Middle East Region
By: Alexander Corbeil Clashes in Tripoli last week between rival militias from Zintan and Misrata highlight a disturbing trend in post-Gaddafi Libya. With the powerful tyrant now dead and his forces thwarted by a combined Libyan-NATO effort, a power vacuum has emerged. The National Transition Council’s leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil warned that Libya faced “bitter options” Read More…
By: Alexander Corbeil The Syrian revolution is sliding towards a full fledged civil war as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has stepped up operations this past week against Syrian security forces. While army units loyal to Bashir al-Assad have cleared the suburbs of Damascus of rebel fighters, the takeover of areas on the regime’s doorstep Read More…
By: Alexander Corbeil Inside Syria Reports by Syrian opposition groups detailed the death of 30 people throughout Syria on Thursday in a widespread and brutal crackdown by Assad’s forces. The continuance of violence comes as a temporary ceasefire has been reached between the Syrian military and rebels in the mountain town of Zabadani, near the Read More…
By: Alexander Corbeil In a dramatic turn of events last week, the spokesman for the Afghani Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, announced that the insurgent group was looking into opening a political office in Qatar. Although no concrete steps have been taken in this direction, the announcement comes as the result of more than two years of Read More…
By: Alexander Corbeil In a defiant speech Tuesday, President Bashir al-Assad addressed supporters at Damascus University. While promising a multitude of reforms, Assad lashed out at protestors and the international community. The Syrian president promised to restore order by, “hitting terrorists with an iron fist.” Continuing the regime’s ongoing rhetoric of foreign conspiracy and international Read More…
By: Joelle Ferreira Since the beginning of March 2011, revolts in Syria have rapidly worsened. Last month, Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights delivered a disturbing report regarding Syria. Her testimony to the United Nations Security Council portrays a turbulent picture. Since December 2, over 200 people have been killed: altogether Read More…
By: Nabila F. Qureshi After 33 years of autocratic rule, Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed an agreement on Wednesday to step down. The deal, brokered by the Gulf Co-operation Council and the United Nations, will allow for the Yemeni vice-president to negotiate a power transfer to the opposition, making Saleh the fourth leader to Read More…
By: Nabila F. Qureshi In the worst violence Yemen has seen in several months, four days of bloodshed resulted in over 75 people killed and hundreds more injured in the capital of Sanaa. Troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh opened fire on protesters, sniping civilians from rooftops while other security forces dispersed tear gas Read More…
By: James Marcus Bridger Ever since Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in March 1949, relations between the two states have been marked by a high degree of economic, military, and humanitarian cooperation. What was once a seemingly natural alliance between two non-Arab “outsiders” in the Middle East has however recently devolved Read More…
Dr. Dmitri Rogozin, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to NATO, takes aim at the Alliance’s humanitarian intervention in Libya.