Group items tagged

People often fall victim to human trafficking, especially in the Middle East. The different forms of human trafficking are considered a contemporary form of slavery. Many of the human traffickers are often migrant workers.

People who are usually poorly educated and have limited financial resources in the Middle East typically find themselves falling victims to forced labor and human trafficking. The people are taken to private homes and confined, beaten, and raped by their employers.

a short video explain why saudi arabia might face a bankrupt due to the falling of the oil prices and because it's %95 of the government income.

This article works on the ideas of Foreign Aid. The United States is giving foreign aid to improve the job prospects for graduate students in Tunisia. This would fall under the idea of Market Liberalism

Citizens are wary of their ailing economy and even more so of austerity.

I fear that this article might hold some truth. Aleppo has been a fighting zone in the past couple of weeks, and with the regime retaking control, the fear has been that the city will fall under siege. Aleppo is my hometown, and I am interested to compare what I read to what I hear from people back there.

In response to terrorism fears, 5 oilfields in Libya are not in operation. The oil market in Libya, which has the potential to be one of the highest producing markets in the world, has been under siege since the fall of Qaddafi over 5 years ago. Securing these oilfields should be the top priority for the new unity government if it is ever installed.

This author gives an analysis of where the Egyptian youth failed and succeeded in their revolution. He applauds their original motivation: overthrowing the oppressive regime and seeking political freedom. However, he criticizes the movement for not having organized goals with practical implications. Their focus was so set on overthrowing Mubarak that they did not have a plan once that was achieved. As a result, the youth allowed the military to become politicized and enforce their political ideas. The author claims this move set a dangerous precedent for the future and took away the attention of the military from places it was needed. The author claims that by endorsing the army to act militarily against the first civilian elected president of the country, the youth is undermining their original goals. He goes on to explain his suggestions for the Egyptian youth to get back on track and follow through in the remaining phases of the revolution.

Due to Libya's lack of institutional structure and weak centralized government, rival militia violence and clashes have created constant chaos leading the country towards another civil war. After the fall of Qaddafi, who obliterated institutions necessary for a functional government, Libya has been unable to manage the state. The National Transitional Council, which replaced the Qaddafi Regime, turned into the General National Congress and was given 18 months to form a democratic constitution. When the deadline passed the constitution was incomplete, which forced Congress to organize elections to a new House of Representatives. The former GNC members declared a new self proclaimed GNC, electing Omar al-Hasi as their prime minister. The new GNC is not recognized by Libya's parliament nor is it by the international community. Al Jazeera says the country literally has two parliaments and two governments, creating inconceivable instability throughout the state. The newly elected House has moved to Tobruk after armed islamic GNC militia groups overran the capital, seizing control over the major institutions in Tripoli. Due to this lack of a functional government, the rest of the state has turned to chaos. After the civil war, anti and pro Qaddafi forces branched into militias striving for power. Without a working state and government, militias had to rely on themselves to provide security, and really have no incentive to give up arms and no true government to be a part of. General Khalifa Hifter, a former Qaddafi general who later joined the Libyan rebel army in 2011, formed an anti-militia militia, targeting islamist militias like Ansar al-Sharia. Hifter is not affiliated with either of the governments, but rather strives for a military government, and supreme control of the armed forces.

As Yemen falls into disarray, a power vacuum is allowing ISIS and al-Qaeda to gain more power. This, along with the fact that much of this is being supported by Iran, is making it difficult for the US to maneuver.

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."

This article basically states that since the US's withdrawal from Middle Eastern affairs, regional actors were left to fight over who will lead the region's future. The fight is baiscally a run off between Turkey, Qatar, Saudi, and the UAE, each country doing their part intervening in conflicts aiding their supported side. Rather than achieving goals, these proxy wars have fueled the violence, chaos, and polarization deepening the problems they originally sought to mend. While the US has succeeded in abstaining from Mid East affairs, the question now is whether or not they should continue this resignation or step in to urge for order and peace. 

THE scourge of ISIS - a female Kurdish warrior who was credited with killing 100 jihadists - may have herself died in the desperate battle to prevent the city of Kobani falling into extremist hands. But her sisters-in-arms fight on.

A group of scholars meet to discuss transition into post-assad Syria. focuses include human rights, and whether or not to completely abolish existing regime.