Foreign Policy Blogs

Middle East Media

Hamas's 'war on terror'?

Hamas's 'war on terror'?

Palestinian media sources report that Hamas-allied security forces killed seven members of the Army of Islam (AI) group in a shootout in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City yesterday. The shooting involved members of the Daghmoush clan, killing the brother of AI's leader Ibrahim Daghmoush. The total body count was reported to be 11, according […]

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AQI Threatens Iraqi Islamic Party

AQI Threatens Iraqi Islamic Party

The Muslim Brotherhood's English-language website reports that Al Qaeda in Iraq's (AQI) leader is calling for war against the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq. Citing a report by the Italian Adnkronos news agency, the Brotherhood states that AQI's leader, Abu Amr al-Baghdadi, has offered a reward to those […]

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Leader of Lebanon's 'first' resistance to be remembered

Leader of Lebanon's 'first' resistance to be remembered

  September 14th will mark the 26th anniversary of Bashir Gemayel's assassination. Gemayel was a leader who first emerged to the forefront of Lebanese political life as the commander of the predominantly Maronite Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) militia, and, through a combination of political and military ingenuity, eventually became president of the war-torn country in […]

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US-UAE Missile Deal in the Works: feedback, history

US-UAE Missile Deal in the Works: feedback, history

Reuters reported today that the US is on the verge of striking a $7 billion missile deal with the UAE, pending Congress's approval. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is believed to be sought by the UAE in order to prepare for a potential Iranian missile attack that may come in retaliation to […]

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Hariri's Visit to Tripoli

Hariri's Visit to Tripoli

Lebanese MP Saad Hariri, the head of the country's Future Movement and leader of the March 14 coalition, is in Tripoli this weekend meeting with local officials and representatives in an effort to diffuse the ongoing violence between Sunni (Bab al-Tabaneh) and Alawite (Jabal Mohsen) neighborhoods of the city. A special report published yesterday by […]

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Haniyeh: No Need For Arab Force in Gaza

Haniyeh: No Need For Arab Force in Gaza

During a speech last night at a celebration in Gaza City last night, Ismael Haniyeh, the Prime Minister of the defunct Hamas-led Palestinian government, made his position clear on the proposed idea of an Arab peacekeeping force being sent to the Gaza Strip.  In a display of sarcasm, Haniyeh stated that there's no need for […]

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The Muslim Brotherhood Goes Wiki

The Muslim Brotherhood Goes Wiki

Al Jazeera.net reported today that members of the Muslim Brotherhood have erected an online encyclopedia to help inform the public about the organization's history, ideology, and political aims. Dubbed Ikhwan Wiki, the site is done in the style of the ever popular Wikipedia. Thus, those who want to either edit or contribute content have to […]

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Part 4 of AQI Video Series Released

Part 4 of AQI Video Series Released

Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) has released part 4 of the series “Knights of Martyrdom”. I previously wrote a post providing an analysis of part 3, which appeared back in July, highlighting indications that the group's  al-Furqan Media Group was on the decline. Part 4 comes as Iraqi officials claim that the country is now free […]

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Is America Ready for Al Jazeera?

Is America Ready for Al Jazeera?

The Washington Post's “Washington Sketch” program recently featured an interesting piece covering Al Jazeera English's attempt to cover the Democratic National Convention in nearby Golden, Colorado (video available here). This move to feature 'small-town’ America's views on the convention was met with much resistance by some if its townspeople who view Al Jazeera as Anti-American, […]

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'time Bombs' in the Gulf: Fear of the Basij

'time Bombs' in the Gulf: Fear of the Basij

The Jordanian Ammon News Agency featured a story Wednesday alleging that units of the Iranian Basij are ready to strike throughout the Arab Gulf states if Iran is attacked. In fact, the author describes them as 'time bombs’ waiting to explode in the region. The Basij is a large volunteer paramilitary force (estimated at upwards […]

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Hezbollah Playing Up its Naval Capacity?

Hezbollah Playing Up its Naval Capacity?

Hezbollah's Al-Intiqad newspaper asserts that there are fears over the group's alleged increased naval capacity. The article cites a report issued by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies back in April 2007 entitled, “Obsolete Weapons, Unconventional Tactics, and Martyrdom Zeal: How Iran Would Apply its Asymmetric Naval Warfare Doctrine in a Future […]

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Issues Concerning Rafah and Shalit May Undermine Egyptian-Mediated Talks

Issues Concerning Rafah and Shalit May Undermine Egyptian-Mediated Talks

Tuesday's edition of the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper alleges that serious differences that have arisen between Hamas and Cairo may threaten to undermine recent Egyptian efforts to bring warring Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, towards an internal compromise. An unnamed official states that Egypt is unhappy with Hamas's alleged attempt to tie talks over the captured […]

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The Egyptian Brotherhood Talks About Democracy

I came across an interesting interview (pasted below) with the chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood's political department, which was featured on the group's English language website earlier this month. It covers the organization's views on the prospects for democracy in Egypt, the role of outside actors in promoting democracy, and other key issues shaping Egyptian […]

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Symbolically Breaking the Gaza Embargo: Is it enough?

Symbolically Breaking the Gaza Embargo: Is it enough?

Various news agencies today have reported the success of international activists in ‘breaking’ the embargo of the Gaza Strip. Setting sail from Cyprus in two small boats dubbed ‘Break the Siege’, the activists, who sought to raise awareness of the crisis in Gaza, were allowed to proceed to Gaza's shores after being briefly held up […]

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Syria and Russia: ghosts of the Cold War haunt the 'New Middle East'?

Syria and Russia: ghosts of the Cold War haunt the 'New Middle East'?

Today's meeting between Syrian and Russian presidents Bashar al-Asad and Dmitri Medvedev in the Black Sea port of Sochi have some fearing that the old battle-lines of the cold war era are once again reemerging in the Middle East. Al-Jazeera's coverage touched upon the most potentially sensitive aspect of any reinvigorated partnership; the prospect of […]

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