By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) has pledged to attack and destroy the two Saudi political prisons, al-Ha’ir (Riyadh) and al-Tarfiya (Qaseem region), where Muslim radicals are typically held, and release their inmates. These prisons hold several thousand Saudis accused of involvement in terrorism. It was the organization’s first […]
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Middle East
In Iraq, some Sunni refugees’ bulwark against ISIL is . . . the Gated Community
Kamal al-Ayash | Fallujah | (Niqash.org) | – – Families who fled the [so-called] Islamic State [group] have found new homes in a residential complex south of Fallujah. But even with several families sharing one home, rents are rising as other Iraqis profit from their misery. The district of Amiriyah is about 30 kilometres south […]
Saudi Arabia: Prominent Shia Cleric dead in largest mass execution since 1980
Human Rights Watch | – – (Beirut) – Saudi authorities carried out the largest mass execution in the country since 1980, putting 47 men to death on January 2, 2016. According to the Saudi state news agency, all of the men were convicted on terrorism charges, and most were members of Al Qaeda. The mass […]
Iraqi Shiites up in Arms, claim Saudi “Spying on behalf of ISIL/Daesh”
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Saudi Arabia’s execution on Saturday of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr has so far not created a crisis between Riyadh and the Shiite-dominated Baghdad government. But Saudi Arabia’s name with the rank and file Shiites and parliamentary backbenchers is mud. On Tuesday, thousands (or perhaps […]
Syrian Peace Groups: This is not a Civil War, it is a Set of Foreign Invasions
By Mairead Maguire | (Inter Press Service) |- – BELFAST (IPS) – In November 2015 I visited Syria together with an International Peace delegation. This was my third visit to Syria in the last three years. As on previous occasions I was moved by the spirit of resilience and courage of the people of Syria. […]
Vatican: Historic Accord with Palestine Takes Effect
By IMEMC | – – The Vatican’s first accord with the Palestinians — an agreement that Israel has attacked as counter-productive to the Middle East peace process — has come into force, the Holy See announced Saturday, according to Al Ray. The accord was signed in June, just over two years after the Roman Catholic […]
Saudi Arabia Executes Top Shia Cleric Nimr Al Nimr Under “Terrorism” Charges
By Amira Al Hussaini | ( GlobalVoices.org) Saudi Arabia announced today it had executed 47 people under “terrorism” charges, including top shia cleric Nimr Al Nimr who was seen as a leader in anti-government protests that took place in the Eastern province of the absolute monarchy at the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring. Saudi […]
Turkish Pres. Erdogan cites Hitler in case for Presidential System
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday cited Hitler in support of his contention that a presidential system can coexist with a “unitary state,” i.e., with a non-federal government. The United States has a presidential system, but the presidency’s powers are limited because it is a federal […]
In the past 12 months, Iraqis finally lost all Hope
By Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | – – In 2015, every Iraqi – almost without exception – paid a price for events in their country. Some Iraqis lost their jobs, others lost loved ones. But the biggest loss of all in 2015 cannot be measured. In Iraq, 2015 was a taxing year. Almost […]