Rasim Akyol, a fugitive member of the PKK terrorist group, was brought to Türkiye after being captured by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in an unspecified country, security sources told media outlets Friday. Photos shared by security sources show Akyol at an undisclosed location between two Turkish flags. Akyol was …
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2023
Generals in Their Labyrinth
The conflict in Sudan is multidimensional, and could generate instability that spreads to the broader region. Since April 15, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) across Sudan, especially in the capital Khartoum, has left more than 450 people dead and over 4,000 …
Read More »The Rise of China (and the Fall of the U.S.?) Tectonic Eruptions in Eurasia Erode America’s Global Power
From the ashes of a world war that killed 80 million people and reduced great cities to smoking rubble, America rose like a Titan of Greek legend, unharmed and armed with extraordinary military and economic power, to govern the globe. During four years of combat against the Axis leaders in …
Read More »Dollar’s Dominance Faces Threat, Says Former White House Economist
De-dollarization could become a reality as a BRICS alternative to the dollar could enjoy high prospects for success, said a former White House adviser. A report by Business Insider — The dollar’s dominance would face a threat unlike any other from a BRICS currency, former White House economist says, April …
Read More »This Time It’s Personal: Russia’s Foreign Policymaking in the Middle East
With Russia’s resources focused on the war in Ukraine, Moscow’s foreign policy may play second fiddle. While changes to Russia’s approach to the MENA region are ones of nuance rather than substance, Russia’s move towards the personalisation and regionalisation of its foreign policy there means that individuals and institutions will …
Read More »The Digital Terror Financing of Central Asian Jihadis
Abstract: Like all terror groups, Central Asian terrorist groups are continuously attempting to diversify how they finance their activities to avoid detection. Drawing on various reports, court documents, an array of research literature, and online extremist materials, this article explores some innovative methods that Central Asian terrorists have recently experimented …
Read More »Commentary: “Who Thinks Wins”: How Smarter U.S. Counterterrorism in the Sahel Can Pay Dividends for Great Power Competition
Abstract: The United States is at a critical juncture as it looks to adapt its counterterrorism mission. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Sahel region of Africa, where for the past decade, the United States has relied on France to serve as the counterterrorism lead. Those days are …
Read More »A Reassessment of American Policy Toward Taliban Afghanistan
Key Points More than a year and a half on from its seizure of power, it is clear the Taliban regime rejects the idea of a pluralist political order and seems determined to impose the same restrictive social policies as were implemented in 1996-2001.As actions intended to isolate and punish …
Read More »Russia Ramps Up Use of Glide Bombs Ahead of Ukraine Counteroffensive
During Russian forces’ spring assault on Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, air strikes played a key role in their attempts to encircle the city. One night in late March, Russian aircraft dropped 11 bombs on Ukraine’s Sumy region in a major attack. And last week, a Russian jet accidently released a …
Read More »The Islamic State in Dera’a: History and Present Situation
On November 30, 2022, the Islamic State’s spokesman Abu ‘Umar al-Muhajir made the somewhat surprising announcement that the group’s “caliph” and leader Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi had been killed, while adding that the group’s Shura council had agreed on a successor going by the name of Abu al-Hussayn al-Hussayni al-Qurashi.1 …
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