#turkey Pushing for Own ‘Popular Mobilization’ Militia in #Iraq
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/24045
Turkey is investing in the upcoming battle for the liberation of #Mosul to expand its influence in Iraq. An increasing number of credible reports indicate this course of action, in the aftermath of the operation launched by the Iraqi government to retake Tikrit (the last major stronghold for Daesh before Mosul), with support from the Iranian #Qods_Force led by General #Qassem_Soleimani.
Death: The Only Reliable News in #Aleppo
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23950
Battles are raging in the Aleppo countryside, but the residents of the city itself have stopped following the news of the fighting. There are many reasons behind this apparent indifference, including the news of more immediate deaths as a result of the shelling of their neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Aleppo natives continue to devise new ways to survive the conflict.
#Articles #Damascus #Lattakia #syria #Tartous #Mideast_&_North_Africa
How Turkish Troops Entered #syria with #ISIS and Kurdish Assistance
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23908
Turkish troops entered Syria, as part of a well-planned operation, to relocate the remains of #Suleiman_Shah. The “seamless” operation relied on alliances and understandings forged by #Ankara with the Kurdish force in the region and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Today, #turkey chose a new location to bury the grandfather of the Ottoman empire’s founder Osman I, thus playing a more active part in the operations taking place in #North_Syria, particularly in matters regarding the Kurds and the Syrian Army.
#Ain_al-Arab #Articles #Kurdish_People's_Protection_Units #Syrian_Kurdish_Democratic_Union_Party #Syrian-Kurds #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Open Border War in #Aleppo: #Syrian_army Retreats to #Bashkoy
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23887
The first offensive by the Syrian army and its allies failed to meet its objectives of completing the cordon of Aleppo and breaking the siege of #Nubol and #al-Zahraa. Nevertheless, the army was able to hold on to its gains in the town of Bashkoy, after withdrawing from the town of #Hardatnin. Pending other imminent rounds, the battles could still pan out in a number of different ways.
#Al-Nusra_Front #Articles #Jaysh_al-Muhajirin_wal_Ansar #Rayan #syria #turkey #Mideast_&_North_Africa
The “ISIS spring” in #North_Africa
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23876
The Islamic State in Iraq and #syria (ISIS) (aka the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant [ISIL]) is expanding beyond the Levant. Establishing Wilyat Sinai (the Province of Sinai) was just the start, and now the group is determined to expand into all of North Africa. What happened in Sirte yesterday is just one episode in a series geared toward launching an “ISIS Spring” on the African continent.
#Anwar_Sadat #Articles #Bashar_al-Assad #Boko_Haram #Cameroon #Chad #Egypt #ISIL #ISIS #Morocco #Niger #Nigeria #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#turkey Attempting to Thwart Syrian Army Operation in the #Aleppo Countryside
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23859
Turkey has now involved itself in the battle raging in Aleppo’s northern countryside. Further, Turkey is said to be attempting to thwart the Syrian army’s attempts to cut off the road between the city of Aleppo and Turkish territories and break the siege around the towns of #Nubl and #al-Zahraa. #Ankara opened the border to fighters and supplied them with what they need to preempt a new military reality in the area, where the Turkish state wants to establish a buffer zone.
#Aleppo_countryside #Articles #Azaz #Bashkoy #Bianoon #Hardetneen #Haritan #Ratyan #Revolutionary_Military_Council_of_Aleppo #syria #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Diplomatic Activity Portends “Coup” in Saudi Foreign Relations
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/diplomatic-activity-portends-coup%E2%80%9D-saudi-foreign-relation
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Abdullatif al-Zayani attends an extraordinary GCC meeting of foreign ministers, on February 14, 2015, in the Saudi capital #Riyadh. AFP/Fayez Nureldine Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Abdullatif al-Zayani attends an extraordinary GCC meeting of foreign ministers, on February 14, 2015, in the Saudi capital Riyadh. AFP/Fayez Nureldine
Riyadh has seen a flurry of diplomatic activity from the Gulf in the past few days amid talk of changes in Saudi foreign policy under #King_Salman_bin_Abdulaziz. The new policy would be geared toward establishing a Sunni alliance against Iran and mending fences with #turkey, #Qatar, and the #Muslim_Brotherhood. After (...)
