January, 2022

• 13 January

  Iraq Is One Step Closer to Forming a New Government

  

  Negotiations to form a new government in Iraq have entered a final, decisive phase, with the process shaping up to be a dispiriting contest among several factions that unfortunately share broadly similar authoritarian characteristics. The disputes over power-sharing arrangements and government positions are complicated, and the final lineup is still …

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• 13 January

  The U.S.-China Rivalry According to China

  

  Much has already been said about the recent heightening of U.S.-China tensions and its potential fallout. What gets less attention is how the U.S. and China themselves perceive the status of their relationship, and how that affects their plans for the future. An analysis of prevailing elite opinion in the …

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• 13 January

  Nazarbayev’s Fate in Kazakhstan Is a Cautionary Tale for Putin and Xi

  

  More even than most crises, the events unfolding in Kazakhstan in recent days can be read in myriad ways. On one level, it clearly appears to have resulted in yet another opportunity for Russian President Vladimir Putin to claw back control over domains lost by the Kremlin following the demise …

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• 13 January

  From the Jaws of Retreat

  

  The history of the United States in the postwar era is replete with American efforts to change other nations. These projects often failed to achieve their goals, but few so completely as the recent one in Afghanistan. After 20 years, a great many lives lost, and untold billions spent, the …

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• 13 January

  A More Just Drone War Is Within Reach

  

  The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan this past August brought an end to a 20-year war. But as a series of recent investigations by The New York Times has underscored, it also marked the beginning of postmortems about what the United States did right and, in some cases, did wrong. Drawing …

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• 13 January

  Qatari, Iranian foreign ministers meet in Doha

  

  The visit followed the Iranian foreign minister’s trip to Oman. Qatar and Iran’s top diplomats met in Doha today. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani hosted his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian for an official visit. They discussed bilateral relations and unspecified “regional developments,” according to a statement from …

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• 13 January

  Yemeni government retakes Shabwa province from Houthis

  

  The advance could relieve pressure on embattled Marib if pro-government forces can hold their ground. Yemeni pro-government forces claimed to have retaken the country’s entire southern province of Shabwa from Houthi rebels. The Giants Brigade, a pro-government militia backed by the United Arab Emirates, claimed to have captured the province …

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• 13 January

  Iraqi forces arrest Syrian ‘infiltrators’ at border

  

  Iraq announced a similar incident late last year. Iraqi forces arrested several people who allegedly attempted to enter the country illegally via the Syrian border today. Iraq’s Security Media Cell said 62 “infiltrators” of Syrian nationality were arrested. The Iraqi border guard and the Kurdistan Region’s peshmerga forces conducted the …

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• 13 January

  Syrian Kurdish forces require displaced Arabs to obtain ‘expat card’ to remain in their areas

  

  The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is requiring Arabs displaced from all Syrian regions who are living in the areas under their control to obtain an expatriate card to be allowed to enter or remain. The local authorities in northeast Syria have demanded all Arab refugees from all Syrian regions …

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• 13 January

  Syria joins China’s Belt and Road Initiative

  

  The admission of Syria into the Chinese economic project is the latest sign of strengthening relations between Damascus and Beijing. Syria has joined a major Chinese initiative on global trade, infrastructure and connectivity. The head of Syria’s Planning and International Cooperation Commission, Fadi al-Khalil, signed a memorandum of understanding with …

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