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MENASource

Jun 13, 2014

Top News: Iraqi Shia Cleric Issues Call to Arms

By MENASource

Senior Shia cleric issued an urgent call to arms on Friday, telling all able-bodied Iraqis to help the government fight Sunni militants who have seized broad stretches of Iraqi territory. Thousands of shias are signing up to fight in the offensive against ISIS. Yet, the territory grab continues by ISIS as they capture the towns […]

MENASource

Jun 13, 2014

Syrian Rebels Unite to Fight Off an ISIS Eastward Push

By Karen Leigh

As fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) prepared to march towards Baghdad on Friday, the often fragmented forces of Syria’s opposition formed a coalition to ward off the group’s anticipated expansion into the east.

Iraq Syria

MENASource

Jun 13, 2014

Syria: The Impact of ISIS In Iraq

By Frederic C. Hof

As the Obama administration considers a significant change of policy direction for Syria, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)—one of the more vicious of al-Qaeda franchises—runs amok in Iraq, cashing in on the profound rot personified by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. It seems that nothing in the Middle East stands still long […]

Iraq Syria

MENASource

Jun 13, 2014

Kurds Poised to Benefit From Baghdad’s Failures

By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Despite the incredible gains that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has made in Iraq in the past few days, the Kurdish government has lent its security forces to aid in pushing the paramilitary group out of the north. But with the abandonment of Iraqi army posts, the Kurdish authority may now have […]

Iraq Syria

MENASource

Jun 13, 2014

After Mosul?

By Ramzy Mardini

The United States pulled its remaining troops out from Iraq two and a half years ago, ending a military occupation that lasted almost a decade. The civil war in Syria has become the strategic driver shaping the security dynamics across the Levant, and has breathed new life into militancy in Iraq, rejuvenating the confidence, resources, […]

Iraq Syria

MENASource

Jun 13, 2014

Top News: Sisi Calls for Saving on Fuel Costs by Taking Part in Cycling Marathon

By EgyptSource

During a cycling marathon in Egypt on Friday, newly elected president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi called on Egyptians to walk more to save the country money on fuel. 

MENASource

Jun 12, 2014

Nominee for US Ambassador Emphasizes Engagement with Egypt

By Elissa Miller

Egypt’s security, prosperity, pluralism, and its democratization remain vitally important to the United States. This was the key thrust of Ambassador Robert Stephen Beecroft’s testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 11, where he appeared as President Barack Obama’s nominee to become the next US ambassador to Egypt.   The United States has been […]

North Africa United States and Canada

MENASource

Jun 12, 2014

YemenSource | Ceasefire Agreement Reached in Northern Amran

By YemenSource

Following the death of an estimated 120 people, Amran deputy governor, Ahmed al-Bekry confirmed that a ceasefire agreement had been reached with the Houthi rebels. The fighting ended after both sides agreed to a ceasefire. No clashes were reported the following day.

Yemen

MENASource

Jun 12, 2014

Top News: Kurdish Forces Take Full Control of Kirkuk

By MENASource

As ISIS vows to take two more Iraqi cities including the capital Baghdad, Kurdish forces take full control of the country’s oil city of Kirkuk after the Iraqi army abandoned their posts. Iraqi parliament is divided over implementing a state of emergency, a call made by Nuri al-Maliki. Only 128 of 325 members of parliament […]

MENASource

Jun 12, 2014

Reflections on the Why and How of Syria’s Elections

By Aya Majzoub

The farcical Syrian presidential election, held in the midst of a bloody civil war, is unlikely to radically alter the dynamics on the battlefield inside Syria or convince Assad’s opponents of his democratic legitimacy. However, it would be a dangerous miscalculation to dismiss its significance; a mistake Secretary of State John Kerry recently committed in […]

Syria