Latest Articles about Middle East
Al-Qaeda Magazine Defends Jihad and Mujahideen in Iraq
On June 3, after a delay of three months, the second edition of Dhurwat al-Sanam (The Pinnacle) appeared on the web. This is the periodical issued by ‘the information department of the Organization of Qaedat al-Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers (the full... MORE
Unraveling the Saga of Zarqawi’s Injury
The recent torrent of Internet and print media stories about the wounding and demise, and then the resurrection and return to battle, of al-Qaeda's commander in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, kicked up a great deal of dust but little solid information. After the initial announcement... MORE
SERGEI IVANOV CHALLENGES THE NEW POLITICAL GENERATION
After four years on the job, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has no impressive record of achievements. His most important "victory" happened some eleven months ago when Anatoly Kvashnin, the ambitious and stubborn chief of the General Staff, was fired and replaced with a quiet... MORE
RUSSIA SEEKS TO REASSERT ITS STATUS AS A KEY POWER IN THE CAUCASUS
Having finally agreed last week to withdraw the two Soviet-era bases from Georgia by 2008, Moscow was quick to send a signal to those who believe Russia's retreat from the Caucasus is irreversible (see EDM, June 3). Talking to Profil magazine (June 6), Russian Defense... MORE
ADMIRAL KUROYEDOV PLANS IMPROVEMENTS TO RUSSIAN NAVY
Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, has promised improvements to the Navy in response to the challenge of meeting emerging and future threats to the Russian state or its interests. These reforms, long overdue and vital if the collapse of the Navy is... MORE
RUSSIA SEEKS CLARITY IN RELATIONS WITH JAPAN
The Kremlin has urged Japan to show a "more concrete" interest in economic ties with Russia, while Moscow is yet to finalize its own Pacific oil pipeline plan. Meanwhile, prospects of a major economic breakthrough in bilateral relations have been hindered by the long-standing territorial... MORE
Reports of Zarqawi’s Injuries Continue amidst Talk about Possible Successor
The reports of al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi having been injured have excited great interest in the Arab and international press. While there have been numerous ‘Zarqawi scares' before now, what makes the present rumors more cogent is the source, the subsequent reaction... MORE
The Ongoing Baluch Insurgency in Pakistan
On May 14, four bombs went off in Gwadar, a coastal town in Pakistan’s western province of Baluchistan, where around 500 Chinese engineers and workers are busy building a deep-sea port. [1] On May 3, 2003, a bomb blast at the same site killed three... MORE
CIS PRIME MINISTERS’ MEETING: WHEN IRRELEVANCE MAKES NEWS
The prime ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States member countries convened on June 3 in Tbilisi for what turned out to be the briefest high-level meeting in the organization's history. It lasted 30 minutes; adopted more than 20 documents, apparently too irrelevant to be... MORE
SHANGHAI GROUP CONSIDERS POST-ANDIJAN SECURITY IN CENTRAL ASIA
On June 4 the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in Astana to formally agree on an agenda for their upcoming summit, scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan's capital July 5-6. Yet in addition to the organizational elements discussed, the meeting provided... MORE