October 9, 2024

poets-walk-central-parkPhotograph by Dave Beckerman

Stories to Follow this Week

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Negotiations

As negotiations over a nuclear deal with Iran continue, the U.S. seeks to reassure its allies in the region. Gulf states and Israel have expressed their concerns about the increasing Iranian influence in the region and fear that a potential nuclear agreement would grant Iran greater influence. U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said in Riyadh last week that the U.S. would continue to monitor Iran’s “destabilizing actions” in the region.

Read more: BBC, The New York Times, The Economist

Confronting ISIS

Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias continue their offensive against ISIS and recapture a key town in al-Anbar province. The move marks the beginning of a larger military campaign led by the Iraqi government to recapture the city of Tikrit. Air strikes by the U.S-led coalition facilitated the Iraqi forces’ ground attack. Meanwhile, ISIS continues its destruction of historical sites in Iraq. Iraqi officials said ISIS militants have demolished the ancient city of Hatra. This development comes as Nigeria’s Boko Haram announced its allegiance to ISIS in an audio recording published on Twitter.

Read more: Reuters, The New York Times, BBC

Signs of Revived Peace Talks Between Kurds & Turkey?

The jailed leader of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, has called for a historic peace deal with the Turkish government. Ocalan who serves a life term in prison, urged PKK’s fighters to lay down their arms and support the peace process. The Kurdish party has been fighting for self-rule within Turkey since 1984. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cautiously welcomed Ocalan’s call. This may move forward the stalled peace process and end a conflict that claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Read more: Aljazeera and The Economist

 

Upcoming Events

The Eleventh Hour: The Legacy and the Lessons of World War I

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs | Thursday, March 19, 2015 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM | Speaker: Charles M. Sennott | Event Link

NYU International Relations & Politics Association’s Spring Networking Reception

Wednesday, March 25at 6:45pm – 8:30pm | NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development | Event Link

Join GSAS Master’s College Program Board for a screening of the film “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.”

Friday, March 27 at 6:00pm | RSVP

In Your Spare Time

  • Watch NYU economics professor William Easterly talks about his most recent book, The Tyranny of Experts, at London School of Economics and Political Science.
  • Watching House of Cards? How about a quick reality check? Spoiler Alert: Don’t read this piece if you haven’t seen Season 3 yet

This week’s Monday Briefing is brought to you by Khobaib Zohair Osailan. Khobaib is a first year M.A. student in Politics, with a concentration in comparative politics. Khobaib graduated with a BA in political science from King Abdulaziz university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. His research interests include social movements, democratization, and the politics of the Arab World.

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