Author: ISR--Research Team
Iran P5+1 nuclear deal: Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — JCPOA (full text) — page 13
D. Nuclear Safety, Safeguards and Security 8. Nuclear safety E3/EU+3 parties, and possibly other states, as appropriate, are prepared to cooperate with Iran to establish a Nuclear Safety Centre in Iran, engage in workshops and training events in Iran to support interactions between Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities and those from the E3/EU+3 and elsewhere to, Read more
Continue ReadingThe controversial rule that benefited the Justice and Development Party now diminishes its chances to quickly form a government
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Turkey’s democracy has had many pitfalls since the early days of the modern republic. The ruling elite, initially from the military and recently from the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), have tweaked the rules of the game to exclude others and preserve their stay in power. Since 2002, Turkey’s powerful Read more
Continue ReadingWill the rulers of Saudi Arabia, and perhaps other GCC, fall and why?
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Saudi rulers use war on Yemen to remain relevant The war on Yemen removed the last fig leaf and exposed the tools and advantages the rulers of Saudi Arabia have used for nearly a century to control its population and project power and influence outside the kingdom’s border. The first tool Read more
Continue ReadingSaudi Arabia’s attempt to create a Sunni-Shia sectarian war hinges on fragile alliances and a retrograde worldview
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 ReadingThe rulers of the Gulf States are bent on destroying countries that refuse or escape their influence
Saudi 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 ReadingSlaying, Slaughtering, and Burning: ISIL, the Cinematic Caliphate
By 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 ReadingRecep Tayyip Erdoğan ought to be tried for crimes against humanity
by 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 ReadingCombating ISIL should not be America’s business, it is Saudi Arabia’s
by 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 ReadingUS, NATO and the destruction of Libya: The Western front of a widening war
by 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
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