Author: M Barbu

Russia Is No Mideast Superpower

Washington Shouldn’t Overhype the Threat From Moscow

The Russian Ministry of Defense pulled out all the stops for its annual arms expo outside Moscow in late August. For three days, defense ministers and dignitaries from 41 countries, including from the Middle East, were treated to exhibits of cutting-edge technology, live-fire demonstrations, ballerinas pirouetting on tank turrets, and the trailer for an action movie about the 2015 rescue of downed Russian pilots behind enemy lines in Syria.

Unhappy Iran Battles For Lost Influence In South Caucasus – Analysis

Tension with Azerbaijan dies down but underlying differences are likely to widen.

Events that might not matter elsewhere in the world matter quite a lot in the South Caucasus. Given a recent history of conflict, with all the bad feelings that generates, plus outside powers playing geostrategic games, and its growing importance as an energy corridor between Europe and Central Asia, the region is vulnerable.

Putin Claims Islamic State Has 2,000 Fighters In Afghanistan

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Islamic State (IS) militant group has thousands of fighters in northern Afghanistan, as Moscow prepares to host international talks next week on the situation in the country.

“According to our intelligence, the number of (IS) members alone in northern Afghanistan is about 2,000 people,” Putin said on October 15 during a video address to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit of ex-Soviet states.

Turkey’s Passage To Great Power Status? – Analysis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a monumental vision for his country’s largest city: building a new mega canal through Istanbul. Of course, Istanbul is already home to the Bosporus Strait, whose bisection of Europe and Asia has been fought over in numerous wars throughout history and inspired numerous cliches. Nevertheless, Erdogan’s plans raise the prospect that the geostrategic map of the Black Sea may soon be recast.

Ce hram poartă domnul CĂLIN GEORGESCU ?

Ce hram poartă domnul Călin Georgescu?

După cum s-a putut vedea, re-publicarea de curând a interviurilor date de dl Călin Georgescu de-a lungul anilor a stârnit comentarii dintre cele mai felurite. Nici pe departe încântarea cu care eu le citisem sau chiar le re-citisem. Persoane pe care „contam”, a căror reacție credeam că o pot prevedea, au comentat spusele domnului Călin Georgescu cu o înverșunare de neînțeles, respingând de plano, fără niciun argument serios, declarația de intenții a unuia dintre puținii români care „au intenții”, au articulat o viziune, serios gândită, asupra viitorului nostru.

Putin says Iraq, Syria militants entering Afghanistan

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that battle-hardened militants from Iraq and Syria are “actively” entering Afghanistan.

“The situation in Afghanistan is not easy,” Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of ex-Soviet states, AFP reported.

“Militants from Iraq, Syria with experience in military operations are actively being drawn there,” he said.

UN says Sudanese migrant beaten, shot and killed in Libya

A Sudanese migrant was beaten, shot and killed in Libya after escaping from a government-run detention center in the North African country, the U.N. refugee agency said on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old who arrived in Libya two years ago was detained and held in the Mabani detention center in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, one of more than 5,000 migrants detained in a massive crackdown earlier this month.

Turkey expands armed drone sales to Ethiopia and Morocco – sources

One Turkish official said Ethiopia and Morocco had both requested purchases of Bayraktar TB2 drones in agreements that could also include spare-part guarantees and training.

A diplomat who requested anonymity said separately that Morocco had received the first batch of armed drones it ordered in May. Ethiopia plans to acquire them but the status of that order is less clear, the envoy said.

Conflict Drives Record Levels of Acute Food Insecurity in Africa

Conflict remains the primary driver of acute food insecurity in Africa, imperiling over 100 million people.

Highlights

An estimated 106 million Africans face acute food insecurity—an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) of Phase 3 (crisis) and above. This represents a doubling in the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity since 2018.

The FAO and WFP report that 400,000 Ethiopians, 100,000 South Sudanese, and 28,000 Malagasy face Phase 5 (famine) levels of food insecurity.