Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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The lobby of the CIA Headquarters Building in McLean, Virginia, August 14, 2008. REUTERS/Larry Downing

CIA: Self Evaluation of its Failures

by Mounir Al-Mawri | Feb 8, 2017 | World

Washington – During the final year of the Iranian-Iraqi war, precisely mid-1988, indications surfaced signifying the end of the battles. Yet, a number of CIA analysts continued to present false data that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini would never agree to...

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United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. Reuters

French Sources ‘Pressuring’ De Mistura on Syrian Opposition Delegation

by Michel Abu Najm | Feb 8, 2017 | Middle East

Paris- Paris and other parties have been putting pressure on U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura to back off from hints that he would form Syria’s opposition delegation in case the latter failed to do so by February 8, according to senior French official...

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This file photo taken on March 02, 2014 shows President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaking to journalists during an interview at the Somali State House in Mogadishu. AFP PHOTO / Isaac KASAMANI

Voting Starts in Somalia’s Presidential Election under Tight Security

by Asharq Al-Awsat English | Feb 8, 2017 | World

Somali lawmakers were choosing a president on Wednesday amid a security lockdown that has closed the capital’s international airport and cleared major streets over fears of a strike by Shabaab militants. Mortar fire hit several neighborhoods of Mogadishu and...

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Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco will split up assets of their Motiva joint venture. Reuters

Aramco to Acquire U.S. Largest Refinery, Drifts Away from Asia

by Wael Mahdi | Feb 8, 2017 | Business

Khobar- At a time when Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s giant oil company, stopped implementing projects for refineries in Asian countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, it is getting close to acquiring the largest refinery in the United States. Shell Oil Co, the U.S....

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (AFP)

Khamenei and Iran’s Difficult Days

by Tariq Alhomayed | Feb 8, 2017 | Opinion

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei finally broke his silence and dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s “threats” on missile tests, saying the president “showed the real face of America.” Khamenei asked the Iranians to respond to...