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Latest Articles about Middle East
MOSCOW IS UNIMPRESSED BY PUTIN’S CELEBRATIONS
The long-heralded celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Victory Day are finally over, and many Muscovites find themselves with an odd aftertaste. The event that was supposed to be both a patriotic rally and an international gala turned out to be neither. Most of the... MORE
MOSCOW AND BRUSSELS TRY TO MEND FENCES BUT SERIOUS PROBLEMS REMAIN
On May 10, the 15th Russia-EU summit was held in Moscow. Coming immediately after the pompous celebrations of Victory Day in the Russian capital, the meeting resulted in the signing of a new partnership agreement aimed at forging closer economic, political, and cultural ties between... MORE
CIS SUMMIT: DECORATIVE, YET ACRIMONIOUS
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the presidents of nine other CIS member countries attended an informal CIS summit on May 8 in Moscow, as part of Russia's anniversary celebrations of victory in the Second World War. Presidents Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia and Ilham Aliev of... MORE
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION MEETS ADMINISTRATIVE CORRUPTION IN RUSSIA
The surprise arrest in Switzerland of Yevgeny Adamov, former head of the Russian Ministry on Nuclear Energy (MINATOM), has sent shock waves across Russia's vast bureaucracy. A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is investigating claims that Adamov pocketed some $9 million of U.S. government... MORE
Syria and the Birth of Pan-Arab Extremism
In the aftermath of the Iraq war, Syria captured the headlines of the world press, as the international community asked, "Will Syria be next?" Though it quickly became clear that no such attack was imminent, Syria, nevertheless, has come under intense American pressure aimed at... MORE
Bahrain: The Next Target For Islamist Militancy?
Real estate prices in Bahrain have registered unusual rates of increase over the last few months as western expatriate workers relocate to the island kingdom, in the hope of finding a more secure environment. Bahrain is considered to offer one of the Gulf’s most western-friendly... MORE
Evaluating the Saudi Amnesty
On June 23 Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah declared on behalf of King Fahd a one-month ultimatum, during which al-Qaeda members should surrender themselves to authorities. A headline figure of half a dozen insurgents responding to the amnesty by the deadline of July 22 spelt an... MORE
Al-Qaeda Leader Salih Al-awfi Slips Through the Net
Late on July 20 Saudi security forces followed up on a tip that led them to the house of al-Qaeda’s leader Salih al-Awfi in the King Fahad district of Riyadh. Militants inside the house then opened fire and a gun-battle ensued, resulting in the killing... MORE
Random Killing of Westerners Resumes in Saudi Arabia
On August 3 one or two gunmen forced their way into the offices of the Rocky Trade and Construction firm in Riyadh and shot Anthony Higgins, a 63 year-old Irish engineer, four times in the head and chest, killing him immediately. Al-Qaeda did not claim... MORE
Foreign Involvement in the Iraqi Insurgency
The Iraqi insurgency spiked again in August 2004 when Muqtada al-Sadr took the offensive against the transitional Iraqi government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and the Multi-National Force of U.S. and other foreign troops, as the former coalition is now known. It was optimistically believed... MORE