Middle East Region
Last week marked one of the bloodiest in Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December of last year. With a series of attacks on Shi’a targets claiming over 100 lives, concerns that sectarianism is re-emerging in Iraq are beginning to surface.
Now that the Muslim Brotherhood has won the Egyptian presidential election will the Islamic organization full fill its promises to bring the nation towards democracy? If so, it must first clarify its stance on the rights of women and Christians in the country.
Following the much-anticipated Baghdad talks on May 23, P5+1 states (The United States, France, China, Russia, Great Britain and Germany) failed to reach substantive agreements with Iran regarding its nuclear program.
It now appears that the new administration under President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the country at large hang in the balance amid a divided administration and military that is facing threats on numerous fronts.
After the al-Houla massacre Syria has reached a tipping point. Though there is certainly a consensus that something must be done, until now there has been little agreement over what this action will entail.
[captionpix align=”left” theme=”elegant” width=”320″ imgsrc=” http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/incoming/article7564966.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/Syrian+rebels ” captiontext=”Syrian rebels in Idlib clash with government forces.”] Kofi Annan’s six point plan has been sidelined as a total failure by many political observers and increasingly by those within the Obama administration. It may be argued that the Syrian rebels agree, given a recent bombing of army troops guarding United Nations observers. The Read More…
With no clear winner, a run-off election has been scheduled for mid-June between the top two candidates, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohmammed Morsiand Ahmad Shafiq, who once served as Prime Minister during Mubarak’s 30-year rule.
[captionpix align=”left” theme=”elegant” width=”320″ imgsrc=” http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/2/17/1329499523173/Fawzia-Koofi-008.jpg” captiontext=”Fawzia Koofi, MP: the Afghan parliament’s first female deputy speaker (Photo: the Guardian)”] Afghanistan was at the top of the agenda when world leaders met this month at NATO’s Chicago summit. Important issues, including a timetable for troop withdrawal and the Alliance’s post-2014 support and training role, were agreed upon. Read More…
Talks in Baghdad with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany have resumed over Iran’s contentious nuclear program. The negotiation process is likely to be a long one and no breakthrough accords are expected at this meeting.
What had made this country so attractive to international jet setters is also what has allowed it to become co-opted by a plurality of regional and international forces.