Dear All,

Elizabeth Barrett

United States

“On any given day, new people are born into varied circumstances all around the world. They may arrive into a poor family in Yemen or a wealthy one in Manhattan - through no intention of their own.”

***

Bay Area writer Michael Lewis’s recent Princeton commencement address has…

Focus on Al Qaeda in Yemen Magnifies Chronic Instability

Ibrahim Sharqieh

Apr 25, 2012

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/focus-on-al-qaeda-in-yemen-magnifies-chronic-instability#full

In a recent conversation, the White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan and…

From protests to politics, a new way forward for Yemen

Ibrahim Sharqieh

Mar 16, 2012

The Yemeni people have reason to celebrate. They managed to keep their 12-month uprising largely peaceful, held successful and transparent presidential elections and ultimately put an end to the country's autocracy. Though it is still too…

• At least 35 soldiers and some 14 suspected militants were reportedly killed in twin suicide bombings and…

• At least 28 people were reportedly killed in clashes on Saturday between government troops and opposition forces in Syria as the Red Cross continued efforts to evacuate civilians from the city of Homs; while at least 89 people were reportedly killed nationwide. On Sunday, the ICRC said that…

• China announced on Friday that it had yet to receive a formal invitation to a meeting of international powers in Tunis next week to discuss the crisis in Syria; the government reportedly blocked a premiere live stream website, Bambuser, that has been used by dissidents to…

• A new report in the Atlantic this week suggests that a barely perceptible shift occurred in recent months that make the possibility of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear sites more possible, as the benefits outweigh the costs. NBC reported last week…

• Human Rights Watch alleged that authorities in Iran are intimidating and arresting relatives and friends of Persian-language journalists working abroad on Friday; while American spy chiefs told Congress that they believed Iran’s leaders are now more willing to attack the US in…

• The Guardian ran a special report on the mistreatment of Palestinian children locked in Israel’s military justice system; allegations that many vehemently denied. Last Wednesday, an Israeli military court ordered Hamas MP Aziz Dweik, the speaker of…

• On Saturday, the Sunni-backed bloc suspended its participation in Iraq’s Parliament after accusing PM al-Maliki’s Shi’ite led government of concentrating power. On Sunday, the last of the US combat troops in Iraq crossed the border into Kuwait after nearly nine years of war, and…

• The Atlantic published an article highlighting the 10 biggest Middle East Stories of 2011.
• American Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich again spoke out against Palestine this week,…

Will Yemen's Peace Agreement Hold?

Ibrahim Sharqieh

|

December 14, 2011

http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/will-yemens-peace-agreement-hold-6238

Having come close but failing to sign three times before, President Ali Abdullah Saleh has finally endorsed a Gulf-brokered agreement. The mandate transfers power to his deputy, Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi,…

• At least 25 people were killed in Syria on Saturdayin clashes between…

The Security Council is still discussing a possible resolution on Yemen. The U.K is taking the lead on negotiating with the U.S., France, Russia, and China. The UN envoy, Jamal BinOmar, failed to make progress in his negotiation with all parties there. He went back to the Security Council with a full report that should help the Council make a decision.

I discuss this on Aljazeera at this link:

 …

Yemen needs action, not just talk

By Ibrahim Sharqieh and Courtney Freer

Posted on Sun, Oct. 9, 2011

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20111009_Yemen_needs_action__not_just_talk.html

The recent killing in Yemen of the American-born al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaki, the return of the country's…

Monday, September 26, 2011

Embattled Yemeni leader turns to soccer to polish his tattered image

By James M. Dorsey

Embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s meeting Sunday with his country’s national youth soccer team highlights the importance of soccer as a battlefield in the struggle between Arab autocrats and pro-democracy activists.

Mr. Saleh…

By JAMES M. DORSEY

AL ARABIYA

The videos of the Syrian military shelling some of the country’s cities and Libyan forces pounding rebel-held towns present a dramatic picture of relations between the military and civil society across the Middle East and North Africa.

Also, scenes of Egyptians protesting the armed forces’ alleged efforts to derail their revolution and Bahrainis being crushed by security forces produce a picture of a popular Arab revolt sweeping across two…

ICAR Newsletter: A Publication of the Institute for Conflict

Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University

Vol. 5, Issue 3, April 2011



Editor: Tom Richardson,…