Arab World

Saudi Arabia is attempting to bully Canada for criticizing the abysmal Saudi human rights record. (That is, if something as non-existent as Saudi human rights can be called abysmal). Riyadh has expelled the Canadian ambassador and has frozen all new purchases and investments in Canada. The Canadian foreign ministry had tweeted on Friday, “Canada is […]

Iraq

Is Wave of Anti-Corruption Demonstrations in Iraq Doomed to Fail?

Mustafa Habib

Baghdad (Niqash.org) – There are anti-government protests in Iraq every summer. But the recent batch are different, and in ways that could hinder any resolution. The protests that have been rocking the Iraqi political establishment for almost a month now began when dozens of unemployed young men from the village of Bahila, on the outskirts […]

Kuwait

Kuwait Joins Tunisia in Granting Women Full Political Rights

Middle East Monitor

Kuwait City (Middle East Monitor) – Kuwait has become one of the first countries in the Middle East to give full political rights to women. Gulf news agencies reported that the oil rich state has granted full suffrage after decades of campaigning by women’s rights campaigners. Praising Kuwait’s progressive move, regional media commented on the […]

Yemen

Yemen Slaughter: Saudi Airstrikes on Hospital, Fish Market Kill 55 Civilians – Red Cross

AFP

Sanaa (AFP) – A series of explosions Thursday on Yemen’s rebel-held port city of Hodeida killed 55 civilians and wounded dozens of others, the Red Cross said, denouncing the “reprehensible” disregard for human life. The attacks, which were also denounced by a senior UN official, come as the United Nations has said it will invite […]

Syria

Israel Sees Advantages in Assad Victory in Syria

AFP

Jerusalem (AFP) – Gains by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the Syrian civil war present advantages for Israel even though the two countries remain technically at war, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday. “In Syria, as far as we are concerned, the situation is returning to the previous one before the civil war, meaning there […]

Featured

Did Tillerson lose his Job over Stopping a Saudi Invasion of Qatar?

Juan Cole

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 […]