What is happening in Yemen and why? by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* In the post-Arab Spring Middle East, the rulers of Saudi Arabia see no place for neutrality. Their default position has become that declared by President Bush after 9/11: You are either with us or against us. Even the winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Read more
Continue ReadingSaudi Arabia and Yemen by Ahmed Souaiaia During the early days of the so-called Arab Spring, nervous for their own continued rule, the rulers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by the King of Saudi Arabia, proposed the expansion of the GCC to include Jordan and Morocco—but not Yemen. Yemen shares borders with two Read more
Continue ReadingBy Islam Sakka* Watching the latest videos posted by the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS, IS), it is easy to see the changes in cinematic technique and the group’s choice of English as the main language. Their latest video, showing Jordanian pilot Moaz Kasasbeh being burned alive, sets a new Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* ISIL attacks Kobane Earlier this month, Vice President Joe Bidenangered some Middle Eastern leaders by making a true statement. Speaking at Harvard, Biden said that the U.S. allies were determined to overthrow Bashar al-Assad from power so they “poured hundreds of millions dollars, and tens thousands of tons of weapons Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* ISIL is a global threat but it is a bigger threat to the Middle East than to U.S. homeland. It is a bigger threat to Muslims than to Americans because, until now, the absolute majority of victims are Muslims. The U.S. could be part of a coalition that should combat ISIL Read more
Continue Readingby Horace G. Campbell * General Khalifah Hifter and his men NATO claimed that its intervention in Libya was a historic success. But three years later, Libya is in complete chaos. Some 1700 militias have a combined total of 250,000 men under arms. Another external intervention seems necessary to stabilize the country. But the US Read more
Continue Readingby David Palumbo-Liu* Knowing how public I’ve been in support of the call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctionsagainst the state of Israel, a Jewish colleague came up to me on campus one day to talk. “I know why I’m obsessed with Jews,” he said, “But why are you?” I could hear both puzzlement and pain Read more
Continue ReadingContextualizing David Ignatius’ claim about “John Kerry’s big blunder in seeking an Israel-Gaza cease-fire”? by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* David Ignatius, a journalist with extraordinary access to the halls of power but apparently limited sound reasoning argued that John Kerry has committed a “big blunder in seeking an Israel-Gaza cease-fire.” He explained that “Kerry’s error has Read more
Continue ReadingTakfīris‘ path to their “caliphate” is soaked with the blood of Muslims by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* The most important event of the summer might end up being ISIL’s (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) declaration that it has restored the caliphate. For the second time in the past two decades, Salafi Islamists have gained Read more
Continue ReadingISIL map by Ghassan Rifi [Lebanon’s] Salafists are closely following events in Iraq. Some Salafists are waiting to see how the wars between the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the Iraqi army will turn out before deciding what to do. Social media posts indicate that many jihadist Salafists are pleased with ISIS’s Read more
Continue Reading