Middle East

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Video shows US-backed opposition fighter cannibalizing Syrian soldier

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The video makes clear the barbaric character of the Islamic fundamentalist forces the US has mobilized in its proxy war against Syria.

Nationwide protests against austerity in Israel

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The budget aims to cut the deficit that reached US$11 billion in 2012.

Reports suggest Syrian opposition involvement in Turkish bombings

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Despite evidence that groups involved in the campaign against the Syrian regime were behind the bombings, Turkish leaders are pushing to use them as a pretext for war.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

British imperialism’s return to “East of Suez”

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, got the full treatment on his state visit to Britain last week.

UN says US-backed opposition, not Syrian regime, used poison gas

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

UN investigator Carla del Ponte’s statements explode the propaganda lie that the US is preparing to attack Syria to defend its people from chemical weapons.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

US finalises arms deals with Israel, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The United States is flooding the Middle East with armaments, a further sign that the preparations for military intervention against Syria are ultimately aimed at Iran.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Syrian opposition militia declares allegiance to Al Qaeda

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The leading fighting group in the US-backed war against the Syrian government has announced its loyalty to Al Qaeda.

Washington escalates Syria intervention

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The US and Jordanian militaries have stepped up a program to train thousands of armed fighters to send into Syria with the aim of carving out a buffer zone in the south of the country.

Trial of political activists underway in United Arab Emirates

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The despotic United Arab Emirates regime has begun a trial of 94 pro-democracy activists.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Obama talks “peace” in Israel while preparing war

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In a speech delivered in Jerusalem Thursday, Obama identified US interests unconditionally with Israel, while reiterating war threats against both Syria and Iran.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

French government promotes pseudo-left opposition parties in Tunisia

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

After Chokri Belaïd’s assassination, Paris is seeking to advance the petty-bourgeois Popular Front to advance its imperialist interests in Tunisia.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

France-Qatar tensions rise over Mali war, Tunisia

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Tensions between France and its Qatari ally are rising amid accusations that Qatar is funding Al Qaeda-linked militants fighting France in Mali.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Mass strikes and protests shut down Port Said in Egypt

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Renewed strikes and protests have swept Egypt since January 25, the second anniversary of the outbreak of the Egyptian revolution that toppled long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Pentagon chiefs reveal divisions over Syria

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Tactical differences have emerged within the Obama administration over how best to prosecute its strategy for regime-change in Syria.

Tunisian government begins to unravel

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The murder last Wednesday of anti-Islamist politician Chokri Belaïd has undermined the government coalition, whose main component is the Islamist Ennahda Party.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

With death toll rising, Egypt’s opposition calls for talks with Mursi

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

With the death toll in Egypt’s protests having climbed to near 60, the head of the main bourgeois opposition coalition has called for talks with President Mursi.

Revolutionary Socialists offer their services to the Egyptian bourgeoisie

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

With the eruption of the mass movements against Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the RS came forward as the chief advocate of a united movement of the Islamists and liberal bourgeois parties to block social revolution.

Jordan on the brink of disaster

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Last week’s elections in Jordan resulted in a large majority for tribal leaders, pro-monarchy loyalists and businessmen.

Israel’s elections augur deepening political instability

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing electoral alliance, Likud-Beiteinu, and his religious coalition partners won a much-reduced majority in Tuesday’s elections, resulting in a hung parliament.

Fatal accidents fuel discontent with Egyptian Islamist government

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Only days before the second anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution on January 25, protesters denounce Islamist President Mursi after a series of deadly accidents.

The rotten foundations of US policy in the Middle East

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The death of 13 migrant workers in a labor camp fire in Bahrain comes on the heels of Saudi Arabia’s beheading of a Sri Lankan maid.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

US, Arab allies call for intervention in Syria after bombing of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

All media reports of the bombardment of Yarmouk stress that the Syrian government is guilty of a crime and must pay a price.

Israel considering attack on Syria

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has twice asked Jordan for its support to bomb Syria’s alleged chemical weapons facilities.

Syria in the crosshairs

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The US and its imperialist allies are building up to a direct intervention in Syria, with the deployment of Patriot missile batteries in Turkey and the official recognition of the opposition.

Australian pseudo-left backs imperialist intervention in Syria

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The overt shift by Socialist Alternative into the imperialist camp is bound up with the new political requirements of the Labor government.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

“Friends of Syria” meeting demands Assad cede power to Islamist opposition

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Representatives of 130 governments, led by the US and the European powers, officially recognized the Islamist Syrian opposition as the sole representative of the Syrian people.

