In The News

Turkey Seeks World Support on Syria Moves: Hürriyet

October 9, 2019
Kurdish forces were key to defeating Islamic State extremists in northern Syria. The ethnic group is a sizable minority in Iran, Iraq and Turkey. But Turkish leaders regard Kurdish hopes for autonomy and their own country as a terrorist endeavor. The US president announced a withdrawal of US forces from the border region, despite questions about the welfare of Kurdish allies known as the Syrian...

The US Withdraws from Syria: New York Times

Peter Baker and Lara Jakes October 8, 2019
Civil war in Syria began soon after the Arab Spring in 2011. Islamic State terrorists took advantage of chaos, gaining territory and control, and the United States supported Kurdish fighters in containing ISIS. But Turkey resents the Kurds – a large and marginalized minority in that country as well as Syria, Iraq and Iran – and labels them terrorists. President Donald Trump announced withdrawal...

Missed Opportunities in Iraq: Wall Street Journal

Ghassan Adnan and Isabel Coles October 7, 2019
After years of Saddam Hussein's brutal dictatorship followed by a long war, Iraqis struggle with a poor economy with low job growth and corruption. The country is among the world’s top 10 oil-producing nations, and the government failed to distribute benefits two decades ago under Hussein and still fails today. Protesters are turning out in force, demanding jobs, improved living standards...

War Crimes in Yemen: Guardian

Mohamad Bazzi October 4, 2019
Inequality and conflict have divided Yemen since north and south Yemen united in 1990. Civil war began in 1990, and the 2011 Arab Spring recharged divisions. By 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened to target Houthi rebels supported by Iran. The war has led to a humanitarian crisis with daily airstrikes, famine and cholera leaving as many as 200,000 people dead, though the UN...

Arab Coalition Backs Netanyahu Opponent: Al Jazeera

September 23, 2019
For more than 25 years, Israel’s leading Arab political parties declined to endorse candidates for the prime minister post. This time they endorsed Benny Gantz, a move that could end the lock on power by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Gantz's centrist Blue and White party won the most seats in the September 17 election with 33 out of parliament's 120 seats, while Netanyahu's...

Asia and Aramco Attack: Wall Street Journal

Stephanie Yang and Benoit Faucon September 22, 2019
Drone and missile strikes at the oil infrastructure of Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich eastern province put oil-thirsty Asian countries under pressure. These strikes on Sept 14 reduced the global oil output by almost 6 percent and increased the global oil price by 15 percent two days later. The United States has placed sanctions upon Iran and Venezuela in recent years, and Asian countries, including...

Evidence Points to Iran in Aramco Attack: Reuters

Rania El Gamal and Aziz El Yaakoubi September 16, 2019
A drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco facilities reduced the world’s oil supply by 5 percent, prompted a spike in global oil rises and increased tensions in a volatile part of the world. The United States and Saudi Arabia point fingers at Iran. Iran, already under US sanctions, denies the accusation, and President Hassan Rouhani suggests that the attack is due to the war in Yemen as Yemenis...