Amidst the ongoing violence in Syria, opposition groups gathered in the Turkish Mediterranean resort town Antalya to discuss the future of their struggle against the regime. Although the choice of Turkey as the venue prompted speculation that Ankara might change its position on Syria, Turkish... MORE

As the momentum of opposition demonstrations targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gains in the face of an increasingly violent crackdown by the state, questions are emerging as to the survivability of a regime widely considered to be among the most autocratic in the region.  Like... MORE

Egypt’s Salafist movement has made good use of the liberties won in the January 25 Egyptian Revolution, despite its small role in the demonstrations that deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian Salafists held conferences countrywide to determine their course in an uncertain future. [1]... MORE

Background While international attention is currently focused on anti-government protests and factional fighting in Yemen, since 2007 south Yemen has been the scene of large and often efficiently organized anti-government demonstrations. The Yemenis involved in the protests, strikes and sit-ins in south Yemen are demonstrating... MORE

The role of jihadis in the Jordanian city of Irbid, the country’s third largest, has increased exponentially since their emergence in post-2003 Iraq. Owing to its proximity to the Jordanian-Syrian border, Irbid emerged as a transit point for Salafi-Jihadis heading to Iraq or Lebanon between... MORE

Syria has been a long-term friend of Russia during the past fifty years. Throughout this time, Moscow has sold the country weapons, supported its diplomatic posture in the Arab-Israeli struggle and has never publicly said one word about the fact that Syria is a bloody... MORE

On May 12, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) detained the Israeli military attaché in Moscow, Col. Vadim Leiderman, accused him of spying and expelled him within 48 hours. Leiderman, a former IDF pilot, immigrated to Israel in 1977 from Soviet Moldova at the age of... MORE

Executive SummaryNow in its fourth month of anti-government protests, Yemen is faced with the breakdown of central state authority and the danger of territorial fragmentation. This separatist threat is especially strong in Yemen’s eastern governorate of Hadramawt, home to a mix of groups dedicated to... MORE

The commander of the Mosul-based Second Division of the Iraqi Army, Major General Nasser al-Ghannam, claims he has improved security in the former insurgent hotbed of Mosul and does not need any further support from the United States Army. The general, however, has serious opposition... MORE

The Turkish-Israeli relationship has been in a limbo since the deadly Mavi Marmara incident in late May 2010, and various efforts to bridge the differences have failed (EDM, July 7, December 10, 2010). The approaching anniversary of the flotilla incident has reignited the debate on... MORE