Archives for July, 2015

Turkey drawn into vortex of violence

A sudden escalation of attacks against police and the military after the Suruc suicide bombing prompts fears that the cease-fire with the Kurds has ended.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew (L) listens to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) as they appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington July 23, 2015. U.S. lawmakers skeptical about the nuclear deal with Iran promised to press senior Obama administration officials to make more information about it public at a Senate hearing on Thursday as Congress begins its two-month review of the agreement.
REUTERS/Gary Cameron
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Congress gets extra dose of Iran before summer recess

A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of July 27.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani leaves after delivering a speech at plenary session during the Asian African Conference in Jakarta April 22, 2015. The 60th Asian-African Conference is held in Jakarta and Bandung from April 19 to 24, 2015. REUTERS/Beawiharta - RTX19RI1

Post deal, can Rouhani deliver on promises of reform?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani must tread lightly to ensure economic prosperity after sanctions relief.

Rape of young girl in Iran met with muted response

The incident is raising questions of a double standard media censorship in Iran.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal waves to Palestinian student during his visit to the Islamic University in Gaza City December 9, 2012. Hamas's vow to vanquish Israel after claiming "victory" in last month's Gaza conflict vindicates Israel's reluctance to relinquish more land to the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. Khaled Meshaal, the leader of the Islamist Hamas movement, made a defiant speech before thousands of supporters in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, promising to take "inch-by-

Gaza universities now more accessible, for all the wrong reasons

Universities in Gaza are lowering their admissions standards in what appears to be a way to realize profit while disregarding the needs of the market.

Westerners who have joined the Iraqi Christian militia Dwekh Nawsha to fight against Islamic State militants, take a photograph together at the office of the Assyrian political party in Dohuk, northern Iraq February 13, 2015. Thousands of foreigners have flocked to Iraq and Syria in the past two years, mostly to join Islamic State, but a handful of idealistic Westerners are enlisting as well, citing frustration their governments are not doing more to combat the ultra-radical Islamists or prevent the sufferi

Iraqi Christian militia draws foreign fighters

Foreign fighters who have joined Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian military organization fighting the Islamic State in Iraq, are finally seeing combat.

Saudi-Iranian understanding key to nuclear deal's success

The nuclear deal should be a prelude to major coordination between Saudi Arabia and Iran if it is to help bring about peace in the region.

Does Turkey care about cultural diversity?

More than 100 countries have endorsed a UN convention on protecting cultural diversity, but a decade after its inception, the convention still awaits ratification by the Turkish parliament.

Amr Moussa, head of the assembly writing Egypt's new constitution,speaks after they finished their vote at the Shura Council in Cairo December 1, 2013. A hardline Islamist leader said the army had driven Egypt to the "edge of a precipice", as a new constitution likely to ban Islamic political parties was set to be approved on Sunday by the panel that drafted it. The 50-member constituent assembly was due to finish voting on a draft that reflects how the balance of power has shifted in Egypt since secular-mi

Is Egypt ready for a secular party?

Attempts to establish a secular party are springing up in Egypt, but can the country accept what this party preaches?

Cyprus settlement could open trade routes for Turkey

Should the peace talks in Cyprus result in the island’s reunification, the Turkish economy could benefit from Nicosia's close ties in the eastern Mediterranean.

Why are Turkey's televangelists talking about oral sex?

Turkish imams and televangelists are becoming increasingly outspoken in their commentary and debates on permitted sexual practices.

Hamas puts on new face with English website launch

Hamas has launched a new website in English in the hope of bolstering its communication with the West.

Dismissed PLO leader denies Dahlan coup plot

In an interview with Al-Monitor, former PLO secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo accused President Mahmoud Abbas of one-man rule over Palestinian institutions.

Israel defense minister refuses to consider IDF pension cuts

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon attacked a report calling for the cutting of IDF salaries and pensions despite public support for a more transparent IDF budget.

Israelis lack compassion for Gazans' suffering

The recent cancellations of screenings of a documentary on Gaza makes it seem that Israelis are incapable of acknowledging the trauma of war when those suffering are Palestinians.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, (R), Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, (L), and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz (C) appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington July 23, 2015. U.S. lawmakers skeptical about the nuclear deal with Iran promised to press senior Obama administration officials to make more information about it public at a Senate hearing on Thursday as Congress begins its two-month review of the agreement.
REUTERS/Gary Cameron
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Kerry, GOP face off over Iran deal

The secretary of state said lawmakers in search of a better deal are pursuing a "fantasy."