Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, continues to appear in public as he promotes his image as a leader who cares about the inhabitants of northwest Syria. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has made another public appearance. He took part in the …
Read More »US targets Islamic State financiers in Turkey, Syria, Indonesia
The Biden administration imposed economic sanctions on five Islamic State financiers in Turkey, Syria and Indonesia on Monday night. Members of the network played key roles in helping IS recruits join the group, and moved funds to help IS fighters obtain weapons and for children to be smuggled out of …
Read More »Turkey’s potential xenophobia goes beyond Syrian refugees
Growing popular resentment of refugees and migrants is on course to become the second hot-button election topic in Turkey after the economic crisis, but the government is not in a position to force the return of Syrians, the main component of the problem. The danger of xenophobia is rising in …
Read More »Iran’s Revolutionary Guards shell militant bases north of Iraq’s Erbil – state media
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards artillery fire hit an area north of the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Erbil on Wednesday, targeting what Iranian state television described as terrorist bases. Iraqi Kurdish media reported that a shell had landed in a village in the Sidekan area near the Iranian border, around 60 miles …
Read More »Imperial Nostalgia and its Perils
Although great empires rank among the most powerful engines of world history, they are also among the most dangerous, especially as they brood over their decline. The Russian empire provides a striking illustration of this phenomenon. Traditionally referred to as the “prison of nations,” Russia, in its Czarist and Soviet …
Read More »Venäjän uhittelu näkynee myös Kaakkois-Suomessa
Suomen halu hakea puolustusliitto Natoon vahvistuu tällä viikolla. Eduskunnan puolustusvaliokunta totesi tiistaina, että jäsenyys olisi Suomen turvallisuuden kannalta paras ratkaisu. Torstaina presidentti Sauli Niinistö kertoo oman kantansa ja pääministeri Sanna Marin vanavedessä. Näillä näkymin jäsenhakemus laitetaan eteenpäin eduskuntakäsittelyn jälkeen ensi viikolla. Nato-hakemuksen eteneminen näyttää vääjäämättömältä. Ylen tuoreen kyselytutkimuksen mukaan 76 …
Read More »In the wake of the North’s election, more urgency is needed in the quest for compromise
The people of Northern Ireland have spoken – the question now is when will the politicians they have chosen get back to work? When the 90 members of the legislative assembly gather on Thursday we will be looking for signals of hope – not the old sterile politics dubbed “whataboutery” …
Read More »Rosja deprawuje pamięć historyczną
Według Kremla Rosjanie to „współcześni Żydzi”, którzy przeciw sobie mają „nazistów”, tj. kraje wrogie. Ma to przekonać Rosjan, iż ofiary są dziś równie uzasadnione jak 80 lat temu. Strach bywa naprawdę kiepskim doradcą. Władze miejskie Berlina tak wystraszyły się perspektywy starć 8-9 maja między Ukraińcami i Rosjanami, którzy żyją w …
Read More »SDF arrests suspected ISIS cell leader in Raqqa
The US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that it arrested a suspected ISIS leader and two local collaborators in Raqqa on Sunday. “Our forces have raided a house where the terrorist was hiding with the help of two local collaborators who helped in securing shelter and movement,” the SDF …
Read More »Iraqi militia power plays bring back outcast Sunni leader
Iran-linked parties in Iraq are playing on perceived and actual support for once-ostracized Sunni leaders to divide their political opponents despite inherent risks. Following series of meetings between Kurdistan Democratic Party and their Shiite and Sunnies allies in Erbil in order to form a majority government, a high delegation from …
Read More »