Houthi rebels
All topics-
Sunni-Shia tension
Islam versus Islam
The religious element of the conflicts raging in the Middle East today is a major reason why they are proving so difficult to defuse. An essay by Shahid Javed Burki
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Five years of Arab Spring
The butterfly effect
It was the flap of a butterfly wing that was to trigger a storm in Europe. Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in 2010 sent a clear signal: things were about to change. Despite many setbacks, the impact of this message is still being felt. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Iran-Saudi conflict
The Middle East′s Cold War
The breach in diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a dangerous watershed in an already unstable, war-torn region. The rupture has its roots in a strategic rivalry that stretches across the Middle East, says Bernard Haykel, Middle East expert at Princeton University
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After the upheaval in the Arab world
Escalating wars
The violence unleashed in Arab countries in the last four years may turn out to be just a first taste of what is to come. Escalating brutality and the actions of governments have put Arab citizens under immense pressure. Without a change of course, the outcome could easily be further conflict and a new wave of uprisings – this time not peaceful. By Maha Yahya
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The destruction of Yemen's cultural heritage
Treasures of humanity under threat
Ongoing airstrikes and the military conflict with the Houthi rebels bring the threat of further destruction of important historical buildings and cultural monuments in Yemen. By Amida Sholan
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The Yemen conflict
The threat of a regional conflagration
It is not clear what Saudi Arabia hopes to achieve with the war in Yemen. In any case, the ongoing airstrikes are not going to solve any problems. On the contrary: many new ones are emerging, such as the strengthening of the al-Qaida network or a dangerous confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Military intervention in the Islamic world
What good is an Arab military alliance?
If new Arab military alliances want to avoid the mistakes of past interventions, their members will have to re-assess their approach and address the structural deficits that led to previous failures. By Omar Ashour
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Interview with the Yemeni director Sara Ishaq
"Yemen is like a garden that was full of weeds"
Sara Ishaq is one of Yemen's foremost young filmmakers. Her film "Karama Has No Walls" documented the 2011 massacre on Change Square in Sanaa and was nominated for an Academy Award in March 2014. Nader Alsarras met the Yemeni director and spoke to her about the situation in Yemen and the fate of the country after the revolution of 2011
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Media reports on the Yemen conflict
A skewed view of Yemen's plight
In this opinion piece, Charlotte Wiedemann criticises the fact that many media reports about the current Yemen conflict are ill-informed, tendentious and overlook the West's responsibility for the escalation of the conflict
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Germany's Middle East policy
Is Germany changing tack?
Violent conflicts are spreading throughout the Middle East. The German government is extending a hand to the Egyptian president, siding with Saudi Arabia in the Yemen conflict and delivering weapons to the Peshmerga. But there is criticism from the opposition and scepticism within the ruling coalition. By Bettina Marx
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Saudi Arabia and the conflict in Yemen
Saudi actions backfire
Saudi Arabia bears the greatest responsibility for the triumphant advance of the Houthi militia in Yemen, says Birgit Svensson: the leading Sunni power in the Gulf simply stood by while a Shia counterbalance emerged virtually on its doorstep, thereby creating an opportunity for Tehran
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The crisis in Yemen
History can help us to understand
Yemen continues to struggle with its worst crisis in years, as conflicting parties fight for control of the nation. The UN's special advisor says the country has been pushed to the brink of civil war, in a tussle that has serious implications for the region and the security of the West. By Elham Manea