Syria next to fall

Syria remains the Middle East’s only independent secular state. Washington aims to replace its regime with a client one. Syria’s economy deteriorates steadily. In 2011, its GDP collapsed 30% – from around $55 billion to $37 billion. Its currency also plunged from 47 to 62 to the dollar. Basic goods and services are in short […]

Seven colonization lessons from the history of the Middle East

More than any other part of the former colonial world, the Middle East has never been fully decolonized. Here are seven lessons from the history of Western meddling: 1. The west never gives up its drive to control the Middle East, whatever the setbacks – In 2003, the US and Britain invaded and occupied Iraq. […]

US drone bases throughout the Middle East

The Air Force is now negotiating with Turkey to relocate some of the Predator drones still operating in Iraq to the giant air base at Incirlik next year. Elsewhere in the Greater Middle East, according to Aviation Week, the military is launching Global Hawks from Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, piloted […]

Evangelical Christian Warmongers

Chuck Baldwin writes: I’ve been an evangelical Christian since I was a child. I’ve been in the Gospel ministry all of my adult life. I attended two evangelical Christian colleges, received honorary degrees from two others, and taught and preached in several others. I have been part of the inner workings of evangelical ministry for […]

Lowest US prestige ever in the Middle East

This month, in the Middle East, has seen the unmaking of the President of the United States. While Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu played out their farce in Washington – Obama groveling as usual – the Arabs got on with the serious business of changing their world, demonstrating and fighting and dying for freedoms they […]

Oil and the destabilization of formerly stable authoritarian Arab regimes

Whatever the outcome of the protests, uprisings, and rebellions now sweeping the Middle East, one thing is guaranteed: the world of oil will be permanently transformed. In 2009, suppliers in the Middle East and North Africa jointly produced 29 million barrels per day, or 36% of the world’s total oil supply. Compare this to Russia, […]

Another side of Muammar Gaddafi of Libya

Pravda offers a novel opinion about Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, different than Western spin: The daily media attack on the leader Muammar Gaddafi is one more terrorist strategy of the government of the United States of America to recover influence in the Arab world. How can you call someone a dictator who overthrew a […]

Saudi Arabia next Middle East domino?

The Arab News newspaper has warned that those winds of freedom from northern Africa may hit Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz also told the BBC there’s a danger the protests in Bahrain could spill into Saudi Arabia. It’s wishful thinking to bet on the House of Saud reforming itself – not while […]

Why is Internet freedom different for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks than protestors in Egypt?

In a major policy address, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton challenged autocratic regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere to embrace online freedom and the demands of cyber dissidents or risk being toppled by tides of unrest. Meanwhile, the US government’s legal hunt for Julian Assange the founder of WikiLeaks continues in a magistrates court […]

Revolution underway throughout the Middle East

Algeria – Heavily outnumbered by riot police, thousands of Algerians defied government warnings and dodged barricades to rally in their capital demanding democratic reforms. This could have implications for the world economy because Algeria is a major oil and gas exporter. Yemen – Yemenis have clashed with police in the capital Sanaa on the third […]