Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Abdulwahhab Badrakhan
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Iraq protests expose the crisis in the regime’s integrity
A third wave of protests in Iraq, following those in 2015 and 2018, continues to shake the three pillars of the regime — the constitution, electoral law and an independent judiciary — although protesters’ basic demands are not political. There is, nevertheless, a general conviction that they are impossible...
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Trump's racism and his campaign for a second term
Among all the attributes ascribed to US President Donald Trump by the now former British Ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch, racism did not appear in the leaks that hit London earlier this month. Maybe this was because the ambassador’s secret messages to his bosses in Westminster had been made...
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The use of the militias against protesters means that Sudan has missed a historic opportunity
It is still not clear what’s going to have a stronger influence on the choices of the military leaders in Sudan. The public mediation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who delivered, through the African Union, a message from the international community demanding the immediate handover of power to...
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Iran and investment in the survival of Daesh
The geographical area occupied by Daesh is diminishing, according to the Pentagon, but the organisation itself will not disappear. The US Secretary of State has told his counterparts from 75 countries participating in the “international coalition” that the war on Daesh is not yet over. This is the same conclusion...
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An Iranian endeavour to booby-trap Iraq
During a five-day visit to Iraq, the Iranian foreign minister focused on two matters: the US military presence and the need to end it, and the issue of reconstructing the areas affected by the war on Daesh. Mohammad Javad Zarif’s talk included government officials, but the most important participants were...
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Europe and sanctions on Iran
Iran almost managed to carry out some of its threats against Europe in recent weeks, but it learned its lesson the hard way and discovered that its agents operating in the West have been exposed. Two attempts to attack Iranian dissidents were foiled. One was in France against the...
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Opening the border crossings will not resolve the Syrian regime’s problem
A week ago, the Naseeb-Jaber border crossing between Syria and Jordan, as well as the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Golan Heights – currently under Israeli occupation – were reopened. On the same day, the Iraqi and Syrian foreign ministers met in the Syrian capital Damascus, the latter...
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Helsinki: Normalisation between two presidents, not two countries
I would not be exaggerating if I said that the world following the Helsinki Summit does not know if the summit achieved results that can be confirmed. This is because the American and Russian presidents agreed or disagreed on this or that matter in complete isolation, separate from the...
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China is betting on the Arabs
China has not presented itself as a competitor or a substitute for any other major country. It has, instead, put forward a distinct economic and developmental strategic vision, the Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt. Based on the the eighth China-Arab Cooperation Forum, held...
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Targeting Jordan’s stability as part of the deal of the century
There was no demand for the fall of the regime or for it to change, instead demands were made to drop a law that put more burden on the shoulders of the poor and the middle class. When the government did not respond to these demands the masses called...
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The real meaning of the stand-off with Tehran
The United States has withdrawn from the nuclear agreement and the Arabs are in a confrontation with Iran. So, the American decision serves the interests of the Arabs, the Arabs are with America, with Donald Trump. This US president committed the most hostile act towards the Palestinian people, the Arabs,...
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Will Russia’s ambiguity prevent Israel's war on Iran?
International meetings are only talking about an Israeli-Iranian war in Syria. No one asks whether it will happen or not or why, but rather when and how? Israelis have been talking about it for more than a year, and every time they mention it, they say that any delay...
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Assad’s chemical weapons between Russian denial and US sanctions
First of all, the Russia narrative is not at all beneficial. It denies, as usual, any facts that do not suit it, such as the fact that its ally/follower, the Syrian regime, is being accused of charges that could be embarrassing for Russia if the international community highlights them....
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Terrorism and intolerance are the product of the superpowers' policies
Most of the world’s leaders are meeting at the UN headquarters. This will be the first General Assembly addressed by Donald Trump. In their opening speech, US presidents usually paint a comprehensive picture of international politics and the US’ aspirations for the future of the world in light of...
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What does accepting that Assad must remain in power actually mean?
Throughout the decades of the conflict with Israel, we have condemned the way that the international community, which was born after World War Two on the premise of respect for international law and humanitarian values, took a rationalising position on Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian land and the displacement and...
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The nation state and region pre-and post-Arab Spring
The recent eleventh Al-Jazeera Annual Forum discussed a thorny issue that is thought to have been imposed by the developments of the Arab Spring. However, this issue has been simmering in one way or another for decades, although it has only risen to the surface and become more explicit...
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To contain Iran, America should start from Yemen
The Arabs concerned with the new American administration’s policies under Donald Trump believe that its approaches are still in their early stages and are still ambiguous. Therefore, they are cautious towards them and are patient, as the bitter experience with the past Barack Obama administration is still fresh in...
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Two years down the line in Yemen, Iran’s failed policies are promoted like a victory
The Saudi-led intervention in Yemen – Operation Decisive Storm – started two years ago. It was an unavoidable option, as gaining full control of Yemen and preventing full Iranian domination there took just a matter of hours, or a few days at most. This is a truth that must...
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Changing America’s values: Terrorism’s most prominent victories
The most prevalent beliefs about terrorism, embodied by Al-Qaeda, Daesh and their branches, are still the beliefs that they are seeking to establish an Islamic State or Caliphate, or at the very least impose sharia law. The other most prevalent belief is that these goals cannot be achieved, neither by...
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Aleppo and Mosul: the murder of the Eastern model
For months, two Arab cities have been the focus of world attention. Aleppo in northern Syria and Mosul, northern Iraq, are two of the most important and most beautiful representatives of historic civilisations. They were once connected as part of the same nation before becoming separated by borders some...
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Fallujah: Iranian revenge amid American silence
Three leaders of the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces appeared on television and issued threats against Fallujah, rather than Daesh. The threats, which do not distinguish between Daesh and the people of Fallujah, are reminiscent of the events that began in late 2003, during which the people of Fallujah in...
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Assad is considering genocide and has Russian backing to act with impunity
Last week the Syrian regime bombed Al-Kamouna camp for internally displaced people on the outskirts of Idlib. These IDPs had fled from the hell of Aleppo to what they thought would be a relatively safe haven. Instead, over 100 of them were killed and injured in what was clearly...
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The US has handed Syria over to Russia and Iran
On just one day last week the situation on the outskirts of northern Aleppo was as follows: Russian jets were striking Syrian opposition military posts on an hourly basis, but ignoring the nearby Daesh outposts; Daesh was also attacking the opposition, as were the Syrian Kurdish militia, the Syrian...
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Al-Saud family chooses Mohammed bin Naif for a strong future
Saudi Arabia’s new King, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, has already decided to resolve the issue of succession by appointing Prince Mohammed bin Naif , his brother’s son, as the next crown prince but one. He will be the first of Abdul Aziz Al-Saud’s grandchildren in the line of succession...