Latest Articles about Middle East
AS EUROPE EMBRACES ENERGY CONSERVATION, MOSCOW LOOKS TO ASIA’S GROWING DEMAND
Russia has reiterated plans to diversify its oil and natural gas exports with a growing focus on the Asia-Pacific region. In the near future, the main instrument of the Kremlin's strategy to re-orient hydrocarbon exports from Europe to Asia remains the planned oil pipeline from... MORE
KHRUSHCHEV’S SECRET SPEECH AND PUTIN’S PUBLIC PRAISE
Besides the Olympic headlines, in the last two weeks the Russian media has presented a remarkable variety of comments and reflections on an event that shocked the country 50 years ago. On February 14, 1956, the 20th Communist Party Congress opened in Moscow. It proceeded... MORE
MOSCOW STUNG BY GEORGIAN RESOLUTION ON SOUTH OSSETIA
Predictably, Moscow has unleashed a psychological warfare offensive in response to the Georgian Parliament's February 15 resolution on replacing Russia's "peacekeeping" operation in South Ossetia with an international peacekeeping operation (see EDM, February 15). In that resolution's aftermath, Kremlin consultant Gleb Pavlovsky -- speaking on... MORE
Yemen’s Passive Role in the War on Terrorism
For the past five years, Yemen has been what is best described as a passive partner in the U.S.-led war on terrorism. It has taken a number of steps to limit the activities of al-Qaeda and other like-minded groups within the country, but most of... MORE
Saudi Oil Facilities: Al-Qaeda’s Next Target?
At a time of record-high oil prices, analysts are beginning to consider the implications of possible terrorist attacks on Middle Eastern oil facilities. The crown jewel of these facilities is Saudi Arabia's oil production infrastructure. It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia possesses 261.9 billion... MORE
MAGOMEDOV OUT AS MOSCOW OPTS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP IN MAKHACHKALA
On February 20 the Kremlin announced the appointment of a new leader for Dagestan. Russian President Vladimir Putin nominated 65-year-old Mukhu Aliev to lead the North Caucasus republic and asked Dagestan's legislature to confirm his choice. All but one of the 102 local lawmakers present... MORE
MOSCOW RECYCLES OFFER TO PROCESS IRANIAN NUCLEAR FUEL
In the wake of the Iranian nuclear crisis, Moscow has advanced a new, or rather seemingly new, proposal to build a center for spent fuel from Iran and other states and for the enrichment of uranium for these states as well. Under this plan Iran... MORE
Islamists Criticize Muslims who Abstain from Jihad
On February 17, the al-Tajdeed forum posted an interesting analysis that, amid the customary claims of imminent victory, points the finger of accusation at al-qa'idun 'an al-jihad ("those who abstain from jihad"). Starting from the premise that the strategic initiative is turning in favor of... MORE
MOSCOW SAYS GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT’S VOTE ON PEACEKEEPERS INCONSEQUENTIAL
On February 15 Georgia's parliament unanimously called for Russian peacekeepers to be withdrawn from the breakaway region of South Ossetia and be replaced by international forces. But Moscow and Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, are not going to even discuss the issue of the... MORE
FIGHTING ERUPTS BETWEEN NOGAI REBELS AND RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES
Stavropol Krai, a predominantly ethnic-Russian region in the North Caucasus, is the frontier zone that separates the volatile Caucasian republics from the rest of Russia. Now Stavropol has become the scene of a fierce battle between Russian troops and insurgents. On February 9, a police... MORE