Dec 20 2016
If the Russian ambassador’s assassination was a protest against Turkey’s rapprochement with his country it is likely to back-fire By Abdel Bari Atwan Monday’s assassination in Ankara of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov, and the way it was carried out, sums up the troubles facing Turkey and the region and could be a portent of things […]
By mahaburbar1 • Turkey •
Dec 20 2016
By Abdel Bari Atwan It is difficult to find optimists these days in the Jordanian capital, Amman. On a recent visit, I met with a broad spectrum of informed Jordanians including political figures, former and serving officials, and technocrats, academics and fellow journalists. Whether at private gatherings, conferences, round-table discussions or informal political salons, […]
By mahaburbar1 • Jordan •
Dec 11 2016
Victory in Aleppo is a big boost for the regime, but won’t bring an end to the war nearer without a political solution By Abdel Bari Atwan The Russian defence ministry announced at the weekend that Syrian army forces had assumed control over 93% of eastern Aleppo while residents have been streaming out […]
By mahaburbar1 • Syria •
Dec 5 2016
Nobody has been reported killed more often than the leader of the Islamic State (IS). But even if he were, it wouldn’t make that much difference. By Abdel Bari Atwan Nobody has died as often — according to newspapers, agencies, television channels and web outlets – as Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi. Scarcely a month […]
By mahaburbar1 • Iraq •
Dec 4 2016
Fateh’s 7th Congress shows how far the movement has sunk — reduced to choosing between two disastrous options: Abbas or Dahlan. By Abdel Bari Atwan Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had a great opportunity to begin making some badly needed changes at the just-concluded 7th Congress of Fateh, the dominant Palestinian political grouping and […]
By mahaburbar1 • Palestine •
Dec 3 2016
First in Iraq, then over Syria, the Turkish president has had to back down from his bombastic statements By Abdel Bari Atwan Ever since the failed military coup attempt against him last July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been living in a state of confusion. Anyone following his public pronouncements can […]
By mahaburbar1 • Turkey •
Nov 29 2016
The new Saudi formula for Gulf ‘integration’ seems aimed at excluding dissident Oman and reaching out to non-Gulf monarchies Morocco and Jordan. By Abdel Bari Atwan Senior officials in the Gulf are not in the habit of making off-the cuff comments to the media or publicly voicing personal opinions. Certainly not when it comes […]
By mahaburbar1 • The Gulf •
Nov 28 2016
The Egyptian-Saudi quarrel is about regional leadership, self-image and national pride as much as territory, oil and money. This makes it doubly difficult to resolve. By Abdel Bari Atwan The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad, is reported to be planning to launch a mediation effort aimed at mending relations between Saudi […]
By mahaburbar1 • Saudi Arabia, The Gulf •
Nov 25 2016
The Syrian airforce wouldn’t have targeted invading Turkish troops without Russian approval. Erdoğan would end up the loser if he retaliates. By Abel Bari Atwan The last thing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan needs is a direct military confrontation with the Syrian army and its Russian backers. He must have known this was a […]
By mahaburbar1 • Syria •
Nov 23 2016
Riyadh has been courting the new president in the hope of luring him away from Hizbullah, while re-embracing Hariri as their principalprotégé. By Abdel Bari Atwan Lebanon may be a small country in terms of size and population, but it has always had a disproportionately large influence on Arab politics – despite the many […]
By mahaburbar1 • Lebanon •
Nov 22 2016
It is a matter of time before the regime retakes the city. Efforts to reach a political settlement with the ‘moderate’ opposition can be expected to follow By Abdel Bari Atwan Nobody should have been surprised at the failure of UN envoy Staffan de Mistura’s latest bid to end the bloodshed in […]
By mahaburbar1 • Syria •
Nov 16 2016
Even Iran’s worst enemies think the US president-elect’s pledge to cancel the nuclear deal is wrong-headed. By Abdel Bari Atwan It is truly a sign of changing times when former Saudi Intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal advises US president-elect Donald Trump not to make good on his campaign pledge to scrap the nuclear deal […]
Nov 14 2016
The Syrian regime and its allies are preparing for a decisive military and political victory in Aleppo By Abdel Bari Atwan With the U.S. presidential elections now over, attention has shifted once more to the battle for Aleppo where the Syrian/Russian/Iranian alliance is preparing for a major offensive any […]
By mahaburbar1 • Syria •
Nov 11 2016
Asad and Sisi look set to be the biggest regional beneficiaries of a Trump presidency; losers include the Syrian opposition and Saudi Arabia By Abdel Bari Atwan Since Donald Trump defied the pollsters, pundits and the entire political and media establishment to win election as the next US president, Arab commentators and analysts have been […]
Nov 9 2016
Donald Trump defeated the ruling American establishment and its preferred and spoilt representative, Hillary Clinton and the mighty media empires and effectively demonstrated that public opinion polls are bogus and lack credibility. Abdel Bari Atwan He defeated the ruling American establishment and its preferred and spoilt representative, Hillary Clinton. He also defeated the mighty media […]
Nov 1 2016
Saudi Arabia’s disengagement from Lebanese politics enabled a new president to be elected – and the old idea of coexistence to be revived By Abdel Bari Atwan It was no surprise that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was among the first and most high-profile of world leaders to congratulate former general Michel Aoun on his […]
By mahaburbar1 • Lebanon •
Oct 31 2016
Further escalation on the cards as Damascus and Kurds join forces to thwart Ankara’s attempt to create a buffer zone in northern Syria By Abdel Bari Atwan If media reports are confirmed that Syrian warplanes and army troops backed by Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDP) have been engaged in joint operations against […]
By mahaburbar1 • Turkey •
Oct 20 2016
The US and Russia have evidently agreed a trade-off, prompting Turkey and the Gulf states to abandon their former protégés to their fate. By Abdel Bari Atwan I confess that when it comes to the politics and conflicts of the Middle East, I am a firm believer in conspiracy theories. This is not […]
By mahaburbar1 • Iraq •
Oct 14 2016
As the tables turn against Saudi Arabia in the conflict, the Americans risk being increasingly dragged in, and the Russians could follow By Abdel Bari Atwan One year and a half after the start of the Saudi-led ‘Decisive Storm’ aerial bombing campaign, the tables are turning in Yemen. The intended targets of the assault – […]
By mahaburbar1 • Yemen •
Jan 3 2017
Will the Syrian Cease-fire Hold?
The Russian-sponsored truce is more promising than all previous ones, unless the US and its Arab allies choose to sabotage it. By Abdel Bari Atwan The Syrian cease-fire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which went into effect on Friday, is a consequence of the recovery of Aleppo by Syrian government forces and the subsequent […]
By mahaburbar1 • Syria •