Orientul Mijlociu

What Will Iraq’s Sadr Do To Get Washington’s Backing?- Analysis

Informed Iraqi sources said that the Sadrist movement has begun to prepare for the upcoming Iraqi elections and that it will present itself to the US as a “moderate” movement and the best option in the Iraqi Shia community.

The sources told The Arab Weekly that the Shia political spectrum is now divided between the pro-Iranian Popular Mobilisation Forces, accused by the US of responsibility for attacks targeting its forces in Iraq; the Dawa Party, which is internally splintered and the remnants of smaller formations, such as the Al-Hikma groups.

Turkey: Iranian-Kurdish Political Refugee to be Deported

An Iranian Kurdish political refugee, Afshin Sohrabzadeh, 31, who suffers from cancer and lives in Turkey, has been held in administrative detention for deportation — for allegedly “threatening Turkey’s security”. He is currently being held in a removal center, and, if returned to Iran, he may well face the death penalty.

On April 5, he visited the Eskisehir Immigration Office to get permission to visit a friend in Ankara. Instead, he was held in administrative detention and a decision was made by the authorities to deport him back to Iran.

IAEA confirms Iran has started 60-percent uranium enrichment

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified that Iran has started enriching uranium up to 60-percent purity level, a measure the Islamic Republic had promised to take following an Israeli act of nuclear terrorism against it.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog verified the development on Saturday, and Director-General Rafael Grossi relayed the confirmation in a notification addressed to the agency’s Board of Governors.

Syria Announces Presidential Elections

Syria’s parliamentary speaker on Sunday announced that the battered nation’s presidential elections will be held next month, in what yet again will be hardly a nail-biter. President Bashar Assad, who has ruled the land since his father’s death in 2000 and has for the past decade waged a bloody crackdown against dissidents and rebels, is expected to repeat his “victory” of 2014 and handily beat out any faux-challengers. Approximately half a million Syrians have died in the country’s long-running civil war, while close to 13 million have either been displaced or fled the country to become refugees. In order to participate in the May 26 elections, candidates must have lived continuously in Syria for at least ten years, and must also present the backing of at least 35 members of parliament, in which Assad’s Baath party won a large majority in last year’s hardly free and fair parliamentary elections.

Can Turkey rely on Libyan PM to guarantee its strategic interests?

Ankara’s two critical deals with Tripoli remain in limbo even though Libya’s new prime minister raised Turkish spirits during a much-hyped visit this week.

A high-profile visit by Libya’s new interim prime minister, complete with economic accords, has cheered Turkey up, but Ankara’s interests in the war-torn country remain far from guaranteed amid a flurry of rival diplomacy ahead of Libya’s elections in December.

Turkey’s ruling Islamists dogged by mounting corruption claims

Allegations of government corruption are adding to public anger as the economy continues to decline.

Turkish authorities announced Monday they are expanding an ongoing investigation into allegations of human trafficking leveled against a local municipality run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), adding to mounting public anger over endemic corruption and a weakening economy.

Iran Says It’s Identified Suspect Behind ‘Explosion’ At Natanz Nuclear Site

Iran’s intelligence service has named a suspect in the ‘explosion’ that damaged the Natanz power plant last week. It says the culprit, identified as a man from a town near the nuclear facility, has already fled the country.

“Reza Karimi, the perpetrator of this sabotage… has been identified” by the intelligence ministry, Iranian state television announced on Saturday.

Syrian Refugees In Germany Want Citizenship And Political Representation – Analysis

Even though Syrian refugees have been integrated relatively faster in Germany, social integration continues to be a challenge in the labour market.

Tareq Alaows, a Syrian who studied law and international affairs in Damascus, ended up as a refugee in Germany. Along with hundreds of thousands of others, Alaows protested against the Syrian government and called for an end to political repression, better education, and economic opportunities. But along with 5.5 million compatriots, he had to flee his home country.