... greater esoteric foreign-policy point behind Russia’s commercial dealings: if the greatest national security objective for Russia is to maintain global diplomatic significance and international influence, then maintaining relevance within the Middle East must be a crucial part of the master plan. Syria is by far the most convenient partner for Russia in this endeavor. As such, Russian commercial initiatives are more about strategic allegiance and perceived political dependence and less about ...
- Опубликовано:
- 11.04.2014 05:56:00
... "A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It" (2008), "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq" (2006), "All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror" (2003), and "Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds" (2001).
- Опубликовано:
- 11.11.2013 14:18:00
... the Palestinian envoys to the U.S.-brokered peace negotiations with Israel have resigned amidst continuing settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Unlike previous series of peace talks, this round has been veiled in secrecy. According to the Middle East expert and author of “The Brokers of Deceit,” Rashid Khalidi, there are three reasons why the ongoing talks are unlikely to yield the expected outcome of cementing a peace deal. The first reason is U.S. domestic politics, i.e.,...
- Опубликовано:
- 04.11.2013 09:23:00
... authority will likely be chaotic and unpredictable, the authors surmised. Whether this scenario is true or not, a large number of experts and foreign policy scholars opined on the Obama Administration’s handling of foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, as lacking leverage, resolve, and long-haul strategy. Moreover, President Obama’s complex relationship with the GOP in Congress compounds his task of implementing the Affordable Care Act. Will America, following decades of foreign interventions ...
- Опубликовано:
- 01.10.2013 07:42:00
Two-and-a-half-years into the Syrian conflict, the balance of power in the embattled state continues to evolve between the government of Bashar al-Assad and the opposition groups, composed of secularists, islamists, and Al Qaeda-trained jihadists. Since the beginning of the Damascus spring in March 2011, more than 100,000 Syrians fell victim to brutal violence, and more than 2 million fled the country. Western powers and the Arab world have, by and large, refrained from getting their feet entangled...
- Опубликовано:
- 10.09.2013 10:36:00
In light of the recent developments in Syria and the apparently imminent US military intervention, the blog will take a short break from its relatively academic style and its thematic focus in order to brainstorm and share some thoughts on the broader picture of what is happening in the geopolitical arena of the region. Dangerous Double Standards Bashar al-Assad has reportedly used chemical weapons to attack, essentially, his own people. The first, logically obvious question is why would Assad essentially...
- Опубликовано:
- 07.09.2013 14:04:00
In early 2011, the world witnessed a hitherto unseen and largely unexpected course of events in the Middle East. Following the eruption of protests ignited by Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in Tunis, the entrenched dictatorships of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen collapsed in domino fashion. Whereas Tunisia and Libya have made considerable ...
- Опубликовано:
- 17.07.2013 17:18:00
One year after the utter failure of the U.S.-Russia “Reset,” the relationship between the two countries is gradually nearing its nadir. Beginning with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s message of encouragement to Russia’s opposition movement and democracy scholar Michael McFaul’s nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, the climate in U.S.-Russia relations started to deteriorate leading to USAID’s closure, open confrontation on the Syrian issue, and exchange...
- Опубликовано:
- 16.07.2013 11:20:00
... Air Force, and the U.S. Sixth Fleet. American military units have utilized the island during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, it can be used as a platform of special operations against terrorist cells in the wider Middle East region such as Syria and Iran. The geostrategic significance of the island is very important to American national interest. Moreover, the discovery of natural gas resources puts Cyprus as a major energy source country. Currently, the European ...
- Опубликовано:
- 12.07.2013 22:47:00
... years old) – that is frequently lacking any (universal) access to education, health and housing – is dominated by juvenile, mainly unemployed or underemployed, but socially mobilized and often angry males.
An exceptional fact that the Middle East is a cradle of all four monotheistic religions is thus turned into its own paradox: Fueled by severe socio-economic exclusions and exacerbated by exploitation of the Shia–Sunni and of Muslim–Jewish–Christian antagonism, political ...
- Опубликовано:
- 11.05.2013 17:46:00
Authors: Vassilios Damiras, Ph.D. (ABD), CEO Geostrategic Forecasting Cooperation - (GSFC) Chryssoula Katsikoudi, Director of Middle Eastern Affairs and Women’s Issues in the Middle East at Geostrategic Forecasting Cooperation - GSFC Events since the terrorists’ attacks of September 11, 2001, have dramatically and drastically changed the political environment in ...
- Опубликовано:
- 04.04.2013 19:04:00
