Middle East

Revealed: Al-Qaeda’s 22 Tips For Dodging Drones

"In support of Ibyan province (Yemen) Military Research Workshop. I have said in my article 'Strategies of Capabilities for Ansar al-Sharia' that the American retaliation against the Mujahideen military movements in Ibyan province will be restricted to the war of the drone. My expectations have been assured after the recent New York Times leakage that the CIA will handle the situation, and for this, it set up a secret military base for the drones in a neighboring country. It is important now that we understand this American army strategy and discuss ways to disable this strategy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRevealed: Al-Qaeda’s 22 Tips For Dodging Drones

Obama to receive Israel’s presidential medal of honor

"Barack Obama will become the first serving US president to receive Israel’s presidential medal, from his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres on a visit to the Jewish state next month, Peres’s office said on Monday. 'President Obama has made a unique and meaningful contribution to strengthening the state of Israel and the security of its people,' it said in a statement. 'Barack Obama is a true friend of the state of Israel and has been since the beginning of his public life. As president of the United States he has stood beside Israel in times of crisis,' it added." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama to receive Israel’s presidential medal of honor

Iraq demands U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil end deal with Kurdistan

"Nuri al-Maliki also appeared to once again rule out production-sharing deals that Exxon has signed with Kurdistan, arguing that Iraq’s substantial oil reserves 'belong to all Iraqis,' an oft-cited phrase in Iraq’s constitution that central government officials see as justifying per-barrel service fees. The meeting was the first between Maliki and Exxon chief Rex Tillerson since the firm signed an agreement in October 2011 for oil exploration with Kurdistan, angering the central government in Baghdad, which regards deals signed without the expressed approval of the federal oil ministry as illegal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq demands U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil end deal with Kurdistan

Iraq finds extra billion barrels of oil

"Iraq said on Sunday it has discovered deposits of crude equivalent to one billion barrels of oil after the first exploration work by state-owned firms in almost 30 years. The deposits were found after exploration in Maysan province, in southern Iraq near the border with Iran, and could potentially make a significant addition to Baghdad’s already substantial reserves. Iraq, which is highly dependent on oil sales for government revenue, has sought in recent years to dramatically ramp up production and exploration in order to help rebuild its conflict-battered economy and infrastructure." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq finds extra billion barrels of oil

Iraq back at the brink

"It was Britain that triggered Iraq's modern tragedy, starting with its seizure of Baghdad in 1917 and the haphazard reshaping of a country to fit the colonial needs and economic interests of London. One could argue that the early and unequalled mess created by the British invaders continued to wreak havoc, manifesting itself in various ways until this very day. But of course, the US now deserves most of the credit of reversing whatever has been achieved by the Iraqi people. It was US secretary of state James Baker who reportedly threatened Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz in a Geneva meeting in 1991 by saying that the US would destroy Iraq and 'bring it back to the stone age'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq back at the brink

Britain pushing to provide weapons to Syrian rebels

"Britain, apparently backed by a handful of European Union allies, is fighting to lift an EU arms embargo barring the supply of weapons to the Syrian rebel coalition battling President Bashar al-Assad. Britain and France had seen the March 1 deadline as an opportunity to respond to requests for weaponry by the opposition. But France appears to have cooled, leaving Britain facing opposition from Germany, Sweden and even the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, a British baroness who represents London on the European Commission." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritain pushing to provide weapons to Syrian rebels

Russian Foreign Minister: Russia will never involve itself in ‘another Afghanistan’

"The head of the Foreign Ministry said Russia has no intention of deploying its military to the Middle East or North Africa, where social and political crisis is rampant, opting instead to work diplomatically with legitimate governments. 'This is my answer to those who wonder why we are not fighting for our positions,' Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the 'Sunday Night with Solovyov' program. 'We will not be fighting for our positions…and creating 'another Afghanistan' for ourselves. Never, under no circumstances!' Lavrov was referring to the Soviet experience in Afghanistan (1979-1989), which is being played out in similar fashion today by the United States." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussian Foreign Minister: Russia will never involve itself in ‘another Afghanistan’

Diesel shortage pushes Egyptians to the brink

"Diesel supplies are drying up as a cash-strapped government struggles to cap a mounting bill for subsidies it has promised the IMF it will reform to secure an elusive $4.8 billion loan desperately needed to keep a sagging economy afloat. The situation appears near breakdown with growing shortages, unsustainable subsidies and foreign exchange reserves running out, raising the risk that fuel bottlenecks lead to food shortages and pose a risk to political stability. Foreign reserves are down below $15 billion, less than three months' imports, despite deposits from Qatar and Turkey. The Egyptian pound has lost 8 percent of its value this year and a black market has emerged." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDiesel shortage pushes Egyptians to the brink

Egypt, Syria – it’s just the end of them

"Two years and 60,000 casualties into Syria's civil war, the foreign ministries of the West have nothing to show for their peacemaking efforts except a wad of airline and hotel receipts. Egypt is proceeding with grim inevitability towards financial exhaustion, and the government has just announced a three-pita-per-day bread ration. Most alarming is the emergence of a black market in Egyptian pounds, with a street rate February 10 of 6.95 pounds to the US dollar, against an official rate of 6.72. United States President Barack Obama has asked congress to renew Egypt's $1.8 billion in annual aid, but two-thirds of that is military assistance." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEgypt, Syria – it’s just the end of them