Politics – Page 118 – odiaspora.org

Raad Calls for Balancing between ‘Financial Stability, Sovereignty’

21 June 2016

Hizbullah’s top lawmaker called Monday for “balancing” between “financial and banking stability” and the requirements of national “sovereignty,” amid a row over the implementation in Lebanon of a U.S. anti-Hizbullah sanctions law. “It is a bizarre paradox that some have been demanding sovereignty and rejecting […]

Reports: Iran’s Suleimani Warns Bahrain, Leaves Fallujah for Aleppo

21 June 2016

Iran’s senior general Qassem Suleimani, the head of the elite Quds Force, has warned Bahrain of “dire repercussions, including armed struggle by the people and the overthrow of the al-Khalifa dynasty,” in the wake of Manama’s decision to revoke the citizenship of top Shiite cleric […]

Minister Qazzi Officially Expelled from Kataeb Party

21 June 2016

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi was expelled on Monday from the Kataeb Party after he rejected to abide by the party’s decision on resigning from Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s government. “Based on the report of the party’s general secretariat, which highlighted Minister Qazzi’s clear violation of […]

ISIS rocket wounds 4 US special ops troops in northern Syria

21 June 2016

Four U.S. special operations troops were hurt when an Islamic State rocket landed near their position in northern Syria earlier this month, bringing renewed questions about the role of U.S. troops in the region, specifically special operations forces serving alongside indigenous troops fighting ISIS. A […]

Lebanon Hopes for Additional Support From Russia to Fight Terrorism

21 June 2016

Lebanese Finance Minister stated that Lebanon hopes to receive additional support from Russia to help its armed forces fight terrorism. Lebanon hopes to receive additional support from Russia to help its armed forces fight terrorism, Lebanese Finance Minister Ali Khalil said Monday. “We are currently […]

US Africa commander nominee: No ‘grand strategy’ to confront ISIS in Libya

21 June 2016

The general tapped to lead U.S. Africa Command told Capitol Hill lawmakers Tuesday he did not know of any “overall grand strategy” to defeat ISIS in Libya. Marine Lt. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser made the comments under questioning from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John […]

How ‘Neocon-Hopeful’ Hillary Clinton Planned to Topple Assad

21 June 2016

It was then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who, along with CIA director David H. Petraeus, developed a plan of arming and training Syrian rebels to overthrow Syrian President Assad in 2012. Will Clinton kick off an all-out war against the Syrian leader if she […]

Beirut Wants Russia’s Help in Resolving Political Crisis in Lebanon

20 June 2016

Beirut looks for Moscow support amid Lebanon political crisis, Lebanese Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said Monday. Beirut hopes for greater support from Moscow in resolving the political crisis in Lebanon, Lebanese Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said Monday. “We want Russia to provide us […]

Nusra-Linked Syrian Held in Beirut as Suspect Arrested for Plotting Attack on Army

17 June 2016

The State Security agency arrested Thursday a Syrian man in Beirut on charges of “entering Lebanon illegally” and “having ties and contacts with al-Nusra Front,” al-Qaida’s Syria branch, media reports said. Later on Thursday, the General Security agency announced that another Syrian has been arrested […]

Riyadh Reportedly Ups Scrutiny of Saudi-Lebanon Bank Transfers

17 June 2016

Saudi Arabia has taken new measures concerning bank transfers conducted by Lebanese citizens from Saudi Arabia to their home country, according to the chairman of the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce. Mohammed Shuqair told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that currently each bank transfer “takes around three to […]

Iraq Forces Retake Fallujah Government HQ

17 June 2016

Iraqi forces raised the national flag over the main government compound in Fallujah on Friday, top commanders said, a breakthrough in the nearly four-week-old offensive against the Islamic State group’s bastion. They met limited resistance from IS fighters, who were fleeing the city, the commanders […]

Is the Assad Regime Switching Gears?

16 June 2016

Several recent events in Syria suggest that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies are changing their strategy to focus on retaking more land from the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in concert with harassment bombing of opposition-held territories in western Syria. By focusing on […]