Greater Middle East

Syria: anatomy of the opposition

The Syrian National Council and allied Free Syrian Army are portrayed as the sole leadership of Syria’s revolutionā€”as Kurdish nationalists and left-wing parties as well as jihadis have refused to accept their umbrella.

Greater Middle East

Oman court begins trial of 15 human rights activists

An Omani court began a case against 15 protesters accused of defamation and illegal assembly. Authorities have arrested over 30 who had been protesting to demand political reform and release of detained rights defenders.

Greater Middle East

Syria: intervention imminent?

Turkey has called a NATO meeting to discuss a response to the shooting down of one of its warplanes by Syrian forcesā€”as the Free Syria Army establishes a command center in Istanbul, and sends a delegation to Washington.

Greater Middle East

Egypt: “Algeria scenario” feared

As thousands of Egyptians fill Tahrir Square to protest the military’s assumption of new powers, Algerian Islamist leaders warned of an “Algeria-like scenario” ā€”a reference to the country’s decade-long civil war.

Greater Middle East

Yemen: Pyrrhic victory against al-Qaeda?

Yemeni government forces took back AQAP’s major stronghold towns after a month-long offensive. But al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has grown along with US drone strikesā€”from a handful of militants to a widespread insurgency.

Greater Middle East

“Anti-war” movement betrays Syrian people

“Anti-war” voices are cynically seeking to exculpate Bashar Assad in the Houla massacre. At best, they express far greater outrage at supposed Western arming of the Syrian rebels than at Assad’s slaughter of his own people.

Greater Middle East

Egyptian revolution meets the new boss?

Egypt’s secular progressives see a choice between “Islamic fascist” Mohammed Mursi and “military fascist” Ahmed Shafiq in next month’s run-off. Washington connived in isolation of the secularists, because this bloc includes socialists and Nasserists.

Greater Middle East

Syria charges US subversion in uprising; Bahrain blames Iran

As the Assad regime is accused of a new horrific massacre, Damascus and Moscow charge that the US and NATO are backing the uprising. And as harsh repression continues in US-backed Bahrain, the monarchy makes identical charges against Iran.