Geopolitics

The Peninsula An expert committee appointed by the GCC countries has prepared extensive rules and regulations for preparing a blacklist of terrorist organisations and individuals. The criteria are waiting for approval by the authorities and would be implemented soon after to counter terrorist threats to member countries from …

By Emanuel Stoakes On April 2, Nabeel Rajab, one of Bahrain’s most prominent human rights activists, was arrested and detained for critical comments about the monarchy that he posted on Twitter. It was his second arrest in six months for the same offense. His latest tweet to his quarter …

IT IS a new era for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is considered the start of the fourth State where the pillars have been strengthened by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Abdulaziz since he assumed power a few months ago. King Salman took quick …

Report by the Hurriyet Daily  President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has apparently taken another step in his fight against ally-turned-foe, U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, with Turkey’s top national security body finally amending its top-secret national security document, in line with the threat allegedly posed by Gülen’s followers. A …

By Ahmad Morsey and  Casper Wuite Carnegie On April 15, the Egyptian Cabinet approved amendments to Egypt’s electoral law, articles of which had been deemed unconstitutional last month. After a year of continued unrest, the parliamentary elections, originally slated for March 21, were expected to restore Egypt’s body politic …

George Perkovich Carnegie As negotiations and debate proceed over a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran, comparisons will inevitably be made with the 1994 Agreed Framework that sought to end North Korea’s (the DPRK’s) nuclear weapons program. That earlier agreement failed due to a combination of factors. Many observers …

James L. Schoff U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT As Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepares to visit the United States next week, attention is focused on the historic nature of the trip. Abe will be the first Japanese leader to speak before a joint session of Congress, an …

By Nasser Arrabyee Despite its stated aims, the main beneficiary of the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm at least so far  is Al-Qaeda and its jihadist followers, writes Nasser Arrabyee in Al Ahram Weekly. It has been about one month since Saudi Arabia started airstrikes on all Yemeni provinces …

Azeri Daily: The European Union’s foreign policy chief has expressed hope Iran can play a constructive role in a renewed United Nations push to restart negotiations to end Syria’s four-year civil war, RFE/RL reports. Federica Mogherini was speaking in New York on April 28 ahead of talks with …