Articles

The Saudi regime has become extremely jittery and, therefore, even more oppressive than before. Omar al-Saeed, a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) was sentenced to 300 lashes and four years in jail for merely demanding a consitutional monarchy in the country. His trial was held in secret and he had no access to a defence lawyer.

Egyptians are beginning to realize that the military and the regime it backs are not there to serve the interests of the people. Hitherto, only supporters of the Ikhwan al-Muslimoon (Muslim Brotherhood) were concerned; now this has spread to the wider society. Students have also joined in large numbers.

Hamid Karzai is furious at the Americans. They have killed another innocent child and injured two women in a bombing raid in Afghanistan. Karzai has been demanding a halt to such attacks and total ban on night raids in people's homes before he signs the Bilateral Security Agreement that would allow American troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 deadline.

Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI), the party headed by cricket-star-turned politician Imran Khan, has named CIA director John Brennen and the CIA station chief in Islamabad, Craig Osth as the principal accused in the murder of six people in a drone strike on a madrassa in Tall, Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district. PTI Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari made the announcement at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday.

While the people of Syria continue to suffer as a consequence of the foreign-inspired war in the country, the so-called poliitical opposition led by the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) as well as the mercenary rebel and takfiri forces refuse to participate in dialogue scheduled for Geneva on January 22, 2014 to resolve the crisis. They are, however, losing the battle inside Syria, both politically and militarily.

Details of the Iran-six powers interim nuclear deal have now been released. For limited sanctions relief (though the major sanctions would remain in place), Iran has agreed to cap its nuclear program at its present level. It has also agreed to provide access to IAEA inspectors. This allows a six-month time period for the parties to work on a comprehensive agreement. US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel are most upset over the deal.

Kashmir dispute is the longest unresolved issue facing the world. The rights of the Kashmiri people to self-determination have been denied since the problem arose in October 1947. Unfortunately, there is little information about the dispute outside a core of Kashmiri activists and the people of Pakistan. The Toronto seminar was meant to break this situation by bringing together a vast array of speakers to highlight the issue.

Iran and the six powers finally agreed on the wording of an interim agreement in Geneva over Tehran's nuclear program. The deal is for six months during which Iran will not expand its nuclear program. In return, it would get relief of about $4.2 billion in oil revenue sales. Relief on medicines and import of gold and metals would also be provided.

People's anger over continued US drone strikes was evident in the massive rally organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party led by Imran Khan. Tens of thousands blocked the ring road in Peshawar leading to Torkham border with Afghanistan. They demanded an immediate end to drone strikes that have killed thousands of people in Pakistan since they were first launched in 2004.