Latest Articles about Middle East
Jihadis Post Scenario for the Defeat of the United States
On May 14, jihadi forum users Abu Kandahar and Roslan al-Shami posted a five-point scenario for the collapse of the United States and the rise of the Islamic ummah, entitled, "The Next Strikes in the Heart of America, When and How." It appeared on the... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Media Doctrine: Evolution from Cheerleader to Opinion-Shaper
Al-Qaeda has always regarded media work as a key weapon in its arsenal, although the group has no claim to originating the use of the media as a weapon for the mujahideen. The Afghan Islamist insurgent organizations—especially Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-Islami and Ahmad Shah Masoud Jamiat-e-Islami—ran... MORE
Saudi Authorities Crack Down on Forgery Networks
In recent weeks, there has been a vigorous publicized crackdown on document forgery and identification counterfeiting in Saudi Arabia. Such criminal offenses in the kingdom have largely been committed by people working illegally or avoiding deportation. On a number of occasions, however, al-Qaeda militants have... MORE
Outbreak of Fighting in Lebanon Portends Violence to Come
The fighting which broke out recently between Islamist militants and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Barid had been widely predicted. This is not the first fighting to take place between militants from the Palestinian camps and the LAF,... MORE
Expansion of Yemen’s Refining Capacity Raises Terrorism Concerns
On May 16, the Yemeni-Gulf Oil Services Company (YGOSC) announced its intention to build a refinery in the Ras Essa area of Hodeidah Province on the Red Sea coast. Scheduled for completion in August 2009, YGOSC expects the project to increase its refining capacity by... MORE
GAZPROM ACHIEVES AN ANSCHLUSS OF AUSTRIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s May 23-24 visit to Austria laid the ground for that country’s integration into Gazprom’s rapidly expanding network of dependencies. By the same token, it dealt a coup de grace to the Nabucco project for alternative gas supplies to Austria and Europe.... MORE
MOSCOW CONFRONTS THE WEST OVER CFE TREATY AT OSCE
Russian officials are intensifying their warnings about scuttling the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), unless the West brings the adapted but unratified treaty into force while accepting the continued presence of Russian troops in Georgia and Moldova. Apart from that goal, Moscow aims... MORE
A Shiite Storm Looms on the Horizon: Sadr and SIIC Relations
Post-Baathist Iraqi politics is undergoing a dramatic change, and the Sadrists and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), formerly known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), are leading the way by bringing a major shift in the balance of power.... MORE
RUSSIA TO REDIRECT MASSIVE OIL VOLUMES FROM DRUZHBA TO BALTIC PIPELINE
On May 21, the Russian government announced its final approval of the second trunk line of the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS-2) for oil export from Russia’s port Primorsk through the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. This is Russia’s fifth major move within ten days... MORE
RECRUITING PROFESSIONAL SERGEANTS RUSSIAN-STYLE
This week the Russian Ministry of Defense held a conference of sergeants and other serving non-commissioned officers at the base of the elite 27th army brigade, just outside Moscow. Some 424 NCOs were scheduled to attend, representing units from all across Russia and from all... MORE