Arab World

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 […]

Syria

Syria: ISIL kills 220, mostly minority Druze, in Massive attacks on Southeast

Rouba El Husseini

Southeast Syria is one of the Terrorist Group’s Last Enclaves

Saudi Arabia

Fearful of Prince Bin Salman, Wealthy Saudis seek to Invest Abroad

Middle East Monitor

Wealthy Saudis are uneasy about investing their millions in the Kingdom due to the policies of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The purge ordered by the de facto ruler last year and the jailing of political opponents has frightened the very sector which the 32-year-old needs to woe in his ambitious plan to wean Saudi […]

UAE

Top UN Court Rebukes United Arab Emirates over Treatment of Qataris

AFP

The Hague (AFP) – The UN’s top court Monday ordered the United Arab Emirates to protect the rights of Qatari citizens, wading into a bitter year-long crisis triggered when Gulf countries snapped ties with Doha. Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague narrowly ruled in a provisional but binding decision that […]

Iraq

Qatar plans Expansion of US-Leased Al-Udeid Airbase to Battle Extremists

AFP

Doha (AFP) – The US and Qatar plan to expand Al-Udeid airbase, the biggest military facility used by Washington in the Gulf as it battles jihadists, Qatari state media said Tuesday. The two countries have also discussed making Al-Udeid a “permanent” base, the official QNA news agency said, as Doha seeks to bolster ties with […]