The fate of civilians trapped in Idlibon September 27, 2018Russia and Turkey reached an agreement on September 17, 2018 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi to create a demilitarised zone in Syria’s Idlib province. The joint Russo-Turkish declaration on the same day averted the carnage that, according to the United Nations, could have become the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century. The agreement was concluded after frantic diplomatic … [Read more...] about The fate of civilians trapped in Idlib
The looming catastrophe in Idlibon September 15, 2018Russia and Syria have started carrying out air raids on the rebels entrenched within the northern province of Idlib. These aerial attacks are a precursor to the imminent ground assault by Syrian troops and its allied militias against the last remaining stronghold of the insurgents. Despite protests from the United Nations and various Western governments, Damascus and its allies -- Tehran and … [Read more...] about The looming catastrophe in Idlib
Putin’s growing problems in Syriaon April 22, 2018Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in the year 2015 when the regime of President Bashar Al Assad seemed to be at the verge of collapse. Russian air power coupled with the firepower of the foreign militias assembled by the Iranian revolutionary guards and spearheaded by the Lebanese Hezbollah helped turn the tide in Assad’s favour. Posing as Assad’s staunchest ally, Russia blocked every … [Read more...] about Putin’s growing problems in Syria
Putin’s growing problems in Syria on April 21, 2018 Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015 at the behest of President Bashar Al Assad whose government seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Russian air power coupled with the firepower of the foreign militias assembled by the Iranian revolutionary guards and spearheaded by the Lebanese Hezbollah helped turn the tide in Assad's favour. Posing as Assad's staunchest ally, … [Read more...] about Putin’s growing problems in Syria
Guatemala’s pro Israel voteon December 31, 2017Trump and his reckless foreign policy were dealt a major blow at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last Thursday. The vote stood at 128 to 9 against Trump’s decision to recognise the highly contested city of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Apart from Israel and the US, seven countries voted in favour of Trump’s decision. This included five tiny Island nations in the Pacific who took … [Read more...] about Guatemala’s pro Israel vote
Saleh’s departure and peace in Yemenon December 21, 2017It is almost certain that very few Yeminis will be able to forget the date of 4 December, 2017 for many years to come. This was the day when Ali Abdullah Saleh — the man who had ruled over them for 33 years — was taken out by a Houthi sniper during a firefight in Sanaa. Saleh had conceived and consummated a marriage of convenience with the Houthis in 2014. This union between Saleh and his … [Read more...] about Saleh’s departure and peace in Yemen
The reason behind Trump’s Jerusalem decisionon December 11, 2017Ignoring the warnings received during the past few days from European and Arab leaders, Donald Trump officially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday, and ordered to begin preparations for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Regardless of the reaction that this seemingly insane decision will garner in the coming days, we should first examine why the … [Read more...] about The reason behind Trump’s Jerusalem decision
Killing in the name of cowon April 15, 2017India is experiencing a new wave of communal tension as ultra-nationalist Hindus try to ban Muslims and Christians from consuming beef and other types of meat. These extremists enjoy full support from the ruling BJP. Some of them are already talking about a coming ‘cow war’ in India. Fear has spread across the country as butchers in India, who mostly belong to the minority Muslim … [Read more...] about Killing in the name of cow
Its time to get tough with Myanmaron January 10, 2017Towards the end of last year, President Obama announced through an e-mail the decision to lift sanctions against Myanmar. The reason cited for this generosity was the ‘substantial improvement’ achieved by Burma in its human rights portfolio. This came as a surprise to the rest of the world which is witnessing the worst human rights abuses being carried out by the Burmese army against … [Read more...] about Its time to get tough with Myanmar
Plans for post-Assad Syriaon April 26, 2016In Syria, the rebellion that started as a response to the violent suppression of peaceful protestors has morphed into a full scale civil war turning the country into an arena for regional and, to some extent, international power play. There are certain aspects of the war that have, after the passing of two years, become established facts that must be taken into account in order to devise a … [Read more...] about Plans for post-Assad Syria
