Over the past few years, Russia’s sphere of influence in Africa has been strengthening and broadening with much focus on helping to maintain peace and security, and making investment in exploiting natural resources in Africa. The first historic Russia-Africa summit held in October 2019 has, further and concretely laid out …
Read More »EU ready to mediate in Nile dam crisis
With negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam at a standstill, the European Union has offered its services as a mediator. The European Union has expressed willingness to help mediate the crisis between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam if the concerned parties request it, according …
Read More »America’s Back—Against a Wall
Three problems stand athwart Biden’s plans for a rules-based international order. Anyone who thought international politics would calm down once Donald Trump left center stage has had a rude awakening. After the Alaska confrontation between top U.S. and Chinese officials and the slanging match between Presidents Biden and Vladimir Putin, …
Read More »Russia, Iran Vie for Syrian Oil ‘Leftovers’
The behind-the-scenes scrap between Russia and Iran over oil wealth in northeastern Syrian regions, which are not held by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has intensified. As Syria is in the grips of a stifling economic crisis and Western sanctions, Russia and Iran’s attention has shifted towards investing in …
Read More »Moscow Asks Turkey to Open Border Crossings
Russia has submitted a proposal to Turkey, which includes opening three crossings in Idleb and Aleppo between regime-controlled and opposition-held areas, according to what was announced by the Deputy Director of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Hmeimim, affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry, Alexander Karpov. According to a statement issued …
Read More »Bundeswehr remains under fire for far-right extremism
An interim report has been completed, documenting dozens of far-right incidents in the elite commando of Germany’s defense forces, the KSK, going back to 2017. DW takes a closer look at the KSK’s tainted record. The KSK elite force was created in response to an incident that many in Germany …
Read More »5 ISIS Enclaves Remain in Central, Eastern Syria
To this day, ISIS controls five isolated pockets in Syria, the largest of which is located near the Ithria village in Hama province. The other four enclaves are situated south of Raqqa province, in Palmyra’s countryside, near borders with Iraq and south of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor. Since …
Read More »ISIS in Sinai leader killed in clash with Egyptian forces – report
Al-Hamadin, referred to as the “most dangerous and oldest of the takfiri elements in the Sinai,” was responsible for the murder of hundreds of civilians and Egyptian soldiers. Leader of the ISIS terrorist organization in the Sinai Peninsula, Salim Salma Said Mahmoud al-Hamadin, was killed during clashes with Bedouin and …
Read More »Al-Qaida Is Diminished, but Don’t Write Its Obituary Just Yet
Rumors began swirling last fall that al-Qaida chieftain Ayman al-Zawahiri had died of natural causes. With no confirmation, counterterrorism analysts and long-time al-Qaida watchers weighed in with various assessments of what it would mean for the terrorist organization if it had indeed lost its leader. Just last week, al-Qaida’s official …
Read More »Making Sense of Iran and al-Qaeda’s Relationship
The nature of the relationship between al-Qaeda and Iran is one of the most contentious debates in the counterterrorism community, dividing analysts, policymakers and government officials. The stakes of establishing or disproving the relationship are considerable—meaningful state support is immensely useful to terrorist organizations, especially one being hunted by the …
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