Greater Middle East
Yemen between two poles of terrorism
A suicide attack killed 35 at the funeral of a Yemeni tribal leader who fought al-Qaeda militants—as a US drone strike in Hadramout province killed five.
Tag: Greater Middle East
Greater Middle East
Egypt requests release of last citizen held at Gitmo
The Egyptian government announced that it has requested the release of the last of its citizens currently being held at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility.
Greater Middle East
AI: Syria forces guilty of crimes against humanity
Amnesty International published a report holding the Syrian government responsible for human rights violations in Aleppo that AI claims amount to crimes against humanity.
Greater Middle East
Ex-Gitmo detainee surrenders in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia‘s Ministry of the Interior announced July 30 that a former Guantánamo Bay inmate who had completed the country’s militant rehabilitation program surrendered to Saudi authorities. Adnan al-Sayegh, who was placed in the Ministry’s rehabilitation program after returning from Guantánamo in 2006,… Read moreEx-Gitmo detainee surrenders in Saudi Arabia
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 revolution—as Kurdish nationalists and left-wing parties as well as jihadis have refused to accept their umbrella.
Greater Middle East
Egypt president releases 572 prisoners convicted by military tribunals
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi ordered the release of 572 people who had been convicted by the military. A total of 9,714 have been released of the 11,879 detained by the military since last year’s uprising.
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 forces—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” —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 strikes—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
Mubarak sentenced to life in prison; sons, security officers get off
An Egyptian court found former president Hosni Mubarak guilty of complicity in the killing of protesters during last year's uprising and sentenced him to life in prison. But his sons and top security officials were cleared of wrongdoing.