Middle East Politics.Net » middle east tradition http://middleeastpolitics.net Facts, News, Trends, Analysis Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:56:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Middle East Peace Through Jerusalem or Tehran? http://middleeastpolitics.net/2009/01/16/middle-east-peace-through-jerusalem-or-teheran/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2009/01/16/middle-east-peace-through-jerusalem-or-teheran/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:00:15 +0000 davidhulme http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=4026 Ethan Bronner is Jerusalem bureau chief for the The Times. Here he reviews a new collection of scholarly essays on how to resolve the ME’s various critical problems. The authors, who work in two ME think tanks deal in “nuance and realism, despite small lapses.” The two policy research groups also have close relations to the incoming Obama administration. The road to peace may lie not so much through Jerusalem, but through Tehran.

David Hulme

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2009/01/16/middle-east-peace-through-jerusalem-or-teheran/feed/ 0 Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Gaza and West Bank http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/02/3-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-forces-in-west-bank/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/02/3-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-forces-in-west-bank/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:48:34 +0000 rooparad http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3336 Bombs were dropped today by Israeli forces in an air strike on the Gaza Strip that killed two unidentified Palestinians.

There was also confirmation that a group of Israeli policemen killed a Palestinian “terrorist” named Mohammed Abu Dhara in the West Bank. The Israelis reason that they needed to do so because he was part of the violent and militant group al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which works closely with the Fatah movement of the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas. Many members of the organization have made a deal with Israel that their names will be removed from a wanted list, if they stop violent operations. Dhara was not one who negotiated to be taken off the list and had allegedly been supporting violent operations against Israel. However, Palestinians say that what the Israelis did to Dhara was not fair and that they should have settled an agreement with him. Both sides tell a contradicting story of how Israeli forces killed Dhara.

Dhara’s funeral was held at the Balata Refugee camp earlier today.

Roopa Radhakrishnan

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/02/3-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-forces-in-west-bank/feed/ 1 Syrian Statistics and Information http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/21/the-statistics-of-syria/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/21/the-statistics-of-syria/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:47:59 +0000 sanajong http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=2693 The US Department of State has a useful statistics and information page, covering the geographical, economic, and historical aspects of Syria. This page gives good background and provides testimony to its people, culture, and religion.

Sade San A Jong

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/21/the-statistics-of-syria/feed/ 0 Bedouins Shoot Egyptian Policeman, Steal Weapons http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/13/bedouins-shoot-egyptian-policeman-steal-weapons/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/13/bedouins-shoot-egyptian-policeman-steal-weapons/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:02:09 +0000 aljoaan http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=2354 Bedouins in Sinai wounded an Egyptian policeman in a drive-by shooting on Thursday, security sources told Reuters, in the latest manifestation of explosive tensions between the two sides. A 22-year-old policeman was shot three times in the right leg and left foot, and is being treated in hospital in the North Sinai capital, El Arish, the sources added. Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity also told Reuters, that the Bedouins had stolen dozens of assault rifles, thousands of bullets, night vision devices and communications equipment when they stormed a police post on Tuesday and detained policemen. The violence, the most serious in months between Bedouin tribesmen and police, started on Monday after police fired on a Bedouin-owned vehicle that ignored orders to stop, killing one man and wounding another. In the protests that ensued, Bedouin retaliated for Monday’s shooting by briefly kidnapping 25 policemen and storming a police post near Egypt’s border with Israel. Police shot dead three Bedouins in a protest on Tuesday.

Hospital sources said the officers from the police post were in hospital with bruises, broken bones and “nervous shock.” Northern Sinai is home to about 200,000 formerly nomadic Bedouins and is one of Egypt’s poorest areas, with high unemployment. Bedouins say they are shut out of jobs in the lucrative tourism and petroleum sectors in Sinai, which produces a significant share of Egypt’s oil from offshore fields and is dotted with resorts popular with tourists. Jobs at the few privately owned factories in the region and senior posts in state institutions usually go to workers from the Nile Valley, as part of a policy of increasing the population of Sinai and integrating it with the rest of the country, analysts and human rights groups say. Egypt blamed a series of attacks on Sinai tourist targets between 2004 and 2006 on a group of Bedouins with militant Islamist views. Bedouins resent the mistrust and complain of police harassment and abuse.

Ahmad Aljoaan

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/13/bedouins-shoot-egyptian-policeman-steal-weapons/feed/ 0 Iran Claims Successful Test of New Missile http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/12/iran-claims-successful-test-of-new-missile/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/12/iran-claims-successful-test-of-new-missile/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:59:37 +0000 kcahoon http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=2328

Iran claims to have successfully tested-fired a new missile that would greatly improve the accuracy of current Iranian defenses. These new missiles have been named “Sajjil” after a story in the Koran where God sends a flock of birds to defend Mecca from an enemy army. These “Sajjil” use the technology of solid fuel, which makes these surface-to-surface missiles more accurate than the liquid fuel missiles that Iran currently possesses. Iranian defense minister Mostafa Mohammed Najjar claims that these new missiles have the power to reach a target 1,200 miles away, which includes Israel and some of Europe. Israel is a country with which Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have a long history of antagonism; Ahmadinejad has been reported stating he would like to “wipe Israel off the map.” Israel has recently stated that they may take military action to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, though Najjar did not mention Israel or any other specific nation as one to be reckoned with. While Najjar insists these missiles have been developed solely for the purposes of defense, the hostile nature of Iran has the international community skeptical of claims that the weapons are not a response to any threats against Iran. Ahmadinejad’s proclamation that “should any power stand against the Iranian nation, the Iranian people will crush it under its foot and will strike it on the mouth” does not provide any comfort either.

