by James Spencer “Removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is the only way to defeat Islamic State, and it remains the goal of Saudi policy,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on February 12, 2016. A few days later, the foreign… Continue Reading
by Durna Safarova Azerbaijan wants to wriggle out of a diplomatic dilemma by trying to reconcile Turkey, its closest strategic ally, and Russia, with whom it shares a Soviet past. But experts believe the risk of Azerbaijan getting dragged into the… Continue Reading
by William Astore The word “affluenza” is much in vogue. Lately, it’s been linked to a Texas teenager, Ethan Couch, who in 2013 killed four people in a car accident while driving drunk. During the trial, a defense witness argued… Continue Reading
by Small Media Later this month, Iranians will vote in the first elections since the 2013 presidential elections that swept Hassan Rouhani into office. In our previous blog post we showed how the parliamentary elections on February 26 are pretty… Continue Reading
by Human Rights Watch The Tajik government is arresting, imprisoning, and torturing members of the country’s peaceful political opposition, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said today. The government is also targeting perceived critics abroad, seeking their detention… Continue Reading