En 2011, la Tunisie est devenue le berceau du bouleversement connu sous le nom de Printemps arabe – une série de protestations et de soulèvements en faveur de la démocratie qui se sont répandus comme une traînée de poudre dans une grande partie du monde arabe et ont fait tomber les régimes de la région en l’espace de plusieurs mois.
When Osama Bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed orchestrated the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on the United States homeland on 9/11, it was a watershed moment for the global jihadist movement. The attacks catapulted al-Qaeda to the forefront of the West’s security agenda, monopolizing Western security policy for the better part of the past two decades, with global reverberations. Ever since, al-Qaeda and the jihadist movement have transformed in several important ways, not least in response to the emergence of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Bin Laden’s original objective was to establish a vanguard movement that would lead the struggle against apostate regimes across the Islamic world and instigate local insurrections and insurgencies. Yet, since then, the global jihadist movement’s success appears to have exceeded Bin Laden’s greatest ambitions, with the proliferation of affiliate groups in numerous countries and the mobilization of thousands of fighters from around the world, including the West. In particular, the rise of the Islamic State succeeded in transforming the jihadi movement into a popular protest movement, attracting people who would otherwise have little connection with Islamist extremism or militancy. Continuing the efforts of al-Qaeda, the Islamic State essentially turned jihadism into the primary ideology of rebellion.
Intissar Fakir and Fadil Aliriza of MEI’s Program on North Africa and the Sahel discuss the context and consequences of Tunisian President Kais Saied’s political maneuvers earlier this week, which opponents were quick to label a “coup.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said eight government-affiliated forces and three opposition fighters died in the clashes Thursday.
Tensions between Syria’s pro-government forces and opposition fighters have escalated in Daraa, the Syrian city considered the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against the regime.
Russia has unveiled plans to open a Naval School in the Syrian port of Tartous, as part of its plans to consolidate influence in Syria, according to North Press.
On Sunday, the Syrian port of Tartous witnessed large-scale exercises in preparation for a military parade celebrating the Russian Navy, as Russia prepares to open a naval school in the coastal city.
Charities based south of Damascus, and led by the “godfather of reconciliation,” Saleh al-Khatib, are reportedly stealing donations, according to Sowt al-Asima.
Many residents of the town of Yalda, south of Damascus, filed complaints against two “charitable” associations working to raise funds from the region. The complaints came after discovering that the charities had failed to distribute the funds and instead had used them for “personal” purposes, as they appear to be stealing donations.
The wave of sanctions targets eight military prisons, including the notorious Saydnaya prison outside the capital Damascus that rights groups have described as a “human slaughterhouse.”
The Biden administration on Wednesday issued its first round of Syria-related sanctions since taking office, designating a number of regime detention centers and prison officials, as well as a Turkish-backed Syrian rebel group.
His Majesty King Abdullah, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a trilateral summit on Wednesday in Athens.
The summit, convening for the third time, focused on the importance of the deep-rooted ties and partnership between the three countries, leading to expanding cooperation prospects across all sectors, and contributing to achieving peace and enhancing security and stability in the region and beyond, according to a Royal Court statement.
Daesh group militants killed at least seven soldiers and militiamen in eastern Syria on Wednesday, the latest in a series of deadly attacks, a Britain-based war monitor said.
Tunisia’s largest party, Ennahda, is accused of accepting funding from abroad for its political campaigns, as political turmoil continues in the North African country.
A Tunisian prosecutor announced an investigation into three political parties on Wednesday, including the Islamist Ennahda party. Tunisia has been gripped by political turmoil since the president sacked the government over the weekend.