NEWS

by Shehab Al-Makahleh | Published August 25th, 2017  | Foreign Policy Association • As heavy fighting in the city of Hama reminds us of the seemingly endless misery in Syria, a hopeful breakthrough has been overlooked in the media: Syrian opposition forces met in Jordan for two days to …

The reality of life in post-Soviet Eastern Europe is not at all what was promised. Standing in front of the Berlin Wall in June 1987, then President Reagan famously proclaimed: There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of …

The Islamic State (ISIL) has been given one last chance to leave central Syria before the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) closes the 5 km gap between the Al-Raqqa and Homs governorates. With some of their forces already besieged in eastern Hama, the Islamic State cannot afford to have …

James Dorsey • In addition to stimulating an arms race it has actually revived momentum for unprecedented, albeit snail-paced social reforms, initially sparked by Qatar’s winning bid for the 2022 soccer World Cup. Those reforms break with policies among the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Saudi …

By Shehab Al Makahleh • A meeting on August 7 between King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas established a joint crisis committee to follow up the Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and evaluate the past and expected Israeli violations in Jerusalem. This committee’s significance is …

By Abdel Bari Atwan The surprises keep coming in Syria, one after the other. They reflect radical changes in the local, regional and international dynamics that have long governed the conflict ravaging the country. Following the Syrian Arab Army’s recovery of the town of as-Sukhna in the governorate …

Shehab Al-Makahleh and Maria Dubovikova The future of Syria is now being decided in Amman after the withdrawal of Syrian armed opposition troops from neighborhoods near the Jordanian-Syrian border, leaving the crossing point of Naseeb under the control of the Syria Arab Army (SAA). The fate of Syria, and importantly …

Joshua Caplan | Aug 13th, 2017 4:02 pm – Just when you thought Hillary Clinton’s emails were no longer a point of interest for federal investigators, a new report says the FBI is expanding its probe after the discovery of additional confidential messages. Washington Times reports: The Hillary Clinton email …

by Uri Avnery Posted onAugust 12, 2017   The vultures are circling. They can see the wounded man on the ground, and are waiting for his end. So are the human carnivores – the politicians. They sing his praises, swear to defend him with all their heart – but in …