Author: M Barbu

Erdogan nurtures elite mercenary force to rival Russia’s Wagner Group

A close confidant of Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Adnan Tanriverdi claims expertise in all the dark arts of warfare.

In the eyes of some, he is the Islamic world’s most powerful gun-for-hire, a well-connected ex-general with thousands of battle-hardened Syrian mercenaries at his command. A close confidant of Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Adnan Tanriverdi claims expertise in all the dark arts of warfare, from sabotage and counter-insurgency to assassinations.

Europa Centrală și de Est va pierde până la 70% din populație până în 2100. România, în topul țărilor cu cel mai accentuat declin demografic

Europa Centrală și de Est pierde masiv populație. Studii recente efectuate de Uniunea Europeană și de grupuri de oameni de știință de la instituții ori publicații prestigioase, precum Lancet, arată că “hemoragia” din acest sector va duce la o depopulare de anvergură în zonă, țări ca România, Bulgaria ori Ucraina urmând să piardă undeva între 50-70% din populație până în anul 2100.

Special Analyses

Syria: Who’s in control of Idlib?

The northern Syrian province of Idlib is the last remaining stronghold controlled by forces opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian government forces have been pushing into rebel-held territory with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian airstrikes. Dozens of towns and villages have been captured by Syrian forces including a key strategic highway, the main economic artery through Syria from north to south, linking Damascus, Homs and Aleppo.

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Jamā’at Nuṣrat al-Islām wa-l-Muslimīn: a propaganda analysis of al-Qaeda’s project for the Sahel

Theme

The lessons that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has learnt after years of activity in the Sahel have crystallised in the creation of Jamā’at Nuṣrat al-Islām wa-l-Muslimīn, or JNIM. This paper analyses JNIM propaganda to shed light on this new alliance and its relationship with the regional organisational structure of AQIM.

Quand le Sénat se couche devant l’islam politique

Les sénateurs n’ont pas de courage, mais se réservent le droit d’en avoir un jour

« Élections sénatoriales, c’est parti », titrait le 4 septembre dernier sur son site la chaîne parlementaire Public Sénat. Comment ne pas soupçonner que c’est pour ces élections, qui auront lieu le 27 septembre prochain, qu’ont été bâclées les élections municipales ? Les élus locaux étant les grands électeurs des élections sénatoriales, le Président du Sénat ne pouvait que s’inquiéter qu’elles pussent être différées. Lors du premier tour des municipales, certains responsables politiques ne lui ont-ils pas imputé la faible participation des citoyens à ce scrutin (44,66%) ? Le second tour sera pire, avec une participation de 41,6%.

GNA, Haftar delegations agree on criteria for key posts in Libya government

Delegates from Libya’s internationally recognized government and from putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s side on Thursday agreed on the criteria for appointments to their country’s key institutions, a joint statement made at talks in Morocco said, while hundreds of people in the city of Benghazi took to the streets to protest dire living conditions.

Salafist encroachment, ‘alien’ fatwas viewed with concern in eastern Libya

LNA’s complacency with movement risks contributing to the spread of extremism and the change of the religious identity of Libyan society.

Eastern Libya is being increasingly infiltrated by the Salafist movement, and the matter has become of great concern to the local population that views the members of this movement and its fatwas as alien to the cultural and religious environment as Libyan society is known for its moderation and its traditional ties to Sufism. In recent years, however, hardline fatwas have made their way into society.