Latest Articles about Middle East

Osama bin Laden: Cornered in Kunar or Nuristan?

The whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and U.S efforts to capture and kill him have made many media headlines over the years, resulting in some plausible speculation and many figments of the imagination. But the June 28 U.S. military operation in Afghanistan's northeastern Kunar province... MORE

Islamist insurgents seek to contain PR disaster: notes of defeatism

News of ongoing discussions between the U.S. military and the Iraqi insurgents has rattled the jihadist groups in the country. Reports of such meetings go back to last February, when Time magazine highlighted a meeting between insurgents and two U.S. military officials. This was followed... MORE

IRANIAN NUCLEAR TEAM IN MOSCOW, SEEKING NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Senior Iranian officials have indicated that Russia could become a partner in lucrative projects to build 20 nuclear power stations in Iran. "A plan has been approved in parliament obliging the government to study the possibility of building 20 nuclear power stations. Many countries, including... MORE

RUSSIA REAPPRAISES MILITARY “AWARENESS” OF TERRORISM

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has expressed confidence in the growing awareness of the Russian military, not only about the nature of the terrorist threat it faces, but on the need to implement practical security measures to improve the safety of security personnel. That is... MORE

RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTS MULL STRATEGY TOWARD POST-SOVIET LANDS

In the opinion of some representatives of Russia's political class, the "losing streak" that began last year is still continuing, as Moscow's geopolitical influence in post-Soviet Eurasia keeps shrinking. However, as one saying has it, successes encourage, but defeats mobilize. A recent gathering of policymakers... MORE

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION SUMMIT SUGGESTS NEW RUSSIA-CHINA LINKS

As the six Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members gathered Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, on July 5, the summit meeting seemingly adopted a measure of anti-Western rhetoric. The SCO states (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan) not only suggested that the U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan... MORE

SCO ASKS WASHINGTON TO SET DATE FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FORCES

The presidents of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan -- member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- held a summit of the SCO on July 5 in Astana. Their joint declaration requests the U.S.-led anti-terrorist coalition forces to set a date for leaving... MORE