London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Last month, tens of thousands gathered in Tabriz, capital of East Azerbaijan province, to bid farewell to a man described as “perhaps the greatest Ashik of his generation.” The funeral of Rasoul Ghorbani, who died in late September aged 80, attracted the kind of massive media
Washington, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—The United States is considering sending a small number of special operations forces to Syria and attack helicopters to Iraq as it weighs options to build momentum in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), US officials said on Tuesday. Pres
Russia did not wait long after its entrance into the Syrian conflict to bolster its position. Since its military action began, Moscow has backed it up with a frenzied slew of political moves. The standout maneuvers here are Moscow’s proposed solutions to the crisis in Syria, details of which were co
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—A surge in casualties and a lack of a clear regional policy are driving Hezbollah supporters and senior members to raise questions about the Shi’ite Lebanese group’s role in Syria where it is fighting rebels trying to topple the government of President Bashar Al-Assad, accord
Taiz, Asharq Al-Awsat—Forces belonging to the Saudi-led coalition targeting the Houthis and their allies in Yemen, aided by pro-government forces, are close to recapturing the presidential palace in the southwestern city of Taiz, according to sources. Parts of the strategic city, which lies 109 mile
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Countries involved in talks on Syria are close to finding a political solution to the crisis in the war-torn country, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Sunday. Speaking in Cairo following a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shokri and President A
The Syrian army is back in the spotlight again. There have been a number of recent Russian and Syrian reports on the army’s battles against the opposition in Syria. In reality, the standing army these reports refer to is actually now made up of a mixture of troops belonging to foreign powers w
Beirut and Moscow, Asharq Al-Awsat—Russia could accept a role for the main anti-Assad rebel group the Free Syrian Army (FSA) as part of efforts to fight extremist groups in Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday following meetings in Vienna on the Syrian crisis with his Saudi, Americ
Beirut and Vienna, Asharq Al-Awsat—Russia has proposed forming a transitional government in Syria and freezing fighting between government forces and Western-backed rebel factions amid ambiguity about the fate of President Bashar Al-Assad, according to Turkish and Syrian sources familiar with the pl
The late Ayatollah Khomeini dreamed it; President Barack Obama is trying to deliver it: the end of Pax Americana. The topic was at the center of a daylong seminar in Tehran last week attended by ambassadors from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela, plus a number of Islamic Iranian offici
Vienna and Moscow, Asharq Al-Awsat—Russia’s military action in Syria is fueling the conflict there, Saudi FM Adel Al-Jubeir has said ahead of a meeting with his American, Russian and Turkish counterparts scheduled to take place in Vienna on Friday. Addressing reporters in the Austrian capital on Thu
There is no agreement yet among those following the Syrian situation as regards what Washington thinks of Russia’s direct involvement in combat. Most comments and analyses seem closer to smart guesswork than reliable information. Some among analysts see nothing new in Washington’s virtual silent con
Washington, AP/Reuters—Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton is taking center stage as the star witness in the Republican led investigation into the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. The Democratic front-runner for president goes before the panel on Thursday with newfound po
“Twenty-six years have passed . . . It is a very long time. Many people died and stories were forgotten . . . ” This is also the view of the parents of the victims who died on the Pan Am plane that exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. This crime represents an i
Baghdad and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The United States has expressed its disapproval regarding Iraq’s cooperation with Russia on combating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to an informed source. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that during a visit to Baghdad 11 days ago, Gen. John
Following its nuclear deal with world powers, Iran announced it was seeking “dialogue” with its neighbors in order to “achieve a joint and reciprocal understanding regarding regional crises, and to achieve peace, security, and stability” in the Middle East. Despite these sentiments, Iran set a date
Aden and Dubai, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s internationally recognized government has agreed to attend UN-brokered talks with the Houthis and their allies, a government spokesperson said on Sunday, in a fresh bid to end the crisis that has engulfed Yemen for over a year. “The decisio
Cairo and Aden, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s human rights minister has called for “disarming” the Houthi group who controls large parts of the country, a step, he said, without which any dialogue between the rebel movement and the government would be “pointless.” “No peace [agreement] can be reached with
Ramallah, West Bank, AP—Stone-throwing protests erupted across the West Bank and Gaza on Friday, and assailants firebombed a site revered by Jews as the tomb of biblical Joseph on a “day of rage” against Israel. Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, including a laborer disguised
As the Syrian tragedy continues to bleed that nation, a cliché is making the rounds in policymaking circles and think tanks across the globe: There could be no solution without Bashar al-Assad! We are bombarded with articles urging Western powers to take Assad for an ally to fight the Islamic State
