Iraq
Iraq: ISIS poses Kurdish dilemma for Washington
The Kurdish Regional Government appeals to Obama for arms to fight ISIS—while Baghdad demands the Kurds return arms seized from its own disintegrating national army.
Tag: control of oil
Iraq
US courts weigh fate of Kurdish oil shipment
Iraq's government persuaded a US judge to order the seizure of $100 million of oil in a tanker anchored off Galveston that it claims was illegally pumped in Kurdistan.
Iraq
Resistance to ISIS mounts in Syria, Iraq
Forces both aligned with and against the regimes in Iraq and Syria are mobilizing in both countries to beat back ISIS—Shi'ites, Sufis, Ba'athists and the secular civil resistance.
Palestine
Gaza: a war for oil?
Development of the Gaza Marine 1 and 2 offshore blocs has been held up by conflict over the Strip and its waters. Is "Protective Edge" aimed at securing them under Israeli control?
Mexico
Mexico: campesinos block Tabasco oil wells
Local campesinos are blockading hundreds of oil and gas wells in Mexico's Tabasco state to demand indemnification for lands impacted by a massive spill and explosion.
Iraq
Bob Dreyfuss betrays Syria in The Nation
As Syrians put their lives on the line to oppose a genocidal regime, Bob Dreyfuss in The Nation calls on the US to back Bashar Assad to beat back ISIS.
Iraq
Kurds take Kirkuk, ISIS press offensive
Iraq's contested northern city of Kirkuk was taken by Kurdish forces after being abandoned by the army—while the ISIS offensive is halted just 75 miles outside Baghdad.
The Andes
Colombia: protest, rebel attacks depress oil output
Colombian crude production sank to a 20-month low of 935,000 barrels per day as guerilla attacks and protests by impacted indigenous communities curbed output.
Greater Middle East
Russia blocks ICC action on Syria, heightening ‘anti-war’ contradiction
"Anti-war" voices in the West have called for International Criminal Court action in Syria as a substitute for military intervention. Will they protest now that Moscow has blocked it?
The Amazon
Ecuador nixes vote on Yasuni oil drilling
Ecuador's National Electoral Council turned down a petition for a referendum on plans to open Yasuni National Park to further oil exploration—as activists protest "fraud."
Europe
Cold War time warp in Ukraine coverage
While claiming to withdraw troops from Ukriane's borders, Russia conducted military maneuvers that included nuclear missile tests—as NATO sends a special delegation to Kiev.
Europe
Transcarpathia: next Ukrainian flashpoint?
In Ukraine's eastern region of Transcarpathia, ethnic Hungarians and Ruthenians are agitating for autonomy, with the encouragement of Moscow and Budapest.