This is pretty big:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN18W0DQ
KSA, UAE and Egypt are cutting ties with Qatar, accusing it of promoting terrorism among other things.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Monday, 5 June 2017 06:55 (seven years ago) link
The Qatari news agency apparently broadcast claims that the ruling family support Iran and Israel - which seems to have been the catalyst for this. Qatar says they were hacked.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Monday, 5 June 2017 06:59 (seven years ago) link
Lots of speculation that Qatar will aim to get back into their good books by shutting al Jazeera - which wasn't the network hacked but has apparently annoyed Saudi in the past.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Monday, 5 June 2017 07:57 (seven years ago) link
It's been a long time coming. Qatar supported Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Islamists in Libya (UAE supports former Tripoli elites), and permits open funding for Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra) by wealthy individuals, though that accusation is a bit rich, considering sheikh al-Ajmi is based in Kuwait and draws from Kuwaiti and Saudi individuals, too.
From what I've read, it seems unlikely Qatar has supported ISIS or Sh'ia militants in eastern Arabia.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Monday, 5 June 2017 18:42 (seven years ago) link
FT has a good summary on the proximate cause.
https://www.ft.com/content/dd033082-49e9-11e7-a3f4-c742b9791d43
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Tuesday, 6 June 2017 02:06 (seven years ago) link
CNN: US suspects Russian hackers planted fake news behind Qatar crisis
Intelligence gathered by the US security agencies indicates that Russian hackers were behind the intrusion first reported by the Qatari government two weeks ago, US officials say.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 6 June 2017 23:05 (seven years ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/world/middleeast/adnan-khashoggi-dead-saudi-arms-trader.html?smid=tw-share
"In his later years, Mr. Khashoggi lived well but in much-reduced circumstances. He flew on commercial jets, fended off creditors and dismissed his bodyguard, a Korean martial arts expert known as Mr. Kill."
― mark s, Thursday, 8 June 2017 08:35 (seven years ago) link
“What did I do wrong? Nothing,” he said toward the end of his life. “I behaved unethically, for ethical reasons.”
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 8 June 2017 18:20 (seven years ago) link
same
― mark s, Thursday, 8 June 2017 18:23 (seven years ago) link
converse. I behave ethically, but in regretable cases for non-ethical reasons. The first time I became a vegetarian it was to get into a vegetarian's pants, etc.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Friday, 9 June 2017 01:44 (seven years ago) link
Saif Gaddafi has just been released from prison!
http://news.sky.com/story/gaddafis-son-saif-al-islam-is-released-from-prison-in-libya-10911577
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Saturday, 10 June 2017 21:40 (six years ago) link
A thoughtful read, I felt:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/05/the-arab-world-has-never-recovered-from-the-loss-of-1967/
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 12 June 2017 13:30 (six years ago) link
learned a lot from that. I liked this piece about how Israel never recovered from the victory: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/04/i-fought-for-a-better-israel-than-this-215222
― lettered and hapful (symsymsym), Monday, 12 June 2017 17:24 (six years ago) link
As an addendum, I don't think the western view of the Arab world has ever recovered from the Yom Kippur War in 73. Them catching Israel unaware, then failing to win anyway, then punishing the west for their own failure through the oil embargo. I don't mean to say anti-arab racism is due to that, but geopolitically, I don't they've been treated seriously since.
― Frederik B, Monday, 12 June 2017 17:47 (six years ago) link
Pinch of salt etc but Islamic State leader Baghdadi 'may have been killed by Russia'.
― Duncan Disorderly (Tom D.), Friday, 16 June 2017 07:54 (six years ago) link
The MOD statement is less definitive in Russian than in English. It says they are still checking, while the Sputnik report suggests it has been checked.
Syria also claims they killed him last week fwiw so at least one of them is wrong.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Friday, 16 June 2017 08:53 (six years ago) link
any next manager odds yet? I heard Sherwood hasn't ruled himself out.
