Middle Orient

In addition to think tank funding that often does not get disclosed, a new report provides a behind the scenes look at DC’s Turkish lobby. “Issues of democracy, freedom of speech, and journalism but also the fight against terrorism, it’s not an easy thing to strike a balance between,” Turkish …

SDF members destroyed a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device “to prevent possible harm to locals in the area and recovered weapons cache and detained maligned actors to eliminate the threat.” The General Command of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in northeast Syria announced on Monday the arrest of a suspected ISIS …

Despite Lebanon’s economic crisis and Hezbollah being unlikely to launch a war amid such a dire situation, defense analysts warn that war is still possible. Israel conducted a Home Front Command exercise Nov. 3 to test its readiness for all-out war with Hezbollah. Based on intelligence evaluations of Hezbollah capabilities, …

Besides Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, few religious leaders today command as much respect among Muslims and non-Muslims alike as Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the 91-year-old “supreme marja” of the world’s Shiite Muslims. Al-Sistani was a disciple of Ayatollah Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khoei, who was for decades the most renowned …

Pro-government Turkish media outlets last week reported that preparations are underway for a new set of military operations in Syria. A parliamentary motion to authorize the government to continue sending troops abroad was tabled last month and easily approved. Previous motions approved a one-year mandate for such operations, but this …

Felm says it hasn’t seen evidence that funds given to Defense for Children International-Palestine were used improperly, but warns of potential banking sanctions A Christian charity organization in Finland has decided to end ties with a Palestinian rights group after it was blacklisted by Israel for alleged terror links. The …

Iraqi forces remain incapable of operating without U.S. support while Iranian-backed militias who have targeted coalition forces are in a strategic pause, according to a report released by Lead Inspector General for Operation Inherent Resolve. Meanwhile, ISIS remains “entrenched as a low-level insurgency” as the U.S. military ends its combat …

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped unharmed from an assassination attempt by three armed drones in Baghdad on Sunday, officials said. The assassination attempt came weeks after a general election was disputed by Iran-backed militia groups. The attempt dramatically raises tension in the country that has already seen threats of …

A drone attack on the residence of the Iraqi prime minister has raised the specter of continuing violence by nonstate actors in the country after elections in which Iran-linked armed groups lost dozens of parliamentary seats. An attack on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s residence in the early morning hours …

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an attack by an armed drone on his residence on November 7 amid escalating tensions over the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept last month’s parliamentary election results. The Baghdad residence inside the city’s fortified Green Zone was hit by a rocket attack early …