Washington discovers terrorists in Syria

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In branding one of the principal anti-Assad militias as a terrorist organization, Washington is exposing the character of the US-backed war in Syria.

Syrian “rebels” establish unified military command

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The composition of the new council exposes the reactionary character of the Syrian opposition, dominated by Islamists, lacking any popular base and reliant on the major powers.

Mounting evidence of US plans for military intervention against Syria

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Unsubstantiated claims that Syria intends to use chemical weapons are as transparent a pretext for military aggression as the lies a decade ago about Iraqi “weapons of mass destruction.”

US tightens military noose around Syria

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Amid an escalating drumbeat about a supposed threat that Syria is preparing to use chemical weapons, Washington has deployed a naval armada off the country’s coast.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Obama and Al Qaeda

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

As the US threatens to intervene in Syria on the pretext of countering chemical weapons, a sinister alliance between Washington and Al Qaeda comes ever more clearly into focus.

Washington floats chemical weapons charge as pretext for Syria buildup

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration and the media have cited unspecified “intelligence” about chemical weapons to issue new threats against Syria.

Jordan hit by protests against fuel hikes and Abdullah’s rule

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

For weeks, thousands of people in towns and cities throughout Jordan have taken to the streets in protest against the government’s decision to end fuel subsidies.

Israel to expand settlements after UN vote on Palestine

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In a provocative response to the UN’s recognition of Palestine as a nonmember state, the Netanyahu government is pushing ahead with 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

After the elections: Obama escalates war drive in the Middle East

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration is escalating its intervention in Syria as part of a broader strategy of neocolonial conquest.

Israeli forces break Gaza ceasefire as Netanyahu outlines his political calculations

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The ceasefire that brought to an end Israel’s eight-day blitzkrieg against Gaza is already under strain, after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man on the border.

Bombardment of Gaza portends further criminal wars in Middle East

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

For eight days, the Israel Defense Forces rained down devastation on Gaza that has left it in ruins. More than 150 Palestinian lives were lost, including 40 children.

US and Egypt announce ceasefire in Israeli assault on Gaza

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

After supporting a ceaseless bombardment for the last eight days of densely populated Gaza neighborhoods, the US was concerned that the conflict could threaten its broader agenda in the Middle East.

Israel continues blitz against Gaza amid truce talks

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Israeli warplanes continued to pound Gaza Tuesday, inflicting mounting civilian casualties amid predictions that an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire would soon take effect.

The Law in These Parts: Israeli military justice in the Occupied Territories

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Ra’anan Alexandrowicz’s documentary is a penetrating look at the Israeli military legal system in the Occupied Territories on the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip over the last 45 years.

Stop the massacre in Gaza!

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Israeli leadership, the Obama administration and the corporate media all invoke the “right of self-defense” to justify the onslaught against Gaza that has already killed and maimed hundreds of Palestinian civilians.

Death toll mounts from Israeli air strikes in Gaza

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Israeli warplanes and gunboats intensified their attacks on Palestinian homes and institutions throughout the Gaza Strip over the weekend, bringing the death toll to more than 75.

Israel calls up 75,000 troops as bombing continues in Gaza

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Israeli military boasted of carrying out more than 500 air strikes against densely populated Gaza since launching its offensive on Wednesday.

Israel masses troops on Gaza border as bombardment intensifies

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Israeli warplanes carried out hundreds of air strikes against the densely populated Gaza Strip Thursday as Israel mobilized troops on the Palestinian territory’s border.

Israel launches offensive against Gaza

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In its most intense attack on Gaza since the Operation Cast Lead invasion of 2008-2009, Israel carried out a bombardment of the Palestinian territory, beginning with the assassination of a top Hamas leader.

After the US election, Syria war threats mount

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

One week after the reelection of President Barack Obama, the drumbeat for war against Syria has escalated sharply.

US claims Iran tried to shoot down drone

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The incident has the character of a US provocation designed to exacerbate the tense situation in the Persian Gulf.

Israel launches missile strike against Syria

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

With the US elections out of the way, Washington and its allies have stepped up their campaign for regime-change against Syria.

US-backed Syrian “rebels” in disarray at Qatar conference

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanded a shakeup within Syria’s “rebel” leadership and revealed that the State Department had handpicked a group of new leaders.

Likud/Israel Beiteinu bloc prepares ground for war and savage austerity measures

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Likud party has overwhelmingly backed a planned bloc with the ultra-nationalist Israel Beiteinu in the January 22 election.

