Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, September 9, 2013 (REUTERS/Michael Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Kremlin)

Opinion: Into a Vacuum Comes Russia

by Hussein Shobokshi | Oct 8, 2013 | Opinion

Is the American epoch in the Middle East coming to an end? This question has been raised by many political circles, in both the US itself and in some Arab states. The question seems perfectly reasonable in light of some highly significant developments. These range...

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Syrian troops patrol the village of Haydariyah, some seven kilometers outside the rebel-held city of Qusayr, after taking control of it, on May 13, 2013. (AFP PHOTO/JOSEPH EID)

Opinion: The Syrian Chessboard

by Abdullah Al-Otaibi | Jun 11, 2013 | Opinion

The comparison of international struggles to a chessboard was first used by Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter’s National Security Advisor, in his book The Grand Chessboard. The expression is a fitting description of politics’ conflicts, complexities,...

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Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, addresses the opening of a conference on “Recognizing Kurdish Genocide” in Erbil. (R)

Now is the Time for an Independent Kurdistan

by Ibrahim Malazada | Apr 8, 2013 | Debate

The establishment of any new state entity must be analyzed within three fundamental dimensions. These are the internal, regional, and international dimensions. This is particularly true of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in light of its unique circumstances and...