Author: M Barbu

Why the Pandemic Has Revived Hard-Nosed Realism

When al-Qaida targeted the centers of American financial and military power on 9/11, it believed that most of the world would welcome seeing the United States knocked down from its perch of power. Whether by accident or by design, Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida’s leader and founder, had formulated his strategy based on an interpretation of classical realist theory, predicting that countries seeking to balance against American hegemony would be disinclined to get involved in any conflict that followed the attacks.

Will Either Macron or Erdogan Back Down in the Eastern Mediterranean?

French President Emmanuel Macron has clearly decided to up the ante in a standoff with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, where France is backing Greece and Cyprus in their dispute with Ankara over natural gas reserves and maritime boundaries. First, Macron ordered a temporary reinforcement of French aerial and naval assets to the Eastern Mediterranean in mid-August, in response to Turkish ships resuming controversial gas exploration activities south of Cyprus. Then, he went as far as to frame his actions as a “red line policy” in order to show President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he meant business.

“Ils se sont servis de nous pour que l’on s’entretue” : en Libye, les enfants soldats du Maréchal Haftar témoignent

En avril 2019, le Maréchal Haftar, a lancé une offensive contre la capitale Tripoli. Objectif : s’emparer du pays. Il a échoué. L’homme fort de l’est libyen prétend diriger l’armée nationale libyenne. Dans les faits, ces troupes se composent de divers groupes armés aux intérêts variés, de mercenaires notamment russes, syriens, tchadiens ou encore soudanais… mais aussi d’adolescents.

Transition civile ou militaire pour le Mali? Le M5-RFP se divise

La junte malienne divise désormais le M5-RFP (Mouvement du 5 juin- Rassemblement des forces patriotiques), le mouvement de contestation qui a participé à la chute du régime IBK. L’organisation de la transition est la pomme de la discorde. Au sein de la junte, certains, mais pas tous, souhaitent ouvertement qu’un militaire la dirige. Des concertations nationales sont prévues pour ce jeudi 10 septembre.

The Plot Against Libya

An Obama-Biden-Clinton Criminal Conspiracy

The scorching desert sun streams through narrow slats in the tiny window. A mouse scurries across the cracked concrete floor, the scuttling of its tiny feet drowned out by the sound of distant voices speaking in Arabic. Their chatter is in a western Libyan dialect distinctive from the eastern dialect favored in Benghazi. Somewhere off in the distance, beyond the shimmering desert horizon, is Tripoli, the jewel of Africa now reduced to perpetual war.

Libyan National Army Criticizes Morocco Talks

Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said the military has not officially commented on the ongoing dialogue between delegations from the High Council of State and east-based parliament in Morocco.

With Keita Gone After Another Coup, Mali Enters a New Phase of Uncertainty

In the early hours of Aug. 19, five men in various shades and styles of military fatigues took to Mali’s national TV station to introduce themselves. The mid-ranking officers had begun the previous day with a mutiny in the garrison town of Kati and ended it by arresting the president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, in the capital, Bamako. Malians had been glued to their TV sets for hours. First, they watched a detained Keita offer his resignation and dissolve the Malian government on live TV. Then, they met the anonymous men in berets who were now in charge—and still are.