― calzino, Friday, 16 June 2017 09:29 (six years ago) link
The US has just released a statement confirming it shot down a Syrian MiG in Syrian airspace - the first time this has ever been done, iirc. The Americans say it was attacking pro-US rebels, the Syrians seem to be claiming it was taking part in an operation to recapture a town from ISIS.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Sunday, 18 June 2017 20:48 (six years ago) link
Syrian MiGs should trail banners identifying whether they are attacking ISIS, Syrian civilians, US-friendly Kurds or someone else. They could be color coded for easy deciphering by pilots of US fighter jets.
― A is for (Aimless), Sunday, 18 June 2017 21:35 (six years ago) link
Also of interest: because of the Tehran attacks, Iran's RG supposedly launched into an attack on IS in Syria. link. If the Tehran attack leads to Iran entering the fight against ISIS proper, that's an interesting development, though for now I'd say it's just hardmanning, "the response the people demand", and doubt they will keep it up. But if Iran would choose to do so, to keep fighting IS, in Syria, it would probably make it harder on TrumpUSA to denounce them. They'd be on the same side in this.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Sunday, 18 June 2017 23:18 (six years ago) link
Why do you think IS attacked Tehran? Iran funds the Kata'ib Hezbollah ("Hezbollah Brigades") and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq ("League of the Righteous") that are fighting against IS in both Iraq and Syria.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Sunday, 18 June 2017 23:24 (six years ago) link
http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/16/white-house-officials-push-for-widening-war-in-syria-over-pentagon-objections/
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Monday, 19 June 2017 13:24 (six years ago) link
Russia Threatens to Target U.S. Warplanes Over Syria
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 19 June 2017 14:09 (six years ago) link
Trump's really taken the Saudi line, hook and sinker. Wasn't so long ago that his dank supporters were arguing that HRC was the one hellbent on WW3.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Monday, 19 June 2017 15:11 (six years ago) link
Yeah, i think that was evident in the bungling of the Qatar situation as well.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Monday, 19 June 2017 15:21 (six years ago) link
Test
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Tuesday, 20 June 2017 19:07 (six years ago) link
Extraordinary statement from Tillerson calling KSA and other out on Qatar.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Tuesday, 20 June 2017 19:08 (six years ago) link
.@statedeptspox Nauert provides a readout of Secretary Tillerson's engagement on #Qatar, regional situation pic.twitter.com/vo2FJ86BZg— Department of State (@StateDept) June 20, 2017
A number of Exxon-Mobil's biggest investments over the past decade have been in Qatar's LNG plants.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 20 June 2017 23:34 (six years ago) link
KSA has told Qatar to shut al-Jazeera, sever all diplomatic ties with Iran and close their military base in Turkey.
Will be worth watching Tillerson's reaction.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Friday, 23 June 2017 08:47 (six years ago) link
The full, bonkers, list of demands here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/23/close-al-jazeera-saudi-arabia-issues-qatar-with-13-demands-to-end-blockade
Internal decision-making was presumably held up by the change in KSA's power structure but they're now in a position to try to turn the screw.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Friday, 23 June 2017 09:41 (six years ago) link
The long, impossible to meet list of demands certainly worked out when Austro-Hungary tried it.
― Eallach mhór an duine leisg (dowd), Sunday, 25 June 2017 13:25 (six years ago) link
I'm not sure what would qualify as a crisis in Syria, but this seems like a volatile situation: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40413563 Hopefully it will be enough to warn Assad off and that will be it.
― Eallach mhór an duine leisg (dowd), Tuesday, 27 June 2017 03:40 (six years ago) link
Contra thread title:
AP: In Yemen's secret prisons, UAE tortures and US interrogates
Hundreds of men swept up in the hunt for al-Qaida militants have disappeared into a secret network of prisons in southern Yemen where abuse is routine and torture extreme — including the “grill,” in which the victim is tied to a spit like a roast and spun in a circle of fire, an Associated Press investigation has found.Senior American defense officials acknowledged Wednesday that U.S. forces have been involved in interrogations of detainees in Yemen but denied any participation in or knowledge of human rights abuses. Interrogating detainees who have been abused could violate international law, which prohibits complicity in torture.
