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US urges Saudis to disband force behind Khashoggi killing

The United States on Monday urged Saudi Arabia to disband an elite unit controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Washington sanctioned over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “We have urged Saudi Arabia to disband this group and then adopt institutional, systemic reforms and controls to ensure that …

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Morocco suspends contact with German embassy

Officials say decision in part due to ‘deep misunderstandings’ in Berlin’s stance over Western Sahara. Morocco has suspended contacts with the German embassy in the North African kingdom in part over what officials said was Berlin’s stance on the Western Sahara dispute.

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China, Iran relations widen amid renewed nuclear talks

While pressuring Washington to drop sanctions and renew the JCPOA, Beijing has expanded trade and military relations with Tehran and its neighbors. In the puzzle that is known as the Iran nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the United States holds the key, China’s Foreign …

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Iran rejects EU invitation to talks with US on nuclear deal

Tehran’s rejection may be posturing, but the clock is ticking on chances to limit its nuclear capabilities. Iran’s government has turned down a proposal for talks with the United States and the European Union over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. Citing “recent positions and actions of the US and three …

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Prominent Islamic State leaders killed in Iraq

Iraqi security forces announced the killings of Islamic State leaders who had long evaded capture. Despite concerns that the sharp drawdown of international troops over the past year might negatively impact counterterrorism activities, Iraq has announced the killing of several high-level commanders and operatives since late January. Following a double …

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Elusive figure of Syrian war dies with secrets in Turkey

Heysem Topalca, a fugitive whose name was implicated in some of the most controversial chapters of Ankara’s Syria policy due to his alleged role in the Turkish intelligence operations in Syria, has died, taking all his secrets to the grave. Heysem Topalca, a fugitive who allegedly played a key role …

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ISIS and the UK: the Case of Shamima Begum

A former Isis fighter once complained to me that western volunteers who travelled to the so-called Islamic State in northeastern Syria were a burden because they did not speak Arabic, had no military experience, knew little about Islam and had often come because they were bored or unhappy at home. …

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How the CIA Helped to Crush Turkey’s Post-War Left

After the Second World War (1939-45), the U.S. became the dominant global power and fought its rival, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for international supremacy. Many countries became proxy battlegrounds between U.S. and Soviet influence. In addition to beating the Reds, U.S. war planners used secret militias, many …

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