Kayla Cahoon

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/12/iran-claims-successful-test-of-new-missile/feed/ 0 Iraqi Minorities Insulted http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/04/iraqi-minorities-insulted/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/04/iraqi-minorities-insulted/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:16:50 +0000 hackenda http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=1987 Earlier this fall, minorities in Iraq spoke out against a revision to a provincial election law that struck a clause guaranteeing Christians and other minorities political representation. In response to their pleas, members of Iraqi parliament voted to allocate 6 seats to religious and ethnic minorities – 6 out of 400.

This decision was met with disappointment, criticism and in some cases outrage from Christians, Yazidis, Mandeans and Shabaks in Iraq. The UN had proposed delegating at least 12 seats for minority representation, but Iraqis in these particular subgroups were hoping for more. Although the law now moves on to a vote by the three-member Iraqi presidency council, it is unlikely that the number of seats for these minorities will increase.

Haley Hackendale

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/04/iraqi-minorities-insulted/feed/ 0 Kurds Opposing Erdogan http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/01/kurds-opposing-erdogan/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/01/kurds-opposing-erdogan/#comments Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:21:02 +0000 cicek http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=1945
Recently the Prime Minister of Turkey, has been lobbying in Van, an eastern region in Turkey. Van, being a city with prominent Kurdish population, has not greeted Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a hospitable manner. He was advised to wear a bullet proof vest and have a convoy of four cars, which is an unusual number for this Middle Eastern country. One might ask; what is the reason for all of this confusion? Is Erdogan perceived as Anti-Kurdish? The answer is very subjective. However the Democratic Society Party (DTP) is a Kurdish nationalist political party in Turkey. The party considers itself social-democratic and has observer status within the Socialist International. It is considered to be the successor of the Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) and has been protesting and fueling violence against Erdogan and his entourage. Protesters have been camping in front of the AKP building, cars have been set on fire and it is clear that Erdogan is making a mistake in his decisions; whether it is going to Van, or having the wrong policy choices. The future is unknown for Van, and for the rest of the Turkish Republic.
Aylin Cicek

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/01/kurds-opposing-erdogan/feed/ 0 Palestine Football with a Home of Its Own http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/20/palestine-football-with-a-home-of-its-own/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/20/palestine-football-with-a-home-of-its-own/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:31:57 +0000 yerxa http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=1510 The blog Soccer News Brief has reported that after 10 years of international eligibility, Palestine will play its first international match in Palestine. In the past, Palestine has played its home matches in Jordan and Qatar.

The new stadium, located in Gaza city, will host its first action against Jordan on the 26th of October. This has the potential to boost not only revenue but also morale in the downtrodden region of Gaza.

Despite this good news, there are still issues for the Palestinian national team. With many players hailing from Gaza, Israel’s travel restrictions have affected the team. Palestine was unable to play in a qualifier match in Singapore because Israel only allows urgent cases to leave Gaza.

Israel could go a long way towards building goodwill in the community if they were to allow Palestine free travel to compete in what is truly the world’s sport.

Gavin Yerxa

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/20/palestine-football-with-a-home-of-its-own/feed/ 0 McCain Shifts on Foreign Policy with Iran http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/01/mccain-shifts-on-foreign-policy-with-iran/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/01/mccain-shifts-on-foreign-policy-with-iran/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:27:55 +0000 kcahoon http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=1112

During Friday night’s first U.S. presidential debate, Republican U.S. presidential candidate McCain shifted on his policy regarding negotiating with Iran. This represents an attempt to narrow the gap between his foreign policy and that of his rival presidential hopeful, Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and to widen that between himself and U.S. president George Bush, who is at a record-low approval rating by U.S. citizens. Previously, John McCain has argued against authorizing “high-profile direct talks with Iran,” stating that direct face-to-face talks are “the most overrated aspect of our dialogue about international relations.” After Obama cited Henry Kissinger’s calling for negotiations at the secretary of state level without precondition earlier this month, however, McCain stated that he encourages these lower level meetings, and that he has “always encouraged them.” He is highly reluctant, however, to meet with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has instead called for a new league of democracies, including Germany, France and Britain in working to impose sanctions on Iran, specifically regarding their nuclear program, which is a major concern for both U.S. presidential candidates. One European diplomat has voiced concerns over creating this league of democratic nations, however, suggesting that it could antagonize important countries like Russia and China with whom they would like to enjoy good relations. It has also been suggested that such a league may undermine the United Nations, and could therefore be potentially very unpopular internationally.

Kayla Cahoon

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/01/mccain-shifts-on-foreign-policy-with-iran/feed/ 0 Livni Invited to Form Government http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/25/livni-invited-to-form-government/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/25/livni-invited-to-form-government/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:04:45 +0000 rooparad http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=951 Tzipi Livni has been invited by Ehud Olmert to form a new government. The request came after Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister and leader of the Kadima Party, asked to resign from office. It is claimed that he had been involved in several financial scandals. Livni is now the leader of the Kadima Party, the largest political party in Israel. She has been asked to form a coalition (to fill 61 seats in the 120 seat Knesset) within the next forty-two days. She has already begun to establish a cabinet into which she has invited Likud party leader Binyamin Netanyahu; he has not yet accepted or refused. The news report stresses that if she succeeds in building a successful administration, then she will be the leader until the election in 2010. Olmert has accepted a caretaker role as Prime Minister until Livni is done forming the new governmental platform. Though there are several parties that reject the idea that Livni will form a stable government, she has been proactive in asking major parties such a the Labour Party to form a partnership with Kadima.

Roopa Radhakrishnan

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/25/livni-invited-to-form-government/feed/ 0