Arab World

Alex Emmons at The Intercept interviewed two former State Department officials and one intelligence official who confirmed to him that in early June, 2017, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had been on the cusp of invading Qatar, but were stopped by Rex Tillerson. Emmons suggests that Tillerson lost his job over his intervention, […]

Iraq

Broke: US-Installed Iraqi Elite Spent or Stole all $700 bn in Oil Revenue since 2005

AFP

Baghdad (AFP) – Iraq has raised more than $700 billion from oil since 2005, but almost the entire amount has been spent, the central bank announced Tuesday. “Between 2005 and 2017, the finance ministry has taken in $706.23 billion dollars in foreign exchange” from oil, it said in a statement. “A total of $703.11 billion, […]

Israel/ Palestine

Saudi King overrules Crown Prince, Rejects Trump’s Sell-Out of Palestinians

Middle East Monitor

Insists that E Jerusalem must be capital of Palestine

Arab World

Trump Disses Real NATO, now Wants Unrealistic Arab NATO

Juan Cole

The Trump White House is again hoping for a summit of Gulf Arab leaders this fall, after the last one collapsed. The idea is to establish a Middle East Strategic Alliance against Iran. It would involve supplying these countries with US-made anti-missile batteries and training their militaries for better self-defense against Iran. Trump is not […]

Syria

US-Backed Kurds Propose rejoining Syria if it will Decentralize

AFP

Qamishli, Syria (AFP) – A US-backed Kurdish-led alliance said on Saturday that it is seeking a roadmap for a decentralised Syria in talks with the government which opened in Damascus this week. The Syrian Democratic Forces alliance, which controls a swathe of the north and northeast, said it had agreed with the government to form […]

Yemen

Saudis & Allies Renew Bombing of Yemen Port City, Sparking Famine Fears

Middle East Monitor

The Saudi-led coalition launched heavy air strikes on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah on Friday, in an apparent resumption of military operations on the city after the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement attacked two Saudi oil tankers, residents said. The coalition on July 1 halted an attack on the Houthi-held city to aid UN efforts at […]

Syria

US-Backed Leftist Kurds Holds talks with Damascus on Future of Northeast

AFP

Damascus (AFP) – A US-backed Kurdish-led alliance is holding talks in Damascus for the first time on the future of the swathe of northern Syria under its control, an alliance official said on Friday. Between them the Damascus government and the Syrian Democratic Forces control some 90 percent of the country, after a series of […]

Iraq

Fearing Repression, Iraq’s Sunnis won’t Join Wave of Protests

Mustafa Habib

Baghdad (Niqash.org) – A few days ago, a resident in the northern city of Mosul posted a comment about ongoing protests in southern Iraq on Facebook. “We greet you from Mosul,” wrote Imam al-Qaysi. “Our hearts are with you and we know what it’s like to live in these tragic conditions. We don’t have state […]

Houthi

Will attack on Saudi Tanker Expand Scope of Yemen War?

Omar Hasan

With Anuj Chopra in Riyadh | – Dubai (AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s halt to oil shipments through a strategic waterway after Yemeni rebel attacks could provoke an international intervention in Yemen’s “forgotten” war, analysts say. The world’s top oil exporter on Wednesday suspended all oil deliveries through the Bab al-Mandab Strait after accusing the Iran-aligned […]