CULF 3331: "Middle Eastern Revolutions"

In an opinion piece for Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, translated in English by the Saudi Gazette, columnist Ruqaya Al-Huwairni wrote: "I cannot describe how embarrassed and annoyed I was after listening to a fatwa issued by a local mosque imam." Al-Huwairni added: "To be frank, I do not know why women are looked down upon more than men.

When a retired 51-year-old military man disclosed in a U.S. security clearance application that he had a 20-year affair with his former college roommate's wife, it was supposed to remain a secret between him and the government.

Charting five years since the onset of the Arab spring.The Arab revolutions produced few leaders, few credible programmes for action, and few ideas.

"THE amounts of oil are incredible, and I have to rub my eyes frequently and say like the farmer: 'There ain't no such beast.'" So wrote an American oilman in the Persian Gulf a few years after the discovery in 1938 of a gusher of oil from Saudi Arabia's Well Number Seven, 4,727 feet (1,440 metres) below the desert floor.

For half a century, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been the linchpin of Mideast policy. A guaranteed supply of oil has bought a guaranteed supply of security. Ignoring autocratic practices and the export of Wahhabi extremism, Washington stubbornly dubs its ally "moderate." So tight is the trust that U.S.

There have been at least 15 reported breaches of the Syrian cease fire by Syrian and Russian government. Rebels say overall it is nice to see people safe and receiving aid, but the loophole of still being able to attack ISIS and al-Qaeda continues to concern the rebels. The 15 breaches in question are viewed as attacks against terrorists by some, and attacks against government opposition by others.

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

This is an article off of hacktivist group Anonymous' website. The footage is of an ex marine that claims to expose the US true agenda in Syria. He speaks of a "greater Israel project" and accuses the US of wanting to destabilize the Middle East.

Progress towards eliminating ISIS is being made in countries that is going unnoticed by the international media. ISIS has just been driven out of parts of Benghazi in addition to other regions around the world.

This article is about the US not interfering in Syria. It's interesting that they have drawn such conclusions without actually interfering at all. It is also noteworthy that they provided indirect assistance to rebels before coming to such a conclusion.

"SIS and Hezbollah haven't been in direct confrontation in Syria. Except for one clash this year near the Lebanese border, the so-called Islamic State has never gone into battle with "the Party of God." The Lebanese feared that ISIS claiming responsibility for the explosion in Beirut could be the beginning of a bloody new era. "

Israelis speak out against the improving perception of Hezbollah.

The deputy prime minister of Russia, Bikhail Bogdanov talks about the countries support for Hezbollah, and encourages thier fight against ISIS.

This article talks about how christians in Lebanon have joined forces against ISIS. They have done this in collaboration with Hezbollah, who is recognized by some as a terrorist organization, but is against ISIS

As the uprising in Syria takes on an increasingly sectarian cast, Jordan has become a crucial center for the Islamist opposition-fighters, regime defectors, and their supporters, who speak of replacing the secular-Alawite regime with a new government that brings a Sunni majority to power.

Inter-agency Information Sharing Portal

Somewhat off my normal topic, I found this article fascinating. This photographer, when the war in Libya broke out, decided to go and document the war with nothing more than his iPhone. Even after being hit by a mortar attack, he still went on documenting for his new book, the war torn and sometimes never shown images from the Libyan war.

Approximately 80 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in urban areas in the north of Jordan, while the remaining 20 percent live in the Za'atari, Marjeeb al-Fahood, Cyber City and Al-Azraq camps. Northern Jordan has been dramatically altered by the Syrian civil war.