Middle East

I strongly believe that the time is right for Turkey and Israel to mend their critically important bilateral relationship which has suffered a precipitous decline since 2010. With the Middle East in turmoil as a result of the Arab Spring, the perilously unfolding crisis in Syria, the concerns around the Iranian nuclear program…. (read more)….

After deadly clashes on 2 May near the defence ministry, thousands of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo and Alexandria two days later to protest against the army’s hold on power.

It is extremely rare to have a direct peephole into events on the ground in Syria. The hard-fought battle over narratives often leaves truth in the dust. But among the cache of recently leaked emails (exclusive to Al Akhbar) from Syrian National Council (SNC) President Burhan Ghalioun’s inbox, comes this gem… (read on)

1) Cautious, incremental movement toward political reconciliation and reform spearheaded by the Syrian government and closely monitored by Kofi Annan’s UN mission, Moscow, Tehran and Beijing.

2) Dangerous escalation of violence and militarization that will increasingly include foreign jihadists and is likely spill over into the broader Middle East.

I was questioned under caution! Not in a gloomy cellar, without blinding projectors like in the movies, without Shin Bet ( Israel Security Agency ) interrogators who shouted and caressed alternately.

The questioning was conducted by officials from the Interior Ministry’s Construction Inspection Unit, in Jerusalem.

The Green Path of Hope is the name of the movement inspired by Iran’s Mir Hossein Mousavi that took effect after the heavy-handed crackdown organised by the Ahmadinejad government against the Iranian people after the disputed 2009 presidential election. The Coordinating Council of the Green Path of Hope issued the following statement: [Pressenza emphasis of final paragraph]

There is a lot of noise coming out of different quarters about the “imminent collapse” of the UN observer mission in Syria. “Dead on arrival,” says one American commentator. “Failure to uphold truce,” accused the White House and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, pointing fingers at the Syrian government. (See Al Akhbar website, link below)

Cairo, 23 April – Tens of thousands of protesters returned to Cairo’s Tahrir Square in a massive demonstration Friday [April 20] demanding that the ruling military generals immediately hand over power to a civilian government. The protesters also called for former regime members to be barred from running in next month’s presidential elections.

Sandbox Item five on UN Envoy Kofi Annan’s 6-point plan for Syria: “Ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists and a non-discriminatory visa policy for them.” At a delicate moment in the hard-fought Syrian conflict that could potentially destabilize the entire ME, the UN believes getting more journalists into Syria is one of the six most urgent actions.

Yemen security forces surrounded [Oromo Ethiopians and Eritreans] refugees last week and held them hours. Soon after, more than 220 refugees were randomly taken by bus to Al Kharaz refugee camp in Aden, Yemen. The remaining 380 refugees were thrown in detention centers throughout Yemen. Sadly, some of those at the refugee camp in Al Kharaz were split from spouses and children.