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Latest Articles about Middle East
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Former Syrian Rebel Becomes Putin’s New Spearhead in Battle for Idlib: Who is Ahmad al-Awdah?
In August, the al-Assad government reportedly began to deploy a significant number of former armed opposition fighters, approximately 2,000, from southwest Syria against Islamic State (IS) affiliates in the southwest Syrian governorates of Dara’a and Suwayda (Syria Net, August 26; Enab Baladi [Dara’a], August 17;... MORE
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Putin and Merkel Discuss Nord Stream, Ukraine, Syria in a Changing Strategic Context (Part Two)
The war in Ukraine’s east was the topic that Merkel placed at the top of her remarks at the August 18 Berlin-Meseberg meeting with Putin (see Part One). Putin relegated this topic to the end of his remarks, as if to confirm Russia’s current tactic... MORE
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Russia Goes for Another Pyrrhic Victory in Syria
Military preparations for an offensive on the rebel-controlled Syrian province of Idlib are complete, air strikes have already commenced, and the Russian diplomatic dance around Syria’s war zone is moving into its final phase. Yet, the costs of the devastating victory might turn out to... MORE
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The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt: Current Crisis and Future Directions
In July 2018, the Congressional Subcommittee on National Security held a hearing to examine the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood to the United States and its interests. This hearing—expected to pave the way for Congress to follow through on efforts to designate the Brotherhood as... MORE
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What the Battle for Hodeidah Means for Yemen and the Region
On June 13, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with their Yemeni allies, launched “Operation Golden Victory.” The grandiosely named offensive is aimed at seizing the Yemeni Red Sea port of Hodeidah, which has been occupied by Yemen’s... MORE
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A Reappraisal of China-Iran Ties After US JCPOA Withdrawal
On May 8, after weeks of negotiations with European leaders, US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal signed between Iran and several other world powers, citing concerns that the JCPOA had failed to constrain... MORE
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Russia’s Favorite Syrian General: Tiger Forces Commander Suheil al-Hassan
The man who has the strongest Russian support in Syria might not be President Bashar al-Assad but rather one his most trusted commanders. During his visit to the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria last December, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with senior Russian... MORE
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Abu Jihad: A Brief Profile of Islamic State’s Russian Propaganda Master
On August 10, 2015, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department implemented an executive order sanctioning three Russian citizens involved in terrorist activities. Among the individuals mentioned on the sanctions list was North Caucasian militant Abu-Jihad, one of the key Russian-speaking... MORE
Stabilizing Hudaydah: A Look at the Pragmatic Leadership of Tihama Resistance Brigade Commander Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Shuae Hajari
On July 1, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia–led multinational coalition announced a pause in its campaign to capture the strategic Yemeni port city of al-Hudaydah (Twitter, July 1). Coalition officials, including senior members of the UAE government, argued that the cessation in... MORE