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Saturday, February 04, 2012 03:22 GMT

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The Ancient Wither in New Iraq

U.S.: A Decade in the Purgatory Called Guantanamo

US-IRAN: War of Words Calculated to Avoid Actual Conflict

U.S.: "Arab Spring" Dominated TV Foreign News in 2011

Mass Tragedy Feared as Closure of MEK Camp Looms

Dempsey Told Israelis U.S. Won't Join Their War on Iran

U.S. Group Urges "More Credible" Military Threat Against Iran

MIDEAST: And At Last There Was Water

MIDEAST: Censorship Changes Colours

EU-IRAN: New Sanctions Aimed at Averting Wider Conflict

The Middle East Research and Information project

Middle East and Jewish Studies - Columbia University

Middle East Institute

The Middle East Network Information Center - University of Texas

Foundation for Middle East Peace

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The Arab Press Freedom Watch

Middle East Review of International Affairs

The Middle East Information Network

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Simon Peres Center

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MIDEAST
And At Last There Was Water
By Pierre Klochendler
BIR EL-BASHA, Occupied West Bank - Only days ago, turning on the tap was cause for concern. Would there be running water? Now, it’s reason for celebration.
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US-BAHRAIN
Rights Groups Oppose Smaller Arms Transfer
By Jim Lobe*
WASHINGTON - The decision by the administration of President Barack Obama to approve limited transfers of military equipment to Bahrain is coming under renewed fire by human rights and pro-democracy groups here.
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SYRIA
"Street Fighting Rages" Near Damascus
By Correspondents*
DOHA, Qatar - Fighting is continuing in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, according to activists, as Syrian security forces appeared to be reasserting their control over the restive fringes of the country's capital.
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The Ancient Wither in New Iraq
By Karlos Zurutuza
BASRA - "I’d say there are around 5,000 of us in the country, but if you ask me next week we may well be under 3,000. After twenty centuries of history in Mesopotamia, we Mandaeans, are about to vanish." Anxiety about the future of his people is more than evident in the figures given by Saad Atiah Majid, chairman of Basra’s Mandaean Council.
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MIDEAST
Censorship Changes Colours
By Simba Shani Kamaria Russeau
CAIRO - Attempts by regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to suppress the flow of information during the region's pro-democracy uprisings has led a higher number of journalists killed, attacked or arrested.
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LEBANON
Could a New Civil Law Unify a Divided Society?
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - Odette Klysinska, a Catholic French native, sits in her living room in an affluent neighbourhood in Beirut, clutching her will in one hand, shocked to learn that it is no longer legally valid in the country she now calls home.
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/CORRECTED REPEAT*/
The Logic and Limits of Nonviolent Conflict
Analysis by Karina Böckmann
BERLIN - Today marks the one-year anniversary of the uprisings in Egypt that unseated an authoritarian regime and rekindled the spark of nonviolent resistance around the world.
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Syria Security Forces "Destroy Homes" in Hama
By Correspondents*
DOHA, Qatar - At least six people have been killed as Syrian security forces continued attacks on protest hubs across the country, activists say.
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EGYPT
Arab Spring Gives Way to Military Chill
By Cam McGrath
CAIRO - When Egypt’s dictator was ousted during a popular uprising last February, the military leaders who assumed control of the country pledged to "protect the revolution" and ensure a swift transition to civilian rule within six months. One year later, the ruling generals appear to have hijacked the transition to preserve the military institution’s economic autonomy and secure their own political future.
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War Crimes Immunity for Ousted Leaders Under Fire
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS - As ousted political and military leaders in the Middle East continue to seek immunity from war crimes prosecutions, the United Nations and international human rights groups are taking an increasingly tough stance against such legislation in Yemen, Egypt, and possibly in a post-conflict Syria.
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Cracks Widen in Syrian Economy
By Mona Alami
BEIRUT - As the Syrian uprising enters its tenth month, the country’s economy is suffering. Since last March, the Syrian government has been cracking down on pro-democracy protests, and the once peaceful uprising has morphed into a full-blown armed rebellion in areas such as Homs, Hama and Jabal al-Zawiya.
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EGYPT
A Year On, Tiring of Demonstrations
By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
CAIRO - Several revolutionary groups are calling for mass demonstrations against military rule on Wednesday to coincide with the first anniversary of the January 25 uprising that ultimately toppled the Mubarak regime. But many express doubt the event will succeed in replicating last year's revolutionary fervour on the part of the masses, most of whom express a desire for stability and a smooth transition to democratic governance above all else.
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MIDEAST
Into an Unsettled New Year
By Mya Guarnieri
HEBRON - An elderly Palestinian woman spent last week on hunger strike to protest violent attacks by Israeli settlers. Hana Abu Heikel went on the hunger strike on behalf of her family after settlers burned the family car during the previous weekend. Since Israeli settlers moved into the houses surrounding the Abu Heikel family home in Hebron in 1984, the Abu Heikels have seen eight cars burned. Six vehicles were also smashed by settlers.
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TURKEY
Filtering Out Internet Freedom
Analysis by Jacques N. Couvas
ANKARA - Fifteen respected academics from different Turkish universities signed a declaration in Ankara last week protesting recent state regulations restricting access to a variety of websites on ‘moral’ and ‘national integrity’ grounds.
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EGYPT
Islamist Parties to Abide by Camp David – For Now
By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
CAIRO - The Islamist landslide in recently concluded parliamentary polls has led to fears in some quarters of an impending paradigm shift in Egyptian foreign policy. Most local analysts, however, dismiss the likelihood of any sea changes, especially when it comes to the sensitive issues of Palestine and the Camp David peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
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