Recent Posts

Russia’s Nuclear Power Hegemony

The West Is Dependent on Moscow for More Than Just Gas and Oil The invasion of Ukraine has thrust the world into an energy crisis. Since Russian troops began pouring across the country’s borders, oil prices have risen by more than a quarter. Gas prices have nearly doubled. And the …

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No Peace at Any Price in Ukraine

It’s Too Soon for a Lasting Diplomatic Settlement As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, calls are growing in Western Europe and the United States for a diplomatic push to end the war. In late May, Italy proposed a four-point peace plan for Ukraine that would culminate in …

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Gulf states blacklist terror financiers linked to Iran, Islamic State, Syrian regime

Lead figures in the Assad regime’s Qatirji oil-smuggling network were among those sanctioned. Members of the Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), which includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, blacklisted 13 individuals and three organizations for financing terrorism on Monday. Among …

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Jihadi group in Syria’s Idlib seeks control of NGOs

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham continues to restrict humanitarian organizations operating in its areas of control in northwestern Syria. Through its Salvation Government, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, has been seeking to fully control the humanitarian aid that is being provided to the displaced in Idlib province …

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Gulf states’ oil wealth ripples throughout rural Sudan

Across Africa, remittances-fueled economic development stands as an unrivaled alternative to the throes of unemployment and political instability. “I like Abu Dhabi as much as I love Sudan. I always jokingly say Abu Dhabi is my father and Sudan my mother!” exclaimed Yousif Alhaj Ali. Aged 56, he worked for …

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