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Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh’s claim to Power
June 10, 2011 4 min. read

Despite his father being treated in Saudi Arabia following a bomb attack on the Presidential mosque, Ahmed Ali Saleh is determined to fight off the opposition and conquer the seat that is rightfully his. At the head of the powerful and well trained Republican Guards, Ahmed Saleh is a powerful player on Yemen’s political scene. […]

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Yemen Instability & Conspiracy Theories
June 10, 2011 3 min. read

The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. According to sources close to the Yemeni government, Brigadier General Ali Saleh al-Ahmar, President Saleh’s half brother, would be behind the attempted assassination which took place last week. An explosion […]

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Turkey, UN Maneuvers & Nukes
June 10, 2011 3 min. read

Another day of Syria dominating the press. I’ll try my best to continue to update things in anticipation of another pivotal friday of protests coming up tomorrow. Check it. Northern Exposure Continued I just want to continue to update the Jisr al-Shaggour story. As of this evening, the number of Syrian refugees to have crossed […]

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Syria Hashtag Explodes!
June 9, 2011 6 min. read

Before I start off today’s post I want to thank the OLLI program of Portland for having me yesterday. I gave a presentation there on my experiences in Syria, and could not have had a more pleasant experience. It’s very rewarding to get the opportunity to speak with such an involved and engaged group of […]

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Dark Clouds Hover above Yemen
June 8, 2011 4 min. read

The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. The Joint Meeting Parties, a coalition of various political factions united in their opposition to the Saleh regime, has extended an invitation to the government to discuss the transition of […]

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Ban Ki-Moon and Israel
June 7, 2011 3 min. read

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would seek a second term in the top post at the international agency, with another five year tenure spelling possible disaster for Israel. The Middle East has been in the throes of a so-called Arab Spring, with some governments — such as the Syrian regime — conducting countless […]

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Opposition Speaks
June 6, 2011 11 min. read

On Friday I mentioned the now completed “Conference for Change” held by the Syrian opposition in Antalya, Turkey. The conference was very important for a variety of reasons. Today I want to expand a bit on why that conference was so important, who exactly was there, dissect the final statement issued by the conference, and […]

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Game On; The Opposition is Back
June 4, 2011 6 min. read

So the outcome of the Syrian uprising is not as clear cut as I would have had you believe a few short weeks ago. The opposition has rallied and is once again putting some pretty serious pressure on the Assad regime. Protestors took to the streets in significant numbers today. The numerous arms of the […]

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Countdown To Elections In Turkey And The Turkish Way Of Voting
June 3, 2011 4 min. read

  According to Hurriyet News, Recep Tayip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, visited one of the main opposition parties’ office during his last tours for election campaign. I think it is a great accomplishment for Mr. Erdogan to stop, point fingers, and start a dialog with the “other” side of Turkey, the side that has […]

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What's Wrong With Egyptian Security?
June 2, 2011 6 min. read

This is a piece by Robert Lattin of FPA Blogs, who covers Israel. His full profile can be viewed here: http://israel.foreignpolicyblogs.com/author/robertlattin/ With every passing day, security is becoming a greater concern for the average Egyptian.  There have been several reports of attacks on the country’s Coptic population, which constitutes over 10 million people and random acts […]

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Bowling Green Based Jihadis Stumble into FBI Snare
June 1, 2011 3 min. read

Federal officials announced Tuesday that two Iraqi nationals have been arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky on charges that they conspired to provide weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

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Yemen: US$5 Billion Lost in 4 Months
May 29, 2011 3 min. read

The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. In a recent interview with Reuters, Hisham Sharaf Abdullah, the Minister of Industry and Trade said that Yemen’s uprising had cost so far an estimated US$5 billion. “We have reports […]

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