This is a monthly selection of news, reports, and articles covering the Middle East (except Egypt). I hope you find it useful.
Syria
- Chemical experts begin destroying Syria’s weapons arsenal
- UN urges immediate humanitarian access to Syria
- Syria wins cautious praise as chemical disarmament starts
- Kurdish groups take control in northeast Syria
- Al-Qaeda chief urges jihadis in Syria to end rift, and rally around goal of Islamic state
- Key opposition group refuses Geneva peace talks
- Red Cross workers kidnapped in northern Syria
- Rebels kill Assad’s top intelligence officer: State TV
- Syria meets deadline to destroy chemical production facilities
- World Health Organization confirms polio outbreak in Syria
- Syria sacks deputy prime minister who met U.S. officials
- Damascus rejects Western and Arab demands: No to Assad departure
Turkey
- Turkey lifts ban on headscarf as part of a democracy package
- Non-Muslim minorities disappointed by “reciprocity of rights”
- Turks increasingly less interested in joining the EU
- Police, and intelligence actively monitor social media after Gezi protests
- Turkey builds a wall at its border with Syria
- Turkey denies aiding al-Qaeda linked groups in Syria
- Ankara denies involvement in exposure of Israel spy ring to Iran: Davutoglu says
- Turkey’s first online Islamic sex shop opens
Iran
- Iranian parliament backs Rouhani’s diplomacy drive
- Iranian cyber warfare commander shot dead
- Talks on Iran’s nuclear program begin in Geneva
- Iran to allow snap inspections of 3‘nuclear facilities’
- Russia proposes lifting Iran sanctions in exchange for intl control of nuclear program
- Nuclear deal with Iran not close: Senior Western diplomat
- Iran to hang drug dealer twice
- Britain agrees to appoint charge d’affaires to Iran
- Iran cancels Israel baiting anti-Zionism conference
- Iran slashed Hamas funding, senior official admits
- Iran eases visa requirements for tourists
- Obama admin presses for delay in Iran sanctions
Israel/ Palestine
- Israeli PM Netanyahu calls Iran’s president “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”
- Israel has discovered explosive laden Gaza tunnel
- Israel suspends building materials to Gaza
- Israel urges maintaining Iran sanctions despite Geneva proposals
- Israel-Turkey ties strained by report of spy exposure
- Israeli troops arrest senior Hamas members in West Bank
- Israel frees Palestinian prisoners; pushes settlement plan
- Israel destroys Russian missiles in Syria, maybe bound for Hezbollah
- Chief PA peace process negotiator Saeb Erekat tenders resignation
- UN calls for ‘urgent action’ to address Gaza’s power crisis
- Gaza border incident kill 4 Hamas militants
- Shunned and isolated, Hamas reaches unprecedented low in Gaza
Libya/Tunisia
- Relief and distrust as Tunisia’s Islamists agree to quit government
- Tunisians lose faith in Ennhada and the revolution
- Tunisian Jewish community targeted with impunity
- UN: Torture continues to be widespread in Libyan detention centers
- Russia evacuates personnel from Libya.
- Abu Anas al-Libi to be tried in the United States
- Libya PM says his abduction was an attempted “coup”
- Tunisia forces kill 10 Islamist militants in raids: Government
- Tunisia launches “huge” operation to hunt Jihadists
- Libyan militia shut down parts of the country’s oil production –
Gulf States
- Qatar in labor rights storm amid FIFA talks
- Emir of Qatar tours Gulf states in support of union
- UAE to try 30 Emirati, and Egyptian Islamists on Nov 5
- GCC visitors head to UAE for Eid
- Saudi advisory body rejects bid to raise women driving ban
- Saudi Arabia in indirect warning to Brotherhood: No Rabaa hands in Mecca
- Oman council members sentenced to prison in protest case.
- Saudi Arabia warns women against defying driving ban
- Saudi withdrawal stuns UN Security Council
- Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief says the kingdom will make a “major shift” in relations with the United States
- Houthi-Salafi conflict rages on in Northern Yemen
- Kuwait upholds sentence for Twitter ‘insults’
- Bahrain’s crackdown extends to exhibit on crackdown
Lebanon
- Lebanon slams Syria for cross border raid
- Future movement slams Jumblatt over flip-flop
- Turkish pilots kidnapped in Lebanon seen in video
- Lebanon security arrested a pro-Hezbollah militia leader a pro-Hezbollah militia leader
- Lebanon’s Mufti slams politicians’ allegiance to foreign powers
- Hezbollah’s run schools is teaching the Persian language
- Lebanese hostages in Syria return, and kidnapped Turks back hom
- Hariri blames Syria for Tripoli clashes
- ‘The Frank Sinatra of the Middle East:’ Lebanese singer Wadih El Safi dies
Sudan
- Sudan defends crackdown
- Three Senegalese peace keepers killed in Darfur region
- Anger Lingers in Sudan after crackdown
- Sudan ruling party reformers to set up new party
- Over 99% of Abyei’s Dinka vote to join South Sudan
Iraq
- Violence in Iraq leaves almost 1,000 dead in September
- Attacks on Shi’ite Muslims kills 48 people in Iraq
- Iraq executes 42 ‘terrorists’ including terrorists
- Iraq receiving Russian arms under historic deal
- Iraq’s Maliki at White House to seek US help battling increasing violence
Jordan
- Hundreds of Syrian refugees denied entry into Jordan
- Jordan issues $1.25 billion bond with U.S. guarantee
Good Reports
- The history of Jews in modern Iraq: An Interview with Orit Bashkin
- A who’s who guide to the Syrian political and military opposition
- Ill and long isolated, Iranian opposition leaders scent freedom
- A city rises from Syrian refugee camp
Interview:
- A vision of peace made in Israel: Interview with Uri Avnery
Book review:
- A review of Vali Nasr’s book: “The Dispensable Nation,” by Walter Russell Mead
Good Read
- ‘Everyone is scared of ISIS.’ James Traub
- Dictators in the age of Instagram. Emily Greenhouse
- Time is running out to find a solution for the conflict in Sudan. Amb. Princeton N. Lyman
- Glass just half-full in Erdogan’s reform plan. Murat Yetkin
- Ankar’s bad Syria options. Aaron Stein
- The spectacular collapse of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. David Schenker
- The flying Nun and Moadamiyah, Syria. Michael Weiss
- Does Hezbollah’s partial exit from Syria mean anything? Phillip Smyth
- Why Iran postponed Hamas’s Meshaal to Tehran? Adnan Abu-Amer
- U.S. inattention to Libya breed chaos. David Ignatius
- Saudi Arabia’s unhappy. So what? Kori Schake
- Kurdistan: Just being independent. Steven Cook
- Turkey: Spies like us Michael Koplow, and Steven Cook
- The army of Islam is winning in Syria. Hassan Hassan
- Saudi backed Salafists are returning to Iran’s border? Meir Javedanfar
An excellent compendium of ME-related links, thanks. Please consider making it subscribable!
LikeLike
Many thanks. If you subscribe to my blog, you will automatically notified of future editions.
LikeLike
Thanks Nervana ,
Always good to read your insight into these countries.
You put so much first hand knowledge into your reports & tweets .
I never read uk newspaper’s , it’s been over 25 years since I realised all they wanted to do was brainwash the reader , never bought a newspaper in years- so your impartiality & honesty everyday is most welcome.
Nigel.
LikeLike
Many thanks. Truly appreciate your kind feedback, it makes the hard work of gathering this collection worth doing.
LikeLike
What’s up, yes this post is truly nice and I have learned lot of things from it on
the topic of blogging. thanks.
LikeLike