Middle East

Immediately on being narrowly confirmed as Secretary of State by the Senate, former CIA director Mike Pompeo flew off to Brussels. Pompeo appears to have had three main messages for NATO. The first is that Germany and other members have to pay a bigger share of its costs, a constant refrain of his boss, President […]

Syria

Assad regime confiscating homes of millions of Syrian Refugees Abroad

contributors

Middle East Monitor | – – Some ten million Syrian refugees are at risk of permanently losing their homes following the announcement of a new law that would allow the Assad regime to confiscate vacated property. “Law Ten”, that came into effect earlier this month, gives Syrian home owners until 10 May to prove ownership […]

Yemen

Saudi-led Strike kills dozens of Yemeni Houthis including commanders: Saudi TV

AFP

Dubai (AFP) – An air strike on Yemen’s capital by a Saudi-led military coalition has killed dozens of Huthi rebels including at least two commanders, Saudi television reported Saturday. Saudi Arabia’s official Al-Ekhbariya television said two high-ranking insurgents were among more than 50 Huthi militiamen killed in Sanaa on Friday evening, without giving further details. […]

Israel/ Palestine

3 Dead, 600 wounded: For 5th Week, Israeli snipers shoot down peaceful Palestinian Protesters inside Gaza

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli army forces killed three Palestinian protesters on Friday, and left more than six-hundred injured in another deadly day of the “Great March of the Return” demonstrations on the Gaza border. Of the 611 injured, 154 were struck by live ammunition from Israeli forces, according […]

Featured

If the Leaders of the two Koreas can meet, why can’t those of Saudi Arabia and Iran?

Juan Cole

The remarkable face to face meeting of the leaders of North and South Korea is being watched with hope by many observers, given the long decades of enmity between the two and the recent nuclear sabre-rattling of President Trump. At least in my circles, I see virtually no one condemning the meeting, though many are […]

Democracy

Tunisian women hit campaign trail as equals to men

contributors

By Aymen Jamli | – – Tebourba (Tunisia) (AFP) – Tunisian women “have the chance to act”, says Ines Boussetta, as she hits the campaign trail in northern Tebourba, listening attentively to the problems of the rural region’s inhabitants. Boussetta is one of hundreds of Tunisian women heading party lists in May 6 municipal polls […]

China

Russia and China slam Trump-Macron Push to Renegotiate Iran Deal

Juan Cole

Russia and China are both putting their feet down about the talk in the US and France about renegotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement on freezing and curtailing Iran’s nuclear enrichment program by the UN Security Council and Germany in return for lifting international sanctions. US President Trump is threatening […]

Iraq War

Iraqi Oil for Israel? 15 Years later, new Light on the Iraq War

contributors

By Gary Vogler | ( University of Kansas Press Blog) | – – April 24 marks the 15th anniversary of my initial entry into Baghdad as the senior oil advisor to retired Lieutenant General Jay Garner, our US government civilian leader in Iraq. It was the beginning of my six plus years in Iraq working […]

Syria

Syrian Gov’t Secures Capital, takes E Qalamoun from Saudi-backed ‘Army of Islam’

contributors

Beirut (AFP) – Syria’s regime Wednesday moved towards sealing its grip on the capital as it retook a new region outside Damascus from rebels and pounded its southern districts to oust jihadists. Seven years into Syria’s civil war, President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has ramped up its efforts in recent weeks towards securing the capital with […]