Eurasia

Officer killed, Four Regime Soldiers Injured in Rural Damascus

An officer was killed and four soldiers injured near the borders with Lebanon after clashing with smugglers, according to Sowt al-Asima. On Tuesday, July 6th, clashes near the town of Kfer Yaboos in Rural Damascus resulted in the death of an army officer and the injury of four other regime …

Read More »

US hosts highest-level Saudi visit since Khashoggi killing

White House says grisly murder of journalist may be raised in meetings with delegation led by Khalid bin Salman, Riyadh’s deputy defense minister and brother of crown prince Top Biden administration officials on Tuesday hosted a brother to Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in the highest-level such …

Read More »

Egypt uses military to send firm message to newly conciliatory Turkey

Despite quiet talks between the two rivals, base opening and military exercises show Sissi not ready to accept Erdogan’s overtures Egypt sent a firm message to its regional rival Turkey this week, flexing its military might even as it engages in steps meant to calm tensions between the two Sunni …

Read More »

Abducted From Kyrgyzstan, Educator Orhan Inandi Paraded in Turkey as a ‘Terrorist’

Turkish President Erdogan, who previously denied knowing anything about Inandi, announced his “capture” by Turkish intelligence. Three weeks after reportedly replying to an inquiry directly from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov that he did not know Orhan Inandi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lauded the “genuine and patient” work of the …

Read More »

Mozambique Could Become Africa’s Next Piracy Hot Spot

On March 24, Ansar al-Sunna, a militant group linked to the Islamic State, launched a bloody attack on the coastal town of Palma, in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, leaving at least 61 dead and scores more unaccounted for. The assault, which lasted more than a week and took place …

Read More »

Why Piracy Is a Growing Threat in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea

In early May, a high-speed boat pulled alongside the Rio Mitong, a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, just off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. Using ladders to board the ship, a group of assailants kidnapped two crew members, taking them back to the shore, where they subsequently held them for ransom. Another …

Read More »

What’s Behind the Resurgence in Piracy Off Somalia’s Coast

After a steep reduction, piracy seems to be on the rise again off the coast of Somalia, with “five or six” incidents occurring in the past two months, according to U.S. military officials. These have included the hijacking of a Comoros-flagged tanker that was later released, as well as the …

Read More »

Russia’s Naval Base in Sudan Opens a Long-Sought Gateway to the Red Sea

Following Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s approval last month of a new naval base to be built on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, official Kremlin statements have billed the facility as a logistics center that will be defensive in nature—for principal use as a resupply station for Russian warships. In spite …

Read More »

Russian Media Unpacks New National Security Strategy

On July 2, 2021, Vladimir Putin approved Russia’s updated national security strategy, the previous version was authored in 2015. The national security strategy gives the appearance of a laundry list. It runs the gamut from military concerns to building internal consensus and defending Russia from pernicious Western ideas. The doctrine …

Read More »

Report: Washington relaunches plan of surveillance on Libya-Tunisia border

The US justice department’s counterterrorism division has revived its plan to acquire balloons to keep the border between Libya and Tunisia under surveillance, saying that following the failure of Lockheed Martin and TCOM, two other US firms are still in the running, according to the French website, Africa Intelligence. The …

Read More »