#Mideast_&_North_Africa #Ankara #Ansarullah #Articles #Egypt #Kuwait #Mohammed_bin_Nayef #Sabah_al-Ahmed_al-Jaber_al-Sabah #Saudi_Arabia #syria #Yemen
A Blow to #Ankara: #Syrian_army Makes Advances in #Aleppo Offensive
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23846
The Syrian army and its allied forces are continuing the battle to besiege neighborhoods under the control of the opposition in the city of Aleppo, and to break the siege around the towns of #Nubl and #al-Zahraa in the city’s northern countryside — a move significant for its timing. The operation is reminiscent of the army’s surrounding of #Eastern_Ghouta, on April 7, 2013, which sought to prevent attacks on the nearby capital, and besieged the fighters. Starting yesterday, the army has been trying to perform the same feat in Aleppo, the capital of northern #syria.
#Articles #Bashkoy #Damascus #Hakan_Fidan #Hardetneen #Raytan #Staffan_de_Mistura #turkey #UN #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#Egypt’s Misguided Drive to Wage War on the ‘Islamic State’ in #Libya
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23828
There is no pride in Egypt’s response to the fate of its hostages. It is being lured into an open-ended battle by the Islamic State (IS) group in Libya, a sprawling organization in a fragmented country. On the other hand, perhaps the Egyptian government was seeking out this battle and is seizing on the execution of 21 #Copts on February 15 as an opportunity and pretext to obtain popular endorsement to wage this battle — exactly as what happened in Jordan.
#al-Qaeda #Articles #Benghazi #Islamic_State_group #Khalifa_Haftar #Kuwait #Misrata #Sinai #Tripoli #UAE #Wilayat_Barqa #Mideast_&_North_Africa
From #Damascus to #Daraa: Documenting the Battle in the South
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23782
The Syrian Arab Army soldiers at the gate greet every media crew as if they are seeing their comrades. Many types of military units are stationed on the edge of the road. The formation suggests they have deployed with a great deal of organization. There, soldiers, for years, have been stationed away from the bustling city of Damascus, and away from their families in the other governorates. Below are some snapshots from the battlefield in the Syrian south.
#Articles #Deir_al-Adas #Deir_Maker #Quneitra #Southern_Syria #syria #Syrian_army #US #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#Syrian_army Advances in the South as Aloush Renews Threats Against #Damascus
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syrian-army-advances-south-aloush-renews-threats-against-damascus
Syrian government forces walk in Deir al-Adas in the #Daraa province on February 11, 2015. AFP Syrian government forces walk in Deir al-Adas in the Daraa province on February 11, 2015. AFP
The steady advances by the Syrian army toward villages in #Southern_Syria allowed the return of Deir al-Adas, al-Danaji, Deir Maker, and the hills of Masih, Mer’i, al-Arous, and al-Sarjah to the control of the state. Meanwhile, Zahran Aloush has renewed his threats against the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Ahmad Hassan
read (...)
#Mideast_&_North_Africa #Al-Nusra_Front #Articles #Douma #Free_Syrian_Army #syria
Is History Repeating Itself in #Egypt?
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23695
Is history repeating itself in Egypt today, or are the same mistakes being committed again? About four years ago, the opposition called for boycotting the second round of elections, because candidates of the now-dissolved #National_Democratic_Party (NDP) won a suspicious landslide victory, gaining 95 percent of parliamentary seats, even in districts where NDP candidates had lost popular support to candidates from the opposition and independent parties.