US sought use of British bases for war against Iran

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

US access to military bases on Cyprus, Ascension Island and Diego Garcia would significantly boost the Pentagon’s ability to wage round-the-clock air strikes against Iran.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

US-Israeli preparations for war against Iran

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The US and Israel are currently conducting their largest-ever joint military exercise to ready Israel’s anti-missile systems for a conflict with Iran.

Lebanon bombings linked to civil war in Syria

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The two deadly bombings in Beirut point to the growing threat that the Syrian conflict will spread to Lebanon and throughout the region.

Turkey’s foreign minister demands war in the name of “human rights”

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Speaking with the Guardian newspaper, Ahmet Davutoglu employed the lie that a war against Syria was necessary to defend “human rights.”

Turkey leads US-sponsored military encirclement of Syria

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Despite concerns of blowback in Syria due to the arming of jihadist groups, a military build-up on Syria’s borders is proceeding apace.

New evidence that US invasion has produced epidemic of birth defects in Iraq

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

An extraordinary epidemic of congenital birth defects has affected Iraqi cities over the past decade, particularly in Fallujah and Basra.

US Defense Secretary warns of “Pearl Harbor” cyber attack by Iran

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In a speech in New York Thursday, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned that the US faced a threat from Iran equivalent to September 11 or the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Turkey’s hijacking of Syrian plane raises specter of wider war

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Turkey’s forcing down of a Syrian passenger plane flying from Moscow has escalated tensions in the region and drawn a sharp protest from the Russian government.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

In preparation for wider war, Pentagon deploys task force in Jordan

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In preparation for a wider war in the Middle East, the Pentagon has deployed a 150-strong task force in Jordan.

US, Israel plan joint strikes on Iran

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The US and Israel are planning joint strikes against Iran, according to reports in the Israeli media and Foreign Policy magazine.

US wages economic war on Iran

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

As in the case of Iraq, the US-led sanctions on Iran are designed to weaken the country in the lead-up to a military attack.

Mass protest against threatened Turkey-Syria war

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters gathered in Istanbul, Thursday evening, opposing military action against Syria.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Turkey attacks Syria after stray shelling

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Turkey’s military attacked Syria Wednesday after a stray shell from Syria killed five in a Turkish border town. With Ankara invoking NATO’s collective defense agreement, the danger is rising of a direct Western intervention.

Incumbent President Saakashvili’s party defeated in Georgian election

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Incumbent Georgian President Saakashvili conceded defeat in the parliamentary elections held Monday.

US removes Iranian MEK from terrorist list

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Whether Washington brands a group as “terrorist” or not is determined purely by whether it serves the interests of American imperialism.

Netanyahu’s war ultimatum at the UN

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s belligerent and provocative speech last Thursday before the United Nations General Assembly underscored that plans for an unprovoked military attack on Iran are far advanced.

AKP government moves against Turkish army

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Several generals were sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges of plotting a coup against the Islamist AKP government.

Israeli prime minister lays out path to war with Iran

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In a speech before the UN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded a “red line” for Iran’s nuclear program that would lead to military action in the spring or summer of next year.

Turkish government raises consumption taxes

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has announced plans to raise consumption tax on automobiles, petroleum products, and alcoholic drinks to help pay off the budget deficit.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

US elections conceal preparations for war with Iran

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In the midst of a presidential election campaign, the fact that plans for war against Iran are far advanced is being concealed from the American people.

Israeli leader presses Obama to set trigger for war against Iran

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Netanyahu’s remarks were designed to create the false impression that the country is on the brink of building a nuclear weapon.

Anti-US protests rage across the Middle East

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Angry anti-US protests, including the storming of embassies, continued for a fourth day Friday from Indonesia to Morocco.

Protests against Palestinian Authority austerity measures

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian trade unions and Israel are united in opposing a growing tide of protests in the West Bank.

The US embassy protests

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Protests at US embassies against an anti-Islamic video are a devastating popular verdict on the policies of the US government in the Middle East.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Bombings, death sentence stoke sectarian tensions in Iraq

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

A nationwide terrorist bombing campaign combined with the handing down of a death sentence for an exiled Sunni vice president threaten to reignite the deadly sectarian tensions that erupted during the US occupation of Iraq.

Turkey ramps up war threats against Syria

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Turkey has escalated its war rhetoric against Syria, placing itself at the forefront of any military intervention to depose the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

US steps up military operations in Yemen

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration is intensifying its bloody campaign in the impoverished Middle Eastern country of Yemen.

US escalates CIA intervention on Syrian-Turkish border

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Washington is rushing a beefed-up contingent of CIA operatives to the border between Turkey and Syria in a bid to escalate the war for regime change.