Events in Syria have recently clearly taken a turn for the worse and there is an increasing amount of evidence that the Russian task force in Syria is being targeted by a systematic campaign of “harassing attacks”. First, there was the (relatively successful) drone and mortar attack on the Russian Aerospace base in Khmeimin. Then…
In the slideshow that is Middle Eastern politics, the series of still images seldom add up to make an enduring narrative. And the probability is high that when an indelible image appears, it might go unnoticed – such as Russia and Saudi Arabia wrapping up huge energy deals on Wednesday underscoring a new narrative in…
The recent publication of the notorious “Kremlin list” that is to become the basis of yet another round of anti-Russian punitive measures planned by the White House, was empowered by the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. This law proclaims Russia to be an official enemy of Washington, along with North Korea and Iran. However, various political…
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he would order airstrikes against Syria if the rumors that its government has used chemical weapons (CW) against civilians are confirmed. Never backed up with any solid evidence, such reports crop up from time to time in the Western media. In some cases the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons…
Bilateral relations are the most strained in decades over numerous issues, most notably: • for the July 2016 coup attempt Erdogan blamed on exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen living in America; • Washington providing heavy weapons to Kurdish YPG fighters in Syria; and • its plan to establish a 30,000-strong largely Kurdish YPG border security force…
It looks like the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long history of skirting corruption scandals may be running out of time. For decades, Netanyahu has been accused and investigated for various shady schemes. Twenty years ago, police even declared him so implicated that they recommended he be charged. But like the cat with nine lives,…
