Recently, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to close two United States military bases in the country. This may appear as a media game being played by an increasingly authoritarian and bombastic leader; however, this actually may be a part of a much larger geopolitical strategy for Turkey. Turkey has long been an ally of the U.S. and the west… Read more »
(TeleSUR) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Sunday to shut down two strategic military bases used by the United States if Washington imposes sanctions on Turkey for buying the S-400 Russian missile system. “If necessary, we’ll close Incirlik and also Kurecik,” Erdogan said in a televised interview, in a reference to the bases located in the southern part of the… Read more »
(BBC News) Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Algerian capital, Algiers, to protest against Thursday’s presidential election. They briefly overran a polling station. An attempt by police to disperse the crowd failed. Two more voting centres were stormed in the Kabylie region, east of the capital. The vote follows the ousting of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who… Read more »
THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said on Friday she will launch a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian Territories, which could include charges against Israelis or Palestinians. “I am satisfied that … war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip,” Fatou… Read more »
(The Intercept) December 10 2019, 7:00 a.m. MASSIVE, SUSTAINED PROTESTS in Baghdad and Tehran that have been met with violent responses from security forces throughout the fall and winter have rapidly altered the political dynamics in both Iraq and Iran. But it is still uncertain whether the grassroots anger that has erupted will lead to significant change in either country… Read more »
With the recent release of the Iran Cables by the Intercept in partnership with the New York Times, it has come to light that Iran has gained control of much of the Iraqui government in the approximately two decades since the U.S. invaded and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein. Not only has Iran compromised the government of Iraq, but… Read more »
A wide-ranging BBC survey shows almost half of Moroccans are considering emigrating and want immediate political change. So could Morocco follow in Sudan and Algeria’s footsteps and topple their leader, asks Tom de Castella. On a balcony overlooking Casablanca’s rooftops, a man draws on his cigarette and thinks about the dream that was snatched away. Saleh al-Mansouri is only in… Read more »
GENEVA (Reuters) – Iranian security forces have shot at protesters from helicopters and a rooftop and have aimed at peoples’ heads in using “severe violence” to quell anti-government unrest last month, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Friday. They have also fired at protesters as they were running away, Bachelet said in a statement, citing verified video footage…. Read more »
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli police on Friday detained four journalists from the Palestinian Authority’s official television station in Jerusalem, drawing protest from Palestinians who say their activities in the holy city are increasingly restricted. The Palestine TV crew was filming a talk show outside of Jerusalem’s walled Old City when Israeli officers detained them and took their equipment, the Authority’s… Read more »
(THE INTERCEPT & NEW YORK TIMES) IN MID-OCTOBER, with unrest swirling in Baghdad, a familiar visitor slipped quietly into the Iraqi capital. The city had been under siege for weeks, as protesters marched in the streets, demanding an end to corruption and calling for the ouster of the prime minister, Adil Abdul-Mahdi. In particular, they denounced the outsize influence of… Read more »