May, 2021

• 13 May

  We Cannot Build An Economy On Lies – OpEd

  In a recent issue, Time Magazine boldly declared, “The Free Market Is Dead,” and then added: “What Will Replace It?” Of course, one always can expect Time to be disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst, and as an academic economist, I have come to realize that after reading Time …

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• 13 May

  Russia To Drill For Fresh Water Under Azov Sea, Not To Help Crimea But To Back Its Claims – Analysis

  Moscow has announced it will begin drilling for fresh water under the Sea of Azov this summer to address growing water shortages in occupied Crimea, a project President Vladimir Putin called for, with surprisingly limited fanfare, at the end of last year (Aif.ru, May 4, 2021; Znak.com, December 18, 2020). …

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• 12 May

  Will escalation with Hamas benefit Netanyahu?

  

  Escalation with Hamas arrives exactly at the moment when the anti-Netanyahu bloc is trying to cobble up a “government for change.” The current round of violence that erupted May 10 between Israel and Hamas has two unusual aspects. The first is unprecedented. For the first time ever, a relatively minor …

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• 12 May

  Russian ship gets stuck near Caspian en route to Iran

  

  The cargo vessel got stuck in a canal north of the Caspian Sea while bringing goods to Iran. Russia and Iran have lobbied for an alternative to the Suez Canal through their countries recently. A Russian cargo ship headed toward Iran got stuck in a canal near the Caspian Sea …

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• 12 May

  Iran’s Zarif denies bid for presidency

  

  In a meeting with a powerful parliamentary commission on the recently leaked audiotape of himself, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would not run for president. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke at parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee meeting regarding the leaked audio that has …

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• 12 May

  Assassination of Iraqi activist sparks protests in Karbala

  

  The murder of a prominent activist in Karbala has triggered protests and calls for answers. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the southern Iraqi city of Karbala on Sunday, with some targeting the Iranian Consulate following the assassination of a well-known Iraqi activist by unknown gunmen. Ehab Wazni …

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• 12 May

  Political, military wings of Islamist movement clash in Idlib

  

  Ahrar al-Sham, which was once one of the largest factions of the Syrian armed opposition in Idlib, has formed a new leadership council that is being perceived as a coup against the movement’s political leaders, who fear the group’s integration into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Ahrar al-Sham, which is affiliated with …

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• 12 May

  US appoints Ambassador Richard Norland as Libya special envoy

  

  Norland, who has served as chief of mission to Libya since August 2019, will lead US diplomatic efforts to promote a political solution to the conflict. US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland will take on the additional role as US special envoy, a position aimed at keeping the war-torn country’s …

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• 12 May

  Libyan conflict stands out as key to Turkey-Egypt normalization

  

  Turkey appears reluctant to back down from its military posture in Libya, even as its normalization bid with Egypt depends greatly on whether the two sides find common ground in the Libyan conflict. Turkey and Egypt held their first high-level meeting in eight years last week, but Ankara has shown …

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• 12 May

  Syria says IDF chopper bombs site near border, 1 injured, in rare daytime strike

  

  Opposition group says the person who was wounded worked for the Hezbollah terror group on the Syrian Golan An Israeli helicopter bombed an alleged Hezbollah site on the Syrian Golan Heights, injuring one person, in a rare daytime strike on Monday, according to Syrian sources. The Israel Defense Forces refused …

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