Author: Steven Sahiounie

Wednesday, the Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) confirmed that the prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid (49 years old), who has cancer, has fallen unconscious since yesterday in the Israeli “Barzilai” Hospital. The Club said he is on ventilators due to inflammation in his lungs, and he is in a rapidly-escalating serious health condition. In a statement, the PPC confirmed a state of extreme tension in Askalan Prison after informing the prison’s administration that Abu Hamid’s health condition is critical. The statement affirmed that “the prison administration’s ‘slow murder’ policy through medical negligence of the sick is what brought Abu Hamid to this…

At dawn on Tuesday, the American occupation forces imposed a security cordon around the village of Al-Dashisha in the southern countryside of Al-Hasakah, and carried out an airdrop there, after which they raided a number of houses. Local sources told SANA reporter that the US occupation forces carried out an airdrop operation in the village of Al-Dashisha Al-Gharbiyye in the southern countryside of Hasaka, through four helicopters, a drone and a ground force accompanied by armed men from the QSD militia linked to the US occupation. The sources pointed out that the occupation forces and their gunmen surrounded the aforementioned…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Christmas might be over for the western world, but it is never over in Bethlehem, Palestine, the birthplace of the global holiday. There were many years in which churches there were locked on Israeli military orders, and the European and American tourists were prevented from a pilgrimage to the birthplace of their religion, while their countrymen back home in places like Bethlehem, Pennsylvania were singing songs and most likely feeling completely unconnected to Palestine. The political conflict preventing peace and prosperity to Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land is still raging, and…

Massive Israeli airstrikes on Latakia, Syria Latakia: December 28, 2021: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator reporting at the scene. The Israeli air force struck the port at Latakia at 3:21 am. today. This was the second Israeli attack this month at the main commercial port of Syria on the Mediterranean Sea. The attack today was massive, which inflicted heavy damage to the port infrastructure as well as massive loss of cargo containers full of civilian imports such as: cotton threads used in fabric factories of Aleppo, car tires, automobile parts, baby milk for pharmacies and many other commercial cargoes…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The US is faced with a long list of hot-spots and tensions.  Beginning with the situation in Iraq, where the Parliament has asked the US troops to leave.  However, the US has refused a withdrawal, and instead has announced the 2,500 soldiers will be kept on the ground, but in a support mission, not combat. The tensions between the US and Russia are at the boiling point as Washington threatens, but President Putin replies, “We didn’t come to the US or UK borders, no, they came to ours,” he said recently. Presidents of the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had planned to be crowned the longest-serving president of Turkey when the 2023 celebration of 100 years of the Republic of Turkey is to be held, but economic crisis, censorship, corruption, and low opinion polls make his dream uncertain. Erdogan has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister, and now as president. He managed to engineer sweeping powers for himself three years ago but has since driven the country into hyperinflation and a collapsing currency while dismissing three central bank governors since 2019, and sacking three bank…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On the Syrian-Jordanian border, just miles from the illegal US military base at Tanf, about 10,000 civilians are being held as captives to be used as leverage in the political solution to the Syrian conflict. In April, the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, condemned the situation when she said, “deep moral wrong happening in Rukban.” The Syrian government has offered safe passage for civilians from Rukban to return to areas in Syria that are safe, and hundreds have taken up the offer. However, the US has not assisted in the process because…

Marc Finaud, Head of Arms Proliferation at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), says “the German government, as a key member of the European Union, is committed to a successful conclusion of the Vienna talks and return to full compliance with the JCPOA.” He adds that if there are disputes about access between Iran and IAEA, they can be solved by technical solutions instead of further complicating the Vienna talks.” Bazaar: The first meeting of the seventh round of Vienna talks came to an end while waiting for an agreement was unlikely. But in the last few days, following…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Tensions eased after US President Biden announced that putting American troops on the ground in Ukraine to deter a potential Russian invasion was “not on the table,” following a virtual summit between Biden and Russian President Putin on Tuesday. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of the US and NATO risking a “nightmare scenario of military confrontation” in Europe following NATO’s expanding military infrastructure in Ukraine. While speaking at a conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Lavrov cited NATO’s military infrastructure being irresponsibly brought closer to Russia’s…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator An attempt on the life of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was uncovered by Turkish intelligence. The improvised explosive device was discovered under the personal vehicle of a police officer due to be on duty at a rally in Siirt for Erdogan on Saturday morning.  After the discovery of the bomb, it was defused by experts, and an investigation began into its origin.  “God willing, we will stabilize all fluctuations in prices and forex rates in not such a long time,” Erdogan told an audience Saturday morning at the rally held in Siirt. Failed…