Latest Articles about Middle East
GAZPROM EXPANDS STATE GRIP ON ENERGY ASSETS
As Russia's gas giant Gazprom moved closer to acquisition of the giant Kovykta gas field in Eastern Siberia's Irkutsk region, the deal was seen as yet another sign of the government's drive towards further boosting the state grip on the energy assets. Russia's TNK-BP indicated... MORE
NATO DEBATES ON UKRAINE AND GEORGIA ADD CLARITY ABOUT RUSSIA
NATO Membership Action Plans are, in essence, technical processes. With the Ukrainian and Georgian MAPs delayed, the Alliance must now address a broader issue of strategic policy regarding the position of Ukraine and Georgia in Europe and their relationship with NATO from this point onward.... MORE
Jordan’s Jihad Scholar al-Maqdisi is Freed from Prison
On March 12, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi—born Isam Muhammad Tahir al-Barqawi in 1959—was released from a Jordanian prison after almost three years imprisonment without trial (Al-Sharq al-Awsat, March 13). Maqdisi has long played a pivotal role in defining jihadist ideology. After taking part in the Afghan... MORE
Under Pressure – The PKK Launches 2008 Campaign
On April 2, the Turkish General Staff (TGS) issued a statement claiming to have killed 16 militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for the loss of three Turkish soldiers during two days of fierce fighting in the province of Sirnak on Turkey’s border with... MORE
A DECISIVE WEEK IN EAST-WEST RELATIONS
This week’s NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, which might invite Ukraine and Georgia to join the alliance, is seen in Moscow as a moment of truth that could decide the future of European security. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Karasin announced in the Duma that... MORE
NATO OPENS A CRISIS SUMMIT IN BUCHAREST
Heads of state and government of NATO member countries are convening today (April 2) in Bucharest for a three-day summit. The Alliance faces an unacknowledged, multidimensional crisis. The U.S. predicament in Iraq, troubled financial systems on both sides of the Atlantic, all-time-high energy prices, and... MORE
PUTIN IN BUCHAREST: MORE COOPERATION WITH NATO IN AFGHANISTAN?
The arrival of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at the NATO Summit in Bucharest April 2-4 may prove to be a turning point in the relationship between the Alliance and Russia, not only signaling potential future cooperation over Afghanistan, but also opening a more constructive dialogue... MORE
“PARTY OF THE THIRD TERM” MAY GET ITS WISH
State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said on April 1 that the lower house of parliament will be ready to confirm President-elect Dmitriy Medvedev’s announced candidate for the post of prime minister, outgoing President Vladimir Putin, on May 8 – that is, just one day after... MORE
What Direction for the al-Mahdi Army after the Basra Offensive?
As Moqtada al-Sadr orders his Mahdi Army militia to lay down their arms in return for an exchange of prisoners and cessation of government raids against his followers, the six-day Iraqi-U.S. military offensive in Basra has reached its final stage (Al-Arabiyah, March 30). For the... MORE
Presence of Turkish Terrorists in Belgium Leads to Dispute with Ankara
Belgium and Turkey have a somewhat tense and delicate relationship that has lately been complicated by a dispute over counter-terrorism efforts. Ankara believes that activities by Turkish terrorist groups abroad constitute a Turkish matter. Brussels, on the other hand, attempts to resist Turkish pressure on... MORE