#Ahmed_Ezz #Articles #Hosni_Mubarak #January_25_revolution #Mohammed_al-Baradei #Muslim_Brotherhood #Tahrir_square #The_Constitution_Party #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#Houthis Take Control of #Yemen Without Seizing Power
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23662
The Houthis’ first step toward governing Yemen seems like a necessary option imposed on Ansarullah due to the failure of Yemeni parties, following days of intensive talks, to reach a solution to the political crisis and fill the power vacuum created by the resignation of the president and his government under external pressure.
#al-Islah_Party #al-Qaeda #Ansurallah #Articles #Mohammed_Ali_al-Houthi #Muslim_Brotherhood #Saudi_Arabia #US #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#Lebanon: #Civil_marriage Advocates Call for Interior Minister to Resign
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23651
The #Civil_Authority_for_Freedom_of_Choice urged Minister of Interior and Municipalities #Nouhad_al-Machnouk to resign. Next they intend to pursue the issuance of birth certificates that do not mention sect. Meanwhile, the #Committee_of_Muslim_Scholars warned of “the consequences” of such actions.
#Articles #Interior_ministry #Lebanese_constitution #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Secret Dialogue Between Syrian Regime and Opposition in Beirut
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23614
Beirut has now joined the list of cities where meetings between the Syrian government and opposition have taken place. In an effort to find a political solution out of the Syrian predicament, the Norwegian government is sponsoring an intra-Syrian dialogue in #Lebanon under the supervision of Reverend Dr. #Riad_Jarjour. Will they remain low-level meetings or will we witness a ‘Beirut I’ conference on #syria?
#Articles #Austria #Børge_Brende #Geneva #Moaz_al-Khatib #Norway #Russia #Sergei_Lavrov #Syrian_National_Coalition #Syrian_opposition #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#LBC, #Future_TV and #MTV : An Advertising and Political Merger
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23573
http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/tahtah-%2812%29.gif 
It is said that when late Lebanese Prime Minister #Rafik_Hariri established the Future media outlets, he discovered the real cost of media production, compared to the payments that individual newspaper, radio and TV owners demanded of him. Today, former Lebanese Prime Minister #Saad_Hariri is thinking about sidestepping his political team’s media outlets to save himself from imaginary losses, keep advertisers in check, stop the waste, bridge the deficit, accomplish a qualitative media leap and, most importantly, keep a tighter grip on media outlets.
#Articles #Lebanese_Forces #Lebanese_Media #Lebanon #March_14_movement #Michel_Aoun #Michel_Gabriel_al-Murr #Pierre_Daher #Samir_Geagea #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#syria: An Israeli Hand into the Southern Front?
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23507
The latest battles on the southern front in Syria fall within the context of the escalation with #Israel in the occupied Syrian #Golan_Heights and southern Lebanon. Although coordination between Israel and armed opposition groups preceded the attack in #Quneitra, the surge in fighters along the #Daraa, Quneitra and Zabadani fronts suggests, according to some, a clear Israeli message — namely, that they are able to engage on more than one front.
#Al-Nusra_Front #Articles #Beirut-Damascus_road #FSA #ISIS #Kobane #Sweida #Syrian_army #Syrian_rebels #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Egyptian #police: In Service of the Regime
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23422
Four years ago, the Egyptian police were at the height of their power, manifested in teargas bombs, weapons, and an iron grip. Then they were overpowered by the people in less than 72 hours. Despite promises to restructure the police apparatus, the violent security policies against demonstrations have not changed.
#Articles #Egypt #January_25_revolution #Mohammed_Ibrahim #repression #security_forces #Shaima_Sabbagh #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Panic in #Israel
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23334
Yesterday, Israel went from a state of anxiety to a state of panic, after its attempts to contain Iran and #Hezbollah’s anger — by offering mitigating excuses and an indirect apology via a senior security official on Tuesday — failed. Panic seized people in northern Israeli settlements when news spread that Hezbollah commandos were crossing the border to carry out kidnapping operations.
