The so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) announced on March 1stthat its members are withdrawing from the Homs neighborhood, Baba Amr, in a tactical retreat. They provided two explanations. First, they claimed that they are retreating to protect the remaining civilians still in the city. Second, some said that they are retreating because they ran out Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* For decades, Tunisian Islamists, like their brethren in the rest of the Arab world, have preached an economic, social, and educational policy rooted in religious ethics. They taught that adhering to the ideals of Islam would ensure economic and social prosperity. For them, giving up on religious values for economic gains Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* For the second time in several months, Russia and China have vetoed a UNSC resolution concerning Syria. The double veto last Saturday especially irritated U.S. and European leaders because they thought that the Arab League’s proposal was revised several times to meet Russia’s demands. Russia argued that Western states rushed the Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* I recognize that it is injudicious to make emphatic predictions like this one and it is especially impolitic to do so without access to all information. In this case however, all critical information is publicly available. The only important piece of information that we don’t know is whether or not Read more
Continue ReadingStrait of Hormuz International news has been dominated by the Iranian issue these days. Not only the nuclear dispute is present front and center, but military confrontation was moved from the threat level to active planning level. In return, Iran put its cards on the table. Any attack on its nuclear facility will force it Read more
Continue Readingvia RCReadersFeed Ali Akbar Salihi and Ahmet Davutoğlu Turkish Foreign Minister held a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salihi, in Tehran and reiterated his fear that the volatile Middle East might be headed for a new Cold War era unless a sectarian rift in Iraq is immediately mended. Ahmet Davutoğlu has urged Iranian Read more
Continue ReadingOn the same day the U.S. president signed a bill containing new sanctions on Iran, the latter said its engineers have succeeded in producing a nuclear fuel rod, a major achievement for the country’s nuclear ambitions. Nuclear fuel rods are used at power plants. They contain small pellets of fuel, usually low-enriched uranium, patterned in Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* The Arab world is fundamentally changing, and many Arab leaders are racing to adapt. Showing increased signs of nervousness, the leaders of the Gulf States have adopted the Saudi King’s recommendation to move the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) towards “unity.” The meeting of the rulers of the GCC member states that Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Even before 9-11, before the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and before the war in Iraq, suicide bombers had targeted civilian Shiite worshipers in mosques and public places in a number of countries. The state of lawlessness created by war merely expanded this heinous trend to Iraq. Now, months before the Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* The leader of al-Nahda movement, Rachid Ghannouchi, made his first visit to a foreign country after the first post-revolution Tunisian elections. His choice was the State of Qatar. Analysts see many messages in this gesture but some Tunisians are troubled by the invitation he had extended to the Emir of Read more
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