Page 8 - Ii Dialogues Program News Today

Read MEI's weekly briefing featuring expert analysis of key regional developments for the week ahead.

Randa Slim Senior Fellow and Director of Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program News from Iraq often shifts between the good and the very bad. Successes and disasters alternate in a regular news cycle, and the last few days have been no exception. On April 18, information leaked to news outlets revealed that Iraq hosted direct talks on April 9 between Iranian and Saudi delegations, primarily to discuss Yemen. On April 25, we saw the horrific pictures of the fire at the Ibn al-Khatib...

Iran, Saudis hold talks in Baghdad, few expect quick results SAMYA KULLAB, Associated Press FacebookTwitterEmail 6 1of6FILE - In this March 31, 2021 file photo, released by the Saudi Royal Palace, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, center right, accompanies Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on his arrival to Riyadh International Airport, Saudi Arabia. A first round of direct talks held in April 2021, in Iraq, between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran is seen as a pos...

Get email notification for articles from The Associated Press Follow Apr. 20, 2021 9:21 PM A first round of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries and at least one still-raging war. But few expect quick results. The talks, hosted by Iraq earlier this month, were confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press by an Iraqi and a Western official in Baghdad. They came as the ...

202-785-1141 ext. 202 Since the onset of the Lebanese protest movement in October 2019, the crackdown on human rights in Lebanon has been gradual and indisputable. From the use of lethal force against protesters to allegations of torture, charges of terrorism, intimidation tactics, and increasing restrictions on the freedom of expression, Lebanon’s security forces, judiciary system and non-state actors have been tightening the noose around one of the country’s once celebrated attributes: t...

By LOUISA LOVELUCK | The Washington Post | Published: April 8, 2021 BAGHDAD — The United States and Iraq concluded talks Wednesday on Americas troop presence here, issuing a joint statement that emphasized the growing capacity of the Iraqi military, six years after it crumbled in the face of the Islamic States advance. The statement followed a third round of talks between Washington and Baghdad, known as the Strategic Dialogue, and the first to take place under President Joe Biden. "Based ...

Marvin G. Weinbaum Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies For a while, a breakthrough in ossified Pakistan-India relations seemed well under way. Signs of a rapprochement began with a late February reinstitution of a long-dormant cease-fire agreement along the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir. Last month saw a resumption of meetings of the Indus Water Treaty Commission, which for over 60 years has exemplified the benefits of continuous cooperation between the two countr...

Much like former Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, who carried out a process of Marehenization of decision-making, key government ministries, and the military, Farmajo has stacked key ministries, military positions, and diplomatic missions with his own people to retain his hold on power. He is betting on his clan militia, Turkish-trained forces, and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to cling to power beyond his term. The majority of the military units in Mogadishu are from the Haw...

This month marks four years since psychotherapist Majd Kamalmaz disappeared in Syria.