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Latest Articles about Middle East
Iran’s Sunni Baloch Extremists Operating from Bases in Pakistan
An Iranian Sunni extremist group operating out of hideouts in southwestern Pakistan, Jaysh al-Adl (JA - Army of Justice), has started to threaten Iran’s security and darken relations between Tehran and Islamabad. Days after JA abducted five border guards from a remote border post in... MORE
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The Battle for al-Quneitra, the “Gateway to Damascus”
Syria’s southwestern al-Quneitra governorate, bordering the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and the UN administered demilitarized zone, is an active area of conflict between the armed opposition and forces loyal to the Assad regime. In addition to the geo-political significance of al-Quneitra, the governorate is important to... MORE
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Iranian Naval Adventurism in the Atlantic Ocean
Iran’s Navy Commander, Admiral Habibollah Sayari, announced on January 21 that Iran’s 29th fleet had left the port of Bandar Abbas for a three-month mission to the Atlantic Ocean (Press TV [Tehran], January 22). The 29th fleet consists of only two 1970s vintage British-built ships,... MORE
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Egypt’s Military Strongman al-Sisi Comes to Moscow to Announce Presidential Bid, Fails to Finalize Ambitious Arms Deal
Almost all of Russia seems to be glued to the television, watching the Sochi Winter Olympics where Team Russia—currently in seventh place in the overall medal count—is apparently failing to take much gold. But meanwhile, on February 13, President Vladimir Putin granted an audience at... MORE
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Islamist North Caucasus Rebels Training a New Generation of Fighters in Syria
As Syria’s bloody conflict enters its fourth year in March, it continues to provide a battlefield that attracts jihadists from all over the world. North Caucasians, including Chechens, are no exception. Previously, many reports alleged that Chechens were present in jihadi battlefields in Afghanistan, Iraq... MORE
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“With These Guns We Will Return to Kurdistan”: The Resurgence of Kurdish Jihadism
Kurdish jihadist militants, who were dealt a devastating blow by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, have recently made a powerful resurgence thanks to the absence of U.S. troops in Iraq and the safe havens for extremism created by the Syrian civil war. Kurdish jihadists... MORE
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Azerbaijani City of Sumgait Emerges as Recruitment Center for Syrian Fighters
During the past month, Azerbaijan’s social media has been inundated with reports about a growing number of Azerbaijani nationals who have gone to Syria to fight for the cause of Syrian rebels. Some of these fighters have already returned home. In late January 2014, the... MORE
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A Portrait of Omar al-Shishani: The Northern Commander in Syria of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
Omar al-Shishani, the commander of Jaish al-Muhajireen wa’l-Ansar, is regarded as the best known rebel leader in the country. Omar (a.k.a. Tarkhan Batirashvili) was born in 1986 to a Christian and a Muslim mother. He hails from Birkiani, a poor village located in the Pankisi... MORE
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Sami al-Aridi: The Ideologue of Syria’s Jabhat al-Nusra
Dr. Sami al-Aridi (a.k.a. Abu Mahmoud al-Shami) is an influential ideologue in Jabhat al-Nusra who is effectively appealing to locals in an effort to appear distant from radical groups. Al-Aridi is one of al-Nusra’s religious judges. Abu Mohammed al-Joulani, the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, said... MORE
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The Struggle for Arabistan: Tensions and Militancy in Iran’s Khuzestan Province
Thousands of Iranians were reported to have sought medical attention in November 2013 due to complaints of shortness of breath and other maladies following a spell of acid rain that blanketed parts of the southwestern province of Khuzestan. Due to the impact of the local... MORE