Author: M Barbu

The Quds Force in Syria: Combatants, Units, and Actions

Abstract: The key mission of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) is to defend the Iranian Islamic Revolution and create armed militias in the countries of its “Axis of Resistance.” Its organization is opaque and complex, coordinating combat operations with soft-power actions aimed at, among other initiatives, establishing a Pax Irania in the Middle East, a ‘peace’ of which it is the initiator and guarantor. Although the Quds Force’s apparatus in Syria has been under pressure from Israeli airstrikes, Tehran is sticking to its mission set: infiltrating Syrian civil society and sending fighters to the north, where the civil war will one day end, and to the south, on the edge of the Golan Heights, to establish a base against Israel if necessary.

Erdogan Calls on Muslim Nations to Isolate Israel

Latest Developments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 7 called for the formation of an Islamic alliance to halt what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from the Jewish state. Falsely claiming that Israeli officials “openly state” their desire to occupy the entire region, Erdogan maintained that an alliance of Islamic countries is the “only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism.” Erdogan alleged that, after Gaza, “the turn will come for other countries in the region. It will come for Lebanon, Syria. They will set their eyes on our homeland between the Tigris and the Euphrates.” He then applauded Hamas — an Iran-backed, U.S.-designated terrorist organization — for “defending Gaza” and “Islamic lands,” including Turkey.

Iran Update, September 8, 2024

A Jordanian truck driver killed three Israelis present at the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank on September 8.[1] The driver arrived at the Israeli-controlled side of the border crossing, exited his vehicle, and opened fire at Israeli forces working there.[2] Israeli forces at the border crossing killed the shooter.[3] The gunman killed three Israeli civilians working at the border crossing.[4] The Israel Airports Authority—the Israeli government entity responsible for airports and land-to-land border crossings—closed Allenby Bridge, the Rabin crossing, and Jordan River crossing with Jordan until further notice following the shooting attack.[5]

Global Terrorism Map 2021

The Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney (IEP), in its annual release for the ninth year in a row, presented the special report in which it monitors an intensive reading of the developments of global terrorism, based on the results of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) for the year 2022. This paper provides a monitoring of the most prominent global and regional trends for the terrorist threats and their escalation by analyzing the effects and repercussions of terrorism around the world, according to the report.

Global Terrorism Map 2021

The Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney (IEP), in its annual release for the ninth year in a row, presented the special report in which it monitors an intensive reading of the developments of global terrorism, based on the results of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) for the year 2022. This paper provides a monitoring of the most prominent global and regional trends for the terrorist threats and their escalation by analyzing the effects and repercussions of terrorism around the world, according to the report.

Jammu And Kashmir Goes To The Polls: First Assembly Election In 10 Years – Analysis

On 16 August 2024, India’s Election Commission announced the dates for Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The three-phase election will begin on 18 September 2024 with the counting of votes on 4 October 2024, along with those of Haryana, which will vote on 1 October 2024. What came as a surprise though was that the dates for Maharashtra, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies suffered losses in the 2024 general elections, were not announced. The Election Commission justified it on the grounds of security, weather conditions and upcoming religious festivals.

ISIS is back: Why the bloodiest group is raising its head again

ISIS is increasingly making its presence felt: participants in the riots in Colony No. 19 in the Volgograd Region and Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 in the Rostov Region have claimed ties to the Islamic State, the group has claimed responsibility for a large-scale terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall, and the recent attack in Solingen, Germany, is linked to ISIS — and these are only the terrorist attacks that could not be prevented. After military defeats in Syria and Iraq, the terrorist group has lost territory and funding, and in the public consciousness, they have become something of the past, like the coronavirus pandemic. But ISIS has not only survived, but will soon expand its cells in Europe, Russia, and Turkey and attempt to carry out new terrorist attacks, according to Antonio Giustozzi from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Predicting Taliban’s Grip On Power In Afghanistan For FY 2024-25 – Analysis

As the Taliban celebrates three years of reign, global powers/regional neighbours are forced to ponder (just like the authors) the regime’s sustained grip to power, which appears to strengthen with every passing year. In these three years, the Supreme Leader (Emir) Haibatullah Akhundzada has strengthened his grip to power, formulating new federal institutions functioning under his decree and implementing policies from his tightly lipped office in Kandahar. Under his leadership, the regime (since 2022) has been focusing on preferring Taliban leaders from the south, appointing them in key positions (from Provincial to Federal), and opening doors in the military command ranks since May 2023. With the nation suffering from chronic food insecurity, impacts of climate change and severe economic hardship (with more than 95% of Afghans under extreme poverty, according to a Kabul-based scholar), the Taliban government appears to manage the economic crisis, even reversing some impact, a claim made by a high-ranking Taliban leader within the Afghan Ministry of Economy, during authors discussion.

Italian Demographic Decline: A Threat To Italy’s Future – Analysis

The Republic of Italy, a country rich in history, culture, and art, is facing a severe demographic crisis that threatens its long-term political and economic survival. While many Western countries are dealing with a demographic crisis, and this issue isn’t new, the situation in Italy is particularly alarming.