Tag - middle-east

 
 

MIDDLE EAST

COMMENTARY / World
Jun 8, 2016
While the U.S. looks away, Iran fills a void in Iraq
Without committing far more U.S. troops and resources, there is little Washington can do little to counter Iranian power in Iraq.
WORLD
May 28, 2016
Hajj row escalates as Iran and Saudi Arabia miss new deal
An Iranian delegation has left Saudi Arabia without an agreement for its citizens to attend the Muslim hajj pilgrimage this year, Saudi media have reported, a second failure by the rival Middle East powers to strike a deal.
EDITORIALS
May 28, 2016
100 years of hubris in Middle East
The infamous Sykes-Picot agreement is a convenient scapegoat for the instability that reigns in the Middle East, but responsibility for the region's tragedy is more diffuse.
COMMENTARY / World
May 25, 2016
Islamic State may be down, but it's far from out
Islamic State may appear to be on the ropes in the Middle East, but its recent losses should be viewed in the context of a longer struggle.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 4, 2016
Water crunch could sink economies, especially in Mideast, by midcentury: World Bank
Economies across large swaths of the globe could shrink dramatically by midcentury as fresh water grows scarce due to climate change, the World Bank reported on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 1, 2016
Cheap oil's silver lining for the Gulf region
Economic diversification — so long preached rather than implemented — is now a necessity for the Gulf's oil states as petroleum prices plummet.
EDITORIALS
Apr 29, 2016
A bold new vision for Saudi Arabia
Can Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman end Saudi Arabia's economic addiction to oil?
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2016
Does the U.S. really need an ally like Saudi Arabia?
Washington needs to put distance between America and its counterproductive partners, such as Riyadh.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 22, 2016
Why Obama invests in the Saudi ally he disdains
The United States and Saudi Arabia today share a common enemy in the terrorists whom the Saudis once allowed to fester.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 19, 2016
Red Sea island sale underlines Egypt's weakness
Egypt's facade of regional greatness came crashing down when it relinquished two islands to Saudi Arabia in exchange for aid.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 19, 2016
Saudi Arabia turns its oil weapon on Iran
For decades, Riyadh has insisted that it does not wield oil as a diplomatic weapon, but last weekend it did just that as part of an intensifying conflict with Iran.
BUSINESS
Apr 7, 2016
Mideast growth fastest, U.S. carriers held top spots as 2015 saw 6.8% airline passenger traffic surge
Global airline passenger traffic grew 6.8 percent in 2015, with the Middle East region growing the fastest, preliminary data released on Wednesday by the United Nations' civil aviation agency showed.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 6, 2016
Turkey's President Erdogan gambles and loses
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal ambitions are causing Turkey incessant, avoidable problems.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 5, 2016
The makings of Syrian peace
When no decisive victory is possible for any side, it makes sense to stop as much of the shooting as possible.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 4, 2016
Arab security state is badly in need of reform
The experience of Arab states in transition shows that technocratic approaches to security-sector reform are inadequate.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2016
Saudi Arabia versus Iran
When dealing with Iran and Saudi Arabia, Western governments should be mindful of their appalling human rights records.
EDITORIALS
Mar 17, 2016
'Mission accomplished' for Russia?
Now that Russia is pulling out of Syria, where will Putin next focus his attention?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 17, 2016
Look for Putin's hidden agenda in Syria pullout
Russian President Vladimir Putin's unexpected announcement that Russian troops would pull back from Syria shouldn't be taken at face value.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 10, 2016
Time to redraw the map of the Middle East
The Middle East map should to redrawn to reflect current ethnic, tribal, religious and political realities.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 8, 2016
Stop thinking 'reformers vs. conservatives' in Iran
The rest of the world may be confused, but for Tehran's business community and cafe-loving urbanites, it's pretty clear who won Iran's recent parliamentary election: They did.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past