Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s outgoing Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki on Wednesday called on his successor to reject any “preconditions” in his attempt to form a government, prompting criticism from the political factions vying for positions in Iraq’s next cabinet. In his weekly televised add
Brasilia, Reuters—Environmentalist Marina Silva officially launched a bid for president on Wednesday, upending Brazil’s October elections and threatening the ruling Workers’ Party’s 12-year hold on power. Silva, until now a vice-presidential candidate for the Brazilian Social
Washington and Edgartown, Reuters—US forces attempted to rescue journalist James Foley and other American hostages during a secret mission into Syria, exchanging gunfire with members of the Islamic State if Iraq and Syria (ISIS) only to discover the captives were not there, officials said on Wednesd
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Hamas deputy leader Musa Abu-Marzuq accused Tel Aviv of deceiving the international community on Tuesday, following the breakdown of the fragile truce between the two sides. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said: “Israel lied to the international community when it announc
When one sees Bashar Al-Assad’s media adviser Bouthaina Shaaban speaking on CNN regarding the danger represented by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), one can feel only a sense of unease. How can she speak about the threat of ISIS when she represents a regime that is no less dangerous or cr
It is almost as if Iran and its Shi’ite religious establishment are rubbing their hands in glee at the prevailing discourse taking place in the world today, a discourse which holds “Wahhabism” responsible for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its terrorist acts. I pers
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Egyptian Front Coalition—a newly-established electoral alliance of mainly Leftist and liberal parties—defies political “labels” and seeks instead to achieve “patriotic” goals, one of its senior members told Asharq Al-Awsat. Qadri Abu Hussein, a former gov
Beirut, AP—The extremists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have turned their social media into a theater of horror, broadcasting a stream of battles, bombings and beheadings to a global audience. The strategy is aimed at terrorizing opponents at home and winning recruits abroad. B
This year thousands of ceremonies across the globe will mark the centenary of the First World War, an occasion that has already inspired hundreds of new books and countless essays. While in military terms the Middle East was regarded as a sideshow in the Great War, one could argue that it is there t
Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—An Israeli air strike in Gaza killed the wife and infant son of Hamas’s military leader, Mohammed Deif, the group said, calling it an attempt to assassinate him after a ceasefire collapsed. Palestinians launched more than 130 rockets, mainly at southern Israel, with
Donetsk, AP—Government troops fought to gain control of the rebel-held city of Donetsk and a key highway in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, in battles that left 34 residents and nine troops dead in just 24 hours, authorities said. The Ukrainian troops are trying to encircle Donetsk, the largest city s
Is Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi, another sectarian bigot like Nuri Al-Maliki? This is the question many are asking on social media, as more and more people dig into Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider Al-Abadi’s past, posting videos, statements and photos of him claiming
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The grisly on-camera execution of an American journalist by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was likely carried out by a British national, the UK’s Foreign Secretary said on Wednesday. During an interview on BBC Radio, Philip Hammond said the ISIS fighter who behead
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Qatar has refused to sign the final report compiled by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) committee monitoring the implementation of the Riyadh agreement on ending the diplomatic dispute between Doha and other GCC member states, a senior Gulf diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—A young Yazidi woman who escaped captivity in an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) prison has described her ordeal in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat. Layla, 23, was taken from the village of Qani near Mount Sinjar along with other women in her family, a
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—An attempt by the Iraqi armed forces to retake the city of Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was called off on Tuesday, in the face of heavy resistance from ISIS fighters south of the city. Despite backing from helicopters and artillery and mortar fire,
Ferguson, Reuters—Police in riot gear ordered demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, to disperse late on Tuesday, then charged into the crowd to make arrests as relative calm dissolved during an 11th night of protests over the fatal shooting of a black teenager. Protests in the town of 21,000, a predo
Washington, AP—In a horrifying act of revenge for US airstrikes in northern Iraq, militants with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) extremist group have beheaded American journalist James Foley—and are threatening to kill another hostage, US officials say. The White House must no
The Gaza truce negotiations that aim to end the current and third war since Hamas took over the enclave in 2007, differ from previous ones in terms of their nature, interests and the conflicting objectives of all the visible and invisible players involved. One characteristic is the different stance
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—An official in Iraq’s Anbar province warned that another key dam was under threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Monday, and called for US airstrikes on militants to protect it. Falih Al-Issawi, the deputy head of Anbar’s Provincial Council, told Asharq A
