Latest Articles about Middle East
POST-SOVIET SECESSIONIST LEADERS WORRIED BY RUSSIA’S KOSOVO POLICY
Russia’s seemingly staunch defense of Serbia’s “territorial integrity” and threat to veto any form of recognition of Kosovo’s independence is alarming the post-Soviet secessionist leaderships. These had counted on quick international recognition of Kosovo -- whether against Russia’s will or as part of a Western... MORE
RUSSIAN SECURITY COUNCIL PLANS TO DRAFT MILITARY DOCTRINE
Last September the Moscow daily Gazeta printed extracts of a purported new Russian military doctrine, allegedly prepared in secret by a group of experts in the Defense Ministry and leaked by an undisclosed official source. The main feature of the new doctrine, as published by... MORE
KREMLIN TAKES MEASURES TO REGULATE THE INTERNET
On March 12 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to combine two state bodies that control and license media sources in the country. The Federal Service for Telecom Supervision and the Federal Mass Media and Cultural Oversight Service have been merged to create a... MORE
IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE: FAR MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
On March 19 Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Robert Kocharian of Armenia inaugurated the operations of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline (Armenpress, IRNA, March 19, 20). Although the project’s scope is modest in terms of volume and market potential, its commissioning reflects two incipient trends... MORE
Khalid Sheikh Muhammad: Waging Jihad from Prison
Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri have long made clear to their lieutenants that the road to paradise can be found in the enemies' prisons as well as on the battlefield. From prison, they argue, a captured al-Qaeda leader can mislead his interrogators, provide accurate... MORE
GIMF Releases New Doctrinal Lessons for Mujahideen
The latest in a year-long series on proper beliefs and doctrine of the mujahid was released on March 14 by the Global Islamic Media Front. The series, entitled "Lessons in Doctrine (Prepared for the Mujahideen)" is a program prepared specifically for the mujahideen of Iraq... MORE
MOSCOW WEIGHS ESCALATION OPTIONS IN ABKHAZIA PENDING INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS
Georgia’s response to the Russian helicopters’ attack on the upper Kodori Valley reflects a balance of four imperatives: prevent a possible recurrence or escalation of such attacks; avoid being drawn into armed conflict with Russia or its proxies; ensure unambiguous international support for Georgia; and... MORE
RUSSIA’S MILITARY PR PART OF KREMLIN INTRIGUES
After one month as Russia’s second first deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov is enjoying ample, uniformly positive media attention that will secure him higher numbers in opinion polls and expert ratings. He receives exactly the same amount of TV coverage as Dmitry Medvedev, the other... MORE
FRADKOV SUGGESTS ADDING PARALLEL GAS LINE FROM SIBERIA TO PACIFIC
On March 13, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov voiced support for the idea to build a gas pipeline alongside the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline. "I regard it positively," Fradkov told reporters at a meeting in the Sakha-Yakutiya Republic. He suggested plan has provisions for... MORE
Internal Divisions Threaten Kurdish Unity
After years of infighting and repression by Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq's Kurds were finally able to seize the opportunity for autonomy and influence presented by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Since then, they have solidified the de facto autonomy that was established under the No Fly... MORE