Middle East

CIA Halts Spying in Europe

By Ken Dilanian, AP

“The CIA has curbed spying on friendly governments in Western Europe in response to the furor over a German caught selling secrets to the United States and the Edward Snowden revelations of classified information held by the National Security Agency, according to current and former U.S. officials.”

Sectarian War Going Unnoticed in East Yemen

By Nadwa Al-Dawsari

The Houthis, a Shia rebel group operating outside of government control primarily in the northern Saada governorate, have aggressively pushed for influence in the neighboring territories.

The Shadow of the Helwan Brigades

By Wael Eskandar

Ten seconds into a video showing over a dozen men armed with assault rifles threatening to target the police in south of Cairo, a man’s voice can be heard in the background instructing the men to ‘hold up [the] Rab’a [sign].’ Promptly, the men hold up four fingers as the main speaker continues to deliver […]

The US Begins Bombing ISIS: Will President Obama’s Strategy Work?

The ‘Islamic State’ Cannot Be Destroyed with Syria’s Assad in Power, Fred Hof Says  As the United States opens a campaign of airstrikes against the brutal militants of ISIS, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Fred Hof says the US aim of destroying the group will require the overthrow of Syria’s also-brutal president, Bashar al-Assad. Removing the […]

Fighting the Islamic State in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has shared with the world his deep concern over publicly stated US intentions to attack Islamic State positions in Syria “without interaction with the Syrian government.”