... leaders, whose ambitions are, at this historical juncture, under powerful pressure from both within and without; this test may be even more relevant there than in other parts of the crumbling, yet interconnected world.
“Old” internal conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen, new-type protest movements demanding a change of the ruling elites (the “everyone means everyone” slogan) in Algeria, Lebanon and Iraq, balancing on the brink of an armed conflict in the Persian Gulf – this chronic instability constantly ...
... country, mainly in Tripoli, unless an agreement is reached among militant groups in addition to Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, the USA and Russia. The impeachment process of US President Donald Trump and the US role in the MENA region would determine the future of conflicts in many countries starting from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya and the future government in Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria, Turkey and Iran. It is also expected that many MENA capitals ...
... despite enduring bilateral tensions. It must have been quite a challenge for Washington to engage in cooperation with Moscow over Syria under the Vienna accords, i.e. with the participation of President Assad’s envoys. In the long run, the Obama administration ... ... and Saudi Arabia, its key regional members, are losing the incentives to fulfill their obligations.
To this end, Syria and Yemen appear most vulnerable. The Syrian settlement is dangerously moving off the rails of the Vienna process, as Iran and Saudi ...
... overly strenuous efforts to oust Bashar Assad. The U.S. is also insisting on a truce in Yemen and a political settlement, while Riyadh expects support for their military operation... ... their ground, with the State Department laconically responding “the Saudi refusal is their own business.” However, analysts believe that Riyadh gave up its... ... unsure about his ability to govern.
Although complicated by Russia’s campaign in Syria, closer contacts with Moscow in 2015 also fit into their demarche rationale. The...