Middle Orient

Iran Inches Closer to its Goal: "Wipe Israel off the Map"

Iran’s military activities and clear public threats to annihilate Israel continue to grow in frequency and intensity. These moves not only instill fear, as they are doubtless meant to do; they also threaten to disrupt the international community. With such dire promises of conflict, it would be expected that the …

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Al Qaeda-linked group in Syria praises Taliban, Shabaab operations

The Guardians of Religion Organization (Tanzim Hurras al-Din) has praised recent operations by the Taliban in Afghanistan and Shabaab in Somalia. The one-page statement is intended to signal, once again, the group’s commitment to al Qaeda’s war against the “Crusader-Zionist” alliance — a motif employed by Osama bin Laden, Ayman …

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Hezbollah’s plea for donations shows sanctions are working

On Friday, Hassan Nasrallah made a direct appeal to Hezbollah supporters. Speaking on the Lebanese militant group’s TV station Al Manar, he urged them to wage “jihad with money”. It appears to be no coincidence that this plea for donations comes just a few months after the latest wave of …

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