Latest Articles about Middle East
Moscow ‘Bypassing’ Armenia to Reach Azerbaijan, Iran and India
Perhaps the most important geopolitical development of mid-July 2016 was not the continuing conflict in the South China Sea, the failed coup in Turkey, or terrorist violence in France—all of which attracted considerable international attention—but rather the quiet signing, in Moscow, of an agreement by... MORE
Russia Wanders the War Zones and Political Badlands of the Middle East
Russia’s military intervention in Syria is clearly not going well. Last Friday (July 8), another helicopter was reportedly shot down near Palmyra, and the Russian Ministry of Defense, after an initial denial, had to admit that the downed aircraft was not a Syrian Mi-25, but... MORE
Alleged Chechen Mastermind of Istanbul Airport Attack Unpopular Within Chechen Diaspora
From the start of the conflict in Syria, access to the conflict zone has only been possible from the Turkish side. The militants’ dependence on Turkey forced them to avoid spoiling relations with the Turkish government. Even if Ankara did not help the militants in... MORE
The Most Dangerous Women in Jihad Part 3: Umm Layth
Halla Diyab Introduction A world overflowing with social media provides Islamic State (IS) supporters with a golden opportunity. The Internet revolution has not only restructured extremist discourse and its accessibility, but also changed the role female militants play within IS: indeed, their online roles are... MORE
In the Shadow of al-Baghdadi: Islamic State’s Deputy Caliph – Abu Alaa al-Afri
Bridget Moreng On March 18, 2015, a coalition airstrike targeted a convoy of three cars traveling in Iraq’s al-Baaj district, a remote western area near the Syrian border (Haaretz, April 21, 2015). The following day, U.S. Central Command released its daily strike update, noting that... MORE
June 2016 Briefs (Free)
Mustafa Sejari: A Rising Star in Northwest Syria’s Militant Opposition Nicholas A. Heras The United States military and its coalition allies are working to expand the number of local Arab Sunni armed opposition groups that are participating in the anti-Islamic State campaign in Syria. One of... MORE
Istanbul and Aktobe Attacks Highlight Central Asians’ Role in Transnational Terrorist Networks
Since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, Central Asians have featured prominently among the anti-government militants. But until June 2016, as far as Central Asia was concerned, the impact of the war was contained almost entirely to Syria and Iraq and remote parts... MORE
Russian Observers Fail to Understand What Is Radicalizing North Caucasian Youth
For the past month, several events happened in Moscow related to the problem of radicalization of North Caucasian youth and the replenishment of the Islamic State’s ranks by residents of the Russian Federation. While Russian analysts recycle theories that were relevant a year or two... MORE
Russia and Turkey Mend Fences as US-Russian Relations Nosedive
Reports emerged in Moscow and Ankara, on June 24, that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a letter apparently apologizing for the loss of a Russian Su-24 bomber and the death of its pilot. The Russian jet had been shot... MORE
Young North Caucasus Muslims Oppose Russia’s Air Strikes in Syria
A recent poll among North Caucasian youth by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) found that many young people in the region disapprove of the Russian air strikes in Syria. The finding is even more surprising because it comes at the time when Russian... MORE