The Jordanian AmmonNews.net – a relatively new and independent online news source – reported today that the Iraqi government has, by signing deals with Jordan, agreed to export crude oil to its neighbor at a reduced rate of $18 less than the international price. Citing statements given by Iraqi officials to the Iraqi press, AmmonNews […]
Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported today on some of the comments made by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) summit in Rome. The president allegedly proclaimed that Iran, in light of the current crisis, has clear solutions for the fair production and distribution of food supplies to the […]
According to the pro-opposition daily As-Safir, there appears to be some anticipation over potential changes in Lebanon's security services. The paper reported on Monday that the new president Michel Suleiman called for decisions to oversee ‘balance’ within the ranks of the country's Internal Security Forces (ISF) during a meet and greet with several leaders from […]
The website for the pro-Sadrist Al-Kufa news agency posted a scanned copy of a statement apparently issued by Muqtada Al-Sadr earlier this week. In the statement, Al-Sadr voices his pleasure with fatwas that have rejected the long-term security agreement currently being negotiated between US forces and the Iraqi government. The aggreement, which seeks to maintain […]
Al-Jazeera reports that it is organizing a mass homecoming celebration in Doha for its Sudanese cameraman, Sami El-Haj, who had been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002. The Qatari-based network has issued an open invitiation to the citizens and residents of the Gulf state to attend a celebration to be held Saturday night in the […]
A recent report published on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt's website takes a look at some of the perceived causes behind Egypt's declining role as a regional player in the Arab world. It features commentary made by political scientists and journalists at an annual conference held by the Egyptian-based think tank the International Center for […]
Will Hamas-Syrian relations be affected by the Arab state's recent Turkish-mediated talks with Israel? According to a report on AlJazeera.net, Syria's dependency on groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for power, and the shifting of the strategic landscape in its favor, may dissuade the Arab state from distancing itself from these militant groups. The report features […]
May 25th this year marks the eighth anniversary of Israel's military withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000. While most of the country was preoccupied with the election of Lebanon's new president, the anniversary was celebrated this weekend at all levels of Hezbollah's media and popular culture – from the towns of south Lebanon, to television […]
The Syrian Al-Ba’ath daily, the official paper of the country's ruling Ba’ath party, featured an article Thursday addressing concerns over a shortage in drinking water in the province of Damascus. The article indicates low rainfall has caused a steady drop in water levels in the Damascus basin, which could pose a problem during the hotter […]
The pro-opposition Lebanese daily As-Safir featured an article yesterday illustrating how Hezbollah is dealing with the political fallout of its recent “small war” against the country's ruling majority. Despite the potential political risks involved with this move, the author states that the group apparently saw its actions as worth taking in order to safeguard its […]
Here's an interesting report featured on the Beirut-based, and Dutch-funded, Menassat.com. It touches upon the double-edged sword of new media in conflict zones. Some argue that while this technology might contribute to transparency by enabling “citizen journalism”, it may also stir sectarian strife by enabling individuals to publicize incidents of political violence. Alexandra Sandels takes […]
Two Osama Bin Laden audio statements came out over the weekend. The first, released this past Friday, coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian nakba. This Arabic term translates to “catastrophe”, and refers to the establishment of the state of Israel in May of 1948. Not surprisingly, Bin Laden decided to stress the the […]
The website for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Jordan recently featured an interview with its new Comptroller General Dr. Hamam Sa’id. Sa’id, who spent a year studying at Temple University back in 1979, addresses a number of issues that have come to nag the organization over the past year. While Sa’id's commentary should perhaps be […]
In response to Hezbollah's recent show of force against Lebanon's ruling majority, Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari made an interesting remark to the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper. He stated that the government's persistence in reining in the Sadrist Movement's Mahdi Militia is indicative of its determination to stop Iraq from becoming another Lebanon with a […]
Hezbollah's Al Manar TV boasted yesterday that various groups and individuals in the Arab world have pledged solidarity with the leading Lebanese-based opposition group in its current showdown with Lebanon's Western-backed ruling majority. This claim coincidentally comes shortly before a Qatari-led delegation from the Arab League is scheduled to arrive in Beirut Wednesday to help […]