After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Rifaat Turk on Jaffa's Decline As a Bi-National City From a vibrant bi-national city into gated developments for rich Jews, Rifaat Turk tells Shlomi Eldar all about the recent changes in Jaffa. Israel
Campaign Against Hagel Was A Loser Another few unnecessary, unjust and unwise campaigns, such as the one against Chuck Hagel’s nomination for Secretary of Defense, and the myth that the Jews control the United States will become a legend, writes Akiva Eldar. Israel
Ocalan Negotiations Impact Future of Turkish Presidency Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), are not just over a peace agreement; they have implications for the future of the Turkish presidency, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
Lebanese Politician Criticizes Failures in Government Services Speaking to Elie Hajj, a prominent Lebanese politician argues that the country’s political class is incapable of resolving problems and fails to address the citizens' most basic needs. Lebanon
South Yemen Separatists Call For Secession Separatists in Aden, South Yemen, have engaged in deadly clashes with security forces and pro-unification protesters from the Islamist Islah Party and have renewed calls for secession, complicating Yemen’s fragile transition, reports Vivian Salama from Aden. Yemen
Baghdad and Iraqi Kurds On Edge in Tense Climate Relations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have worsened in advance of a visit by KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Hezbollah-Israel Psychological War Continues in Nasrallah Speech Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s television appearance on Feb. 27 was a carefully crafted psychological warfare operation, writes Nasser Chararah. Israel
The 'Sunnification' Of Turkish Foreign Policy Turkey once hoped to be a peace broker in the region, but is now increasingly seen as inflaming sectarian divisions and instability, writes Semih Idiz. Turkey
Al-Qaeda Sees Opportunity In Iraq’s Sectarian Conflict As Sunni demonstrations and sectarian tensions throughout Iraq continue to escalate, al-Qaeda is focusing all its efforts on taking advantage of Sunni vulnerabilities, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Iran, P5+1 Diplomacy Just Getting Started The good news about the talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Kazakhstan may be the shared interest in turning the talks from events into a diplomatic process to allow time to bridge the gulf between positions, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani. Iran
Beirut on Edge After Nasrallah Speech The speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Feb. 26 holds many similarities to his speech on May 6, 2008, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Ocalan's Words Expose Risks To PKK-Turkey Peace Plan Kadri Gursel writes on how the letters of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned head of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), signal both a first step in building confidence and the difficulties to achieving a final agreement. Turkey
