Author: M Barbu

AUKUS: Security Implications For China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation And Good Ocean Governance In South China Sea – Analysis

When Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States formed the AUKUS on 15 September 2021, many countries in the world have raised serious concerns that this trilateral arrangement can further heighten existing security tensions in the Indo-Pacific because of AUKUS’ expressed intention to assertively counter China’s growing political power in the region. Like the QUAD or the Quadrilateral Agreement of US, Australia, India and Japan, AUKUS can be viewed as another containment approach by Western powers and their allies in the Indo-Pacific to strategically gang-up against China in their attempt to prevent Beijing from expanding its political influence in Asia and beyond.

Pakistan: TTP And Insidious Intent – Analysis

On October 20, 2021, two soldiers and two Police officers were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in the Bajaur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

On September 30, 2021, two persons, including a Pakistan Army Captain and a TTP ‘commander’ Khawaza Din aka Sher Khan were killed during an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in the Tank District of KP. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), after receiving information about the presence of TTP terrorists in the area, the Security Forces (SFs) were conducting an operation.

Turkish-backed factions outmaneuver Syrian jihadist group in Idlib

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in north Syria announced a series of mergers recently, derailing plans by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to seek rapprochement with some of the factions affiliated with the Syrian National Army.

The Azm Operations Room, which consists of a number of Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions, recently announced the merger of six FSA factions with the new Third Legion.

Russian Foreign Policy Expert Mirzayan: Despite Common Interests, Russia Has Been Burned By Iranian Ingratitude And Has No Interest In Acting As Iran’s Spearhead Against Turkey

During a four-day visit to Russia, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, discussed with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu ways of strengthening military-technical cooperation between the two countries. Bagheri was particularly interested in new Russian hardware now that international restrictions on arms supplies to the Islamic Republic have expired. Bagheri termed defense interaction with Moscow unprecedentedly wide in scale, and explained that Iran at this stage is interested in the implementation of previously concluded agreements with Russia covering the supply of fighters, training aircraft and military helicopters.

Accusing HTS of lies |” Abu Muslim al-Shishani” threatens to attack HTS headquarters in al-Shahel and die with dignity instead of killed in prison

The issue of Abu Muslim al-Shishani” has come to the surface via an audio recording where he accused HTS with lie and deception in a bid to dismantle his faction after demanding them to hand their weapons and deport Idlib.

Abu Muslim al-Shishani said he doesn’t want to enter in clashes al-Mujahedeen and that the HTS has repeatedly asked for leaving Idlib and hand over the weapons on nullified charges for his and his group of sheltering criminals of ISIS.

He refuted such charges and called on members of the HTS to not believe their leaders and not to accept fighting against his group. He also affirmed that he wouldn’t accept their demands and if any of his headquarter in al-Shahel are attacked and he will defend himself and die in dignity instead of being humiliated in the HTS prisons like what has happened with other Jihadists.

To demand halt of Turkish attack on Autonomous Administration | People protest outside UN headquarter in al-Qamishly

Al-Haskah province: SOHR activists have went on in large protests outside the headquarters of the UN in al-Qamishly to condemn the Turkish attacks that target areas under control of the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria and asked to stop it. The latest attack was on yesterday where military car has attacked the SDF by a drone which led to the murder of three of members of the SDF

An independent Kurdistan is the best bet to contain ISIS

While concerns of a terrorist resurgence in Afghanistan are front and center, we need to remember that there are thousands of ISIS fighters waging a low-level insurgency in Iraq and Syria. Containing that threat is critical, and doing so over the long term requires an international relations moonshot: creating an independent Kurdish state.

Based on past efforts to create an independent Kurdistan, it would seem unlikely and Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Russia would oppose such a move. However, the status quo is untenable, and no other solution likely would be as effective and durable in containing the terrorist threat in the region.

Ankara-backed Syrian forces ‘fully prepared’ for Turkish operation

Turkey has threatened to launch a military operation against the SDF in the wake of attacks carried out by the latter in north Syria.

Turkey has threatened to launch a military operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has recently stepped up its attacks in the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed factions in north Syria.

On Oct. 7, a rocket attack targeted a Turkish military convoy in the area, killing a Turkish soldier.