While Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed on an arms deal Thursday in Moscow Saudi King Salman insisted that Iran must stop meddling in Middle East affairs. "We emphasize that the security and stability of the Gulf region and the Middle East is an urgent necessity for achieving stability and security in Yemen," Salman said, as quoted by Russia’s Interfax news agency. "This would demand that Iran give up interference with the internal affairs of the region, to give up actions destabilizing the situation in this region." Iran has been backing Houthi rebels in Yemen, a close ally and next-door neighbor of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is leading the international coalition launching daily airstrikes against Houthi-held settlements in Yemen. Russia’s response to the king’s demand was not immediately known but Russia has been a strong supporter of Iran as Tehran and Moscow have backed embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a six-year-long civil war against … [Read more...] about Saudi king slams Iranian interference in Middle East during ‘historic’ visit to Russia
Middle east
US needs new answers in the Middle East
On May 28, Barack Obama took to the stage before graduates at the West Point academy outside New York and set out a new vision for US foreign policy. It was a sweeping 5,000-word address fine-tuning his approach to military power, diplomacy, and America's place in the world. But there was a striking omission: the world's most intractable conflict. Obama made barely any mention of the cycle of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, despite the fact that his Secretary of State John Kerry had spent much of the past year trying to end it. Barely two weeks after Obama's speech, the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers, followed by the suspected revenge murder of a Palestinian teen, set that cycle of violence rolling again. At the time of writing, well over 100 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and hundreds of rockets have rained down on Israel. There is talk of a possible large-scale ground invasion of Gaza - even a third intifada by the … [Read more...] about US needs new answers in the Middle East
Syria and Yemen – gaping wounds in the Middle East
In recent months, Syrian and Russian warplanes have almost leveled eastern Aleppo, the enclave held by rebel forces. More and more people have been killed. Many were attacked by surprise in their sleep. For days, their dead bodies lay buried under rubble in the cold streets because the graveyards were full. But what now? The Syrian flag has been hoisted over the city once again. This is not because diplomats have succeeded in achieving a political solution for war-torn Syria at the numerous peace negotiations in Geneva in 2016. And it is not because the members of the UN Security Council have been able to agree on a resolution, nor is it because one of the agreed ceasefires has lasted. No, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, have used full force to bring the different rebel groups to their knees through air raids and a strategy of besiegement. In doing this, they fought and starved rebels and civilians alike. "Russia and Iran do not differentiate in this … [Read more...] about Syria and Yemen – gaping wounds in the Middle East
‘Germany and China want stability in the Middle East’
DW: What are the most important foreign and security issues for China and Germany? Moritz Rudolf: Germany and China want political stability in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Afghanistan. The conflicts in these countries indirectly affect Berlin and Beijing, and that is the reason why both these countries are involved in Syrian talks. Germany has an interest in resolving the Syrian crisis as it is facing an influx of refugees from the war-torn country. China wants a stable Middle East so that it can proceed with its Silk Road plans. China fears that an escalation of the civil war in Afghanistan could destabilize its western Xinjiang region. Therefore, China supports the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan in their efforts to engage in peace talks with the Taliban. Germany has long been engaged in Afghanistan, and it is in Berlin's interest that the Afghan government doesn't fail. Both countries are also concerned about their radicalized citizens receiving militant training in the … [Read more...] about ‘Germany and China want stability in the Middle East’
The Middle East’s fear of atheism
There are exactly 866 atheists living along the Nile - at least according to a recent survey by the government-run Egyptian institution "Dar al-Ifta," which keeps tabs on religious issues in the country. How exactly that number was determined is unclear, but the institution's verdict on the threat is surprising: according to Dar al-Ifta, the fact that 0.001 percent of the Egyptian population does not believe in God is a reason to sound the alarm bells. After all, no country in the Arab world apparently has a higher number of "godless" people - Morocco being the runner-up with a purported 325 atheists. The Dar al-Ifta figures contrast sharply with a poll conducted in 2014 by the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Having canvassed 6,000 young people, the university - which has a formidable reputation in Sunni Islam - came up with an atheist proportion of some 12.3 percent of the Egyptian population. That would amount to 10.7 million of 87 million Egyptians. Appearing on state TV in October, … [Read more...] about The Middle East’s fear of atheism