Tag Archives: Iraq

June 15, 2014 · 17:13

L’Iran ne sera pas le gendarme du Moyen-Orient

Par William Hanna – 15 juin 2014

Source: Jason DeCrow/AP

Source: Jason DeCrow/AP

Suite à la conquête spectaculaire de nombreuses villes irakiennes par l’Etat Islamique en Irak et au Levant (EIIL), le président iranien n’a pas hésité à déclarer, samedi 14 juin, que son pays « était prêt à apporter tout soutien nécessaire demandé par le gouvernement irakien, dans son combat contre le terrorisme ». Cette déclaration est d’autant plus significative lorsqu’elle est comparée aux hésitations de la politique étrangère américaine et au quasi mutisme européen. L’annonce par le Pentagone de l’envoi d’un porte-avion déjà stationné dans la région du Golfe arabo-persique, à proximité des eaux territoriales irakiennes,  renforce l’impression d’un attentisme américain.  Continue reading →

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February 5, 2013 · 13:05

The Egyptian Constitution: Looking Beyond Seasonal Forecasts

Commentary by Emilie Sickinghe – 5 February 2013

An Egyptian man casts his vote during a referendum on the new Egyptian constitution at a polling station on December 15, 2012 in Cairo, Egypt. Source: edition.cnn.com

An Egyptian man casts his vote during a referendum on the new Egyptian constitution at a polling station on December 15, 2012 in Cairo, Egypt. Source: edition.cnn.com

Back in January 2011, the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions focussed the world’s attention on the Arab world once again: was an unexpected democratic Spring finally dawning on the region? Two years later, euphoria has given way to anxiety and the world seems to be experiencing Arab Spring fatigue. Syria is embroiled in a brutal civil conflict; as was Libya; Yemen is in the middle of a precarious transition; no fundamental changes have occurred in most other Arab countries (yes, back to business for the rulers left standing); and on top of all that comes… Egypt. Many hopes had been raised for the first Arab Spring country to produce a new constitution. By the end of 2012, all eyes were on Egypt again. The media storm blazed at full strength. President Morsy even landed in the top-ten person-of-the-year list of TIME Magazine. But the keyword was not “Spring” anymore. After Morsi’s autocratic manoeuvres, the newly adopted constitution bitterly disappointed those striving for a genuine democratic state. Continue reading →

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August 10, 2012 · 19:12

Why None of the Revolutions Have Caused an Arab Leader to Fall

Commentary by Mona Chalabi – 10 August 2012

Source: cfr.org

Like any spring, the so-called Arab one has had a rise and a fall. Written analyses of every variety from magazine articles, to a burgeoning academic literature on the subject have made reference to the fall of regimes, the fall of leaders, of political parties. What is more, this language of a fallen something, is every bit as prevalent in the diverse oral accounts that are being recited from coffee shops to conferences. Continue reading →

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June 4, 2012 · 14:02

Corruption in Iraq: An Eyewitness Account

Text and video by Mona Chalabi – 4 June 2012

In 2010, Iraq was ranked 175th out of 178 countries in terms of public perceptions of corruption. In 2011, Iraq again came in 175th place and received the lowest score of any country in the Middle East and North Africa region in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. This year, I travelled across the country to listen to Iraqis and understand why they have so little faith in the integrity of their public sector. (Continue reading to watch video)  Continue reading →

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August 22, 2011 · 18:52

Why Libya 2011 is not Iraq 2003

Commentary by Janaina Herrera – 22 August 2011

Benghazi celebrates the adoption of the UNSC resolution 1973, 17 March 2011

Many, including China, Russia and other emerging powers[1] have opposed a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning the Syrian regime for its ruthless crackdown on protestors. For many of these countries, the reproduction of the Libyan precedent has been a major cause for fear. They believe that any harsh condemnation of Damascus’s tyrannical repression could unleash a sequence similar to that of the Libyan scenario: condemnation would lead to multilateral sanctions, and from there to the possibility of military intervention if other methods were to prove ineffective. The intervention in Libya has been the cause for debate. For many, criticism has revolved around the idea that NATO military action in Libya is associated with the Iraq War of 2003. In the context of current massive human rights violations in Syria and other restive Arab states, such a comparison merits considerable attention. Continue reading →

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May 20, 2011 · 14:28

Fighting Terrorism in Iraq: Are the Americans Leading the Game?

Eyewitness account by Jean Carrere – 20 May 2011

Piled in the back of a police truck we finally left the police station at one o’clock in the morning. The night was pitch dark and the only light in the streets came from our convoy. In the back of the truck, the soldiers laughed, smoked cigarettes and checked their AK47 rifles. It hardly seemed like we were going on a hunt for suspected militants in the Salahadin province of Iraq. Continue reading →

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