Latest Articles about Middle East
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
The Western Media’s Misreading of al-Qaeda’s Latest Videotape
Al-Qaeda's 48-minute, September 2 video featured a short introduction by the group's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and a lengthy presentation by Azzam al-Amriki (Azzam the American), who apparently is U.S. citizen Adam Gadahn. The video comes just before the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attack,... MORE
Support for Hezbollah in Egypt Threatens Mubarak’s Stability
The success of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement in battle against Israel's armed forces has reminded Egyptians of their own military difficulties against Israel in three major conflicts (1948, 1967 and 1973). The Egyptian government of President Hosni Mubarak (like Jordan and Saudi Arabia) was quick to... MORE
EU’S ENERGY POLICY: A QUEST FOR RELEVANCE
The relevance of any EU energy policy will hinge on clearly identifying the mounting risks, with an uninhibited analysis of Russia’s manifold challenges, and calling for the development of an energy security strategy, with diversification of supplies as its centerpiece. The twin goals must be... MORE