Given the nature of violence perpetrated against innocent civilians and prolonged hostility between Sudan and South Sudan, it is imperative that the UN Security Council takes stock of the situation and acts immediately.
Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei tweeted that ‘Tear gas with nerve agent has been used against the Tahrir Square demonstrators’. This raises the suspicion of use of chemical weapons in the ongoing struggle for democracy in West Asia. This commentary analyses the relevance of chemical weapons in the Arab Spring.
Despite reports of deliberations of war in anticipation of and later publication of the latest IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear programme, the November 18 IAEA resolution has desisted from referring the issue to the UNSC. New set of unilateral sanctions on its oil sector by US, Britain, and Canada announced on November 21 though have further increased the economic stakes for Iran.
The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is widely misunderstood. On the one hand many experts regard the Iranian foreign policy as being essentially ideology driven while on the other hand a significant body of opinion believes that ideology is a convenient smokescreen for Iran's pursuit of its national interests. This paper examines the role of ideological, political and institutional actors in the context of the Islamic Republic's quest for consensus and cohesion.
The pro-democracy uprisings in West Asia began with Tunisia, where the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country in a dramatic fashion and found refuge in Jeddah, his new home in exile in Saudi Arabia. The Tunisian revolt had a dramatic impact on Egypt, where a non-violent uprising, brewing for some years, sought the removal of the regime of Hosni Mubarak, president for 28 years. While the movement for change in Egypt was still underway, a pro-democracy revolt erupted in Bahrain, which became the first country in the Gulf whose people sought a fundamental political transformation.
Obama has skilfully reaped the political benefits of ordering a ‘technical’ withdrawal and ending the US mission in Iraq, whilst not only retaining the substance of the US posture and presence but immeasurably strengthening it.
The Ghost of Chemical Weapons in the Arab Spring
Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei tweeted that ‘Tear gas with nerve agent has been used against the Tahrir Square demonstrators’. This raises the suspicion of use of chemical weapons in the ongoing struggle for democracy in West Asia. This commentary analyses the relevance of chemical weapons in the Arab Spring.