Senior American defense officials acknowledged Wednesday that U.S. forces have been involved in interrogations of detainees in Yemen but denied any participation in or knowledge of human rights abuses. Interrogating detainees who have been abused could violate international law, which prohibits complicity in torture.
― it's just locker room treason (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 27 June 2017 18:23 (six years ago) link
Israel approves construction of 800 new homes in east Jerusalem, where Palestinians hoped to establish capital. https://t.co/c4kwukiYN4— The Associated Press (@AP) July 5, 2017
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 22:07 (six years ago) link
There was this as well: Israel seizes solar panels donated to Palestinians by Dutch government. Israel doesn't give a single fuck.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 22:13 (six years ago) link
whoa
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/uae-hacked-qatari-government-sites-sparking-regional-upheaval-according-to-us-intelligence-officials/2017/07/16/00c46e54-698f-11e7-8eb5-cbccc2e7bfbf_story.html?tid=a_breakingnews&hpid=hp_no-name_no-name%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar
― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Sunday, 16 July 2017 22:42 (six years ago) link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.930728bc537f
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 20 July 2017 15:06 (six years ago) link
Sky News Arabia to broadcast documentary 'Qatar...The Road to Manhattan' on Wednesday https://t.co/PjicnWFzy6 pic.twitter.com/MHPZV6e98L— Gulf News (@gulf_news) July 24, 2017
Seems legit.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Monday, 24 July 2017 20:34 (six years ago) link
This whole Qatar thing has been pulled off quite ineptly, hasn't it?
― Frederik B, Monday, 24 July 2017 21:23 (six years ago) link
something to keep an eye on
Abbas ordered heads of Tanzim Fatah to lead demonstrations on Friday.Tanzim was key to escalation in 2nd intifiada— avi issacharoff (@issacharoff) July 26, 2017
― Mordy, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 17:33 (six years ago) link
Didn't expect to see Israel back down on the metal detectors at the Temple Mount.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 17:45 (six years ago) link
A surprise to me too.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 July 2017 13:41 (six years ago) link
The UAE, in the meantime, realizing that depriving its sports-crazed citizens of televised international soccer games was a dangerous step too far, quietly decided to allow BeIN, the Aljazeera-owned worldwide sports channel, an exemption from the general embargo on the parent company.
http://time.com/4872857/saudi-arabia-qatar-patrick-theros/
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 July 2017 13:47 (six years ago) link
Once again the whole world conspires against Kurdistan. Hey thanks guys for defeating IS but we want to protect Iraq's "unity"... It's sickening.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Sunday, 17 September 2017 13:40 (six years ago) link
Iran wants in on the action too, testing a ballistic missile
― Le Bateau Ivre, Saturday, 23 September 2017 14:15 (six years ago) link
big day today in the middle east
― Mordy, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 18:24 (six years ago) link
The Kurdish ref went as planned:
- Huge Yes vote- Erdogan threatening the Kurds with all kinds of awful stuff, starving them being the worst- It did lead to unprecedented crowds of Iranian Kurds on the streets, celebrating, too (in places like Mahabad etc)- Israel continues to stand with the Kurds (with, again, a threatening Erdogan spouting nonsense at Israel)
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 19:32 (six years ago) link
#Breaking: Overwhelming majority, 92.73%, vote 'yes' for independence - electoral body releases preliminary results in #KurdistanReferendum pic.twitter.com/r1pq2vitq6— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) September 27, 2017
― Mordy, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 14:45 (six years ago) link
Baghdad has pledged to close Kurdish airspace at 6pm on Friday and Turkey says it is considering whether to shut its frontier with Kurdistan and impose a trade ban.
Massoud Barzani, the de facto president of the region’s Kurds, had hoped to transition strong support for the poll into political leverage that could eventually help negotiate independence from Iraq. His moves have been met with increasing hostility, raising the prospect of isolation, and blockade.
Some Iraqi leaders have warned of military action, particularly over the fate of Kirkuk.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/27/over-92-of-iraqs-kurds-vote-for-independence
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 15:20 (six years ago) link