A ceasefire declared between the Afghan government and Taliban on the eve of the Islamic celebration of Eid has been devastated by an attack on a meeting between Afghan Security Forces and Taliban representatives in Nangarhar province. Already over 20 have died in the terrorist attack. This represents a further attempt by a terrorist force- almost …
The US rejected Russia’s warnings that Daesh is assembling in northern Afghanistan and getting ready to pose a threat to Central Asia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov drew attention to this threat during a speech in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe earlier this month at the “Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism” two-day conference, …
Continue reading America Denying Daesh in Central Asia will Only Strengthen the Golden Ring
A crucial question has been consuming policymakers in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon: Does the Trump administration have a strategic plan for the Middle East or not? Few are more apt to answer than Saadallah Zarei, dean of the Institute of Strategic Studies Andishe Sazan-e Noor in Tehran. Zarei, a soft-spoken, extremely discreet man I met …
Continue reading The Syria Connection to Iran, Afghanistan and China
“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.” ― Winston S. Churchill I will not say I predicted the emergence for a post-Daesh NATO-like coalition among those who had been targeted for destruction by the real War of Terror crowd. But I certainly …
On February 3, in Idlib Province a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft carrying out an inspection flight in the de-escalation zone was hit by an American-made portable surface-to-air missile. Its pilot, Roman Filipov, ejected from the aircraft and landed, and started to defend himself. For some time he fired shots from his service gun and finally …
Continue reading Syria: the War has Finished – but the War is Continuing
A superficial reading of “Operation Olive Branch” indicates that it’s a Turkish-Kurdish war, but the details of who’s fighting make it look a lot more like a Daesh civil war in its opening stages, and that’s exactly what both Ankara and the YPG originally intended. The commencement of Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” has led to …
In early December, Putin was way premature claiming ISIS and other (US-supported) terrorists defeated in Syria. He erred in returning most Russian forces home, believing a small remaining contingent enough to help government and allied forces achieve conflict resolution, along with talks in Astana, Geneva and Sochi. Following Russia’s partial withdrawal, ISIS is resurgent thanks to …
Continue reading War in Syria Rages, Resurgence of ISIS-Daesh
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have followed the United States in funding a five-nation armed force designed to stop the march of Islamist extremists in Africa. But why is the Sahel, a semi-arid region just south of the Sahara Desert, causing alarm? Saudi Arabia pledged US$100 million December 13 towards a special anti-terror force …
Continue reading The Southern Front: Why Saudi Arabia, UAE Gave US$130 Million to Africa Force
Members of the Washington administration, who claim to govern the whole world, every day surprise everyone with their political short-sightedness. For example, United States Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson called on the pro-Iranian armed groups fighting Islamists on Iraqi territory to “return home” because the war with DAISH is coming to an end. It …
Continue reading Middle East: the Fleeting Mirages of the United States
