Month: November 2021

The deal between the Syrian regime and the YPG is coming apart at the seams

The Syrian regime and Russia were under the impression that the YPG is on the ropes, but that turned out to be a strategic miscalculation as the YPG is still unwilling to make major concessions. This means the YPG-Syrian regime deal is falling apart.

When the US pulled out of Syria without adequately coordinating with its NATO ally Turkey, people in the Kremlin may have been filled with joy and euphoria. The short-sighed policies of CENTCOM officials in Syria have not only caused a major dispute within NATO but also resulted in the pullout of the Americans from the country.

What a rivalry within the PKK means for the war on terror

A power struggle between the old PKK leadership in Qandil and the younger YPG generation in Syria asks the question: Bashar al Assad or the US?

Cemil Bayik, who sits on a US wanted list, recently made remarks about the PKK’s historic and strong relations with the Assad regime and advocated for an agreement between the regime and the YPG. These remarks are not only related to the politics of Syria but open up a new dimension of the internal rivalry within the PKK.

Damascus or Washington — which side will the YPG choose?

The PKK affiliate YPG has developed relations with the US, Russia and the Syrian regime, claiming significant territories in northern Syria. But a top US general says the time has come for the group to either be with Washington or join its rivals.

US ally the YPG is close to facing a dilemma after a top-ranked US military official ruled out the possibility of working with the militant group if it chose to normalise its relations with the Syrian regime, a Russian ally.

Attempt On PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s Life Shows Destructive Effect Of Pro-Iran Factions On Iraqi State – Analysis

In the early hours of Nov. 7, three quadcopter drones armed with explosives detonated inside the grounds of the official residence of Iraq’s prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, injuring seven members of his security detail.

Al-Kadhimi, who escaped with only light injuries, promptly released a statement appealing for calm. The question as to who was behind the attack, however, remained unanswered and open to speculation.

Turkey’s Pragmatic Policy In The Balkans Has Its Limits – OpEd

The recent crisis in Bosnia has highlighted the adaptability – and limitations – of Turkish policy in the Balkans.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently hosted in Ankara Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, to discuss the political crisis in Bosnia triggered by Dodik’s threat to abandon state institutions. At the beginning of November, Bosnia’s Bosniak leader, Bakir Izetbegovic, visited Erdogan in Istanbul to address the same issue.

Second murder in 24 hours | Female Iraqi refugee killed in “al-Hawl mini-state”

Al-Hasakah province: SOHR sources have reported a new assassination in al-Hawl camp in the far south-eastern region of al-Hasakah countryside, as gunmen of ISIS cells shot a female Iraqi refugee from Mosul dead in the camp’s fifth section.

It is worth noting that the number of murders committed in al-Hawl camp since the end of the first phase of the large-scale security campaign has reached 33, which indicates to alarming escalation of killings in the camp.

Erdogan Again Hints at Offensive Against Kurdish Forces in Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to consolidate security lines on Turkey’s southern border with Syria, his latest hint of a potential offensive against American-backed Kurdish forces there.

“Turkey will defend its rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, will build the Istanbul Canal, and will merge its security lines across border,” Erdogan said Saturday in the western province of Canakkale.

In a changing Middle East, Hezbollah is losing relevance

Regional realignment is storming ahead in the run-up to November 29, the date set for the resumption of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the global powers in Vienna. This is being driven by sudden, major regional developments. This includes the alleged actions by Iran’s proxies in Iraq, such as an assassination attempt against Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi as well as Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon.

Russia Is Massing Troops on the Ukrainian and Polish Borders and the US Is Unsure What This Means

Admit nothing, deny everything, blame NATO and the West. That seems to be the Russian playbook under Vladimir Putin. The Russians have been massing troops on the Ukrainian border since spring. Many troops still remain in the region. Now, Russia is reinforcing them covertly as many experts believe that Moscow may be planning on making another move into Ukraine.

Russia and Belarus are also conducting large-scale exercises on the border with Poland as Moscow continues to act increasingly more aggressively in the region.

Mali:Le Mali et la Russie réaffirment leur coopération militaire, “sans Wagner”

Réunis à Moscou, le ministre malien des Affaires étrangères, Abdoulaye Diop et son homologue russe, Sergueï Lavrov, ont démenti, jeudi, tout contrat avec le groupe de miliciens russes Wagner. Ils ont, en revanche, lié le rapprochement militaire entre leurs pays au retrait des troupes françaises dans le nord du Mali, ayant favorisé le risque terroriste.

Les chefs des diplomaties russe et malienne ont réaffirmé, jeudi 11 novembre, leur volonté de poursuivre le partenariat militaire entre les deux pays. Un rapprochement qu’ils légitiment par un risque terroriste renforcé en raison du retrait partiel des troupes françaises.