September, 2021

• 16 September

  By Letting Saudi Arabia Off the Hook Over 9/11, the US Encouraged Violent Jihadism

  Two decades after 9/11, the role of Saudi Arabia in the attack remains in dispute despite unrelenting efforts by the US and Saudi governments to neutralise it as a live political issue. The Saudi Arabia embassy in Washington this week issued a statement detailing its anti-terrorist activities and ongoing hostility …

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• 15 September

  Afghan Pilots in Uzbekistan to Get Flown to US Base in Doha – Reports

  A group of Afghan pilots are expected to be transferred to a US military base from Uzbekistan this weekend, under a new agreement between the US and Uzbek governments, The Wall Street Journal reports citing people familiar with the matter. The Afghan Air Force pilots, who fled to Uzbekistan after …

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• 15 September

  The Winner in Afghanistan: China

  

  The collapse of the American project in Afghanistan may fade fast from the news here, but don’t be fooled. It couldn’t be more significant in ways few in this country can even begin to grasp. “Remember, this is not Saigon,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a television audience on …

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• 15 September

  Afghan crisis exposes rifts across Iran’s political spectrum

  

  At the two ends of Iran’s political spectrum angry voices are being heard in a fierce battle over the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, and especially the question of support for resistance forces in Panjshir Valley. Iran’s Reformists woke up to a stinging editorial Sept. 9 by the hard-line daily Kayhan …

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• 15 September

  Amid escalation in Idlib, residents fear renewed Russian-backed offensive

  

  Syrian government forces have stepped up their attacks against Idlib, causing civilian casualties as Russian warplanes continue to raid different areas of northwestern Syria on an almost daily basis. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Sept. 7 that “a woman succumbed to her wounds sustained in artillery shelling carried …

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• 15 September

  Sudan, South Sudan resume trade activity

  

  Following a 10-year hiatus, since the secession of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, the governments in Juba and Khartoum agreed to resume trade activity and cooperate on transport and security beginning in early October. As part of efforts to bolster peace between Sudan and South Sudan, the two governments …

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• 15 September

  Lebanese energy plan includes Syria

  

  A meeting of Jordanian, Egyptian, Lebanese and Syrian ministers seems to have cracked Syria’s isolation. Four Arab countries have agreed on a road map to supply Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon through Jordan and Syria during a ministerial meeting in Amman on Sept. 8. They also approved a plan to …

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• 15 September

  Is Turkey’s export-driven growth sustainable?

  

  Turkey’s industry remains heavily reliant on imported materials, meaning the country’s current account deficit problem persists despite a record increase in exports. A big uptick in exports was a major driver of the Turkish economy’s 21.7% growth rate in the second quarter, but how much Turkey could sustain the trend …

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• 15 September

  Why has Turkey turned to Libya’s Gadhafi family?

  

  Realizing that its current allies are not sufficient to secure Turkey’s interests in Libya, Ankara is now seeking to include Gadhafi family members into its calculus. Having loosened its close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood in a bid to normalize its relations with the major actors of the Arab world, …

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• 15 September

  Mossad may have destroyed some IAEA equipment at Iran nuclear site

  

  IAEA chief: We do not know how much data lost from broken cameras An incident at Iran’s Karaj nuclear facility in June, which was attributed by many to the Mossad, may have destroyed some of the IAEA’s monitoring equipment, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said Monday. He did …

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