via LobeLog
by Shireen T. Hunter
For some time, the problems of Iraq and indeed of all of the Middle East have been blamed on Iran for its interference and meddling, especially for exporting its ideology and attempting to establish hegemony over the region.
Like any other state, Iran is not immune to the [...]
via LobeLog
by Wayne White
President Barack Obama’s news conference today showed some well-placed White House caution against acting in ways that would support more substantially Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s sectarian agenda in Iraq. Hopefully, Obama’s repeated implicit criticism of Maliki’s government and his expressed desire for key Iraqi players to form a new [...]
via LobeLog
by Shireen T. Hunter
The beleaguered Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, is the latest in the long list of the West’s favorite political leaders turned into pariahs. The conventional wisdom now is that Maliki’s flaws and wrong policies, especially his alienation of the Sunnis and dictatorial style of governance, are at [...]
via LobeLog
by Wayne White
Since 2005, Iraqis have voted in four parliamentary elections yearning for decisive positive change. In three of those elections, popular hope for more effective governance and a decline in violence were dashed with governments consumed by their ambitions and flawed policies. Indeed, elections often have seemed less important than [...]
via LobeLog
by Thomas W. Lippman
The rulers of Saudi Arabia are becoming masters of a diplomatic style best described as sulking in the tent. If a country or organization is not performing in a way that suits them, they issue a petulant statement and walk away. It’s easier than constructive engagement, but far [...]
via LobeLog
by Wayne White
The reverberations of the desperate war inside Syria have increasingly radiated outward. In addition to the massive Syrian refugee exodus, Lebanon and Iraq in particular have been impacted adversely by heightened instability and violence. Yet actions associated with both have only increased their vulnerability. By contrast, the Turks [...]
When the Wikileaks document dump came out, many hawks and anti-Iran agitators grumbled that the document “proved” Iran’s nefarious influence in Iraq. I wrote, twice, about the lack of caution in these assessments, based mostly on anonymous conclusions and single-source reports.
Well, now the deputy commander of U.S. operations in Iraq is telling [...]
News and views relevant to U.S.-Iran relations for October 27, 2010.
Foreign Policy: Harvard International Relations Professor Stephen Walt blogs the revelations that Hamid Karzai receives money from Iran should come as no surprise. Far from being a “dastardly Iranian plot to control Afghanistan,” Walt points out “given that the two states share a [...]
En Español
The Latest
From IPS News
- Small Island States Fostering Effective Energy Transition To Achieve a Blue Economy
- Attacks on UNRWA Not About Its Neutrality, Says UNRWA Chief
- US Foreign Policy in Middle East Still Governed by Israeli Priorities
- Rich Nation Hypocrisy Accelerating Global Heating
- Seeking Justice for the Civilian Victims of the Syrian Civil War
- Who Should be the Next UN Leader?PART 7 FINAL
- Will a Two-State Solution include Palestine as a UN Member State?
- UN Live’s CEO Katja Iversen Talks About the Power of Popular Culture and ‘Sounds Right’
- Afghan Women’s Voices Stifled as Taliban Tightens Media Controls
- ‘Toasting the World’s Most Natural Talent’: UN Museum Campaign Recognizes NATURE’s Contributions to Music
- Online fundraising for IPS Inter Press Service at Razoo