Latest Articles about Middle East
Rumors of al-Qaeda’s Death May Be Highly Exaggerated
Whether said about the aging process or the implacable approach of writing deadlines, the old saw about “time flying” is certainly true. But seldom has it been truer than in the three weeks since this author last wrote for Terrorism Focus. At dawn on May... MORE
Freeing Jerusalem: Turkey and the Lebanese Hizbullah
Newly launched peace talks between Syria and Israel mediated by Turkey have focused the international community’s attention on Turkey’s role in the Middle East. Political observers have been cautiously awaiting whether the attempt would bring any hope for Middle East peace. The head of the... MORE
POLL SHOWS RUSSIANS CONFIDENT ABOUT PRESENT, LESS SO ABOUT FUTURE
A survey conducted by Allianz SE, the giant financial service provider with headquarters in Munich, found Russians fairly confident about their country’s present and future as well as their current personal situations, but they are less confident about their personal future. The “confidence study” was... MORE
THE PUTIN-MEDVEDEV DUO GETS BACK TO ENERGY BUSINESS
It might have appeared in the trying period of power-reformatting in Moscow, that political priorities were all over the place, from strategic bombers to nanotechnologies, and from small business to NATO enlargement. By the end of the first month of President Medvedev’s “era,” the newly-reappointed... MORE
GAZPROM MONOPOLY WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR DOMESTIC MARKET
The state-run monopoly gas Gazprom, which aspires to become the world's largest company, has pledged to give priority to the domestic market. Relying on the government's support, it has been struggling to take over one major Eastern Siberian deposit. The Kremlin has consistently backed the... MORE
PUTIN MAKES FOREIGN POLICY ABROAD, MEDVEDEV CHAIRS SECURITY COUNCIL AT HOME
It has been almost a month since Russia embarked on its experiment in governance which features a previously all-powerful president serving “under” his successor as prime minister. However, the question of who really is in charge, President Medvedev or Prime Minister Putin, remains unanswered; and... MORE
PUTIN ENJOYS HIS MOVEABLE FEAST WITH NO WORRY ABOUT GEORGIA
Putin’s working visit to Paris last week was organized as if the French hosts wanted to emphasize that in their opinion the change of his political status was only a formality and that he remained the man in Moscow they were ready to do business... MORE
Turkey Launches Economic Offensive against PKK Recruitment
On May 27, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced over $15.5 billion in additional state funding to complete the Southeast Anatolian Project (GAP), a huge irrigation and hydroelectric scheme in nine predominantly Kurdish provinces in southeastern Turkey. Speaking in Diyarbakir, the largest city in... MORE
Is Iran’s Mujahideen-e-Khalq a Threat to the Islamist Regime?
The People’s Mujahideen of Iran (PMOI), more commonly known as the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (“people’s mujahideen”; MEK), is one of the most organized and controversial Iranian opposition groups. Although it maintains an armed wing—known as the National Liberation Army (NLA)—and numerous front organizations, it derives its greatest... MORE
MEDVEDEV CONTINUES HARD LINE ON MISSILE DEFENSE
The main theme of President Dmitry Medvedev’s election campaign was a pledge of “continuity” of the politics of his predecessor Vladimir Putin, who is now the prime minister. The promise of continuity is being kept. Observers have been seeking out indications of change in the... MORE