#Alex_Fishman #Articles #Beirut #benjamin_netanyahu #Dahiyeh #Jihad_Mughniyeh #Lebanon #Mohammed_Ali_Allahdadi #Quneitra #Sayyed_Hassan_Nasrallah #syria #Mideast_&_North_Africa
The Resistance Set its Sight on the #Golan_Heights
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23317
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/923234.JPG
The Agreement on Disengagement signed by #syria and #Israel in 1974 is not worth much anymore, in light of the changes on the ground in southern Syria. However, the assassination of #Hezbollah resistance fighters in the Syrian city of #Quneitra last Sunday, appears to publicize the resistance’s activities in the Golan Heights. Long strides have been made in preparing the ground, the support base, and a trained and ready force, in the past year. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced this decision, and Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah followed suit. The launch of resistance activities in the Golan Heights ends the phase of a confined war and of partial resistance, and ushers in a stage of comprehensive and strategic (...)
#Articles #Iran #Lebanon #Quds_Force #Tel_Aviv #Mideast_&_North_Africa
#Tehran Threatens to Open the Golan Front in Response to Israeli Strike
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23295
"The response will be firm and decisive.” This, in short, was the Iranian reaction to the Israeli attack in the Syrian province of #Quneitra, which killed a senior commander in the #Iranian_Revolutionary_Guard (IRG), among others. The Iranian reaction indicates the possibility of opening the Golan front, where work is underway to build the necessary infrastructure. Preparations began after Syrian President #Bashar_al-Assad’s announcement that the response to Israeli attacks on #syria would come from the #Golan_Heights.
#Articles #Hussein_Sheikh_al-Islam #Iran #Israel #Mohammed_Ali_Allah-Dadi #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Is a Late ‘Arab Spring’ Knocking on #Algeria’s Doors from the Desert?
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23279
The sands of the desert in southern Algeria are moving to the beat of popular protests, and the ruling party has warned that the protests might evolve into an “Arab Spring.” Fears have particularly heightened after the dismantling of a terrorist cell of 12 members in sensitive areas in the south of the country. According to the #Algerian_army, the cell was planning attacks on #Oil sites in collaboration with foreign parties.
#Articles #FLN #Jil_Jadid #National_Liberation_Front #shale_gas #Soufiane_Djilali #South_Algeria #Mideast_&_North_Africa
Taking Advantage of Regional Conflicts, Bahraini Regime Cracks Down on Opposition
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23259
The crisis in #Bahrain is headed back towards escalation. The al-Khalifa regime has decided to take advantage of the regional situation, with the major players preoccupied with other threats, to step up its crackdown on the opposition, and unsettle the climate of de-escalation that prevailed in the country since the opposition agreed to dialogue.
#Abdel-Nabi_Salman #Al-Wefaq #Articles #Iain_Lindsay #Jamil_Kazim #Manama #National_Democratic_Action_Society #Progressive_Democratic_Forum #Sheikh_Ali_Salman #UK #US #Mideast_&_North_Africa
How Jordanians Came to Dominate #Al-Nusra_Front
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23238
Jordanians have played a central role in al-Nusra Front since its inception. After the “jihadist divorce” between al-Nusra and the Islamic State in Iraq and #syria (ISIS), Jordanian emigrants have enjoyed the lion’s share of power in the group’s chain of command.
#Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi #Abu_Mohammed_al-Joulani #al-Qaeda #Articles #ISIS #jihadists #Jordan #Mideast_&_North_Africa
The Rationale Behind the Regionalization of #Iraq
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/23211
The expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the north of Iraq has revived the debate about establishing new regions in Iraq. It is important to keep track of the “regionalization” proposal as it reflects the Iraqi people’s vision for their country in the post-US invasion years, independent from the ill-founded view that administrative and political divisions are mere means to design the form of government in any country.
#Abdel_Aziz_al-Hakim #Articles #Baghdad #Basra #Grand_Ayatollah_Sayyed_Ali_al-Sistani #Iraqi_Forces_Union #Iraqi_National_Alliance #ISIS #Joe_Biden #Kirkuk #Kurdistan_Alliance #Kurds #Najaf #Shia #Sunnia #US #Mideast_&_North_Africa