The Distribution of Powers in the Middle East – Infographics

Who is who? And who backs who? And who’s fighting who in the Middle East? These are some of the most common questions I get from friends and followers of my blog posts. Even professionals and members of the academia who have been working on the ME issues sometimes lose track of how one group’s or one country’s alliance with one another or with the rest of the countries change.

Kurdish Women Fighters, Why Do They Join The YPG?

The focus of this article is the Kurdish women who join the Parti Krekarani Kurdistan (PKK) and Yakenin Parastina Gel (YPG) and as a result become part of the fighting force against the ruthless thugs of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS).

Saudi Arabia’s Military Involvement in Yemen, Possibly an Outcome of US Policies in the Region

Saudi Arabia resisted the urge and need to get involved in Yemen for months, but the decision to launch an all-out air campaign, to be potentially followed by a military incursion on the ground, may be a sign of the Kingdom’s inability to decipher Washington’s signals. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been as concerned as Israel is about the spread of Iranian clout in the region, and has finally decided it had enough. This Saudi decision to take military action carries the risk of involvement in an open-ended campaign that might spill over inward and agitate its own Shiite population.