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

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

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

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

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

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

In the midst of growing political tensions between Iran and the United States a Shi'ite rebellion in the remote mountains of northwest Yemen has created suspicions that Iran may be attempting to open a new anti-American front to weaken U.S. efforts in the region. Yemen's... MORE

Al-Qaeda's ability to bounce back from intense strikes and a level of sustained attrition that would have paralyzed other insurgent organizations has been well demonstrated. There has also been much discussion, and speculation, on the cell structure of groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and their operational... MORE

A group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq has been holding since August 20 two French journalists, Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot. In a 48-hour ultimatum it demanded that Paris drop a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools, originally by last Tuesday night, and... MORE

As a sign of the increased vulnerability felt by Kuwait to the twin pressures of the US-led campaign in Iraq and the spread of jihadist ideology throughout the peninsula, the last month has seen some stepped up anti-jihadist activity in the emirate. Last July, a... MORE