All those Turkish-Greek tensions in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas bolster a century-long Turkish nostalgia to take back some of the Greek islands. Yeni Safak, a fiercely pro-Erdoğan newspaper, suggested that the Turkish military should invade 16 Greek islands.
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2020
Is Europe’s Last Dictatorship in Belarus Finally Coming to an End?
The August 9 election of Aleksandr Lukashenko as President of Belarus saw the authoritarian strongman secure his 6th term in a country long known as Europe’s last dictatorship, sparking nationwide protests.
Read More »Israel-UAE Deal: Real Diplomacy or Public Relations Stunt?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to normalize relations with Israel to gain favor with the United States, no matter the outcome of the November 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Read More »What Do Normalized Israel-UAE Relations Mean for the Region?
The “Abraham Accords” shift the regional landscape and offer new questions about paths ahead for Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli peace. On August 13, the governments of Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that they had agreed to the full normalization of relations, in exchange for Israel suspending announced plans …
Read More »The Impact of Middle East Regional Competition on Security and Stability in the Horn of Africa
The relationship between the Middle East and the Horn of Africa is centuries-old and complex. While the world’s attention is focused mainly on the “great power competition” in the region, primarily between the U.S. and China, the Horn of Africa has also become a central battleground for influence among competing …
Read More »James Carafano: Trump right to back arms embargo on Iran, a dangerous state sponsor of terrorism
President Trump’s move to reimpose full United Nations sanctions on Iran in order to extend an arms embargo on the Islamic Republic scheduled to expire in October is a wise move, despite the opposition of European nations, Russia and China.
Read More »Trump Meets With Iraqi Leader Amid Negotiations Over U.S. Troop Levels
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s visit to the White House is largely focused on negotiations, which started in May, on resetting the United States military mission in Iraq.
Read More »Strengthening and Expanding: ISIS’ Central Syria Campaign
While most international attention has been focused on the “post-caliphate” Islamic State insurgencies in northeast Syria and Iraq, ISIS has steadily carried out an ever-expanding insurgency against the Syrian regime and its allies in central Syria. The insurgency began immediately following the Syrian regime’s capture of this area in late …
Read More »Hezbollah Still Has a Knife at Lebanon’s Throat After Hariri Verdict
A confused tribunal process is a step toward justice in a case that has haunted the country for years. Lebanon’s postwar hopes of becoming a free and prosperous nation died smoldering in a mangled crater of seared flesh and jagged metal on the Beirut waterfront. The devastating bomb blast that …
Read More »Attacks Targeting Aid Workers in Niger Are Latest in Worrying Spike
New findings out Monday show an alarming spike in attacks against humanitarian workers last year, including in part of Africa’s Sahel region. That’s where some of the latest attacks took place last week against French and Nigerien nationals.
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