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By Zhyldyz Oskonbaeva (RIEAS Senior Advisor & Eurasian Liaison) On a number of levels, the situation between the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the ethnic Kurds of Syria, Iraq and Turkey is creating a power shift that no one is discussing. In this article, I will explain why: 1) The Kurds have an unprecedented opportunity to achieve a political homeland; 2) Tehran's ...
Patrick Adams (Strategic Analyst & RIEAS Research Associate) A victory for the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria would have a wide range of economic, social and political consequences. Economically, there would be a significant and damaging effect on the world's oil supply. Socially, not only would Iraq and Syria be affected but any country ...
... Does the Caliphate Serve? What is the Islamic State movement and who supports the establishment of a caliphate and Caliph Ibrahim in the 21st century, calling all Muslims in the world to submit to it and join the jihad? What challenges are Syria and Iraq facing amidst terrorist attacks by the Islamic State and aerial bombing by the United States and its NATO allies? The American tactic of fighting militants from the self-proclaimed caliphate appears unlikely to be effective. Given the abundance of ...
Quentin de Pimodan (Author based in the Middle East) Al Baghdadi's major strategic failure has been his choice of the Fertile Crescent as the region for the establishment of his Khilafa. His dream of reestablishing a Sunni caliphate with roots in Iraq and Syria will eventually be crushed by the field's realities and only exposes his own lack of knowledge about the region. Not that a Sunni leadership would be impossible to carry on the lands of the ancient Omayyad and Abbasid's ...
Interview with Vitaly Naumkin The frantic activity of the Islamic State and the growing number supporters of extremist actions are causing alarm and anxiety in the West. The unabated conflict in Syria and fragile internal situation in Iraq are creating fertile ground for a strengthening in the position of the Islamic State. What will the West, particularly the United States, do next? Will the current alliances in the Middle East undergo any changes? Vitaly Naumkin , Doctor of History,...
An attempt to move beyond the traditional system of high-level meetings A high-level international conference on the situation in Iraq is taking place today in France, discussing cooperation in the fight against the fundamentalist militants of the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant”. The importance of this event can scarcely be exaggerated: it’s not just about ...
It seems that Moscow has yet to take a position on the rapidly changing situation in Iraq, including the US airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS), a movement that is regarded as a serious threat to Russia’s security. Russian analysts have carefully considered the assessment of IS made by US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on ...
Interview with Alexander Aksenyonok Interview Breakneck developments in Iraq after the intrusion of the Islamic State movement have triggered a chain of tragic events and radical changes in the Iraqi political arena. We asked Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Alexander Aksenyonok, PhD in Law, to comment on prospects ...
Transition to a new foreign policy paradigm Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble (all members of the CDU), Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel and Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), after short closed-doors consultations, took the controversial decision to supply arms to the Kurdish Peshmerga, which is involved in an armed conflict with Islamic terrorists. This exception from the existing ban [1] may set a precedent...
The Caliphate Threat Counteracting the attempts of the Islamic State group to seize Iraq has become a test case for possible U.S.-Iranian cooperation. And this test case has, by and large, failed. The idea of a ”major deal” struck between the United States and Iran has recently been losing support. This is partly due to the ...
| U.S. wants to establish partnership relations with Russia on condition that it meets the U.S. requirements |
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| U.S. wants to deter Russia’s military and political activity |
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| U.S. wants to dissolve Russia |
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| U.S. wants to establish alliance relations with Russia under the US conditions to rival China |
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