Facts, News, Trends, Analysis
The Iraqi government’s pact with the United States is proving problematic for their relationship with Syria. Because of the United States’ alleged attack in Syrian airspace, the Syrian government has viewed Iraq’s role as that of a staging ground for ‘aggression against Syria.’ Though Iraq has ‘rejected’ the raid, Iraq’s complex relationship with the United [...]
Outgoing Israeli PM Olmert has expressed his desire to continue indirect talks with Syria before he leaves office. He has stated that he is interested in talks, not necessarily in reaching an agreement by the time he leaves. How much good the talks will do is in serious question, however: he was already supposed to [...]
Recently the Turkish Government decided to shut down eleven television channels, which coincidentally all belong to Dogan Media Corporation. The Supreme Board of Media and Television (RTUK ) has stated the reason as “failing to acquire the necessary broadcasting licenses.” According to the Turkish Daily News (TDN), Saban Sevinc, a member of RTUK, who opposed [...]
Witnesses in Lebanon are already confirming a troop build-up on the border with Syria, in a move that the two countries say they hope will reduce illegal border-crossing. At the same time, initial reports seem to confirm that Syria is removing some of the additional troops it had put on the border with Iraq towards [...]
Less than two weeks after a United Nations report condemned Lebanon’s lack of progress in addressing human trafficking, the UN Security Council has declared that the nation has also failed to make any “tangible progress” in disarming militias. Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen, Special Envoy to the Secretary General, warned that “The violence that erupted in Lebanon [...]
Turkey experienced one of the first of what may be many setbacks on Tuesday in proving their regional clout in the midst of brokering peace between Israel and Syria. As a result of the alleged US air raid across the Iraqi-Syrian border, the world audience, and specifically the EU and UN, is putting question marks [...]
The political situation in Syria has intensified as the Syrian government has apparently staged a protest a few blocks away from the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. It was carried on the state-sponsored news agency in Syria (SANA), and ended peacefully. Whether or not the protest was staged, pressure appears to be ratcheting up on the [...]
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak came to Lebanon’s defense once again. He said that Egypt will continue to support Lebanon just as they had when Sadat was president. According to Mubarak, “[Egypt] still back[s] Lebanon and would never stop backing it.” He has met with the current President of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, even before he was [...]
Amidst an already charged atmosphere in Iraq, due to troop mandate negotiations, the recent American helicopter strike into Syrian territory ignited flames in Damascus that quickly spread back across the border. Both Iraqi government and American military officials leveled the charge against Syria that a network of smugglers and guerilla fighters is operating across the [...]
Three-way ethnic tensions are beginning to flare up as questions arise over who should benefit from the oil rich area of Kirkuk. The under-exploited and often fought over area of Northern Iraq retains much of its natural resources and that may prove key in the massive redevelopment challenge that Iraq faces post American military occupation. [...]
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