Qatar vs. the four: no sign of compromise. The dispute static but not safe, and causing harm. The four have won no friends.
Articles tagged: ‘Somalia’
Horn of Africa: Middle East tensions
Posted onDubai Ports terminal in Djibouti seized by the government. DP sells a part stake in Berbera port to Ethiopia. Background is Qatar vs. four dispute.
The Bab al-Mandab strait: an important choke-point on the maritime trade route between Asia and Europe
Posted onFreedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandab is important to the trade in oil, LNG, foodstuffs and manufactured goods between Europe and Asia. Vessels passing through the strait continue to be at risk of attack.
The Horn of Africa: more military activity
Posted onChina, USA, UAE and others building up their presence in the Horn of Africa – why?
The Horn of Africa: UAE and Saudi bases
Posted onUAE naval base at Berbera, its second on the African coast. Saudi base planned in Djibouti. Yemen war one among several reasons.
FGM in the Arab world
Posted onWorldwide campaign against Female Genital Mutilation. More information about FGM in the non-African Arab world as well as in Africa.
Britain and the Arabs
Posted onBritain’s relations still conditioned by history, but the election revealed declining British interest in “overseas”. UK remains involved in the Middle East, but likely to be reactive rather than proactive. Britain’s relations with the Arab world today can not be divorced from history, which has of course both a positive and a negative side. British imperialism and in particular the history of the British mandates in Palestine and Iraq have left bitter memories, still only partly faded. To some extent this has been compensated by the close …
Russia and the Middle East
Posted onAs sometimes in Cold War days, the congruence between Russian and Western interests in the Middle East is so close as to be almost embarrassing. But the Russian style has changed; asked by a listener how he got such a nice tan the Russian Foreign Minister replied "Just dark complexion, I take after my mother …
Countering violent extremism – and drones
Posted onAmerican concern with violent extremism focused on Muslims. Problems of understanding. Killing by drone an easy option, but is it legal? Does it make things worse? In February the White House hosted a three day CVE (“Countering Violent Extremism”) Summit, the centrepiece of dozens of CVE events, briefings, and gatherings in …
America in the Middle East: blind man’s buff
Posted onAmerica in the Middle East: blind man's buffas Washington’s Palestine and Iran assumptions change, it is taking less of a leadership role, and in the prevailing Sunni/Shia conflicts finds itself on both sides. An assessment issued by Stratfor the US consultancy close to the Pentagon and the CIA immediately after the Saudi attack on Yemen ends with the …