MER Article The Last Days of 'Ali Nasir The full story of the bloody crisis that tore apart the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) in January 1986 has yet to be told, but more information is now becoming available on how President ‘Ali Nasir Muhammad was overthrown and forced to flee the country. Jean Gueyras • 11 min read
MER Article US Raid Haunts Libya Tripoli, June 1986—Two months after US warplanes bombed Tripoli, piles of rubble lie virtually untouched in the comfortable tree-lined neighborhood of Ben Ashour. An arch has been erected to commemorate the raid, displaying a gaudy painting of war planes on fire as they swoop down on innocent reside (Author not identified) • 7 min read
MER Article Pakistan and the Central Command Congress this fall will begin reviewing a new six-year US aid package to Pakistan totaling more than $4 billion. Crucial to the outcome is Pakistan’s military role in the Gulf. Pakistan’s military missions in 22 countries in the Middle East and Africa make it the largest exporter of military manpowe Jamal Rashid • 20 min read
MER Article Major Kurdish Organizations in Iraq Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Martin Van Bruinessen • 11 min read
MER Article Major Kurdish Organizations in Iran Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) Martin Van Bruinessen • 4 min read
MER Article The Kurds Between Iran and Iraq The news from Kurdistan is sad and grim. On both sides of the Iran-Iraq border, the central governments have been carrying out violent campaigns to bring the Kurdish districts under control and to wipe out the peshmergas (guerrilla fighters) of the various Kurdish organizations. This entails direct Martin Van Bruinessen • 31 min read
MER Article Changes at the Top Babrak Karmal was replaced as general secretary of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) six weeks after this series of articles first appeared. It was the first non-violent change in the party’s leadership since it came to power in April 1978. There is some evidence that the new lead Jonathan Steele • 2 min read
MER Article Bull About Kabul Most British correspondents covering the Falklands war were indignant at the way the Ministry of Defense fed them selected and one-sided reports of the fighting. Supported by colleagues from other countries, they vowed they would never be “used” this way in a war again. Jonathan Steele • 3 min read
MER Article Moscow's Kabul Campaign Six years after they invaded Afghanistan and were condemned by virtually the entire international community, Soviet troops with their Afghan government allies have slowly begun to win the war. Most of the reports received in the West over the last six years have come from journalists travelling wit Jonathan Steele • 17 min read
MER Article From the Editors (July/August 1986) Governments are fond of small, manageable wars, where victory is assured—such as the invasion of Grenada and the bombing of Libya. Such adventures are ideal for revving up enthusiastic media support for its policies. Some “wars” have the added advantage of never being over. The so-called wars on dru The Editors • 3 min read
MER Article Letters (May/June 1986) Read with Caution! MERIP owes its readers a much more critical review of Alan Hart’s Arafat: Terrorist or Peacemaker? than John Egan’s (MERIP Reports 136/37). Hart’s analytic style is that of a public relations agent. The average reader will doubt the accuracy of his account since he treats every P (Author not identified) • 5 min read
MER Article Books on Saudi Arabian Economics Michael Field, The Merchants (London: John Murray, 1984). John R. Presley, A Guide to the Saudi Arabian Economy (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984). Christian Huxley • 3 min read
