Latest Articles about Middle East
RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADERS DETAINED: IS A CRACKDOWN UNDERWAY?
The past week has not been a good one for opponents of President Vladimir Putin’s rule. Police in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other cities forcibly broke up opposition demonstrations and detained a number of opposition leaders. The actions followed Putin’s speech to supporters at Moscow’s... MORE
PUTIN PLEDGES MORE MONEY AND HOUSING FOR MILITARY
It is an old Russian military tradition to gather all of Russia's top military brass in Moscow in late November or early December for a meeting to "summarize the year's achievements and outline future tasks." With snow already in the fields, military training ceases as... MORE
Al-Qaeda Urges Iraq’s Insurgents to Consolidate Victory Over America
Nearly a month since Osama bin Laden published his message to “our people in Iraq,” it is worth taking a look at what bin Laden really said versus what the media, Western leaders and some prematurely mirthful pundits claim he said (IntelCenter, October 23). In... MORE
Turkey’s Generals Speak out on Counter-Terrorism Strategies
Turkish journalist Fikret Bila has just released an important work based on interviews with a number of retired Turkish military commanders. Komutanlar Cephesi (The Commanders’ Position) examines the generals’ views on Turkey’s past and present security efforts. Excerpts from interviews with five retired generals were... MORE
MOSCOW WITHDRAWS FROM EUROPEAN SECURITY SYSTEM
“We don’t need no arms control” – was the message enthusiastically chanted by Moscow last week. It could have been a week of constructive engagement with Europe, as Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov paid his first visit to France, Chief of the General Staff Yuri Baluyevsky... MORE
STANISLAV BELKOVSKY: PUTIN WILL LEAVE POWER COMPLETELY
The United Russia party and the recently created "For Putin" movement continue to push for President Vladimir Putin to remain in power in some capacity after his second and final constitutionally mandated presidential term ends next year. Putin himself recently hinted that he may be... MORE
AUSTRIA’S OMV DEAL WITH GAZPROM THREATENS NABUCCO PROJECT
OMV, Austria's state-controlled energy company, plans to hand over to Russia's Gazprom a 50% ownership stake in OMV's Baumgarten gas storage and distribution center near Vienna. With this move, OMV threatens to torpedo the European Union-backed Nabucco pipeline project for Caspian gas. OMV, alongside the... MORE
Turkey’s Choice with Barzani: The Gun or the Olive Branch
Shortly after the Turkish National Assembly passed a resolution authorizing the Turkish army to enter northern Iraq, President Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) replied: “If they invade there will be war.” Barzani added: “We are not a threat to Turkey... MORE
NEWSPAPER: PUTIN’S ENTOURAGE SEES NO ALTERNATIVE TO A THIRD TERM
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently gave the strongest hint to date that he plans on remaining at the helm of the ship of state following the end of his second and final constitutionally mandated term next May. Putin, who will head the federal list of... MORE
OSCE STUMBLING OVER UNRESOLVED CONFLICTS AHEAD OF YEAR-END MEETING
Insofar as its words still matter (admittedly an increasingly dubious premise), the OSCE seems set to defer to Russia at the year-end meeting in late November in Madrid regarding the post-Soviet unresolved conflicts. The political declaration, drafted by the Spanish chairmanship, reflects Russia’s overall position... MORE