Group items tagged

The article mentions the views of Americans and the views of Egyptians regarding the state of Egypt with concerns surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood. Egyptians were able to carry a message to Americans. Egyptians voiced their want for U.S assistance with terrorism. 

As their sole source of income the control over oil policy and revenue proves to be a huge factor in which government will gain control over the greater Libya. Thinni, the prime minister recognized by the international community, has assured OPEC members that oil revenues are deposited into the Libyan Bank, which then transfers them to the central bank. While this may be true, OPEC members are worried that the continuation of Islamist militant aims for political autonomy through the occupation and attacks on oil ports. BPD have already become a fifth of what they maintained just one year ago. 

This article conveys that AS has claimed Benghazi as an Islamic Emirate. While Haftar argues that only certain positions are under Islamic occupation, but the fact that they control the whole city is something he denies. 

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. 

This article accentuates the "Age of Proxy Wars" in the Middle East. While Syria and Libya are the 2 most known proxy situations, the article illuminates other states involved as well. We know already about UAE, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, which this article also brings up, but new information suggests that Bahrain and Kuwait are supporting sides of the regional war as well. While these nations think they're doing their part to support their values, these proxy wars are actually fostering further extremism since people supporting each side do not directly suffer the consequences. The article states that the metastasizing of these jihadist groups is grave threat to US national security, and the US must intervene in order to solve this crisis. The author says the US needs to improve their performance in donor cordination, funding the right groups, as well as be more aggressive in working directly with elections, uncovering networks of money and influence. He says rather than the conduction of elections, we must focus on the nature of politics in general, curbing corruption and embedding sectarian democratic values in their political sphere.

A former senior official at the U.S. embassy in Cairo describes how Sisi's background is shaping his approach to domestic politics, counterterrorism, Israel, and other issues. From the way Sisi is described, his main priority is the domestic economy. He knows that without creating domestic stability through lowering unemployment and generating more capital, he cannot remain in power. In addition, it appears that Sisi is a strong believer of military influence. He has a strategic plan of cooperating with great powers to grow Egypt's reputation. Sisi's plan to create a strong state, while cooperating with other strong states and focusing on military power are all evidence of his political realist tendencies.

After mounting domestic and international political pressure, the Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Turkey will allow some Kurdish forces to cross the border into Syria to fight the Islamic State in the Syrian town of Kobane. Turkey will not allow all Kurdish forces to fight, and will only allow the Peshmerga, rather than the PKK, to cross the border. "Peshmerga" is a Kurdish word for armed fighters, but more specifically refers to nationalist soldiers for an independent Kurdish state.

Many people in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan fear the ideological appeal of the Islamic State could create a homegrown threat from the militant group. To counter this potential threat, Jordan has imposed new rules on its Muslim clerics. Such an interesting tactic, but also very important. These effort should be completely supported to both distance the link between Islam and the foolishness/heresy/violence of the Islamic State, but also illegitimatize ISIS' influence on Middle East persons.

The article mentions the statements made by the Ministry of Religious Endowments. The statements made clear that both ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood are organizations meant to destroy and spread terror throughout their regions. The article concludes with: "The United States Congress said that Isis has ambitions and capabilities greater than Al-Qaida."

Tunisian fighters with the Islamic State have claimed responsibility in a video for the assassinations of the left wing politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohmaed Brahmi last year and have threatened to carry out more assassinations. They want Tunisians to rise up and expand the Islamic State (ISIS).

This Electronic Intifada article is a re-posting of an open letter written by Jews in support of Palestine, the Palestinian people, their right to return home to their ancestral lands, and a call for a single-state. This letter touches on the years of political and military assault on the Palestinian people and disassociates themselves from the Zionist movement.

In this Times of Israel article, the author speaks with Benjamin Pogrund on the issue of apartheid in Israel. Pogrund, a key supporter of Nelson Mandela during the South African Apartheid regime, argues that Israel is not an apartheid state, but that it is practicing colonialism and atrocious politics.

In this New York Times article, the author covers the final statements made by both front runners during the recent Prime Minister elections in Israel. Chief among the comments was Netanyahu's strong statement against a Palestinian state.

The European Union is having some issues with Syrian refugees not staying in the country to where they first applied for asylum. This, and the ever growing number of Syrian refugees in Europe, has lead to a call to reform the Dublin Law. 

more updates on ISIS/Syria situation: VP Joe Biden issued a statement ensuring "we are ready for a military solution against the Islamic State"; Moscow's airstrikes appear to be only focused on Assad's opponents; would U.S. intervention be as prominent if Russia wasn't involved...

The United States has began backing Saudi-led aggression against Yemen by providing targeting intelligence. There are many contradicting justifications for this provided by the NSC, the White House, the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill.

This article states that Russia and Iran have been changing the situation in Syria according to their own agendas. It is in Russia and Iran's interests to maintain Assad's rule in Syria. Consequently, the article states that the west should get involved before Russia and Iran have done too much.

Vice President Joe Biden speaks up in regards to Iran testing missles. States that the United States will not continue to follow guidelines under the nuclear deal and will take action if necessary.

Syria's "cessation of hostilities" is making a difference - whatever the arguments about early violations, the level of violence across the country has fallen - and with this fragile modicum of progress, the United States and Russia find themselves in harness after years in which Syria was a forum for their rivalry.

Syria's "cessation of hostilities" is making a difference - whatever the arguments about early violations, the level of violence across the country has fallen - and with this fragile modicum of progress, the United States and Russia find themselves in harness after years in which Syria was a forum for their rivalry. But privately officials are nervous, both about Russian attempts to brand any group that has ever co-operated with militant elements like the Islamic state or the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front as "terrorist" and, therefore, ineligible to take part in, or make any significant move towards moving President Assad off the political stage. For now there is an agreement to allow the PResident to stay in power and the United States is biting its tongue, hoping that the violence will slow down.

Yet another doom and gloom article that discusses how bad the Libyan state is in the eyes of the American military. General David Rodriguez, head of American military forces in Africa, called Libya a "failed state," probably one of the starkest declarations in the 5 years since the fall of the Qaddafi regime.