February, 2022

• 11 February

  Islamic State Out to Prove It’s More Than Its Leader

  

  The Islamic State is so far showing few signs of faltering, just days after U.S. special operation forces dropped into northwest Syria and surrounded the terror group’s leader, who they say then blew himself up without a fight. Intelligence agencies and independent analysts tracking IS on social media have yet …

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• 11 February

  UN: Build on Islamic State chief’s death to thwart recruits

  The U.N. counterterrorism chief said Wednesday it’s crucial to build on the momentum following last week’s death of the leader of the Islamic State extremist group and address the grievances that terrorist groups exploit to attract new followers. Undersecretary-General Vladimir Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that the death of …

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• 11 February

  Biden Calls Saudi King To Discuss Houthi Attacks, Oil Supply

  

  The king of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, spoke by phone with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday, “to discuss regional developments and issues of mutual concern, including Iranian-enabled attacks by the Houthis against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia,” according to a readout of the call by the …

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• 11 February

  Tunisia’s Supreme Judicial Council To Be Reformed Not Dissolved

  

  Tunisia’s Supreme Judicial Council, the independent judicial watchdog set up in 2016 to ensure the independence of the country’s judiciary, will be reformed and not dissolved, the country’s justice minister announced on Wednesday, days after President Kais Saied ordered it abolished. Justice Minister Leila Jaffel made the announcement during an …

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• 11 February

  Monsieur Fixit

  

  The Perils of Macron’s Shuttle Diplomacy Just two months before he stands for reelection, French President Emmanuel Macron has launched a bold effort to mediate between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the West over the standoff at the border with Ukraine. After meeting with Putin for five hours on February …

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• 11 February

  The Kremlin Wants To Be The West’s Mighty Antagonist, But It Cannot Even Control The Northern Caucasian Leaders At Its Rear

  

  Even though the “almost imminent” war with Ukraine has been dominating the media in Russia, another important issue has been debated almost constantly: the recent actions of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a person with the unique status in Russia’s political elite of not being subject to any laws existing in …

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• 11 February

  Israel freezes spyware exports

  

  Israel’s Defense Ministry has taken multiple steps to control the exportation of spyware, but the Pegasus affair continues to grow in Israel and abroad. Pegasus developer NSO has warned the Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist today that it will take legal action if the outlet does not back away from reports …

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• 11 February

  Israel fears fire exchange with Syria could indicate strategic shift

  

  Israel strikes military targets in Damascus amid increased concerns over Syria-Russia ties. Syria’s air defense systems were activated at 1 a.m. local time on Feb. 9 (2300 GMT, Feb. 8) and Syrian state media reported that the “Israeli enemy” had allegedly carried out an aerial strike on Syria from an …

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• 11 February

  Kosovo’s Kurti Gives Signs of Softening on Serb ‘Association’

  Kosovo’s almost decade-long resistance to the creation of an ‘association’ of Serb municipalities might be about to end, analysts say. It was barely four years ago that Albin Kurti was setting off tear gas in Kosovo’s parliament to obstruct the creation of an ‘association’ of Serb municipalities. Today, as prime …

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• 11 February

  Moscow on Potential Delivery of US THAAD Systems to Ukraine: Russia Urges to Avoid ‘Stupidity’

  The statement comes amid a standoff between the Kremlin and the West over the list of security demands Russian authorities made last year, which Moscow says are needed to defuse the crisis in Ukraine and lower tensions in Europe. The potential delivery of US THAAD anti-ballistic missile systems to Ukraine …

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