Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, shocked the UN on August 25 in New York by rejecting the proposal that is being forced upon Lebanon by the United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. In a surprise act of national defiance, and rejection at being dictated to by Washington, Bou Habib would not acquiesce to moving to Chapter VII. Chapter VI calls for “the peaceful resolution of conflicts,” while Chapter VII “calls for the imposition of Resolution 1701 by force.” At question is the yearly renewal of a UN mandate of the United Nations…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The current government ruling Israel is the most far-right Jewish extremist in history. Senior members in power have been asking for the forced deportation of Palestinians, in a frightening echo of the Nakba of 1948, when three-fourths of the Palestinian population was expelled in a massive ethnic cleansing while the US and western nations stood by in silent complicity. The Israeli Defense Forces have repeatedly attacked refugee camps in the West Bank, especially Jenin. Meanwhile, the Jewish citizens of Israel have been in the street protesting their own issues, which have nothing to do…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The battlefields in Syria lie silent, the US-NATO attack for regime change failed. But, in the northeast the conflict continues between the US occupation forces and those who are trying to oust them. Syria, Russia and their allies have a strategic plan to free the area of terrorists and communist separatists supported by the US. In 2016, the US military invaded and occupied areas in the northeast of Syria. Currently, there are 900 US troops at 19 occupation posts in Syria, while the number of US security contractors there is unknown, but suspected to…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon is a failed state economically, politically, and socially. Very little movement has occurred to help Lebanon recover from the depths of hopelessness. Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Alberto García Watson, a Beirut based expert in the Middle East, terrorism and Islamic radicalism as well as a television correspondent. #1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): Finally, after 30 years as head of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salamah has left office. He left under a cloud of accusations of very serious crimes in Europe, but has not yet been held accountable in Lebanon. In your…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his plan to return Syrian refugees in Turkey to Aleppo. For many years he has proposed a plan to create a safe zone, or de-escalation zone specifically developed to hold the millions of Syrian refugees living in Turkey. The Erdogan plan, dubbed the Aleppo model, includes Idlib, and parts of the countryside of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia. In March 2020, Russia and Turkey entered into an agreement concerning Idlib. Turkey had promised to secure the M4 highway stretching from Latakia to Aleppo. This vital route provides imported…

By, Ahmed Abdu-Almalik Al-Ansi, Yemeni journalist and translator. Washington has sent two warships and more than 3,000 sailors and Troops to the Red Seain response toTehran’s threat to commercial shippingas suspiciousmoves Minister of Defense: Whatever the justification of Western powers, this does not give them the right to interfere in Yemeni sovereignty or impose their influence on our territorial waters. YemeniDefenseMinister: Wearedirectingthe combat and militarytobe ready of the naval and coastal defense forces to levels that enable them to carry out any military tasks required by the requirements of the battle to protect maritime sovereignty. Chief of Staff of the Yemeni Navy,Naval General Mansour Ahmed Al-Saadi confirms that the Yemeni Navy…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The US and Iran are in a negotiation to swap five prisoners held in Iran for five prisoners held in the US. The deal has not been finalized, and the prisoners may not arrive home soon, but the deal has been placed into motion as Iran has transferred the five prisoners to house arrest, some having been transferred out of the infamous Evin prison in Tehran. Qatar, Oman and Switzerland played a role in the deal, and when it finalizes, $6 billion dollars will be converted to Euros in a South Korean bank account…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The Obama administration began the US military occupation of Syria in November 2015. Obama sold the public on the idea of fighting ISIS, but in reality military personnel of Syria, Russia, Iraq and Iran were already on the group and ultimately defeated ISIS in Syria. The real reason behind the US invasion and occupation of Syria, now lasting eight years, and with no end in sight, was to prevent the Syrian government, and its citizens, from benefiting from the oil wells in the north east. Those oil wells had supplied the domestic consumption of…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israeli airstrikes on Syria have become routine and deadly. On Monday, Israeli airstrikes on Damascus at 2:20 am local time killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded four others. Damascus residents were awoken from sleep to sounds and flashes of bright lights from the attacks.  Regardless of the numerous attacks,

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Fierce and deadly clashes between rival factions in Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon have killed two children and 10 others, while at least 56 have been wounded according to sources at Al Hamshari Hospital. The extremist groups Jund al Sham and Shabab al Muslim have been facing off against Fatah fighters in the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, near the city of Sidon, close to the Israeli border. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has reported that more than 2,000 people were forced to flee in search of safety…