Middle East

Dublin (Informed Comment) Tahrir Square’s voices have been silenced. During the 18 days of Egypt’s 2011 up- rising, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians from every corner of the country, every social level, and every persuasion flocked to Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square to speak freely about their lives, their dreams and their rulers. Anyone and everyone […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israeli Supreme Court allowing Demolition of Bedouin village Khan al-Ahmar called “War Crime”

Maan News Agency

JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Committee against the Wall and Settlements, Walid Assaf, declared on Wednesday the beggining of an open sit-in at the Khan al-Ahmar village east of the Jerusalem district in the central West Bank protesting the Israeli decision to demolish it.Assaf’s decision came after the Israeli High Court […]

Saudi Arabia

Signs of Rift in Saudi Royal Family over Yemen Quagmire that has left 10,000 Dead?

AFP

Riyadh (AFP) – Saudi King Salman’s brother has played down controversial remarks he made to anti-Saudi protesters in London that sparked furious speculation about possible discord within the royal family. Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud apparently told a crowd in London to stop chanting slogans against the Saudi royal family over the kingdom’s involvement in […]

Israel/ Palestine

Jordan rejects Kushner’s “Confederation,” Abbas slams “Liquidation” of Palestinian Cause

AFP

Amman (AFP) – Jordan’s King Abdullah II firmly rejects the idea of a confederation with the Palestinians in the place of a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, the royal court said Wednesday. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told activists Sunday that White House aides Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt had proposed the idea of […]

Donald Trump

Crazytown Abroad: Trump’s Dreams of Preemptive War, Assassination and Withdrawal

Juan Cole

The Washington Post yesterday carried excerpts from Bob Woodward’s forthcoming book, “Fear,” which profiles the Trump White House from hundreds of hours of interviews with staffers. Trump declined to be interviewed. Here are some of the main points regarding foreign policy (though the word ‘policy’ has to be taken with a grain of salt). 1. […]

China

Dragon Waiting: After Idlib, Will Beijing Bring Syria into its One Belt Network?

Neil Thompson

As speculation grows that the Syrian army under the regime of Bashar al-Assad is preparing to strike at the Idlib de-escalation zone, the last piece of Syrian territory with a significant rebel presence left active, it seems as if the brutal civil there is at last drawing to a bloody conclusion. Like Iraq, Syria may […]

Iran

Israel Won’t Rule out Bombing Iraq to get at Iran

AFP

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday signalled his country could strike Iranian targets in Iraq if they threatened Israel, saying it would hit wherever necessary. “We will face any Iranian threat, no matter where it comes from,” Lieberman said in response to a question about reports that Iran had provided ballistic […]

Donald Trump

Trump Gingerly, Politely begs Russia not to Do Syria Idlib Campaign, Pretty Please

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – AFP reports that President Trump is cautioning the Syrian regime against launching an all-out assault on the last remaining rebel stronghold of Idlib Province. He also said that Russia and Iran would be making “a grave humanitarian mistake” to take part. It is hard to take the humanitarian part too […]

Turkey

Turkey calls US ‘Wild Wolves,’ vows to Dump Dollar for Russia, Iran Trade

AFP

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday vowed Ankara would pursue non-dollar transactions in trade with Russia and other countries, accusing the US of behaving like “wild wolves.” Both Turkey and Russia are reeling from punitive economic measures imposed by Washington. “America behaves like wild wolves. Don’t believe them,” Erdogan told […]