Arab World

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

Qatar

Dubai-based Company Hired Iraq War Black Ops Exec to Smear Qatar in Film

contributors

By Jessica Purkiss and Abigail Fielding-Smith | (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism) | – – This story was published in partnership with The Daily Beast. Their version can be found here. The former CEO of Bell Pottinger USA was given over $500,000 to produce a six-part film linking Qatar with global terrorism A veteran of […]

Yemen

Dozens killed in Saudi-led air raid on Yemen wedding: medics

contributors

Sanaa (AFP) – Dozens were killed and wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in Yemen, local officials said Monday, with Huthi rebels blaming a Saudi-led military coalition. The Iran-backed rebels who control most of northern Yemen blamed Sunday’s attack on the Arab coalition that backs the country’s government, in the latest in […]

Chemical Weapons

‘Fake news’: the mainstreaming of Syria conspiracy theories

contributors

By Hanaa Hasan | (Middle East Monitor) | – – The sight of yet another chemical attack on civilians in Douma on Saturday 7 April caused the kind of international outrage that the world now expects and has come to know so well. Scenes of children frothing at the mouth and videos of people shaking […]