Latest Articles about Middle East
IVANOV COMMENT SUGGESTS MOSCOW IGNORING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGREEMENT WITH WASHINGTON
On Sunday September 10, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin aboard the Baltic Fleet's flagship, the destroyer Nastoychivy, at the naval base Baltiysk, Kaliningrad, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov made public that Russia has apparently abrogated a major nuclear arms control agreement. During the... MORE
Mahmud al-Hasani: A Profile of Iraq’s Rising Shiite Leader
The Arabic-language website of the Grand Ayatollah Mahmud al-Hasani, the rising Shiite leader of Iraq, speaks volumes about the man making headlines in Iraq and challenging the cleric-turned rebel Muqtada al-Sadr. All that is known about him is that he is anti-American, anti-Iranian, anti-Sunni and... MORE
Egyptian Gama’a al-Islamiyya’s Public Relations Campaign
In a recent interview conducted by the Dubai-based al-Arabiya news network, Dr. Nageh Ibrahim, senior leader and chief ideological theorist of the Egyptian Gama'a al-Islamiyya (EIG, Egyptian Islamic Group), reiterated the movement's pledge to renounce violence. He also reconfirmed EIG's commitment toward pursuing a peaceful... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Evolving Strategy Five Years after September 11
Five years after September 11, al-Qaeda is, in its own words, "continuing the policy of bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy," drawing the United States into a gradually widening conflict until it is no longer sustainable to continue operations against the mujahideen. Osama bin... MORE
PUTIN’S AMBITIONS AND RUSSIA’S MILITARY FEEBLENESS
There was nothing particularly disturbing about the failed launch of the experimental Bulava (SS-NX-30) strategic missile from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine on the evening of September 7. Failures happen, and they are quite useful for identifying problems that should be addressed before the missile is... MORE
RUSSIA, CHINA, JAPAN, AND SOUTH KOREA TO LAUNCH NEW SEA ROUTE LINKING CHINA AND JAPAN
The countries of Northeastern Asia have long mooted new infrastructure projects to improve transportation links in the region. However, some routes tend to materialize more slowly than others. Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea have now agreed to launch a new cargo and passenger sea... MORE
Iran’s Terrorist Asset: A History of Imad Mugniyah
The resiliency of Hezbollah in its conflict with Israel shattered the strong confidence in Israeli arms and is becoming a source for inspiration and tactical doctrine among Islamists. The unexpected ability of Hezbollah to withstand a rather concerted Israeli effort to rout the organization and... MORE
The Evolution of Jihadi Electronic Counter-Measures
After each attempted terrorist attack, whether botched or successful, government security forces worldwide are typically tasked with reviewing and analyzing the incident to draw lessons from the mistakes made in order to better prepare for possible future attacks. The same process, however, takes place in... MORE
RUSSIAN ENERGY MAJORS EYE DIRECT OUTLET TO MEDITERRANEAN
Russia’s ambitious attempts to cast itself as the principal energy supplier to world markets explain the new deal on an oil pipeline linking the Black Sea with the Aegean. During his September 4 visit to Greece, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a seemingly attractive offer... MORE
RUSSIA’S LATEST NAVAL TRAGEDY
On the morning of September 7, the St. Daniil Moskovsky, a Russian Victor III-class submarine that was commissioned in 1990 and went to sea in 1991, caught fire in the Barents Sea. The fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical control panel.... MORE