December, 2020

• 7 December

  Petite sociologie du manifestant black-bloc

  Une bonne vieille manif’ est bien plus exaltante qu’une séance de paintball ou de laser-game… Les bonnes vieilles manifs sont en train de se réinventer. Quel que soit l’objet de la protestation, elles s’accompagnent dorénavant d’actes spectaculaires de vandalisme et de violences inouïes envers les forces de l’ordre. Les vitrines …

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• 7 December

  Un fou d’Allah peut en cacher un autre

  L’Iran enterrait hier Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, architecte de son programme nucléaire. C’est le 3e assassinat ciblé de 2020 après Qassem Soleimani et Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah. L’assassinat cet été de ce dernier homme, grand ponte d’Al-Qaïda, semblait confirmer que la puissance chiite et l’organisation sunnite font front commun contre les ennemis américain …

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• 7 December

  Arabs Warn Biden: Do Not Embolden Hezbollah

  The message they [nationals of Lebanon] are sending to a new US administration is: The Lebanese people are hoping that you will help them get rid of Hezbollah. Cozying up to Iran would further embolden Hezbollah and allow it to destroy Lebanon by turning it into an Iranian-controlled colony.

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• 7 December

  Even If It Achieves Peace, Can Afghanistan Ever Be Financially Independent?

  Ending America’s “endless war” has been a top goal of successive U.S. administrations since more than 100,000 troops were deployed to the country a decade ago.

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• 7 December

  More Reported Attacks on Iranian Military, Intelligence Officials as Parliament Reacts

  Members of Iran’s parliament Tuesday chanted “death to Israel,” and they voted to increase the level of uranium enrichment to 20% and to halt U.N. nuclear inspections in reaction to the killing Friday of the country’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. At the same time, Arab and Iranian media reported …

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• 7 December

  Islamic State increases attacks in Iraq’s Sunni areas

  The Islamic State has conducted several attacks in recent weeks on the Sunni-majority provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin. The Islamic State (IS) has in recent days claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the Siniya oil refinery in Iraq’s northern Salahuddin province and for the killing of soldiers, policemen, local …

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• 7 December

  Iran MPs vote for nuclear deal breaches after scientist’s assassination

  Four days after a top Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated, the country’s conservative parliament overwhelmingly adopted a draft bill calling for significant breaches of Tehran’s obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal.

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• 7 December

  UAE joins Greek, Egyptian naval exercise in Eastern Mediterranean

  The United Arab Emirates deepens its strategic partnership with Greece and its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean in a coalition to check Turkish ambitions. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is participating for the first time, along with new arrival France, in the joint Greek-Egyptian-Cypriot Medusa-10 training exercises being held Nov. …

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• 7 December

  Having Retaken Parliament, Iran’s Hard-Liners Are Poised for Political Dominance

  Iran’s parliamentary elections last month were an unmitigated success for conservatives and hard-liners. Aided by unprecedented low turnout and the disqualification of thousands of their opponents, they won 221 of the legislature’s 290 seats, while reformists and moderates took only 19—down from 121 in the 2016 elections.

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• 7 December

  Why Hitting the Pause Button Is the Best the U.S. and Iran Can Hope For

  Reactions in the United States to the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani have tended to fall into three broad categories. Those who support the strike argue that it eliminated a uniquely irreplaceable figure advancing Iran’s regional influence, while also reestablishing deterrence against Tehran.

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