Eurasia

Extremist group HTS wishes to establish full control over the economy of Syria’s northern region A 23 February report by Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar suggests that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremist group, formerly the Al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front, has been attempting with external support to consolidate its power in Syria’s …

New reports of US-trained Afghan special forces joining the fight in Ukraine, but on the Russian side, are emerging. The Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor firm that has played a vital role in the battle for the town of Bakhmut in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, is …

The Cradle s’est entretenu avec un haut responsable militaire du Hezbollah en Irak sur le rôle crucial joué par le défunt commandant iranien de la Force Quds, le général de division Qassem Soleimani, dans la conduite de la résistance contre Daech. Qassem Soleimani, le commandant iranien de la Force d’élite …

The Balkans presents a crucial junction for Tehran as an access point to Western Europe and an avenue for advancing its regional political and economic interests. The Balkan region is strategically important for western countries as a geographic bloc through which they can increase their influence in former Soviet Eastern …

The recent conference on international security policy focused extensively on the significance of the Global South to the west’s security. As power competition with China and Russia intensifies, the west is compelled to reassess its approach to relations with these countries. “I am struck by how much we are losing …

In his Federal Assembly address, President Putin emphasized that Russia is not only an independent nation-state but also a distinct civilization with its own identity, which is in conflict and actively opposes the values of ‘western civilization.’ Russian President Vladimir Putin’s much awaited address to the Russian Federal Assembly on …

The prospect of a US-China war has entered the realm of reality. Increased provocations from US military and political officials regarding the status of Taiwan – which China considers to be part of its historic territory – have heightened the possibility of confrontation in recent years. With only 13 out …

Abstract: Once allies in the same organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Islamic State have an interesting history that turned them into ‘frenemies’ from April 2013 to February 2014 and then outright enemies over the past nine years. This led to a broader global fight between al-Qaida and the …

A little-known far-right extremist group known as the “White Power Ranger Squad” (WPRS) seems to be gaining traction within Russia as the country prepares for a protracted conflict with Ukraine. The group, which recruits and trains members inside Russia, is some combination of a survivalist, reconnaissance, tactical, and weapons enthusiast …

A top U.S. policymaker on the Middle East, Brett McGurk, this month articulated a “Biden Doctrine” consisting of major principles guiding U.S. policy toward the region. Notably omitted from the doctrine was a potential U.S. response to Iran’s increasingly viable nuclear weapons program or mention of regional counterterrorism operations. The …