Latest Articles about Middle East
Understanding Armenia’s Syrian Gamble
Following bilateral closed-door talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, on September 8, Armenia’s interim Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told journalists that Russia and Armenia would soon launch a “joint humanitarian mission” in Syria (Azatutyun.am, September 8). The operation, apparently requested by Bashar al-Assad’s... MORE
The Turkistan Islamic Party in Double-Exile: Geographic and Organizational Divisions in Uighur Jihadism
Introduction The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) was one of the world’s more obscure jihadist groups until it emerged as a key player in the Syrian civil war in 2013. When the then Afghanistan-and-Pakistan-based TIP first began releasing videos in 2008—the year the TIP and corresponding... MORE
The Wandering Islamist: A Profile of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s Wagdi Ghoneim
One of the most controversial preachers in contemporary Islam is Dr. Wagdi Abd al-Hamid Muhammad Ghoneim, a leading member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Now an occasionally troublesome resident of Turkey, Ghoneim has been arrested eight times in Egypt and turfed out of numerous nations... MORE
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
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
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
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
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
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