Islam

RT | – One Saudi policeman was killed and four injured during raids on a Shia-dominated oil-rich eastern province, as the Saudi-led coalition bombardment of rebels in neighboring Yemen prompted fears of the fighting spilling over the border. It is thought the security raid in the eastern town of Amawiyah was aimed at subduing Shiite […]

Iran

How are Iranians reacting to Nuclear Deal?

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari and Farangis Najibullah | (RFE/RL) – Iranian supporters of the framework nuclear deal announced on April 2 describe it as a historic achievement that will offer a better future for the people of Iran and improved ties with the world. Hard-liners, however, say the deal is a disaster that achieves “nothing” for […]

GCC

Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen is Morphing into Major War

contributors

By Paul Rogers Since it was first announced, the Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen has developed very rapidly. Air strikes have already hit numerous targets, resulting in many civilian deaths. Clearly, the Saudis are not prepared to watch Yemen’s long-running domestic turmoil become a full-blown collapse. Ever since a rebellion led by the Shia Houthi […]

Afghanistan

Lynching Farkhunda: Birth of Gender Equality and Accountability in Afghanistan?

contributors

By Solaiman M Fazel | (Informed Comment) The brutal murder of a 27 year old Afghan female student, Farkhunda, at the hands of an angry mob in front of the Shah-e Do-Shamshira Mosque near downtown Kabul was not only a heinous crime, but it also reveals the collective irresponsibility and ineffectiveness of the police officers […]

Houthi

Saudi airstrike on Yemen Refugee Camp kills 45

contributors

RT | – 45 people were killed and another 65 injured in an airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition at a refugee camp in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen on Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IMO) said. The bombardment took place in the vicinity of the Mazraq refugee camp, Joel Millman, IMO spokesman told Reuters, citing the […]

Iraq

The Forgotten Iraq Front: ISIL besieges the People of Ramadi

contributors

VICE News | – “In early March, while the world was watching Iraqi government forces advance on the Islamic State (IS) in Tikrit, IS was launching a series of assaults on what little remains of the Government-held parts of the provincial capital, Ramadi, which has been under siege for over a year. On the morning […]

Iraq

US Air Strikes Split Iraq Coalition aiming to Take Tikrit

contributors

By Paul Rogers | (The Conversation) – So it has begun – the US is bombing Tikrit, once a stronghold of Saddam Hussein’s regime and now held by Islamic State militants. Strategically and symbolically important, Tikrit has been a fierce battleground for weeks, as Iraqi government troops and Shia militias have fought fierce street battles […]

Iraq

Why The Iraqi Army Is Stuck On The Outskirts of Tikrit

contributors

By Mustafa Habib | (Niqash.org) – (Baghdad) – The offensive to re-take Tikrit from extremists seems to have stalled as troops surround the city but cannot go further. The same thing is happening elsewhere. And there are three main reasons why. While stopped on the edges of the city of Tikrit, Captain Ahmad Mahmoud says […]

Featured

Washington’s 2 Air Wars: alongside Iran in Iraq, Saudis in Yemen

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – The United States is now involved in two air wars in the Middle East, not to mention more widespread drone actions. US fighter jets have, at the request of the Iraqi government of Haydar al-Abadi, begun bombing Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) positions in Tikrit, according to al-Hayat (Life). Initially, […]