq

An Arab Autumn:The Hidden Political Poison That Iraq And Lebanon Are Really Protesting About

Niqash

By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | – This month Iraq and Lebanon have anti-government protests in common. Partially that’s due to the ineffective and deeply corrupt quota system their governments also share. There’s no easy way out of this trap. Politics More in common than you might know. Thousands of locals in Lebanon […]

Donald Trump

Trump hands Oil & Gas to Syria & Russia as he claims “We’ve taken control of the oil in the Middle East”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump claimed that “we’ve taken control of the oil in the Middle East” as a result of his greenlight to Turkey to invade Syria. As usual, no one could understand what he was talking about. Syria and Turkey are not oil states, though Syria was doing 400,000 barrels a day […]

Democracy

Tunisia Had Successful Democratic Elections, but can the New President face down the Political Elites

The Conversation

By Omar Safi | – The election of Kais Saied, a 61-year-old former law professor and political outsider, to the Tunisian presidency was not surprising: he represents the Tunisian ideal of how the ruling class should be. The size of the vote in his favour was impressive. He won 73% of the vote in the […]

Lebanon

Lebanon: Security Forces Use Excessive Force Against Protesters

Human Rights Watch

Riot Police Fired on Crowds with Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets

Barack Obama

No, Trump’s Withdrawal from Syria is not Like Obama Leaving Iraq

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Some observers are likening Trump’s abrupt departure from Syria and President Barack Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq in 2011. The two events show no resemblance whatsoever, and the frequently-made charge that Obama could have stayed in Iraq is incorrect. Here’s the difference. 1. Obama did not betray America’s allies in Iraq, […]

Donald Trump

Trump Blows it Big Time in Syria: Dumps Kurds as the Empire Crumbles

Reese Erlich

In less than two weeks, President Donald Trump has managed to create a massive and avoidable crisis in Syria. By greenlighting the Turkish invasion of northern Syria, Trump’s policy forced more than 160,000 Syrians to flee their homes. And guess who emerged as the political and military winners? Russia, Iran, and the Syrian government of […]

Democracy

Thank You, Tunisia: The only Democracy in the Middle East

Middle East Monitor

By Mohammad Ayesh | – The overwhelming election victory of Tunisia’s new President, Kais Saied, and the statements he made in its aftermath send a very clear message: the counter-revolution in Tunisia has failed; it has been defeated; it has ended. Tunisians have always embraced the saying, “If people fight for life, destiny will listen […]