
Latest Articles about Middle East

Bin Laden’s Neighbors Say Compound Was Under Surveillance Since 2005
Contrary to statements released by Pakistani intelligence agencies denying any knowledge of the occupants of the Abbottabad compound raided by American Special Forces units on May 1, there is evidence that the occupants of the compound housing Osama bin Laden were well known to Pakistani... MORE

The Implications of Bin Laden’s Death for America
The United States has made good on its promise to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice through brilliant intelligence work capped by a precise military operation. Only al-Qaeda or its sympathizers would disagree with the account so far, but at this point the world of... MORE

Moscow Strengthens Its Stance Against The Arab Revolutions
The “No” vote in the UN Security Council on the draft resolution condemning the use of force against the civilian population in Syria marked a significant shift in Russia’s position towards the turmoil that has engulfed North Africa and the Middle East since the start... MORE

Between Iran and a Hard Place: A Profile of Bahrain’s Sheikh Issa Qassim
The chasm between the Sunni ruling elite and the Shi’a majority has been always the driving factor shaping the modern political history of Bahrain. Although Shi’a Muslims form the majority of the population of the small nation, the Sunni al-Khalifa family has been ruling the island... MORE

Russia Placing Itself Above the Fray in Libya
Russia has signaled that it can leverage its veto in the UN Security Council to entrap NATO in a protracted conflict in Libya. On April 26, Foreign Affairs Minister, Sergei Lavrov, told the media that Russia would not support a new Security Council resolution, if... MORE

Circassian Activists in North Caucasus Explore Possibility of Repatriating Circassians in Libya
On April 21, Gazeta Yuga, a weekly newspaper that is published in Nalchik, reported on the continuing efforts of Circassian groups in Kabardino-Balkaria to help their ethnic kin stuck in the fighting in Libya. Some activists in the North Caucasus have proposed that Libyans of... MORE

Russia Offers “Mediation Services” in Libya Crisis
Russia is moving fast to gel the stalemate in Libya, pin down the US and NATO there, and exploit their predicament by casting itself as a conflict-resolution facilitator (EDM, April 21).Moscow is in a hurry because time is not yet on its side. NATO and... MORE

Filling the Void: The Southern Mobility Movement in South Yemen
Executive Summary:The Southern Mobility Movement (SMM) of south Yemen, an umbrella organization for many secessionist oriented groups in the south, is using the increasing weakness of the Salih government and eroding state authority to its advantage. The absence of central state authority, already weak in... MORE

Moscow Responds to the Arab Revolutions: Focus on Libya (Part Two)
The development of the popular uprising in eastern Libya transformed the Arab Revolution from a “spectator sport” for the rest of the world and created real problems for Russian national interests. Russian experts on the Middle East were quick to warn of the dangers of... MORE

Special Commentary: Iranian Reaction to the Great Syrian Revolt
Executive SummaryIn response to the uprisings spreading throughout the Arab world, Iran has reacted in such a way to maximize its power and potential influence in the region. Until April, Tehran had largely framed the current events in terms of the renewal of the 1979... MORE