Orientul Mijlociu – Page 241 – reflectiigeopolitice.ro

Iraqi populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr calls Russia-Ukraine war ‘absolutely useless’

March 1, 2022 by M Barbu

Regional alignments solidify after the invasion of Ukraine, as Iraqi politicians call for peace while four-way collaboration on dealing with the Islamic State and border security continues with Russia, Iran and Syria.

Hours after the news broke that Russia had begun an invasion of Ukraine at dawn on Feb, 24, Iraq’s national security advisor took part in a meeting of a four-nation joint intelligence center that Western nations have long eyed warily.

Syrian jihadi group escalates campaign against foreign fighters in Idlib

March 1, 2022 by M Barbu

While some believe that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is tightening the noose around foreign fighters in Idlib with the ultimate goal to expel them, others consider that it serves the interest of civilians in the city of Idlib.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) security apparatus has recently warned the families of foreign fighters that they need to vacate their places of residence and businesses in the city of Idlib in northwest Syria.

Turkish fintech seeks Qatari investment

March 1, 2022 by M Barbu

The financial technology sector in Turkey has grown significantly, and is looking to Qatar for further expansion.

Turkish fintech companies met with Qatari investors this week in a webinar. The Turkish presidency’s finance office organized the event along with the private Qatar Financial Center on Feb. 23-24, Turkey’s official Anadolu Agency reported today.

Erdogan stuck on fence in Ukraine crisis

March 1, 2022 by M Barbu

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has chided NATO for failing to do more for Ukraine but remains averse to antagonizing Russia.

Faced with a tough balancing act, Turkey has been sending mixed signals on its position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has angered Moscow by developing military ties with Kyiv, has called for NATO action on the one hand, while stressing the importance of preserving ties with Russia on the other.

With one eye on Russia, Turkey expresses support for Ukraine

March 1, 2022 by M Barbu

The success of Turkish-made drones in Ukraine is the most obvious sign of Ankara’s backing for Kyiv, but fear of Russian backlash is making Turkey tread lightly.

Imagery of a burned-out Russian military convoy in Ukraine shared on social media over the weekend credited its destruction to Turkish-made drones.

Turkey to implement pact limiting Russian warships to Black Sea

March 1, 2022 by M Barbu

NATO member Turkey changed its rhetoric to call Russia’s assault on Ukraine a “war” on Sunday and pledged to implement parts of an international pact that would potentially limit the transit of Russian warships from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, Reuters reported.

Here Is Why Iran’s Mullahs Are Excited About Biden’s Nuclear Deal

February 28, 2022 by M Barbu

That the ruling mullahs are asking the Biden administration for guarantees that the US will never be able to leave the new nuclear deal, even after President Joe Biden leaves office, should signal that the mullahs want this deal badly and set off all sorts of alarms.

Jihadi group takes on Salafist opponents in Idlib

February 26, 2022 by M Barbu

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham cracks down and arrests Salafists who support anti-HTS protests.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, has stepped up its security measures as protests escalate.

A Prison Attack and the Death of its Leader: Weighing Up the Islamic State’s Trajectory in Syria

February 26, 2022 by M Barbu

Abstract: On January 20, 2022, the Islamic State launched a complex assault on Hasakah’s Ghwayran prison, a place in which thousands of its fighters had been held since the ‘defeat’ of its territorial caliphate in March 2019. The attack was the first time that the group had directly targeted a major detention facility in Syria since losing its last significant territorial toehold in Syria, notwithstanding the consistent calls for prison breaks that have been uttered by its leaders during the last three years.

Trends in Iranian External Assassination, Surveillance, and Abduction Plots

February 26, 2022 by M Barbu

Abstract: Over the past 40-plus years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has targeted dissidents, Western opponents, Israelis, and Jews in assassination plots, abduction plots, and surveillance operations that facilitate both. Iran has carried out such external operations around the world, in countries with both strong and weak law enforcement agencies, border crossings, and intelligence services. It has done so consistently over the years, including at times and in places where carrying out such operations could undermine key Iranian diplomatic efforts, such as negotiations over the country’s nuclear program. This study, based on a dataset of 98 Iranian plots from 1979 through 2021, maps out key trends in Iranian external operations plotting.