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Russia Supports its Ally Syria: You Got a Problem with That?

Before a UN Security Council meeting to discuss a draft resolution demanding that Syrian President Bashar al-Asad step down, a senior Russian diplomat called it a "path to civil war." The civil war is here, in part because the Russians are providing political cover and military assistance to Asad. Speaking of the just-announced sale of 36 Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten fighter planes worth $550 million, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia has no plans to "justify" the sale. "We don't consider it necessary to explain ourselves or justify ourselves, because we are not violating any international agreements or any Security Council resolutions."

If he did explain, it might sound like this:

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By Shoshana Bryen  |  February 3, 2012 at 3:30 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Hariri Murder Suspects to be Tried In Absentia

The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), based in the Netherlands, will try four Hezbollah suspects in absentia for the 2005 murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, hopefully in 2012. The tribunal came to this conclusion as a last resort after Beirut was unable to locate and arrest the suspects -- Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Anaissi, and Assad Sabra.

Hezbollah has not commented on the issue, but its leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously dismissed the indictments, calling the STL a tool of U.S. and Israeli policy to hurt the terrorist group. Nevermind that the tribunal was formed by Lebanon's request under former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Rafik Hariri's son. It is the first international court with the authority to prosecute terrorist acts.

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By Samara Greenberg  |  February 2, 2012 at 1:18 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Iran Launches HispanTV

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially launched HispanTV this week, a Spanish satellite television channel that will broadcast news, documentaries, and Iranian films 24 hours a day via cable or Internet, allowing viewers to watch from televisions, mobile phones, and computers. The channel, previously on a 16-hour daily trial since October, is the first of its kind to be launched from the Middle East targeting the world's Spanish-speaking people. The launch follows Ahmadinejad's recent visit to Latin America in January where he was received by Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Ecuador in an effort to strengthen regional ties.

Referring to the West in his speech at the channel's inauguration ceremony in Tehran, Ahmadinejad said, "The new channel will limit the ground from supremacy of dominance seekers," and that, "Under the current circumstances in the world, a selfish and bullying minority has attempted to impose its will on the entire world. The nations are in need of consultations and exchange of views to safeguard their fundamental right."

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By Erin Dwyer  |  February 1, 2012 at 3:46 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Netanyahu Facebooks the Arab World

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent an unprecedented 30 minutes on live Facebook chat this past Monday in an attempt to use the social media site as a tool to help eradicate stereotypes of both his character and of Israel. Ofir Gendelman, the prime minister's spokesperson for Arabic media, translated questions from participants as they were submitted onto the PM's Arabic Facebook page, and then continued to translate and type Netanyahu's responses.

A reported 700 people participated in the chat representing Arab concerns from Jordan, Iraq, the Persian Gulf, the Palestinian Authority, North Africa, and Israel. The questions largely addressed the threat of a nuclear Iran, continuing unrest in Arab nations, and the dormant peace process with the Palestinians.

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By Erin Dwyer  |  January 31, 2012 at 4:13 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

The Syrian Tragedy

Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby arrived in New York on Monday, two days after the League suspended its mission to Syria due to "critical" conditions and rising violence in the country. El-Araby will deliver the mission's findings to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, and later this week, the UNSC is expected to take up a draft resolution introduced by Morocco calling on Syrian President Bashar al-Asad to step down and transfer power to his vice president. Russia has already said it will veto the resolution to protect its ally.

Fighting around the capital of Damascus intensified over the weekend when the Syrian army launched an offensive into suburbs controlled by the rebel Free Syrian Army. According to reports, the rebel army made a tactical withdrawal and the regime's forces took over the areas, killing at least 26. On Sunday, at least 60 were killed in fighting across the country. The fighting around Damascus continued into Monday.

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By Samara Greenberg  |  January 30, 2012 at 1:38 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Mid-East Hackers Declare Cyber War

A group of Israeli hackers calling themselves "IDF Team" brought down several Iranian websites Thursday in the latest chapter of the Middle East's cyber war. Sites affected include Iran's Press TV and the websites of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Other various Iranian sites were also hacked and their servers adjusted to display an Israeli flag and an anti-Arab message in English. The hackers explained that the sites would be shut down until further notice, adding: "Ahmadinejad what do you have to say about that?"

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By Erin Dwyer  |  January 27, 2012 at 11:01 am  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

"Hope and Change" in the Middle East

In his State of the Union address, President Obama used the allusion that the tide of war is receding in the Middle East, suggesting that the U.S. has strengthened its position in that vital and volatile part of the world. He is wrong. The United States is receding from the Middle East, but the tide of war remains.

Absent the stabilizing hand of American troops, the Iraqi government has been arresting its opponents, exacerbating political tension while a new period of sectarian bloodshed has ripped the country. On one terrible day in December, coordinated explosions ravaged Baghdad, killing more than 70 people and injuring more than 200. In January, scores of Shiites were killed and hundreds wounded across five days of pilgrimages during a holy period. Almost every day bombs go off somewhere, engendering fear among the people that their brief experience with relative freedom and relative openness is ending.

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By Shoshana Bryen  |  January 26, 2012 at 2:31 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Bahrain Fisters Clash With Police

A moderate cleric in Bahrain inspired the country's Shia youth to take up arms on Tuesday, leaving at least one dead and dozens injured. In a sermon, Sheikh Isa Qassim proclaimed, "Whoever you see abusing a woman, crush him" and "Let us die for our honor." Clashes flared after posts on social networks, primarily Facebook and Twitter, called for Bahrainis to "confront" security forces.

Protesters took to the streets of several villages reportedly using metal rods, rocks, bottles, and petro bombs, leaving 41 security officers injured -- two of which were left in critical condition. Public Security Chief Major General Tariq al-Hassan referred to protesters as vandals who were blocking roads, leading to several arrests in undisclosed Shiite villages. Such protests turned violent have been internally referred to as the "Bahrain Fist."

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By Erin Dwyer  |  January 25, 2012 at 1:49 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Changes in Hamas?

Hamas is holding meetings with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second-most active Palestinian Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip, to discuss the idea of merging the two factions, sources on both sides revealed last week. According to PIJ spokesman Daud Shihab, the two had previously attempted to unite, but those efforts failed. This time around is the first that the movements are discussing their potential merger publicly.

Little has been said by Hamas on what merging with PIJ would mean for its unity agreement with Fatah signed last May, or its stance on firing rockets at Israel from Gaza -- for which Hamas frequently blames the PIJ. Talks of merging, however, signals a toughening of Hamas's stance on Israel at a time when some analysts argue that Hamas is becoming more moderate in light of the Arab uprisings and nearby Muslim Brotherhood victories.

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By Samara Greenberg  |  January 24, 2012 at 11:41 am  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment

Egypt's Islamist-Led Parliament Sworn In

Egypt's parliament convened for its first post-Mubarak session on Monday nearly two months after the country first went to the polls and overwhelmingly voted Islamists into the assembly. One of the parliament's first accomplished tasks was selecting a new speaker, Mohamed Saad el-Katatni, secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). The parliament will also be responsible for choosing a 100-member assembly that will draft Egypt's new constitution. El-Katatni's selection as speaker highlights the power that the Islamists will likely have in influencing the constitution.

Over the weekend, Egypt's electoral commission announced the election's final results: While the FJP garnered 47.18 percent of seats, the Salafist Al-Nour Party came in second place with nearly 25 percent. In third, the liberal Wafd Party won nearly nine percent.

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By Samara Greenberg  |  January 23, 2012 at 12:45 pm  |  Permalink  |  Submit a Comment