Latest Articles about Middle East
RUSSIA 2007: FREE EXPRESSION FURTHER RESTRICTED WHILE PUNITIVE PSYCHIATRY RETURNED
The U.S. State Department has released its annual report on human rights practices worldwide, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007.” While State’s annual human rights reports of recent years have generally been critical of the Russian government, this latest report is perhaps the... MORE
INVESTORS REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON NEW SEVSIB RAILWAY
Russian officials have disclosed plans for yet another ambitious railway scheme, the North Siberian Railway or SevSib, apparently patterned after the Trans-Siberian Railway (TransSib). But the announcement provided yet another reminder that Russia's sizable railway projects in the East often hemorrhage red ink and take... MORE
Sunni Rivalries in al-Anbar Province Threaten Iraq’s Security
Growing rivalries between Sunni factions in Iraq’s al-Anbar province threaten the gains made by local “Awakening Councils” working in cooperation with U.S. forces against al-Qaeda gunmen. Leading tribal shaykhs in the province have demanded the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) leave the province within days. The... MORE
Turkey’s Generals and Government Deny U.S. Interference in Operation Gunes
The Turkish General Staff launched Operation Gunes (Sun) on February 21 against a number of locations in northern Iraq occupied by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Infantry, artillery, and air force units took primary roles in the operation. International reaction to the Turkish incursion... MORE
ANALYSTS AND ORDINARY CITIZENS PREDICT SHIFT OF POWER FROM RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO PRIME MINISTER
In a poll by the independent Levada Center among 1,600 Russians conducted over February 22-25, 61% of the respondents said they agreed with the view that despite Dmitry Medvedev’s victory in the March 2 presidential election (which was a foregone conclusion even a week or... MORE
A Military Analysis of Turkey’s Incursion into Northern Iraq
The recently concluded eight-day Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq marks the beginning of a new phase in Turkey’s nearly 24 year-old struggle against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Despite the Turkish military’s claims to have inflicted high casualties and severe damage to the PKK’s... MORE
Looking to the Levant: Internationalizing the Iraqi Insurgency
A number of Iraqi insurgents are increasingly turning their guns outward—rhetorically at least—toward the Levant (Jordan, Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon) in general and Israel in particular. It is no secret that Osama bin Laden has renewed calls for the destruction of Israel... MORE
GAZPROM’S SOUTH STREAM PROJECT CAN BE HALTED IN THE BLACK SEA
Gazprom and the Kremlin have lined up Central Asian gas commitments upstream and European Union markets downstream for the South Stream pipeline project. Russia’s project seems to enjoy an unstoppable momentum against its rival Nabucco and other Western-backed projects for Caspian gas to Europe. Nevertheless,... MORE
RUSSIA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS OFFER THE WEST CHANCE TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS
The March 2 election of Dmitry Medvedev to replace Russian President Vladimir Putin was as crooked as any election in Soviet times. The dull campaign and the inevitable result generated mass annoyance in the Russian public. This in turn led to an extremely low actual... MORE
Turkish Recognition of Kosova Risks New Terrorist Attacks
Turkey’s international relationships are increasingly fraught with the danger of revenge-type attacks by a variety of opponents in numerous locations around the world. The most recent example—one that is already prompting anti-Turkish violence—is the Turkish decision to join France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and the... MORE