Author: Steven Sahiounie

American mechanized forces have begun deploying at Syrian oil fields, ostensibly to stop the remnants of Islamic State from seizing them, and will respond with “overwhelming force” to protect them. Following the withdrawal of US forces from northern Syria earlier this month, and the killing of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday night, American forces in Syria apparently have a new mission: protect the oil. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said at a press conference on Monday that American mechanized forces have already deployed to protect oil fields in eastern Syria. The mission, on its…

An Iraqi security source says two mortar rounds have hit a military base north of the country’s capital, Baghdad, where US troops are deployed. “Two rounds landed inside the Taiji base and exploded, and a third landed outside it and did not detonate,” the source said without giving any details on possible damage or casualties. No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the attack on the US forces’ base, which comes as a wave of anti-government protests has been sweeping major cities in the country, including the capital city. Earlier on Monday, the government imposed a curfew in the…

By Timothy Alexander Guzman Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir has recently called out Iran for its alleged “support of terrorist groups, its ballistic missile program and its destabilizing effect” in the Middle East even though Iran has not attacked a country in more than 200 years. The Saudi Gazette, an English-language online daily newspaper published in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia who describes itself as “The Tone of Truth and Moderation” reported on October 21st ‘Iranians are on a rampage — Al-Jubeir’ on a Q&A event that took place at the Chatham House, a think tank based in London with…

On 27 October, US President Donald Trump confirmed media reports that Daesh* terrorist group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died as a result of a US Special Forces operation in Syria’s Idlib province. Daesh has named a successor to Baghdadi following the US operation in Syria, Newsweek reported. Abdullah Qardash (a.k.a. Hajji Abdullah al-Afari), who was earlier nominated by Baghdadi to run the group’s ‘Muslim affairs’, is set to take over Baghdadi’s position, according to the report. Little is known about Qardash other than that he is a former Iraqi military officer who once served under late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the report says.…

By Drago Bosnic A leading Lebanese newspaper revealed the role played by the US embassy in the October protest rallies in Iraq which turned violent. The Arabic-language al-Akhbar paper wrote on Saturday that it has gained access to a security document that shows the US mission’s role in organizing a secret formation to add fuel to the flames of unrest in Iraq last month. According to the newspaper, the US embassy has formed a high committee of protests, which coordinated field activities during the protests and the embassy provided it with intelligence and a number of politicians and government workers supported it.…

After a life dedicated to terrorism, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died “whimpering and crying,” Donald Trump said. Here’s how the operation to kill the jihadist chief unfolded, according to the US president. Where did it happen? The Iraqi terrorist leader died during a raid on his safe house in the village of Barisha in Idlib province, northwestern Syria. The house is situated in one of the last areas of the country that is not controlled by the Syrian government. Trump revealed that Russia opened up its airspace to allow US special forces to carry out the raid. When…

 The Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed on Sunday the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces from the Syrian-Turkish border. “The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the withdrawal of armed groups 30 kilometres [about 19 miles] from the Syrian border with Turkey in full coordination with the Syrian government troops. This withdrawal deprives Turkey of justification of its brutal aggression against our territories,” the ministry said, as quoted by the Ikhbariya broadcaster. The ministry stressed that the Syrian government was ensuring the security of all of the country’s citizens. “The Syrian Arab Republic will work to accept all its children and provide…

By Hassanal Noor Rashid The Opening Scene The 14th September 2019 attack which had caused significant damage to Saudi based Aramco Oil plants in Abqaiq and Khurais, was the trigger for much of the recent rise in regional tension at least when it comes to Saudi- Iran relations. However, given the way that recent events have unfolded, it seems that a commitment to a comprehensive and fair investigation is not exactly on the agenda. If anything, there seems to be a more concerted effort in doubling down on a narrative that Iran is responsible for the attack despite the mind-boggling irrationality of…

Iran’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Farhad Dejpassand says the country has managed to keep exports smooth and running over the past seven months despite a series of harsh sanctions imposed by the US that are meant to restrict the country’s access to the regional and international markets. Dejpassand said on Sunday that the value of exports of non-oil products from Iran since late March, when the current Iranian calendar year started, had reached $24.4 billion, slightly down compared to the similar period in 2018 when the country exported nearly $27.3 billion of goods and services. “It is clear that despite…

Tens of thousands of people in Lebanon have formed a 170-kilometer-long human chain stretching the length of the Arab country in a show of unity and solidarity with anti-government protests. According to organizers, the human chain on Sunday was successfully formed as protesters held hands from Tripoli in the north to Tyre in the south, running through capital Beirut, the main protest hub against the Mediterranean country’s economic crisis. In capital, men, women and children held hands, some waving Lebanese flags and many singing the national anthem. “I can confirm that the human chain was a success. The idea behind…