Suddenly, the ideological matrix of all strands of Salafi-jihadism is being hailed by the West as a model of progress – because Saudi women will finally be allowed to drive. Only next year. Only some women. And still subject to many restrictions. What’s certain is that the timing of the announcement – which comes after years…
Having realized that they lost in Syria the US has shifted to “Plan B” to maintain control over the oil-rich regions of the country, military analyst The Saker told Sputnik. The Russo-Syrian advance in Deir ez-Zor has endangered the US plan, prompting the Pentagon to target the Syrian Arab Army and Russian military personnel on…
The Iraqi Kurdish issue should be solved only through diplomatic means, Israeli political analyst Avigdor Eskin told Sputnik. According to Eskin, one should take into account both the political and economic interests of regional and global players in the region, as well as the unstoppable Kurdish enthusiasm to gain independence. In case Middle Eastern powers…
Wily clannish capo Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has announced that “Yes” won Monday’s non-binding independence referendum. Now that index fingers in indelible indigo ink are out of the way, the real battle between the KRG and Baghdad begins. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the Iraqi Supreme Court have denounced…
Except for the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan, there isn’t one state in Western Asia that is viable inside its present borders at a 20-year horizon. All the powers with interests in the region want to kick the problem down the road, and that is why the whole world (excepting Israel) wants…
Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence vote may lead to an economic blockade from regional players and ethnic instability, analyst Hasan Abdullah told Radio Sputnik, adding that Turkey, Iran and Baghdad’s determination to thwart the Kurdish strive for sovereignty may convince Erbil to back off, while Israel’s support won’t help. The Kurdish independence referendum is likely to trigger a…
