by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Since the start of the uprising in Syria, countries supporting the opposition groups wanted to unify them. They organized a series of the so-called “Friends of Syria” conferences one after another only to adjourn without realizing their objective. In most cases, the meetings created more discord than opportunities for Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Map: Syria and Iran The third presidential debate in the United States’ race focused on foreign policy. In reality, there was no real debate. It was an argument between two candidates about which one of them would apply policies that are already in place better than the other. Granted that Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Armed opposition groups operating inside Syria may have violated international humanitarian law by committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Arguably, some members of the Syrian troops may also have committed similar violations. However, the self-incriminating evidence released by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups is simply overwhelming. The evidence used Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Muslims around the world President Obama offered renewed hope when he promised to usher in an era of mutual respect with the Islamic world. To jumpstart this new era, President Obama addressed Muslims in two key speeches: one delivered in Turkey, the last seat of the Sunni Islamic caliphate, and the Read more
Continue Reading“While Turkey is training and supplying Syrian rebels, whom the Syrian regime calls terrorists, Syria is providing military support to the Kurdish rebels, whom the Turkish regime calls terrorists.” by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Up until two years ago, Turkey’s status and influence were the envy of its neighbors. It was enjoying a thriving democracy at Read more
Continue ReadingThe month of August has been an eventful one for the Islamic world and the Middle East. Chang in that part of the world is happening so fast that the media could hardly keep pace with it. NAM member and observers states The crisis in Syria remains the top issue. Headlines about the conflict there Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* With two superpowers emphatically vetoing three UNSC resolutions on three different occasions, the world could not be more divided about the Syrian crisis. World leaders are nonetheless united in their rhetoric supporting peaceful protest. The Syrian crisis, however, revealed troubling contradictions in the position taken by key countries. For example, Read more
Continue ReadingThe End of Populism by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* The Arab Spring has provided scholars and analysts with a laboratory to observe radical social change. Tunisia and Egypt taught us about non-violent resistance and the power of the people to overcome regime repression. In Libya, we saw tribal, regional, national, and international actors whose interests intersected Read more
Continue ReadingThe politics of journalism by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Photo used by BBC, the photo was later taken down. Following a horrific massacre that took place in Houla, Australia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, and the United States decided to expel diplomats from Syria. The action was swift despite the Read more
Continue ReadingUntil before Cablegate, when in February 2010 WikiLeaks began releasing classified U.S. cables, Saudi Arabia was known for its quiet diplomacy. Then its secret dealings were revealed and exposed its actual dealings. Regionally, released documents exposed Saudi Arabia as an enthusiastic proponent of military intervention in Iran. Privately, the Saudi rulers told U.S. officials that Read more
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