Middle East Archives - Page 26 of 34

Middle East2015-04-152023-07-10

No Signs Yet Of Mass Destruction Weapon-Free Middle East

By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

BERLIN (IDN) – In run-up to the four-week-long quinquennial review of the landmark Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the goal of a Middle East free of the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery remains a distant dream. And so does the Helsinki Conference that should have been convened in December 2012.

All indications are that also the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) influential countries of the world – Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States – do not see a silver lining on the horizon. They met ahead of G7 summit June 7-8.

Middle East2015-03-112023-07-10

Soldiers of Conscience Breaking the Silence

By Mel Frykberg | IDN-InDepth NewsFeature

This news feature tells the story of how groups of Israelis and Palestinians are empowering communities at daggers drawn to consider themselves as part of a solution, rising above parochial interests and swimming against prevailing political tide, thus lending a vibrant local dimension to the broader concept of global citizenship.

HEBRON, West Bank (IDN) – The ancient biblical city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, is holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam and is steeped in historical, archaeological and religious treasures.

Middle East2014-09-152023-07-10

Arab NGO Network Concerned Over Rights Violations in Egypt

By Jutta Wolf | IDN-InDepth NewsReport

BERLIN (IDN) – Violations of rights in Egypt are becoming increasingly evident in the aftermath of the country’s Ministry of Social Solidarity proposing a new law, which would constitute a dangerous escalation in the framework of systematic targeting of civil society activists and increasing restrictions imposed upon them, according to the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND).

Middle East2014-09-082023-07-10

A Hamas David vs. an Israeli Goliath

By Jayantha Dhanapala* | IDN-InDepth NewsViewpoint

KANDY, Sri Lanka (IDN) – After an earlier eruption of one-sided warfare in Gaza, I wrote a piece titled “Eyeless in Gaza” in December 2012 referring appropriately to an Old Testament story in the Bible, resonant with both the Jewish Israeli and the Christian Palestinian, and recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s warning that an eye for an eye will make us all blind. I concluded that, “A peaceful settlement of the illegal occupation of Gaza by Israel and an end to the scandalous conditions of its 1.7 million citizens is still very far away.”

Of course no peaceful settlement has taken place. Instead we have had brutal and relentless ground and air attacks by Israel and exchanges of fire finally ending after 50 days of suffering and destruction with a ceasefire on August 27. There is no guarantee that this will be a sustainable ceasefire unless the root causes are addressed.

Middle East2014-08-192023-07-10

UN Aid Reaches Displaced Civilians in Libya

By UN News | IDN-InDepth NewsReport

NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations refugee agency said August 18 it had, for the first time, begun sending aid into western Libya from Tunisia to help some of the tens of thousands of people displaced by weeks of fighting in Tripoli.

A first convoy carrying urgently needed medical supplies and relief items from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was organized by the International Medical Corps (IMC) on August 16.

The two trucks set off from Medinine and crossed the border at Ras Ajdir before heading to the town of Zawiya, where some 12,000 people have sought shelter from the fighting in Libya’s capital.

Middle East2014-06-072023-07-10

Egypt: From Mubarak To Al-Sisi via Tahrir Square

By Jayantha Dhanapala* | IDN-InDepth Viewpoint

KANDY, Sri Lanka (IDN) – In marked contrast to the vibrant exercise of democracy in India last month, a military coup toppled a controversial but democratically elected government in Thailand – an Asian Buddhist country with which Sri Lanka has ancient bonds and shared traditions. Worse still an election was held from May 26-28 in Egypt – a founder member of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) – resulting in recently retired Army Commander Abdul Fattah al-Sisi securing an incredible fairy-tale 96.9% of the vote in which only 47.45% of the voters cast their vote.

This column wrote in an analysis of the July 3, 2013 coup, which deposed the democratically elected Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood: “Much now depends on the interim Government and their ability to pave the way for fresh elections when a genuinely representative Government will emerge. The Muslim Brotherhood must also change and settle for a compromise and for reconciliation in the larger interests of the stability and prosperity of Egypt and her people.”

Middle East2014-04-182023-07-10

Strategic Pause in Iran’s Nuke Program Likely

By Arch Roberts* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

WASHINGTON (IDN | Yale Global) – The new round of talks opened on April 8 marks another step in the race against time to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. The powers have given Iran until July 20 to reach comprehensive agreement on denuclearization. But what if Iran believes it has enough nuclear potential and the time has come for a strategic pause in its nuclear program? From a technological standpoint, Iran is in much the same class – in the sense of possessing the technical ability to build nuclear weapons – as Germany, Brazil, Japan, Korea and some 10 other nations. Iran grabbed the golden ring against fierce opposition, with a lot of help from A.Q. Khan of Pakistan, and is hardly likely to relinquish its nuclear gains after investing an estimated $100 billion.

Middle East2014-04-032023-07-10

Iranian Scientists Break New Grounds

By Mehr News Agency

TEHRAN (IDN | Iran Review) – During the Iranian calendar year, 1392 (March 21, 2013 to March 21, 2014), the world of science and technology witnessed major breakthroughs made possible through the endeavors of Iranian scientists. These researchers made great progress in different scientific fields in various parts of the world, which made them a cause of honor for every Iranian anywhere in the world.

Scientific achievements of a group of researchers of Iranian origin in the United States, Australia and the UK in such scientific fields as medicine, energy, electricity and computer, helped these human sciences to move a step forward. Among their achievements one can point out the production of hepatic cells from skin cells, production of metamaterials, as well as the discovery of a whole new category of antibiotics.

Middle East2014-04-012023-07-10

Working With Iran Is In Western Interest

News Analysis by Shireen T. Hunter*

WASHINGTON D.C. (IDN | Lobe Log) – Not long after the outbreak of the crisis over Ukraine and Crimea, many observers began asking the following question: what impact could renewed Russo-Western tensions have on the fate of the ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program? Will the Russians encourage Iran to become more obdurate and change its current and more flexible approach to negotiations with the P5+1 countries (the US, Britain, France, China, and Russia plus Germany), stop complying with sanctions on Iran, or even help it financially and militarily, for example by delivering the promised-but-withheld S-300 air defense system or even shipping the more advanced S-400?

Middle East2014-03-242023-07-10

Iran Considering ‘Active Neutrality’ in Ukraine

By Kayhan Barzegar* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

TEHRAN (IDN | Al-Monitor) – As a consequence of the crisis in Ukraine, dubbed rightly as a geostrategic rivalry between Russia (East) and the West (America) for defining their regional and global role and influence, the traditional debate of looking to the East or the West has once again become an issue in Iran’s intellectual and policy circle, and this has provoked the question of what actually should be Iran’s policy in dealing with such a crisis.