Author: M Barbu

Azerbaijan’s Middle Corridor Initiative: Pivot For Energy Connectivity – OpEd

On August 30, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov participated in a panel discussion titled “Middle Corridor: Reshaping the Euro-Asia Connectivity,” as part of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) annual meetings in Tbilisi, Georgia. This indeed highlights a significant economic development initiative poised to enhance regional connectivity and energy efficiency. By partnering with major global institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Azerbaijan is not only bolstering its energy infrastructure but also positioning itself as a key player in the evolving energy landscape of Eurasia.

Understanding Islamic Finance – Analysis

A bit of history

Islamic finance during the time of the Prophet Muhammad was characterized by real transactions such as sale on credit and renting, rather than through modern banking systems, which did not exist at that time. The Bayt al-mal (Government Treasury) played a role in managing funds and included a branch for lending and receiving repayments of interest-free loans. This system emphasized fairness and the prohibition of interest (ribâ) as stated in the Qur’ân (2:275): (1)

The Regime’s Wars Are Built On Lies – OpEd

Americans are increasingly uneasy about their “national” security, and increasingly concerned that war is lapping at our shores. Instead of reducing the risk of harm to America and our interests, the federal government in Washington seems to be seeking it, investing in it, fueling it and lying about it.

Ahead of Elections, Iraqi Kurdistan’s “Shadow Media” Ramps Up

Elections aren’t until Oct. 20, but disinformation campaigns are in full swing.

Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region will hold elections on Oct. 20. Although the formal campaign has not yet begun, the so-called “shadow media” is already in full swing spreading disinformation, promoting political spin, and attacking rivals.

Putin Is Preparing A Long War Against The West – OpEd

The German daily Die Welt has just revealed the existence of a 17-page peace agreement that could have ended the war in Ukraine just weeks after Russia began its invasion. Negotiators from both sides had worked hard on the agreement between February and April 2022, and the original version of this special document has now been made available to the German media. “In March 2022, only a few conditions were missing for the resolution of the conflict, which was to be ‘negotiated by Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit meeting – which never took place’”.

Progress With Few Results in Syria

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Assad regime has seen measured advances in its situation that fall well short of real success.

The war in Gaza has had a paradoxical effect on Syria and the Assad regime in Damascus. Escalating tensions between Iran and Israel in the shadow of the Gaza conflict have heightened the risk that Syria may be drawn into a war that it can ill afford. Yet, the conflict has also shifted international attention back to the Middle East, including Syria. After a challenging 2023 marked by setbacks for the regime—the failed reconciliation between Syria and Türkiye, the stalled process of rapprochement between Syria and the Arab countries, and a worsening economic situation that ignited protests, notably in Suwayda—Syria has regained some significance, breathing new life into previously stalled political processes.

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 922: Türkiye to join BRICS involving Russia, Iran to supply Russia with ballistic missiles

In a diplomatic move, Türkiye is seeking BRICS membership, potentially expanding its alliances beyond traditional Western partners while maintaining its NATO membership. Meanwhile, Iran is set to supply Russia with ballistic missiles within days, potentially escalating the war, as some Ukrainian allies have yet to deliver on promises made at the July NATO summit.

The absolute control of Hezbollah of the border crossings to Syria is critical to its survival and leads to the destruction of the state of Lebanon

For many years now, Hezbollah has served as a major instrument of Iran to take over Lebanon, not only as a territory but as a sovereign state. Many Western countries would like to avoid that and invest in the former “Pearl of the Middle East”, led by France. These efforts are futile in view of the Iranian circumvention apparatus, who’s main mechanism is allocated in the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon. No matter how much pressure is put on a state level, Hezbollah will survive and even prosper, as long as one does not put an end to Hezbollah’s control over these main smuggling routes.

Kursk Offensive: West Heralds ‘Rebirth’ of Maneuver Warfare

This is a premium article for paid subscribers that covers the recent trend of declaring the rebirth of ‘maneuver warfare’ as product of the perceived “success” of the Ukrainian operation in Kursk. In the piece I refute these conclusions by explaining how maneuver warfare is in fact a misunderstood, and deliberately misleading, concept which uses outdated combat stereotypes from WWII and beyond in a disingenuous attempt to paper over shifting modern paradigms.

How can you read the operation “summer camps” in the northern West Bank?

The Israeli political and security objectives of the military operation in the northern West Bank and the Jordan Valley are numerous and complex and are linked in their timing to the course of confrontation on other fronts, especially the fronts of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, and the seriousness of the development of the situation in the West Bank is not only related to the course of the Palestinian arena, but affects the Jordanian interior.