Middle East Region
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.
“The principle that no person is above the law, especially those at the top, is among the most precious of all the rights that the brave protestors in Tahrir Square sought” Spring evokes images of rebirth, renewal, and change. The January 2011 popular uprising, leading to the resignation of Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of Read More…
By: Cameron Becker On January 27 2011, inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands took to the streets of Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen, in protest of the Yemeni government. Since then, a power struggle between pro and anti-government factions has resulted in violent strife and political instability. The Yemeni government’s violent response Read More…
By: Cameron Becker On April 27th 2011, following a bitter 4-year split, the rival Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation agreement that sets out parameters for diplomatic participation and an eventual Palestinian election that will include both Hamas and Fatah on the ballot. In 2006, following the unilateral disengagement of the Israeli Read More…