Author: M Barbu

Turkey: Drifting Further into Russian Orbit

Sanctions are mandated by law for “any entity that does significant business with the Russian military or intelligence sectors” — Office of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Chair Robert Menendez, Daily Sabah, September 28, 2021.

“Any new purchases by Turkey must mean new sanctions.” — U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, referring to a December 2020 U.S. decision to impose CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) on Turkey for its acquisition of the S-400 missile system, Twitter, September 28, 2021.

Kurdish-led forces foil jailbreak attempt at ISIS prison in Syria’s Hasakah

SDF members destroyed a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device “to prevent possible harm to locals in the area and recovered weapons cache and detained maligned actors to eliminate the threat.”

The General Command of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in northeast Syria announced on Monday the arrest of a suspected ISIS cell that was planning to launch an attack on a terrorist detention facility in the Syrian city of Hasakah.

Taliban Look to Purge Military of Islamic State Infiltrators

The Taliban are carrying out background checks within their ranks as they look to identify and capture infiltrators from rival Islamic State, which has carried out several deadly attacks across Afghanistan since the militant group took power in August.

“Anyone who’s seen as harmful to the government or people of Afghanistan and misusing the authority of the government will be removed from our ranks and eliminated,” Ahmadullah Wasiq, a spokesman of Taliban, said over the phone. “We have also seen reports of unknown armed men entering private homes or punishing people in the name of Taliban.”

Pakistan agrees one-month ‘complete ceasefire’ with local Taliban militants

Pakistan and local Taliban militants have agreed a one-month ceasefire which may be extended if both sides agree, spokesmen said on Monday, opening the possibility of a fuller peace accord to help end years of bloodshed.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban and have fought for years to overthrow the government in Islamabad and rule the South Asian nation of 220 million with their own brand of Islamic Sharia law.

Golfe de Guinée: les chefs d’état-major des marines débattent de la piraterie maritime

Les chefs d’état-major des marines des pays riverains du golfe de Guinée se sont réunis en symposium, ce lundi 8 novembre 2021, à Pointe-Noire, capitale économique du Congo-Brazzaville. L’objectif est de mutualiser leurs efforts contre la piraterie maritime qui menace cet espace riche en hydrocarbures et en ressources naturelles.

Il regroupe seize pays du golfe de Guinée ayant des problématiques communes, comme l’explique le général François Xavier Mabin, commandant des éléments français au Gabon.

Iraqi PM Unharmed After Drone Attack Amid Escalating Tensions With Iran-Backed Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an attack by an armed drone on his residence on November 7 amid escalating tensions over the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept last month’s parliamentary election results.

The Baghdad residence inside the city’s fortified Green Zone was hit by a rocket attack early on November 7, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

Kadhimi was unharmed in the attack, which the statement said was a “failed assassination attempt.”

Iraq’s Political Instability Raises Al-Sistani Succession Stakes – Analysis

Besides Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, few religious leaders today command as much respect among Muslims and non-Muslims alike as Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the 91-year-old “supreme marja” of the world’s Shiite Muslims.

Al-Sistani was a disciple of Ayatollah Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khoei, who was for decades the most renowned religious teacher in Iraq’s shrine city of Najaf, where he was known as the “professor of jurisprudence.”

Turkey Toying With Idea Of New Military Operation In Syria – OpEd

Pro-government Turkish media outlets last week reported that preparations are underway for a new set of military operations in Syria. A parliamentary motion to authorize the government to continue sending troops abroad was tabled last month and easily approved.

Previous motions approved a one-year mandate for such operations, but this time it was done for a period of two years. This may be because the government is forecasting harder times ahead, when the mandate may not be renewed as a result of declining public support for the ruling party.

Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi Escapes an Assassination Attempt

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped unharmed from an assassination attempt by three armed drones in Baghdad on Sunday, officials said. The assassination attempt came weeks after a general election was disputed by Iran-backed militia groups.

The attempt dramatically raises tension in the country that has already seen threats of violence.

Al-Kadhimi took to social media moments after the attack and called for “calm and restraint from everyone.”

Turkish-backed factions arrest agents working for regime forces

SOHR sources have reported that Turkish-backed factions arrested a cell working for regime forces, as the cell’s agents worked on providing the Syrian regime with coordinates and positions on the factions of the “National Army”.

It is worth noting that regime and ISIS cells are prevalent in areas under the control of Turkish forces and their proxy factions, while these areas have experienced explosions in residential areas and attacks which have left casualties.