Arab World

Gulf Arab Women Are entering the Public Sphere, but must Navigate between Modernity and a Changing Society

By Alainna Liloia | – Arab women, long relegated to the private sphere by law and social custom, are gaining new access to public life. All countries of the Arab Gulf now have workforce “nationalization policies” that aim to reduce dependency on migrant labor by getting more women into the workforce. Saudi Arabia set a […]

Bashar al-Assad

Humanitarian Catastrophe as Syrian Army Advances on Idlib, 750K Displaced since Fall

Middle East Monitor

By Elif Selin Calik | @CalikSelin | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Last December, Robert Malley, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group, penned an article for the Foreign Affairs magazine, addressing the topic: “The Unwanted Wars: Why the Middle East Is More Combustible Than Ever.” Today, at the peak of the […]

War

Yemen: the nightmare continues, with no end in sight

Brian Whitaker

(Al-Bab.com) – The war in Yemen is complicated and it can be difficult to keep track of what’s happening on the ground, not to mention the related peace efforts. A new report from the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies is a useful starting point for anyone wanting a quick catch-up – well, relatively quick, since […]

Featured

Has Trump lost Iraq to Russia over his Drone Strike on Baghdad Airport?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Iraqi establishment is interested in strengthening its military cooperation with Russia, as Baghdad seeks an alternative to the United States military after Trump bombed Baghdad airport and killed a high ranking Iraqi military commander. Al-Bawwaba reports that that the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant General Othman […]

Featured

Nothing could have been a better gift to Iran in the region than the Kushner Apartheid for Palestinians

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the “august leader” of the country, lambasted the Kushner Plan for the Palestinians, and took the opportunity also to blast the four Arab countries whose representatives attended its announcement. Since Saudi Arabia and the others often play the racist “non-Arab” card against Persian Iran, it must […]

Iraq

As Warhawks Eye Iran, Iraq War has already cost the US nearly $2 trillion

The Conversation

By Neta C. Crawford | – Even if the U.S. administration decided to leave — or was evicted from — Iraq immediately, the bill of war to the U.S. to date would be an estimated US$1,922 billion in current dollars. This figure includes not only funding appropriated to the Pentagon explicitly for the war, but […]

Saudi Arabia

Will Saudi Arabia ever End its Catastrophic War on Yemen?

Open Democracy

By Helen Lackner | – ( OpenDemocracy.net ) – While Saudi Arabia seeks an exit from the Yemen war, it is deepening its involvement in the South instead. Last year saw some significant changes in Saudi strategy in Yemen. Following on the UAE departure, the new Deputy Defence Minister, Khalid bin Salman, the crown prince’s […]

Featured

Top 3 Ways America has been Deeply Wounded by Supporting Israel Lobbyists like Jared Kushner

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Jared Kushner is essentially an Israeli squatter on Palestinian land in the West Bank, and so it is little wonder that his plan for Palestinians is that they should continue under the Israeli jackboot and that a third of their territory in the West Bank should be given to Israel. […]

Donald Trump

How Trump killed Iraq’s Popular Protests Against Corruption

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Iraqi armed forces tried to pull an al-Sisi on Saturday, making a concerted attempt to clear out camping protesters in Baghdad, Basra, and other cities, and leaving some protesters dead or wounded. In Baghdad, the security forces attempted to clear Gilani Square and the Sinak Bridge, setting fire to […]