Latest Articles about Middle East
ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF RUSSIANS BELIEVE DEMOCRACY IS THE BEST POLITICAL SYSTEM
A poll take by the Russian affiliate of a leading international polling organization has found that Russians believe in democracy but are less certain that it exists at home. The poll, taken by Romir, the Gallup International Association’s exclusive representative in Russia, was conducted June... MORE
Turkey in Denial of al-Qaeda Threat
While the Turkish government would describe itself as a full participant in the “War on Terrorism,” there is a tendency by the public to view this conflict primarily as a struggle against Kurdish militants, and only to a lesser extent against al-Qaeda. Nonetheless, two recent... MORE
WILL MEDVEDEV’S ASCENSION SOLVE GAZPROM’S PROBLEMS?
As Russia wraps up seasonal festivities with the Old Style New Year on January 13, it is beginning to acknowledge changes in the economic climate that are caused by a peculiar combination of over-heating and under-investment. The most acute symptom of this complex malady is... MORE
Insurrection in Iranian Balochistan
Issues of dissent and rebellion amongst Iran’s elaborate patchwork of ethnic and sectarian minority communities are receiving increasing international scrutiny. Many advocacy organizations representing Iranian minorities accuse Tehran of operating a policy of cultural subjugation aimed at erasing identities distinct from Iran’s dominant Persian culture... MORE
Turkey’s Other War on Terrorism
On December 31, 2007, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted the claims of unnamed Israeli security officials that intelligence reports suggested al-Qaeda cells had infiltrated into Turkey in preparation for an imminent attack against Israeli and U.S. targets inside the country. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that... MORE
Implications of the New Kurdish-Sunni Alliance for Security in Iraq’s Ninawa Governorate
As the U.S. military “surge” and the activities of Iraq’s Awakening Councils drive al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups into northern Iraq, a new and largely overlooked accord between Kurds and Sunnis could have enormous implications for the security situation in the Ninawa governorate. On December... MORE
MOSCOW EXPLOITING THE KOSOVO CONTEXT TO TAKE OVER SERBIA’S ENERGY SECTOR
The European Union looks like a bystander to Russia’s step-by-step capture of energy markets and infrastructure in EU territory. This time, Moscow is using an opening through Serbia, a country that Russia has tempted into isolation from the West by encouraging Serbian past-oriented nationalism over... MORE
RUSSIA STRUGGLES TO SUPPLY POWER TO DOMESTIC CONSUMERS
Distracted by the country's longest festive season, Russia has faced a series of power outages in early January, including in areas where temperatures plummet to extreme lows. The accidents came as an ominous reminder that Russia needs to improve and redevelop its basic infrastructure, specifically... MORE
Bin Laden Identifies Saudi Arabia as the Enemy of Mujahideen Unity
Osama bin Laden’s latest message is one of the richest, most comprehensive and starkly realistic he has issued since the start of the Iraq war. The following essay is the first of two that will analyze the message and offer an assessment of its importance.... MORE
Diyarbakr Bombing Marks New Stage in PKK Campaign
The January 4 detonation of a large, vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) in the city of Diyarbakır in southeastern Turkey appears to mark a new phase in the 23 year-old insurgency of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Shortly before 5 PM local time on the... MORE