Eurasia

Trump to order troop reductions in Afghanistan, Iraq

President Donald Trump is expected to cut a significant number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and a smaller number in Iraq by the final days of his presidency, U.S. officials said Monday. The plan would run counter to military commanders’ advice over the past year, while still falling short of …

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Dermer: Rejoining the nuclear agreement with Iran is ‘a mistake’

“The first thing I would say to the incoming administration is sit with your allies in the region,” Israel’s ambassador said. If President-elect Joe Biden decides to join the nuclear deal with Iran, “it would be a mistake,” Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer said Monday.

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IEDs found near border with Syria

Explosive devices were in Israeli territory, close to location where IDF foiled terror attack in the summer. The IDF has found improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Israeli territory near the border with Syria in the southern Golan Heights, the military said on Tuesday.

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Did Russia miscalculate in recent Azerbaijan-Armenia clashes?

Russia has behaved throughout the conflict like it had other important issues to deal with. Russia brokered the end of fighting in Nagorna-Karabakh last week in a deal that will see many Armenians leaving their homes and areas handed over to Azerbaijan. It is a humiliating defeat for Armenia, a …

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How Trump’s team appeased Turkey up until its final months in office

Trump’s State Department finally turns on Turkey after years of misleading its own partners, potentially trying to sabotage Biden as he comes into office. The US administration of President Donald Trump enabled Turkey to invade Afrin in Syria where 150,000 Kurds were ethnically cleansed in 2018 and then followed up …

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Trump can help Israel against Iran in final months – analysis

It’s likely that the US and Israel have something up their sleeves that can’t be mentioned. When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced his trip to the region last week, State Department officials said his stop in Israel from Wednesday to Friday will be on “a variety of issues, …

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Israel, EU discuss possible rail between Mediterranean and Gulf states

The discussion came after Israel recently signed historic deals to normalize ties with Gulf states Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Israel and the European Union (EU) have launched talks to deepen economic cooperation and discussed the possibility of creating a new trade corridor between the east Mediterranean and Gulf …

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Egyptian, Russian navies carrying out Friendship Bridge 3 drills in Black Sea

The naval vessels and units participating in the drill departed from Alexandria Naval Base in formation on their way to the Black Sea A number of Egyptian naval vessels participating in the Egyptian-Russian maritime drill dubbed Friendship Bridge 3 have crossed the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits on their way to …

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Hundreds of Syrians leave Kurdish-held Al-Hol camp

More than 500 Syrians, some related to alleged Islamic State group members, quit the overcrowded Kurdish-run camp of Al-Hol in the northeast of the war-torn country Monday, Kurdish officials said. An AFP reporter saw dozens of women lugging their belongings onto trucks, and others feeding their children before their departure. …

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