February, 2022

• 17 February

  The Less Said About NATO and Ukraine, the Better

  

  Neither Membership nor Neutrality Is the Answer With Russia massing troops on Ukraine’s border and demanding an end to NATO enlargement, a heated international debate has broken out over whether limits on future membership in the alliance might resolve the crisis and avert war. Some have argued that it is …

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• 17 February

  Iran’s Hollow Victory

  

  The High Price of Regional Dominance Few countries have maintained clearer or more consistent aspirations over the last four decades than the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since 1979, when Islamic revolutionaries transformed the country from an U.S.-allied monarchy into an ardently anti-American theocracy, Iran has sought to expel the United …

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• 17 February

  Kataib Hezbollah movements in Iraq and abroad spark concern

  

  Hints of a greater presence of an IRGC-linked Iraqi armed faction with government-salaried brigades in a Sunni tribal-dominant province has sparked outcry, as the group continues to raise money for operations in other countries. The Iraqi armed faction Kataib Hezbollah (KH) has in recent weeks stepped up messaging and attacks …

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• 17 February

  Iranian commander lobbies Iraq’s Muqtada al-Sadr for ‘inclusive’ approach to Shiite parties

  

  Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani is seeking to maintain unity among the Shiite political ranks before the formation of the new government, including a role for parties affiliated with Iran. The official website of Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist movement in Iraq, published Feb. 8 a brief statement …

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• 17 February

  Ethiopia’s accusations against Egypt, Sudan dispel hopes for Renaissance Dam crisis

  

  Egypt considers recent statements made by Ethiopian officials a setback for Nile Dam talks. The positive signals exchanged between Egypt and Ethiopia in January did not help to overcome the two countries’ existing differences let alone move toward resuming the stalled negotiations on the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). …

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• 17 February

  Controversy among jihadis in Idlib over killing of Islamic State leader

  

  Jihadis in Idlib believe that former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham played a role in the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi during a US Special Forces operation in Idlib. The Feb. 3 US Special Forces operation that led to the death of Islamic State (IS) leader …

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• 17 February

  Israeli leadership caught between US, Russia over Ukraine

  

  Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid walk a fine line to avoid angering Russian President Vladimir Putin while not turning their backs on the United States and Ukraine. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s briefing to reporters Feb. 13 about escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine can best be …

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• 17 February

  Specialized US Army unit helps Russia’s neighbors train against large-scale attacks

  

  If tiny Latvia’s single active army brigade ever came under attack by Russian forces, its task would be keeping them on their heels while staying alive long enough for allies to send reinforcements, the brigade commander said. “It’s not like 1945, when we were on our own,” said Col. Sandris …

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• 17 February

  Naval presence in Mediterranean and Black seas at highs rarely seen since Cold War

  

  Warships are transiting the Mediterranean Sea and nearby waters in numbers rarely seen in recent decades, adding another dimension to the ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia over Moscow’s military buildup along Ukraine’s borders. While the focus remains on the 130,000 Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s land borders and whether …

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• 17 February

  US and NATO deem Russia a persistent threat to Europe, will add battlegroups in response

  

  NATO military commanders will draw up plans for the creation of allied battlegroups in central and southeastern Europe, in response to the “new normal” of a persistent Russian threat to the Continent, the alliance’s top official said Wednesday. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there is no evidence that Moscow has begun …

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