June, 2021

• 27 June

  How China Sees It

  

  The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has much to lose, both domestically and internationally, if the truth comes out. A muddled debate about the origins of the virus serves China just fine. Evading accountability — and suffering no little negative fallout — for unleashing a pandemic on the world that killed …

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• 27 June

  Uus algus Venemaaga? Sellest ei saa asja

  

  Samal ajal kui Eestis peeti võidupüha ja jaanipäeva, tegutsesid Saksamaa ja Prantsusmaa juhid diplomaatilistes ringkondades, et eile-täna Brüsselis toimuval EL-i riigipeade ja valitsusjuhtide kohtumisel võetaks teemaks EL-i ja Venemaa suhete uus strateegia. Angela Merkel ja Emmanuel Macron soovivad muu hulgas, et hakataks jälle pidama EL-i ja Vladimir Putini tippkohtumisi, millele …

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• 27 June

  Bennett appears to hint at Israeli involvement in attack on Iran nuclear site

  

  In one of his first speeches as PM, leader says that while Israel will defend itself, it will also work with allies to block an Iranian bomb, breaking from Netanyahu’s policy Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appeared to hint at Israel’s role in a recent attack on an Iranian nuclear site …

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• 27 June

  Games without Frontiers: Renegotiating the Boundaries of Power in Iraqi Kurdistan

  

  Summary Over the past year, intensifying political and economic conflicts between the Kurdistan Region’s two hegemonic parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, have challenged the legal and institutional order in which the Kurdistan Regional Government operates. A new generation of leadership within the parties, a …

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• 27 June

  The Economics of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

  

  Introduction Over the past four years, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has tried to transform itself from a faction of the Global Jihad movement into the de facto local military and governing power in north-west (NW) Syria. This shift requires the group to seek sources of funding other than al-Qaeda and …

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• 27 June

  The Hard-Liners Won in Iran. That’s Not All Bad News.

  The conventional wisdom in Washington is that Iran’s elections are insignificant. Regardless of who wins, the argument goes, in the end, it’s the supreme leader who calls the shots. That is shortsighted. Yes, the coronation of Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi as president in one of the least competitive elections in …

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• 27 June

  Selling Normalization in the Gulf

  

  On August 13, 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made headlines as the first Arab Gulf country to normalize relations with Israel. Its leadership framed the decision as a continuation of the UAE’s long-standing policy of support for the Palestinians, one that would bring them closer to statehood by halting …

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• 27 June

  Engaging Iran Remains Vital after Presidential Election

  What distinguished these elections in Iran? o Iranian election since 1979, when the Islamic Republic was founded, has been free and fair by international standards. There were nonetheless two key differences between the 2021 presidential election and the others held since 1997, when Iran started orchestrating more competitive races and …

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• 27 June

  Hamas threatens to reescalate with Israel, refuses to link prisoners swap deal to Gaza reconstruction

  

  Hamas’ meeting with the UN envoy in Gaza ended on a sour note, portending further escalation with Israel. Israel eased some economic restrictions imposed on the Gaza Strip on June 20, for the first time since the round of violence with the Palestinian factions came to an end on May …

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• 27 June

  Hamas threatens to reescalate with Israel, refuses to link prisoners swap deal to Gaza reconstruction

  

  Hamas’ meeting with the UN envoy in Gaza ended on a sour note, portending further escalation with Israel. Israel eased some economic restrictions imposed on the Gaza Strip on June 20, for the first time since the round of violence with the Palestinian factions came to an end on May …

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