Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, in Foreign Affairs, I wrote that advanced economies were entering a new age: the age of magic money. Because inflation seemed dormant, central banks faced no penalty for conjuring money out of thin air. And because this money would drive interest rates lower, governments would …
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2021
Russia Won’t Let Ukraine Go Without a Fight
Ominous signs indicate that Russia may conduct a military offensive in Ukraine as early as the coming winter. Moscow has quietly built up its forces along the Ukrainian border over the past several months, which could be a prelude to a military operation that aims to resolve the political deadlock …
Read More »Egypt Used French Intelligence to Target Its Own Civilians, Report Says
Egypt used intelligence provided to it by the French military to target and kill its own civilians suspected of smuggling contraband. In leaked documents, the French military was implicated in at least 19 airstrikes carried out by the Egyptian military against its own civilians between 2016 and 2018, according to …
Read More »Attacks on Iran Nuclear Facilities ‘Counterproductive,’ US Warns Israel, NYT Reports Ahead of Talks
US officials have warned officials in Israel that attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure “may be tactically satisfying, but they are ultimately counterproductive,” the New York Times reported. The article about Iran’s nuclear program was published on Sunday, just days before the restart of negotiations in Vienna to re-up the nuclear …
Read More »HTS makes rival jihadis in Syria’s Idlib take Sharia courses, give up weapons
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham managed to eliminate the jihadist Jundallah organization, forcing its operatives to hand over their weapons and take Sharia courses. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Idlib province in northwestern Syria, reached a security settlement agreement with the Jundallah organization, which HTS calls Abu Fatima al-Turki. According to …
Read More »Jihadi group seeks command of media, advertising in northwest Syria
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is seeking to organize media and advertising fields to serve its interests and the inclinations of its affiliated Salvation Government in Idlib in northwestern Syria. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-affiliated (HTS) Salvation Government continues its attempts to dominate and acquire the different advertising companies and other vital sectors …
Read More »Bulgaria accuses Turkey of election interference
Turkey has rejected accusations that it is helping Bulgarian politicians representing the country’s Turkish minority. The Turkish government has denied allegations that it interfered in neighboring Bulgaria’s election. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Bulgaria’s ambassador to Turkey, Hristov Tcholakov, and told him that Turkey rejects all accusations that it interfered …
Read More »Egypt weighs impact of Ethiopia’s civil war
The civil war further threatens Ethiopia as Tigray forces threaten to advance toward Abbis Ababa. Egypt, as well as the entire international community, is in a state of anticipation after the regional and ethnic conflict in Ethiopia further escalated as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) continues to take over …
Read More »Palestinians clash with Israeli security after terrorist attack in Jerusalem
Expressing their support of the assailant who killed an Israeli and wounded four others in the alleys of Jerusalem’s Old City, residents of the East Jerusalem Shuafat refugee camp clashed with Israeli security forces. Hundreds of Palestinians marched Nov. 21 through the East Jerusalem Shuafat refugee camp in support of …
Read More »A Nuclear Iran Is Not Inevitable
After months of uncertainty and growing concerns from the West, Iran announced in early November that negotiations over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal would resume, with a first meeting scheduled in Vienna on November 29. For the moment, the pressure has come down a notch, but the outlook for success …
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