Assyrian International News Agency

The Assyrian International News Agency, commonly known as AINA, is an independent, privately funded news organization focused on Assyrian affairs and subjects affecting Assyrian communities. It was established in 1995 by Peter BetBasoo and Firas Jatou. Its coverage centers on the history, identity, political status, cultural heritage, religious life, and contemporary security of Assyrians, an ethnoreligious and linguistic community with roots in the ancient Near East and substantial populations in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Turkey, and the global diaspora. AINA operates as a specialized publication rather than as a general-interest news service. Its editorial remit includes reporting and analysis concerning Assyrians and closely related issues, including developments involving other indigenous and Christian communities in the Middle East when those developments have direct implications for Assyrian life or identity. The agency's subject focus gives it a role as both a news outlet and an information resource for readers seeking coverage that may receive limited attention in larger international media. The organization has published material about political conflict, displacement, religious and ethnic persecution, cultural preservation, and the situation of Assyrian communities in the Middle East. Its content is aimed at an international audience, including members of the Assyrian diaspora, researchers, journalists, advocates, and readers interested in minority rights and regional affairs. AINA's privately funded and independent status distinguishes it from state-run news services and from outlets operated directly by large commercial media groups. The agency's website is associated with an address in Chicago, Illinois, registered to Nineveh Software Corporation. This registration information provides a United States connection but does not, by itself, establish a formal headquarters or ownership structure for AINA. Publicly available reference material identifies the founders but does not provide sufficiently detailed information about present executives, corporate structure, revenue, staffing, or legal status. AINA articles have been cited or referenced by major media organizations including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, USA Today, Fox News, International Business Times, The Christian Post, Crosswalk.com, and United Press International. These citations indicate that the agency's reporting and analysis have served as a source for broader coverage of Assyrian affairs and Middle Eastern minority issues. Information about its current operating status, editorial leadership, funding, and publishing frequency is limited in the supplied sources and should be verified against current organizational records.

The Assyrian International News Agency was founded in 1995 by Peter BetBasoo and Firas Jatou. Its creation reflected the need for a dedicated publication addressing Assyrian affairs at a time when the community's political, cultural, and humanitarian concerns were often treated as a small part of broader reporting on the Middle East. From its inception, AINA developed as an independent and privately funded news agency rather than as a government information service or a general commercial newspaper. The agency's editorial focus has remained centered on Assyrian-related issues. Its subject matter encompasses political developments, communal security, persecution and displacement, cultural heritage, religious affairs, historical questions, and the experiences of Assyrian communities in both the Middle East and the diaspora. This specialized remit has allowed AINA to document issues that can be overlooked by larger international outlets, while also presenting Assyrian perspectives on regional events. AINA publishes through its website, aina.org. The site is registered to an address in Chicago, Illinois, associated with Nineveh Software Corporation. The available reference material does not establish whether that registration represents the agency's headquarters, an administrative address, a technical provider, or a related organization; consequently, a formal headquarters and current ownership structure cannot be confirmed. Over time, AINA's reporting has been used or cited by a range of mainstream media organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, USA Today, Fox News, International Business Times, The Christian Post, Crosswalk.com, and United Press International. Such citations have given the agency visibility beyond its core readership and have positioned it as a specialist source for reporting on Assyrians and related questions of ethnic, religious, and minority rights in the Middle East. The supplied sources do not provide a complete account of later organizational developments, including changes in leadership, funding, legal incorporation, staffing, or editorial operations. The organization's current status should therefore be checked against its website and other current records before treating historical descriptions as a definitive account of its present activities.

1. 1995Founding of AINA

   Peter BetBasoo and Firas Jatou founded the Assyrian International News Agency as an independent news organization focused on Assyrian and related issues.

   Source

A specialist, independent news source serving international readers interested in Assyrian affairs, minority rights, Middle Eastern politics, and Assyrian cultural identity.

• AINA online news and analysisDigital news publication1995

  The agency's principal offering is its online publication, which provides news and analysis concerning Assyrians and related political, cultural, religious, historical, and humanitarian subjects. The service is aimed at an international readership, including the Assyrian diaspora and people researching Middle Eastern minority affairs.

1. Assyrian International News Agency
2. Assyrian International News Agency official website