Latest Articles about Middle East

HOPES FOR KREMLIN DIALOGUE WITH KABARDINO-BALKARIA INSURGENTS FADE

On November 4, the Kabardino-Balkaria branch of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) summoned Ruslan Nakhushov, chairman of the local Islamic Institute, for interrogation. According to Kommersant, Nakhushov visited the FSB the very day that the summons was served. He returned to his office after... MORE

RUSSIAN-JAPANESE PEACE TREATY REMAINS ELUSIVE

On the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin's November 20-22 trip to Japan for a summit in Tokyo with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a peace treaty between the two neighboring states appears elusive. The summit comes at a difficult time for Japan in terms of... MORE

RUSSIAN PERSONNEL CHANGES TO AFFECT FAR EAST REGION

Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest personnel shakeup is likely to affect the country's Far Eastern region, as well as relations with some neighboring states. When Putin promoted his chief of staff, Dmitry Medvedev, to the post of first deputy prime minister on November 14, the... MORE

The Algerian 2005 Amnesty: The Path to Peace?

On September 29, Algerians voted in an unprecedented referendum to approve a charter for “peace and national reconciliation,” offering amnesty to Algerian insurgents in exchange for laying down their arms. The charter also extends the same offer of clemency to police and security agents involved... MORE

GSPC Rival Leader Hattab Reclaims Title

Following the referendum on the amnesty for Islamist militants still holding out in the mountains, Hassan Hattab, the former leader of the Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat (GSPC), gave a unique interview to the pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat (www.daralhayat.com). The information he provides... MORE

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Takes Credit for the Amman Bombings

Yesterday, November 9, a series of explosions at international hotels in the Jordanian capital appears to have claimed 50-60 lives and wounded over 100. The Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels were struck, as the Radisson was hosting a wedding reception with some... MORE

Al-Zarqawi Threatens Moroccan Diplomats, Ignites Debate Among Clerics

On November 3, al-Zarqawi’s al-Qaeda in Iraq issued a statement on the Internet sentencing two kidnapped Moroccan diplomats, Abderrahim Boualem and Abdelkrim al Mouhafidi, to death by its “Shari’ah court.” According to the statement, the accused constitute ansar al-tawaghit, or “supporters of the tyrants,” who... MORE

PUTIN’S RUSSIA AS AN UNCERTAIN PROPOSITION

The presentation of the first annual Failed States Index – a joint project of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Fund for Peace – provided considerable fodder for the Russian media. The authors used 12 different indicators, from demographics and regional contrasts to... MORE