Could China replace the United States atop the target list of transnational jihadist groups like al-Qaeda? A recent statement released by Sheikh Saad bin Atef al Awlaqi, the emir of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, directly threatened China, labeling its government as a “pagan, infidel” enemy whose actions against Uyghur …

The paradox of the European Commission’s decision is that the main victims will not be those it formally targets. Major Russian businesses associated with the Putin regime have long adapted to sanctions with the help of complex schemes involving third countries, offshore companies, and nonpublic entities. The European Commission has …

Key Takeaway: Hezbollah is attempting to prevent its complete disarmament through a combination of military and political measures. The Lebanese state has taken unprecedented steps to disarm Hezbollah since December 2024 and has made moderate progress in disarming the group south of the Litani River. Hezbollah, however, has employed a …

This refers to top “Non-Russian Pro-Russian” influencers’ creation of alternative realities, such as the metanarrative that Russia leads a global network of mutual defense allies that collectively challenges the US, which is verifiably untrue and lends false credence to Western demoralization propaganda. Foreign Affairs recently published a piece about how …

Toplines Ukrainian, US, and Russian representatives concluded trilateral and multilateral negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 18.[1] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov stated that Ukrainian, US, and Russian representatives met in two groups focusing on military and political issues, respectively, on February 17 and …

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Iran’s foreign minister said Tuesday that “good progress” had been made in indirect nuclear talks with the United States in Geneva, describing broad agreement on guiding principles for a potential deal even as tensions between the two countries remained high. The negotiations, mediated by Oman, took place in Switzerland against …

Serious concerns are emerging over the ability of the Syrian government to maintain security in the northeast of the country following its recent offensive against the Kurdish-led, U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). A Syrian government spokesman admitted on February 17 that since the end of January, thousands of detainees had …

Walid Jumblatt, Lebanon’s most seasoned and cunning political operator, has navigated every twist of the country’s turmoil since taking the reins of the Druze community in 1977. Convinced that his father Kamal’s assassination stemmed from political overreach, Jumblatt has pursued relentlessly cautious and conservative policies, always hedging his bets and …

Today, a quiet transformation is advancing in the West Bank. It isn’t the same spectacular form of violence that once commanded the global news cycle in Gaza, but it is more methodical and durable — and more difficult to interrupt. It unfolds in three seemingly unrelated processes: financial warfare against …