Recent Posts

Kurdish-Led Forces End Prison Siege, Defeating ISIS Fighters

The six-day battle put a spotlight on the humanitarian and security issues left unresolved after the Islamic State’s so-called caliphate was destroyed. After six days of deadly battles, the Kurdish-led militia that had been battling Islamic State fighters for control of a prison in northeastern Syria retook the facility on …

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The Putin Doctrine

A Move on Ukraine Has Always Been Part of the Plan The current crisis between Russia and Ukraine is a reckoning that has been 30 years in the making. It is about much more than Ukraine and its possible NATO membership. It is about the future of the European order …

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Egypt skeptical of Ethiopia call for cooperation on Nile dam

Egypt sees Ethiopia’s latest call for cooperation over its controversial Nile dam as mere ink on paper, as Cairo continues to insist on resuming the negotiations to reach a legally binding agreement. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call for cooperation over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has raised questions …

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Syrian prison battle leaves hundreds dead and many IS free

A massive attack on detention facilities in northeastern Syria under US-backed, Kurdish-led forces has ended after almost a week of fighting, though the fate of some hostages remains unclear. The “F-16s, tanks and guns” that had resounded for almost a week near the Sinaa prison in Hasakah fell silent after …

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Russia Rejects Biden Warning of ‘Severe’ Actions if it Invades Ukraine

Russia on Wednesday rejected the prospect of U.S. sanctions against President Vladimir Putin, one of several proposed responses if Russian forces were to invade neighboring Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that such sanctions would not be politically painful, but would be “destructive.” U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday …

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