Iraqi President Barham Salih said foreign Islamic State fighters tried in Iraq could be handed death sentences, according to an interview published by Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National on Friday.
Read More »Life after ISIS: Hellish public execution square in Raqqa returns to former glory
Once known as the Islamic State “public square from hell,” with regular executions, crucifixions, and lashings, Raqqa’s old Paradise Square is returning to its former glory, two years after its liberation.
Read More »The real Energy Return of Crude Oil: smaller than you would have imagined
A simple but important study by Luciano Celi shows what is the real energy return that oil companies manage to attain. Much smaller than you would have believed, in several cases it is today well below 10. Which means that renewable energies already produce a larger EROI than oil and …
Read More »Syria Accuses U.S. Stole 40+ Tons of Its Gold
The Syrian National News Agency headlined on February 26th, “Gold deal between United States and Daesh” (Daesh is ISIS) and reported that, Information from local sources said that US army helicopters have already transported the gold bullions under cover of darkness on Sunday [February 24th], before transporting them to the …
Read More »Iran and North Korea highlight pitfalls of Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ strategy
Donald J. Trump’s hitherto failed ‘maximum pressure’ approach to Iran, as well as for that matter North Korea, begs the question what the US president’s true objectives are and what options he is left with should the policy ultimately fail.
Read More »Finding a way forward in the Baghdad-Erbil oil dispute
Disagreements between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over oil policy have been one of Iraq’s most stubborn problems. Resolving this issue would allow for better development of natural resources, generate more revenue that’s badly needed for reconstruction, and might potentially deflate competing claims to disputed territories. There are …
Read More »US foreign policy towards the Middle East: Pumping air into a punctured tire
Theorizing the future of the Arab Gulf states and the broader Middle East requires a proper assessment of the state of power distribution in the region. Is there a new balance of power emerging in the Middle East, or is the distribution of power heading in a more dangerous direction?
Read More »Origins of the Libyan Conflict and Options for Its Resolution
In the 42 years preceding the 2011 uprising, Muammar Gaddafi controlled all power in Libya. Since the uprising, Libyans, fragmented by geography, tribe, ideology, and history, have resisted having anyone, foreigner or Libyan, telling them what to do. In the process, they have frustrated efforts of outsiders to help them …
Read More »Idlib- Reportage From The Last Front In Syria
For a while, all the guns have fallen silent. I am near Idlib, the last stronghold of the terrorists in Syria. The area where the deadliest anti-government fighters, most of them injected into Syria from Turkey, with Saudi, Qatari and Western ‘help’, are literally holed up, ready for the final …
Read More »Pakistan PM’s political party welcomes Harakat-ul-Mujahideen emir into ranks
Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil and his supporters voice their support for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party in July 2018, and not today as originally reported. Paragephs 1 and 3 have been updated to reflect the change.
Read More »