Arab World

Yemen’s Zaydi Shiite Houthi rebels, who control the northwest of Yemen, including the capital of Sana’a, claimed on Saturday to have launched the 10 drones that struck the major Saudi petroleum production and refining installations at Abqaiq and Khurais. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied that the drones came from Yemen, blaming the attack on […]

Authoritarianism

‘Emperor has no Clothes:’ Trump asked of Egypt’s al-Sisi, ‘Where’s my Favorite Dictator?’

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump has long been accused of having a soft spot for dictators, but now he has admitted it, even if only in the form of a jest. Nancy Youssef, Vivian Salama, and Michael Bender at the Wall Street Journal report that at the recent G7 meeting where Trump saw a […]

Iran

Iraq: The Middle East’s new battle front between Israel and Iran

Middle East Monitor

By Stasa Salacanin | – In the last two months, several unexplained explosions occurred in Iraq, significantly damaging ammunition warehouses and weapons storage sites. All targets have been associated with Iranian-backed Population Mobilisation Forces (PMF), suggesting that explosions could not be a mere coincidence as they were probably caused by precision air strikes. Though no […]

Algeria

As Algeria Democracy Protests Continue for 29th Week, will “The Power” Strike Back?

Brian Whitaker

(Al-Bab.com) – Last Friday, for the 29th week in succession, demonstrators took to the streets of Algiers. It’s now five months since they achieved their initial goal – triggering the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika after more than 20 years in power – but their demands go far beyond that. They want a complete overhaul […]

Authoritarianism

Trump’s NOAA reduced to agency of Tinpot Dictator like al-Sisi’s Egypt

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Last week Trump erroneously tweeted out that Alabama was in the path of Hurricane Dorian, which could have set off a panic in Alabama that led to people leaving their homes unnecessarily, and to economic harm. The Birmingham National Weather Service contradicted the president. It now transpires that Wilbur Ross, […]

Hizbullah

The Most Dangerous Border: What Israeli Strikes in Lebanon mean for Iran & Saudi Arabia

The Conversation

By Abdulaziz Alghashian | – Recent clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border have caused much speculation of a looming military confrontation between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran, which backs the militant group. The exchange of fire in early September followed the crashing of two reportedly Israeli drones in Beirut in late August. A […]

Donald Trump

After Trump Flaked Out re: Iran, Is the United Arab Emirates backing off Conflict?

Stasa Salacanin

By Stasa Salacanin | – The recently-held meetings between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iranian officials have caught many by surprise, particularly given that, not long ago, the UAE – along with Saudi Arabia – was one of the main opponents of Tehran and a vocal supporter of the US administration’s policy of “maximum […]

Featured

Bernie Sanders after Saudi Prison Massacre in Yemen: “We are Complicit in this Nightmare”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Saudi fighter-jets bombed a makeshift prison on a college campus in Dhamar, Yemen, south of the capital of Sana’a eight times on Sunday, killing at least 100 prisoners according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.Dozens of wounded have been taken to Revolution Hospital and many are in critical […]

Featured

Yemen: Southern Secessionists Retake Aden after UAE Kills 300 in airstrikes

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Yemen’s southern separatist movement announced Thursday that it had regained control of all of the Arabian Sea port city of Aden and its surrounding province, and was near to taking Abyan province and its capital, Zinjibar. This according to the Egyptian Newspaper al-Masry al-Youm (The Egyptian Today) and Agence France […]