News
Yemen's Cholera Outbreak
By: Thorayah Abdelqader
There have been multiple outbreaks of Cholera worldwide, with one of the biggest outbreaks occurring in the aftermath of the natural disasters that hit Haiti in…
Where Do We Go From Here? The Story of Syria's Public Health System
By Cierra Carafice
The ongoing civil war in Syria has been a very visible and heavily discussed conflict. However, one of the more obscure facets of this war is the toll it has taken on…
Birth of a Nation? Analysis of the Kurdish Independence Referendum
By Alex Rand
Part 1: Historical Context
For as long as the Kurds have existed they have been subject to non-Kurdish rule, whether it be Arab, Persian, Ottoman, British or a myriad…
Black Gold: Natural Resources & The Kurdish Referendum
By Alex Rand
Part 2: Natural Resources Dilemma
One of the several hurdles facing Kurdish efforts for independence comes in the form of natural resources. The various Kurdish…
Into the Furnace: Harsh Realities of the Kurdish Referendum
By Alex Rand
Part 3: Political, Diplomatic, and Military Realities
Should Iraqi Kurdistan’s referendum succeed the next set of hurdles facing the KRG center around a number of…
Tremors: Implications of the Kurdish Referendum
By Alex Rand
Part 4: Implications of the Referendum
The referendum itself is not exactly a close vote by any stretch of the imagination. The ultimate result will be in favor of…
The Great Game: Obscure History Made Accessible
By Alex Rand
To most readers, the idea of cracking open a book on Central Asian history sounds unpleasant. Unfamiliar places and strange names tend to throw off most western readers, since…
Self Defense Training in the Middle East: More Than a Rape Prevention Strategy
by Rachel LaPointe
“Women don’t know how strong they truly are,” says Lina Khalifeh, founder and owner of SheFighter, the first Middle Eastern self-defense academy and martial arts studio…
Taming the Hydra: US Policy in Iraq in the Post-IS Landscape
By Tophie Fisher
On Monday October 17, 2017,the battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the hands of the so-called Islamic State (IS) began. The offensive, which is a joint operation…