“No.” That was President Biden’s response earlier this month when a reporter asked whether the Russian Federation should be added to the Department of State’s “sponsors of terrorism” list. Biden’s terse reply was disappointing, particularly when there is bipartisan support in Congress for adding Russia to the rolls of repressive regimes that have previously been declared terrorist states.
The leader of Lebanese Hezbollah is threatening to attack an Israeli gas project off the Lebanon-Israel coast if it becomes operational before their sea border is agreed upon.
Hezbollah’s threats demonstrate the ability of the Iran-backed party to influence Lebanon’s national security decisions.
One of the most interesting intersections in US Foreign Policy currently is the conflicts that are presented when US National Security Interests are in conflict with Human Rights Concerns.
Currently most focus has been on the relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. There is an effort currently by the Biden Adminstration to have the Kingdom increase its Energy output while criticism over the murder of Mr. Khashoggi and the role of the Kingdom in the Yemeni conflict appear to be clarion calls for Human Rights Activists.
Cyprus is in a unique position right now. With one action it could accomplish several tasks in one fell swoop that could distance itself from Russia, potentially end the arms embargo imposed by the United States while upgrading their defensive capabilityes and assist Ukraine at the same time.
Fewer babies will be born in all of Europe than in Nigeria alone.
More than half the increase of the global population projected by 2050 will be concentrated in just eight countries, mostly in Africa, according to The Economist: Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines and Tanzania. Nigeria will have more inhabitants than Europe and the United States.
For more than a year, the Iranian population has taken to the streets to ask for more rights and more jobs. However, it seems that the West became aware only now of the existence of demonstrations in Iran against the dictatorial regime. The Iranians have tried in every possible way to communicate to the West that the regime of the ayatollahs does not represent them. This became clear with the elections of June 2021, in which the real winner was not the current ultra-conservative president Ebrahim Raisi, but “the boycott.” The Iranians had in fact chosen not to go to vote, in order not to give legitimacy to the government.[1]
The renewed agreement entails further steps to reform peshmerga forces as Pentagon aims to prepare Iraq’s forces for long-term self-sufficiency.
The United States renewed its agreement with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday to continue providing security support in the wake of the war against the Islamic State (IS).
Tunisian authorities arrested a number of officials linked to Ennahda, the main opposing party to President Kais Saied, in connection with the deportation of Tunisians to fight in Syria.
On the morning of Sept. 21, Tunisian authorities released the deputy head of Ennahda movement, Ali Laarayedh, after he was detained on Sept. 20 for questioning in the case of deporting Tunisian jihadists to combat zones a decade ago.
Botched suicide bombings came less than two weeks after the top US general in the Middle East sounded the alarm over security and humanitarian conditions at al-Hol camp.
The continued instability in the global oil market will not only strengthen the unity between the key OPEC+ players but also force them to focus primarily on ensuring their own interests, before taking those of their consumers into consideration.