Iraq
Barzani bows to Turkish incursion, PKK betrayed
Kurdish strongman Masoud Barzani has invited a Turkish military force into his territory, with the apparent aim of driving the PKK from northern Iraq.
Tag: Saudi Arabia
Greater Middle East
Saudi Arabia sentences Palestinian poet to death
A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh to death for apostasy and abandoning his Muslim faith after he protested the kingdom's religious police.
Greater Middle East
Saudi Arabia executions break 20-year record
Saudi Arabia has executed 151 people so far this year, the highest number since 1995—contributing to a global spike in use of the death penalty.
Greater Middle East
Saudi Arabia confirms Shi’ite cleric’s death sentence
Saudi Arabia's high court upheld the death sentence of Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, found guilty of sedition over Arab Spring protests.
Greater Middle East
Saudi activist sentenced to 10 years in prison
Abdel-Karim al-Khadar, a rights advocate and opponent of Islamist extremism, was senteced to 10 years by a Saudi "anti-terrorist" court for criticizing the regime.
Greater Middle East
Yemen: Amnesty demands halt to arms transfers
Citing "damning evidence" of war crimes, Amnesty International is calling for the suspension of transfers of certain arms to the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.
Watching the Shadows
DoD transfers Gitmo detainee to Saudi Arabia
The US Department of Defense announced the transfer of Guantánamo Bay detainee Abdul Shalabi to Saudi Arabia, brining the population of the prison camp to 114.
Mexico
US eases oil export ban
The US Department of Commerce agreed to allow limited crude oil trading with Mexico, easing a ban on crude exports that has been in place for 40 years.
Greater Middle East
Human Rights Watch sees war crimes in Yemen
Human Rights Watch issued a report charging violations of international humanitarian law in the Saudi-led air campaign against Shi'ite rebels in Yemen.
Greater Middle East
Saudi Court upholds lashing for blogger
A Saudi court upheld the sentence of 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for pro-secular blogger Raif Badawi for "insulting Islam through electronic channels."
Greater Middle East
Nuclear strike in Yemen? No, but the truth is bad
Conspiranoid websites air disturbing footage of a huge mushroom cloud exploding near Yemen's capital—apparently an under-reported air-strike on a weapons depot.
Iraq
ISIS franchise: Nigeria to Yemen to Pakistan
Over the past two months, the ISIS international franchise has made gains from West Africa to the Indian subcontinent, with militants in several countries proclaiming for the "caliphate."