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Drone strikes and casualties dropped by about 50% in the first quarter of 2015, compared with the final three months of 2014. US officials told the Associated Press that CIA drone strikes would continue but that there would be "fewer of them", amid concerns about the lack of on-the-ground intelligence or coordinating partners.

This article begins by illuminating the regional democracy assistance cuts that are dropping from $459.2 million to $298.3 million It explains that the Bush Administration began the quest for democracy in the Middle East, and the Obama administration has only continued in his footsteps. The author presents the viewpoint that the U.S. approach to Arab democratization has been in the form of "ad-hoc crisis management" rather than "large scale reform initiatives." Promoting democracy in the form of democratic politics are insufficient, elections and political parties have consistently proved to weather away and fester further civil strife. Consequently, the article proposes a new approach to the region conflict. This approach calls for "systematic reforms" focusing on basic institutions such as the civil service sector, justice and law enforcement, and the military's role in governance. The idea is that addressing these lacking departments in the arab world will eventually pave the way to a smoother democratic transition. 

The article begins talking about Syrian aircrafts dropping barrel bombs on Islamic State-held areas in the north-east. The bombing killed around 40 people. Although the bombs are crudely made they are very dangerous and deadly as shown throughout recent events in both Syria and Iraq.

Since the attack on the Bardo museum 3,000 holidays cancellations have been reported, reservations have decreased 60 percent. Seven cruise lines have dropped Tunis from their itineraries and some charter airlines flying in Russian, Czech and Polish tourists have already cancelled flights. Tourism is a huge part of Tunisia's economy. Last year tourists topped 6 million, 2010 tourism industry represented 17 percent of GDP.

Hamas has a negative effect on Israel's economy. Sources of income which include tourism have dropped nearly 25%.

In 2011 the number of tourists dropped by a third, by 2013 Tunisia was showing signs of a comeback, with income from tourism. The total contribution of the industry to Tunisia's economy was 15.2 percent of its gross domestic product. With the attack on the museum it was a major setback to the growth and promise of tourism and not just in Tunisia.

In Saudi Arabia if workers file a complaint against their employers about abuse they are usually returned to their employers or pressured to drop the charges. Typically, the employers will file a false counter-argument against the workers for theft, witchcraft, and adultery in retaliation. This country is also accused of failing to take action to reduce the demand of prostitution or child sex tourism. 

An article of Saudi oil leaders projecting their optimistic views on the future of the oil economy. + a very interesting quote "Saudi Arabia sets its crude prices based on refining margins and not politics, al-Muhanna said."

Working with the Iranian, Russian and Syrian regimes to address Middle Eastern problems and fight ISIS is a sure way to alienate Middle Eastern moderates.

This article basically highlights the significance of Libyan oil fields in terms of the international community. Chaos in Libya not only affects the eastern region, but all OPEC members and importers of crude oil across the globe. After the recent attacks on Sharara, the biggest field in Libya, production has significantly slowed down. Libya's elected parliament assures the global community that they will resume normal outputs soon, but as the country deepens further into civil war, international actors remain skeptical.

! This article shares 3 stories of women who have gone through the FGM procedure. They tend to consider FGM as the "Right of Passage" for young worn. Many women die in childbirth or have complications because of the results of FGM. 

A somewhat in-depth interview with Assad concerning Syria's present state, answers to questions of bombing Syrian cities, and Syria's foreign relations. Interview taken 1 week ago

Overview of revolts in Syria and where it stands as of December 2013

Finally, aid has made it to Deir al-Zor. This eastern city has been besieged by ISIS militants for some time now. I will be keeping an eye out to see how the aid is used. This is also interesting because the city is in a part of the country that is less accessible to government forces, with ISIS being in control of the surrounding area.

This article is focused on the failing education in Syria. Syrian children have stopped attending school out of fear for their lives. An almost perfect 100% attendance rate plummeted to 6%. Syrian refugee children are forced to use different school curriculum's which can be difficult and confusing.  

A bit over a year ago, Saudi Arabia declared war on the U.S. oil industry. This week brought new signs that the Saudis might at last be winning. Some quick background: Saudi Arabia has long played …

This article is about the improvement of education in Yemen. Yemen is a very poor country with a large population growth. These programs have created platforms and finances to attract teachers, advocates for girls groups, advocates for education, and have pushed the literacy rate up towards 90%