Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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French police in Toulouse after the ISIS-claimed shooting by Mohammed Merah in 2012. (AFP)

‘Lone Wolf’ Phenomenon Started in West, Adopted by Qaeda, ISIS

by Emile Amin | Oct 2, 2017 | Features

Cairo – One of the most dangerous predicaments facing those confronting terrorism in the world, especially in Europe and the United States, is how to face the so-called “lone wolf” phenomenon. The phenomenon is in fact part of the greater map of what is known as...

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Three members of a Sunni tribal militia stand near a road on the outskirts of Muneira, Iraq. After ISIS fighters were driven out last fall, militiamen set fire to houses belonging to residents accused of sympathizing with the militants. (Photo by Emilien Urbano/MYOP for The Washington Post)

The Year After ISIS

by Kareem Fahim and Aaso Ameen Schwan | Oct 1, 2017 | Features

Muneira- Soldiers descended on a gathering of villagers at a roadside kiosk and quickly drew their guns. An accusation led to words, words led to scuffles and finally, an act of humiliation that was expected and intolerable at once. The soldiers viciously dragged two...

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Abdulhakim Belhadj, center, gives instructions to his troops in Tripoli, Libya’s capital, on Aug. 22, 2011. (Etienne De Malglaive/Getty Images)

Abdulhakim Bel­hadj’s Journey from Extremism to Political Life

by Sudarsan Raghavan | Sep 29, 2017 | Features

Istanbul- Abdulhakim Bel­hadj has shed his combat fatigues for gray sport jackets and crisp white shirts. He has given up his AK-47 rifle for an election ballot. “My thinking of that time is not a reflection of the way I think now,” the compact 51-year-old said,...

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with Iranian officials and ambassadors of Islamic countries, in Tehran, Iran, April 25, 2017. Leader.ir/Handout via REUTERS

Khamenei Orders New Supervisory Body to Curtail Government

by Amir Taheri | Sep 25, 2017 | Features

London- In a move designed to further curtail President Hassan Rouhani’s scope for policy-making, the “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei has ordered the creation of a new supervisory body to “hold all branches of government to account in the implementation of their...

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Iraqi Kurds fly Kurdish flags during an event to urge people to vote in the upcoming independence referendum in Irbil. (AFP)

Iraqi Kurdistan Referendum Beats Drums of Ethnic War

by Dalshad Abdullah and Nazeer Rida | Sep 23, 2017 | Features

Irbil, Beirut – Unprecedented tensions have been building between Iran, Turkey and Iraq and between the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s staging of an independence referendum, the consequences of which may lead to a regional conflict against the Kurds. The Kurds have been...

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US President Donald Trump. (AFP)

Dealing With Iran, Trump Has Many Options

by Amir Taheri | Sep 22, 2017 | Features

A year ago, the annual General Assembly of the United Nations in New York was the setting for what looked like an Irano-American love-fest as the two erstwhile foes multiplied gestures of sweetness towards each other. The key symbol of their affection was what they...