Latest Articles about Middle East
GAZPROM’S SOUTH STREAM PROJECT CAN BE HALTED IN THE BLACK SEA
Gazprom and the Kremlin have lined up Central Asian gas commitments upstream and European Union markets downstream for the South Stream pipeline project. Russia’s project seems to enjoy an unstoppable momentum against its rival Nabucco and other Western-backed projects for Caspian gas to Europe. Nevertheless,... MORE
RUSSIA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS OFFER THE WEST CHANCE TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS
The March 2 election of Dmitry Medvedev to replace Russian President Vladimir Putin was as crooked as any election in Soviet times. The dull campaign and the inevitable result generated mass annoyance in the Russian public. This in turn led to an extremely low actual... MORE
Turkish Recognition of Kosova Risks New Terrorist Attacks
Turkey’s international relationships are increasingly fraught with the danger of revenge-type attacks by a variety of opponents in numerous locations around the world. The most recent example—one that is already prompting anti-Turkish violence—is the Turkish decision to join France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and the... MORE
TOP YELTSIN-ERA FIGURE REPORTEDLY ON MEDVEDEV’S LIST OF POTENTIAL APPOINTEES
Vedomosti reported on March 4 that Russia’s president-elect, Dmitry Medvedev, held a victory gathering at his campaign headquarters on the evening of March 2 to which both journalists and “associates who helped him win” were invited. According to the newspaper, the latter group consisted of... MORE
WILL PRIME MINISTER PUTIN SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV?
As of 10 am, Moscow time, on March 3, Russia’s Central Election Commission was reporting that with more than 99% of the votes in the March 2 presidential election counted, President Vladimir Putin’s handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, won 70.23% of the vote. That means 51,938,974... MORE
PUTIN’S PLAN PROGRESSES, BUT THE MEANING OF MEDVEDEV REMAINS OBSCURE
Elections are supposed to focus on the question of who wins, but Russia makes an exception: President Vladimir Putin’s re-election in early 2004 had no suspense at all. But with the electoral exercise that took place yesterday, March 2, the question was not about “Who?”... MORE
Mergers and Acquisitions within the Iraqi Insurgency
For the U.S. military, 2007 was the year of the surge in Iraq. The controversial troop increase—along with the rise of the Sunni Awakening councils and Moqtada al-Sadr’s truce—has combined to help tame both sectarian and insurgent violence. As for the insurgents, 2007 was a... MORE
Turkey’s Operation Gunes Attempts to Eliminate the PKK Threat
As Turkish troops and armor cross the border as part of Operation Gunes (Sun), the embattled nation of Iraq is once more host to a major military offensive, this time in its remote and sparsely populated northeastern region. Surprising many who expected Turkey to wait... MORE
RUSSIA’S ROSNEFT EYES EAST SIBERIAN EXPANSION
Rosneft, Russia's state-run petroleum firm, has promised multi-billion dollar investments to increase its crude oil production in Eastern Siberia. However, the economic viability of Rosneft's plan remains a matter of debate, as the energy giant appears to be facing a cash shortage despite high international... MORE
KREMLIN CRITICS SAY THE PUTIN–MEDVEDEV TANDEM WILL PLAY “GOOD COP–BAD COP”
On Monday, February 25, just six days before Russia’s presidential election, Amnesty International released a report on the human rights situation in Russia expressing deep concern about the state of freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. “All three fundamental rights have... MORE