Tag: War and Peace

UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson comments anger the rulers of Saudi Arabia, forcing Downing Street to distance itself from his views

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson comments anger the rulers of Saudi Arabia, forcing Downing Street to distance itself from his views

When the British government is forced to choose between factual truth and political imperatives, it chose politics The UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stated a fact almost universally known by now. He pointed out that Saudi Arabia is fomenting sectarian war in the region. Saudi officials were angered by the comments and Saudi media accused Read more

Continue Reading

Is Qatar training Egyptian fighters in Idlib, Syria?

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Is Qatar training Egyptian fighters in Idlib, Syria?

Qatar’s global media outlet, Aljazeera, reported that 200 Egyptian military officers and experts are now in Syria. The report, is based on a Lebanese source, came days after the Egyptian president, Abdulfattah al-Sisi, in an interview to Portuguese media, said that he supported the Syrian national army in its war on terrorists. This seemingly new Read more

Continue Reading

Why are Western governments angered by those who compare the military campaigns in Mosul and Aleppo?

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Why are Western governments angered by those who compare the military campaigns in Mosul and Aleppo?

Charred bodies of ISIL fighters suggest abuse Over the last weekend of the month of November, Russian military leaders reacted to Western criticism of Russia’s support to the Syrian government to retake eastern Aleppo from armed groups. They countered by accusing the U.S. and its allies of double standard. They suggested, essentially, that what the Read more

Continue Reading

Commemoration and counter-memory of the Algerian liberation and civil war: calls for an inclusive approach

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Commemoration and counter-memory of the Algerian liberation and civil war: calls for an inclusive approach

Anissa Daoudi* When ‘Algeria’ is mentioned, some people might have heard of the book Djamila and Picasso, others might have seen the film The Battle of Algiers depicting Algerian women playing an active role in the revolution. In the Arab collective memory, Algeria is known as the country of the three Djamilas, an Arabic name, Read more

Continue Reading

A leading Saudi Salafist fighting in Syria admits to committing war crimes

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on A leading Saudi Salafist fighting in Syria admits to committing war crimes

The peaceful protest movement in Syria wanted political and constitutional reform so that all Syrians are included and that the Syrian people have the final say in who governs and on the source (constitution) of their authority to govern. Salafists do not believe in a constitution that is derived from the will of the people. Read more

Continue Reading

Standing with Syria, Where The Black Left Should Be

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Standing with Syria, Where The Black Left Should Be

The destruction of Syria by Margaret Kimberley* American and NATO aggressions must be opposed wherever they surface in the world. That statement ought to be the starting point for anyone calling themselves left, progressive, or anti-war. Of course the aggressors always use a ruse to diminish resistance to their wars of terror. In Syria and Read more

Continue Reading

Why does the U.S. administration want its agreement with Russia on Syria to remain secret?

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Why does the U.S. administration want its agreement with Russia on Syria to remain secret?

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) scheduled a meeting this week to create a legal frame for the U.S.-Russian agreement on Syria. The meeting was eventually cancelled when France and several other permanent members of the UNSC asked for a copy of the actual agreement instead of being briefed about it by the two countries Read more

Continue Reading

Saudi Mufti used ISIL’s favorite weapon, takfir, to declare Iranians non-Muslim

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Saudi Mufti used ISIL’s favorite weapon, takfir, to declare Iranians non-Muslim

Proving the point raised by critics of Saudi religious figures who often use religion to silence dissenters, the Grand Mufti of the kingdom took a page from ISIL’s book and issued a fatwa declaring all Iranians kuffar (non-Muslim) after the leader of that country accused the rulers of the kingdom of negligence when managing Hajj. Read more

Continue Reading

Will Jabhat Fath al-Sham (aka al-Nusra), Jaysh al-Fath, and ISIL join forces?

ISR--Research TeamLeave a Comment on Will Jabhat Fath al-Sham (aka al-Nusra), Jaysh al-Fath, and ISIL join forces?

With a Russian-U.S. agreement intended to isolate them from the so-called moderate opposition groups, Salafist fighters could end up joining forces to survive in Syria and Iraq. This scenario is made possible by a religious decree issued by the foremost religious guide for Salafists, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi. The latter just issued a fatwa declaring the Read more

Continue Reading