Latest Articles about Middle East
The Militia Politics of Basra
Basra, the second largest and the richest city in Iraq, is at the brink of a major economic and political meltdown. Unless Baghdad succeeds in reaching a compromise over the country's governmental apparatus (especially over the issue of federalism), the southern city may become the... MORE
Turkey’s Foreign Policy toward Northern Iraq Still Undecided
Turkey has serious concerns regarding developments in Iraq that occurred after the U.S. invasion of March 2003 [1]. The gravity of these concerns centers around the possibility of the disintegration of Iraq along sectarian and ethnic lines that could result in the consequent proclamation of... MORE
RUSSIA WARNS OF MISSILE FORWARD-DEPLOYMENT IN KALININGRAD REGION
On July 4, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov warned that Russia could deploy medium-range missiles in the Kaliningrad oblast -- opposite Lithuania and Poland -- if the United States turns down Russia’s proposals on anti-missile defense in Europe. The implicit threat to these staunch... MORE
ANGER AGAINST LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND FSB TERROR RISING IN INGUSHETIA
The regular reports from the North Caucasus about armed, masked men who rush into houses early in the morning to kidnap young men are old news. Kidnappings, illegal detentions, and disappearances have become daily occurrences for the whole region, especially Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan. Civilian... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s New Leader in Afghanistan: A Profile of Abu al-Yazid
Al-Qaeda's late-May naming of Mustafa Ahmed Muhammad Uthman Abu al-Yazid as the "general leader" of the group's activities in Afghanistan shows that Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri believe that helping the Taliban win the Afghan war is a top priority. It also suggests that... MORE
Turkey’s Evolving Anti-Terrorism Measures on the Iraqi Border
Along the Turkish-Iraqi border, the struggle between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants is escalating. The Turkish press has released testimonies from captured Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants who claim to have witnessed U.S. armored vehicles supplying weapons to a PKK base on Mount Qandil... MORE
ARMS CONTROL AS A “SAFE ISSUE” AT KENNEBUNKPORT
It has never been clear during the last few weeks whether there is a point to the informal July 1-2 meeting between Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin at Kennebunkport, Maine. U.S.-Russian relations have certainly deteriorated since the start of this year, and the... MORE
MOSCOW SEEKS TO RAISE GRAIN EXPORTS AND REDUCE EU AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES
Russia has proposed launching a dialogue with major grain producers and exporters about creating an organization to coordinate global grain production and trade, a sort of "grain OPEC." The international response has been mixed. "Ukraine supported us, and we will hold similar talks with Kazakhstan,"... MORE
PKK Introduces Use of IEDs Against Turkish Targets
The casualties suffered since the beginning of June in Turkey's military operations against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members in its southeast region provide a disturbing illustration of the spread of technology and techniques among terrorist groups. Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) have been used by the... MORE
Second Samarra Bombing Strengthens Status of Moqtada al-Sadr
On June 13, suspected anti-Shiite Sunni attackers once again bombed the al-Askari shrine mosque in the city of Samarra, just north of Baghdad. This time, however, the two blasts leveled the two minarets, which were the only parts of the ruined shrine left standing after... MORE