Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, widely regarded as a war criminal with tens of thousands of deaths on his hands, is nevertheless on a roll. Russia and Iran, the backers of al-Assad, are not eager to see him go. Russia is now putting in more troops and […]

Assyrians

Iraq: Can Mosul’s Christians ever Go Home to their Historic Neighborhoods?

contributors

Nawzat Shamdeen | Berlin | (Niqash.org) | – – They have been harassed, threatened, have lost all their worldly goods and forced to flee. What, if anything, would make Mosul’s Christians want to return to the city they used to call home? A celebration at an Orthodox church in Mosul in the early 20th Century: […]

Iraq

The tragedy of Iraq’s Sunnis

contributors

By Chloe Cornish IRIN | – – KIRKUK (IRIN) – Iraq is congested with armed men: Kurdish peshmerga in the north; forlorn Iraqi army troops strung across the country; ascendant Shia militia groups and volunteer Popular Mobilisation Forces in the centre; and, of course, fighters from so-called Islamic State in the west. Civilians travelling through […]

Islam

Syria, Reserve army of Terrorism: Taliban Uzbek in Suicide Bombing of Shiite Village

contributors

By Joanna Paraszczuk and Barno Anvar | ( RFE/ RL ) An Uzbek militant has carried out a suicide truck bombing in the predominantly Shi’ite town of Fua in Idlib Province, part of a major attack against Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian forces by Islamist factions led by Syria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front. One of a […]

Bashar al-Assad

What’s behind Russia’s military build-up in Syria?

contributors

By Alexander Titov | (The Conversation) | – – Evidence is emerging of a significant intensification of Russia’s military support for the Assad government. While the exact scale and purpose of Russia’s latest deployments remain obscure, the available evidence suggests that the Russians are preparing an airbase near the city of Latakia for possible airstrikes […]

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Turkey Risks Turmoil with end of Peace Process & of Non-Intervention Policies

contributors

By Omer Tekdemir and Oğuzhan Göksel | (Open Democracy) | – – Though often depicted as a relatively stable exception in a turbulent region, the Republic of Turkey has also wrestled with burdens of the Ottoman Empire. Arguably, the most troublesome legacy has been the multi-ethnic and multi-religious character of post-Ottoman society, because even after […]

Iraq

Tikrit: ‘My Son joined Daesh/ISIL, Now I’m Living in Hell’

contributors

By Ghazwan Hassan al-Jibouri | Tikrit | (Niqash.org) | – – While [the so-called ‘Islamic State’ group] ruled Tikrit, many locals joined. When they were beaten there, fighters fled, leaving family members behind. Today those relatives are harassed and cannot even leave their homes. Iraqi woman, Suniyad Mahmoud, lives in a small, mud house with […]

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Reports: Reluctant Russian Soldiers Oppose ‘Secret’ Syria Mission

contributors

By Tom Balmforth | ( RFE/ RL ) MOSCOW — Several Russian soldiers are seeking help from human rights advocates to oppose what they say are secret orders to send them to Syria, according to media reports that add to evidence of a Russian military buildup in the war-torn Middle East country. The Gazeta.ru news […]

Iran

As Iran takes on ISIL/ Daesh, can it avoid the Sectarian Trap?

contributors

By Shahram Akbarzadeh | (Informed Comment) | – – In an obvious attempt to show initiative and good will, President Hassan Rouhani recently declared Iran’s readiness to discuss Syria with the United States and Saudi Arabia. With the nuclear deal looking likely to be endorsed by the US Congress and the Iranian Majlis – not […]