SAUDI ARABIA FORCED TO FIGHT ITS OWN WAR IN YEMEN
The withdrawal of UAE troops from the disastrous war in Yemen is forcing Saudi Arabia to shoulder more of its own burden.
Author: M Barbu
China and Syria: In War and Reconstruction
Traditionally, Syria has not been a strategic priority for China. Nor is it today. However, this does not mean that Beijing has been indifferent to the wide-ranging adverse effects of Syria’s disastrous civil war or to the opportunities that its postwar rebuilding might present.
Turkey, Russia, and the Looming S-400 Crisis
With delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system to Turkey looming, a new crisis in U.S.-Turkey relations is slowly emerging. While it is obvious that Turkey needs a new air and missile defense system given the security risks in its region, it remains unclear why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to acquire the capability from a historical rival and potential adversary instead of through NATO. This decision will likely have major consequences for Turkey and its future geopolitical orientation.
ABU DHABI LOOKS TO SEPARATE FROM RIYADH’S DISASTROUS POLICIES
While the UAE is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi is now seeking to distance itself from Riyadh on critical issues of foreign policy.
Following a string of tanker attacks believed to be perpetrated by Iran, the UAE cited a lack of evidence and declined to blame Tehran, breaking with both Washington and Riyadh.
US and Iran: What is NOT a Smart Policy
Rooting for President Trump to fail in his policy with Iran means calling for empowering and emboldening a theocratic regime that has consistently threatened “Death to America” — with nukes, presumably, if it had the capability, which it is busy acquiring.
THE DILEMMA OF REPATRIATION
Many European nations are avoiding the responsibility of taking back their citizens who traveled to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State; this will only fuel the cycle of radicalization and extremism.
SUDAN PROTESTS GAIN MOMENTUM AND ARE MET WITH MORE BLOODSHED
Pro-democracy protesters in Sudan reemerged in full force to demand a transition to a civilian-led government; demonstrations were met with widespread violence.
« Eco », future monnaie unique de la Cedeao : les chefs d’État maintiennent l’objectif de 2020
La création de la monnaie unique de la Cedeao, sur les rails depuis le début des années 1980, sera-t-elle enfin une réalité en 2020 ? Les chefs d’État réunis samedi à Abuja ont entériné ce calendrier, et se sont entendus sur son nom : « Eco ». Reste à lever une série d’obstacles.
House Homeland Security Committee Takes Aim at Tech Industry’s Failure to Halt Spread of Online Extremist Content
GIFCT Criticism Reiterates Need for Industrywide Standards for Online Extremist Content Removal.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on social media companies’ efforts to counter online terror content and misinformation. The hearing was called in the wake of March’s New Zealand mosque shootings—in which a terrorist killed 51 people and livestreamed it all on Facebook. A full 24 hours after the livestream, Facebook failed to remove 300,000 reuploads of the attack video. A week later, and then a month later, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) discovered that the video was still widely available. Tech’s failure to prevent reuploads of known terrorist content sheds light on the failings and ineffectiveness of the industry-led Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT).
Terror in Tunis
- On June 27, the Tunisian capital of Tunis was rocked by twin suicide blasts that killed one police officer and injured many others.
- One of the explosions hit a bus carrying Tunisia’s presidential guards, while the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq news agency.
- The attack occurred the same day that Tunisia’s 92-year old president, Beji Caid Essebsi, was admitted to the hospital with an unspecified but serious illness, thrusting the country into upheaval and political instability.
- Tunisia has been hailed as a country that successfully navigated the post-Arab spring period of political transition in North Africa, though significant demographic, security, and economic challenges have prevented further progress.
On June 27, the Tunisian capital was rocked by twin suicide blasts that killed one police officer and injured many others, including members of the security forces and civilians that were in the vicinity at the time of the bombings. The first attack took place close to the French Embassy, while the second occurred in the Qarajani district, close to several government and internal security buildings, including the complex belonging to Tunisia’s anti-terrorism brigades. The most recent attacks are likely to have a negative impact on tourism, a critical source of income for a country with an economy already mired in crisis.