Latest Articles about Middle East
…and Set Course of Action Against Denmark
The following day, the mujahid strategy emerged in even more detail. Under the title "What now after the Denmark events?—A Plan of Action," an individual named Abu Maria al-Qurashi set out nine specific action points: • Intensify the boycott by appealing to the idea of... MORE
Mujahideen Consider Cartoon Crisis a Moment to Re-Define Islam…
The Danish debacle continues to generate a deluge of material on the jihadi forums. While most of these (when not a matter of personal expressions of outrage and calls for revenge) relate to the growing boycott campaign of Danish goods, at least one "official" statement... MORE
Jordanian Poll Indicates Erosion of Public Support for al-Qaeda
The ramifications of the November 9, 2005 Amman suicide bombings indicate that the terrorist act played a major role in changing people's attitudes toward terrorism. An opinion poll conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies at Jordan University, a semi-government center, about the Jordanian public's... MORE
MOSCOW’S INITIATIVE: YOUR TERRORIST IS OUR DEAR GUEST
Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to Spain last week was not a great success. Spanish journalists asked too many direct questions, and senators at the closed-door meeting were not shy about raising unpleasant issues like judicial independence and human rights (Nezavisimaya gazeta, February 10).... MORE
MOSCOW SEEKS TO ACQUIRE RUSSIAN DIAMOND MONOPOLY
As the Russian government moved to take over the country's diamond monopoly, Alrosa, the company simultaneously opted to diversify by acquiring majority stakes in several Siberian oil and gas assets. While Alrosa has been seen as a potential nucleus for a state-owned natural-resources giant, the... MORE
KREMLIN CALLS ON COMPATRIOTS TO COME BACK TO MOTHER RUSSIA
The Kremlin has set up a commission charged with encouraging the denizens of the former Soviet republics to migrate to Russia. Although Russia is experiencing a severe demographic crisis and needs migrants to sustain its economic development, the government's ambitious repatriation plan appears to be... MORE
Bulgarians to Dismantle Iranian Terrorist Group MKO in Iraq
As the United States advances steadily toward a confrontation with Iran, the fate of an Iraqi-based Iranian opposition group appears to have been sealed. It has now been confirmed that Bulgarian troops will assume control of the formerly-armed Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MKO) organization's Ashraf camp. This move... MORE
POST-SOVIET SECESSIONISTS HEDGING THEIR BETS ON A “KOSOVO PRECEDENT”
The London meeting of the Contact Group, which launched the negotiations toward defining Kosovo's status (Interfax, February 1, 2), is being assessed by the post-Soviet secessionist leaderships cautiously. They do not seem to assume that the outcome in Kosovo would necessarily set an international precedent... MORE
RUMORS SUGGEST MAJOR RUSSIAN MILITARY REORGANIZATION IMMINENT
Western accounts of Vladimir Putin's Russia have almost wholly ignored the regime's ongoing efforts at defense reform, even though they have been steadily underway for at least two or three years. Indeed, there are numerous signs that reforms are not only continuing but may actually... MORE
The Egyptian Media’s Response to the Latest al-Qaeda Statements
Egypt’s prominent newspapers and magazines had a somewhat tepid response to recent statements made by al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Media commentary did not support statements made by bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, but was critical of U.S. counter-terrorism efforts. Al-Qaeda’s statements were... MORE