Author: M Barbu

Managing Tensions In The Sahel – Analysis

Without being overly paranoid or pessimistic, we are witnessing a major upheaval in the Sahel. This upheaval is political, with six coups d’état in West Africa since 2020, the latest of which overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger. It is also security-related, as evidenced by the North-South confrontation in Mali, and diplomatic, with the expulsion of diplomats, the reversal of alliances, the deterioration of relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the banning of the international organizations. Finally, it is demographic—the region’s population is set to rise from 84 million to 196 million by 2050—and climatic, as evidenced by the expansion of the Sahara, whose surface area has increased by 10 percent in a century to over 9.2 million km2.

Will Washington Intervene To Protect The Kurds Of Syria And Iraq? – Analysis

Kurdish autonomous regions in Iraq and Syria are increasingly coming under threat by regional powers, namely Iran and Turkey. They are also increasingly becoming vulnerable to internal challenges posed by the central governments in Baghdad and Damascus. The United States, at different stages, played a central role in the establishment of two autonomous Kurdish regions in Iraq and Syria. But the changing dynamics in both countries and the broader region may compel Washington to get even more involved in preserving these Kurdish entities.[1]

Yemeni Houthi Official Abdullah Al-Na’ami Responds To U.S.-Led Naval Coalition In The Red Sea: I Warn The U.S., Any Aggression Against Yemen Will Expose The International Waterways To Real And Imminent Danger; We Are Ready To Fight The U.S. At Any Moment

Abdullah Al-Na’ami, a member of the political bureau of the Houthi Ansar Allah movement discussed an American-led international naval coalition to combat Houthi threats in the Red Sea on a December 18, 2023 show on Al-Alam TV (Iran). He said that the Houthis are not worried by this step and that have been saying that they wish to enter a direct confrontation with the U.S. and its “Bedouin Lackeys.” Al-Na’ami added: “We are ready to fight at any moment.” He warned that if the U.S creates such a coalition, this would mean exposing international waterways in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Arabian Sea to “real and imminent danger.”

Leader Of Yemen’s Ansar Allah Houthi Movement: ‘If America Sends Its Troops To Yemen, It Will Face Something More Severe Than What It Faced In Afghanistan Or What It Suffered In Vietnam’

On December 20, 2023, the leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah Houthi Movement, Abd Al-Malik Al-Houthi, delivered a televised address two days after the United States announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, a recently formed U.S. naval coalition tasked with safeguarding international shipping routes in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.[1]

Iranian Regime Officials Praise Iran’s Proxies In The Palestinian Resistance And The October 7 Massacres, Call For Eradication Of Israel

Alireza Panahian (Source: Fars, Iran, November 20, 2023)

Introduction

Officials in the Iranian regime have been openly praising Hamas, Iran’s Palestinian proxy in the resistance axis, for its success in its October 7, 2023 invasion of southern Israel and massacre of over 1,200 civilians there, which Hamas dubbed the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation. Three days after the scope of the brutal massacre became clear, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei chose a path of renouncing responsibility for the actions of its proxy Hamas, lest Iran’s image in the West be tarnished.[1] However, statements by Iranian regime officials, politicians, military leaders, and media figures show that Iran is the guiding force behind Hamas as well as behind the other militant groups belonging to the resistance axis and that these groups all act in coordination with Iran in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen – and that Iran is pulling the strings behind the scenes as it hides behind Hamas.

How Houthi rebels are threatening global trade nexus on Red Sea

The U.S. is mustering an international armada to deter Iranian-backed Houthi militias from Yemen from attacking shipping in the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important waterways for global trade, including energy cargos.

The Houthis’ drone and missile attacks are ostensibly a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, but fears are growing that the broader world economy could be disrupted as commercial vessels are forced to reroute.

ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in November 2023

Following is the November 2023 installment of “ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency,” a monthly chronicle of attacks by the terrorist group ISIS in central Syria. A review of developments throughout 2022 and 2021 can be found here and here. The January 2023 edition of ISIS Redux can be found here, February’s here, March’s here, April’s here, May’s here, June’s here, July’s here, August’s here, September’s here, and October’s here. A full background and analysis of ISIS’s resurgence in Syria, including the methodology used to collect this data, can also be explored here, here, and here.