The Yemen Civil War Arms Bonanza

November 25, 2020

“Making billions from arms exports which fuel the conflict while providing a small fraction of that in aid to Yemen is both immoral and incoherent.” So thundered Oxfam’s Yemen Country Director, …

Russia’s Red Sea Base in Sudan Is a Recalibration of Its Intra-Ummah Balancing Act

November 21, 2020

Opinion

Russia's draft deal to open up a Red Sea naval base in Sudan amounts to a strategic recalibration of its careful “balancing” act between the GCC and Turkey after moving more closely to the latter foll…

UAE and Israeli Settlers Find Common Ground in Jerusalem

November 18, 2020

Opinion

Weakened by Joe Biden’s electoral defeat of US President Donald J. Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu risks being caught between a rock and a hard place as Jordan, the Palestine Authorit…

Ceasefire in the Caucasus Opens Door to Rebalancing of Regional Power

November 13, 2020

Opinion

A Russian mediated-ceasefire in the Caucasus cements a Turkish-backed Azerbaijani military defeat of Armenia but raises tantalizing questions. Spontaneous mass protests against the terms of the ceasef…

Conflict in Ethiopia Extends the Greater Middle East’s Arc of Crisis

November 9, 2020

Opinion

Ethiopia, an African darling of the international community, is sliding towards civil war as the coronavirus pandemic hardens ethnic fault lines. The consequences of prolonged hostilities could echo a…

The Battle for the Soul of Islam

November 2, 2020

Opinion

Jordanian ruler Abdullah I bin Al-Hussein gloated in 1924 when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire, abolished the Caliphate. “The Turks…

War in the Caucasus: One More Effort to Shape a New World Order

October 24, 2020

Opinion

Fighting in the Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia is about much more than deep-seated ethnic divisions and territorial disputes. It’s the latest clash designed, at least in part, to shape a new …

The White House is Wrapping Sudan around its Little Finger

October 22, 2020

Opinion

In the pre-election throes for the presidency, the White House is actively looking for a possible area of focus to showcase “its successes” to everyone, placing particular emphasis in the internationa…