June, 2021

• 14 June

  Outgoing Mossad Chief Hints At Israeli Role In Attacks On Iranian Nuclear Targets

  The departing head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service has hinted at possible Israeli involvement in recent attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and on an Iranian scientist, though he stopped short of directly claiming responsibility. The statements to Israel’s Channel 12 by Yossi Cohen, broadcast late on June 10, included phrasing …

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• 14 June

  Russia Said Ready To Send Advanced Satellite System To Iran

  The Washington Post has quoted current and former U.S. and Middle Eastern officials as saying that Russia is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that could greatly advance Tehran’s surveillance in the region and beyond. The report says the Russian-made Kanopus-V satellite and its high-resolution camera could …

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• 14 June

  What is China’s Strategy in Afghanistan Once the U.S. Withdraws?

  

  As the U.S. prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan, China seeks to leverage opportunities for influence while avoiding potential security risks. In early June, foreign ministers from China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan met to discuss how to maintain security amidst a U.S. troop withdrawal. China’s growing visibility in the region means Beijing …

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• 14 June

  The Great Reset: The Davos playbook for the post-Covid world

  Series Note: We are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis as the Covid-19 pandemic, and the lockdowns implemented in response, continue to deliver a series of economic, social and psychological shocks to the world. In this time of chaos, some of the world’s most powerful interest groups have stepped …

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• 12 June

  Iranian Militias Arrest Authority Officer and “Nujaba” Militants in Aleppo Countryside

  

  Iran-backed militias have arrested militants from the Nujaba movement near Aleppo, reports Etihad Press. Iranian militias arrested a Damascus regime officer, as well as civilians and several members of the Iraqi “Nujaba” movement, in rural Aleppo. According to the local website Ain Al-Furat, drivers were arrested at a checkpoint held …

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• 12 June

  The Syrian Badia Returns to the Forefront: Did ISIS Rebuild its Forces?

  

  The resurgence of the terrorist group in the Syrian desert puts the region again at the forefront of the conflict, according to Baladi News. The Syrian Badia (desert) reclaimed its position at the forefront of hostilities in Syria following the recent return of activities by ISIS’ cells and increased military …

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• 12 June

  Spokesman of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham Killed in Idleb

  

  The spokesman of Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Khaled al-Shami, and two other fighters were reportedly killed by Russian bombardments, according to Al-Etihad Press. On Thursday, news reports said that the spokesman of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (Al-Nusra) was killed in a missile strike targeting several areas of the Idleb governorate, controlled …

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• 12 June

  What a Future Russia House Must Look Like

  

  Next month’s planned meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to include conversations on Ukraine, COVID-19 and the recent diversion of a flight by officials in Belarus, but as tensions between the two countries remain tense, there are bigger issues at play, like the …

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• 12 June

  Somaliland: The Power of Democracy

  

  Spotlighting an African rarity: a poor but democratic nation. A dirty white, bullet-pocked house, without electricity and running water, does not merit a second glance in the town of Burao high in the east of Somaliland. Yet this former colonial governor’s residence, shaded by a giant acacia, was the site …

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• 12 June

  The US and China in the Middle East: Rivals or Partners?

  

  The US bridles at China’s growing Middle East footprint. But the two are not necessarily doomed to be regional rivals. Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that a planned sale of F-35 fighter aircraft and Reaper drones by the US to the UAE might fall through. The story was …

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