Tag: Middle East

Massive ‘yes’ vote in Iraqi Kurd independence referendum

by Abdel Hamid Zebari Agence France-Presse ARBIL, Iraq – Iraq’s Kurds announced a massive “yes” vote for independence on Wednesday following a referendum that has incensed Baghdad and sparked international concern. Official results showed 92.73 percent of voters backing statehood in Monday’s non-binding referendum, which Iraq’s central government rejected as illegal. Turnout was put at 72.61 percent. Longtime Iraqi Kurd leader Massud Barzani said the vote would not lead to an immediate declaration of independence and should instead […]

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Israel’s Netanyahu vows to fight ‘Iranian curtain’

by Shaun Tandon Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday to fight an “Iranian curtain” descending on the Middle East, pledging to prevent Tehran from ever establishing a permanent foothold in Syria. Netanyahu — who in recent years has coined his own sort of theater at the annual United Nations speech marathon with podium props and dramatic warnings — was in a lighter mood for 2017, cracking jokes and […]

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Palestinians need Trump two-state pledge before peace: officials

by Nasser Abu Bakr Agence France-Presse RAMALLAH,, Palestinian Territories – Donald Trump’s team must commit to a two-state solution and oppose Israeli settlement construction before the US president’s peace push can move forward, Palestinian officials said Wednesday. Their comments came ahead of talks on Thursday with Trump aides, including special representative for international negotiations Jason Greenblatt and the president’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy Jared Kushner. The visit for meetings with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders comes with […]

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Air strikes pummel Syria’s Raqa as US-backed forces advance on IS

by Rouba El-Husseini Agence France-Presse RAQA, Syria  – Heavy bombardment and fierce fighting shook the Islamic State group’s Syrian stronghold Raqa on Monday, as United States-backed forces said they captured a new neighborhood from entrenched jihadists. Bursts of gunfire and artillery as well as the thud of air strikes conducted by the US-led coalition filled the air in western neighborhoods of Raqa, on what AFP’s correspondent said was the heaviest day of bombardment to date. […]

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Iraqi PM hails victory over ‘brutality and terrorism’ in Mosul

by Tony Gamal-Gabriel with W.G. Dunlop in Baghdad Agence France-Presse MOSUL, Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over “brutality and terrorism” in Mosul on Monday, announcing his forces had ended the Islamic State group’s rule over the country’s second city. Standing with members of the security forces, Abadi hailed the retaking of Mosul — where Islamic State dealt Iraqi troops a devastating defeat three years ago — as a key moment in […]

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Macron supports two-state solution in Middle East

PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said he supported a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict as he welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the Elysee Palace Wednesday. Speaking publicly on the issue for the first time, Macron said any deal “must recognize the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to have an independent state, but also ensure Israel’s security.” “There is no viable alternative to a two-state solution,” he said, adding […]

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Saudi king ousts nephew, names son as heir

by Ian Timberlake Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman ousted his nephew as crown prince on Wednesday and installed his son Mohammed bin Salman, capping a meteoric rise for the 31-year-old that puts him one step from the throne. The young prince already wielded huge power before he became heir, spearheading a sweeping economic and social reform programme for the ultraconservative kingdom. His rise comes at a crucial time for Saudi Arabia […]

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Fighters from Syria’s Raqa battle to oust IS from their hometown

by Delil Souleiman Agence France-Presse RAQA, Syria  (AFP) – Khalil al-Hussein fled the Islamic State group’s Syrian stronghold Raqa 18 months ago, but now he is back and fighting to help oust the jihadists from his hometown. The 25-year-old is one of several members of a Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting IS who are originally from the northern city. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces began an operation to capture Raqa last year, and finally entered the city […]

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Daunting aid challenges as civilians flee Syria’s Raqa

by Sara Hussein Agence France-Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon – The battle to oust the Islamic State group from its stronghold of Raqa is creating daunting challenges for aid groups responding to the latest humanitarian crisis in the Syrian conflict. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled Raqa and its surroundings since the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its operation to capture the jihadist stronghold last year. But new waves of displacement are expected as the […]

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DOLE to send augmentation forces to Middle East

QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Department of Labor and Employment is set to send augmentation forces to different Philippine overseas labor offices in the Middle East. This as a diplomatic crisis hounded  the region, with Saudi Arabia and several of its allies cutting ties with Qatar, which was accused of supporting terrorist groups. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that contingency measures were already in place, including the repatriation of more than 50, 000 overseas Filipino […]

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Trump backs Saudi-led efforts to isolate Qatar

by Ian Timberlake with David Harding in Doha Agence France Presse United States President Donald Trump threw his weight behind efforts to isolate Qatar on Tuesday, backing Saudi Arabia and its allies after they cut ties with Doha over claims it supports extremism. In a surprise move against a key US ally, Trump suggested Qatar — home to the largest American airbase in the Middle East — was funding extremism as he tacitly backed the diplomatic […]

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Saudi and allies cut Qatar ties in diplomatic crisis

by Ian Timberlake with David Harding in Doha Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia and several of its allies on Monday cut relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to have hit the region in years. Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Maldives also severed ties with gas-rich Qatar, which Riyadh accused of supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, “that aim to destabilize […]

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