February, 2022

• 13 February

  Baghdad announces crackdown on drug trafficking, gangs in Maysan

  

  Security file in Maysan governorate has become a priority for the Iraqi government following assassinations, armed tribal conflicts, organized crime and drug trafficking. A wave of assassinations in Maysan province has led Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to establish a special operations command. Kadhimi, who is also commander in chief …

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• 13 February

  Jihadi leader’s donation to IDP camps in Syria questioned as PR stunt

  

  Some observers feel that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani’s donation of $1 million to displaced camp residents is more about public relations than benevolence. The latest public appearance of the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib again raised controversy. On …

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• 13 February

  Israel’s Herzog leads rapprochement with Turkey

  

  Jerusalem is well aware that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a long list of own interests behind his rapprochement campaign. Israeli diplomats are dubious but pleased at the burgeoning romance between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Erdogan is not very popular in Israel, to …

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• 13 February

  US raid raises questions on Turkey’s commitment vs. Islamic State

  

  The Islamic State leader’s hideout a stone’s throw away from Turkey’s border and Syrian Democratic Forces involvement in the raid have raised fresh questions over Ankara’s fight against the Islamic State. The leader of the Islamic State, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, was killed in a Syrian hideout close to the …

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• 13 February

  White House Tells Americans to Leave Ukraine ‘Immediately’

  

  White House national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said Americans should leave Ukraine immediately amid the threat of an imminent Russian invasion, warning that the U.S. military will not be able to evacuate citizens in the event of a war. “We encourage all American citizens who remain in Ukraine to depart immediately,” …

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• 13 February

  The Day After Russia Attacks

  

  What War in Ukraine Would Look Like—and How America Should Respond Despite a flurry of meetings in recent weeks, the United States, NATO, Ukraine, and Russia have not moved any closer to a diplomatic solution or a reduction of tensions on the Ukrainian-Russian border. Although Russia has not completely abandoned …

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• 13 February

  Biden says US forces won’t be sent to fetch Americans stuck in Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion

  

  Americans in Ukraine shouldn’t count on 82nd Airborne paratroopers in nearby Poland to come to the rescue if a Russian invasion occurs. That was the message Thursday from President Joe Biden, who ruled out evacuation missions should the Kremlin’s threatening military buildup near Ukraine turn into a new incursion. “That’s …

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• 13 February

  Options to improve Black Sea region’s security on the agenda for Austin, NATO counterparts

  

  U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other NATO defense ministers are slated to review plans for increasing allied troop numbers in southeastern Europe, the alliance’s top official said Friday. Among the moves on the table is the creation of a multinational battlegroup to be stationed in the Black Sea region, …

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• 13 February

  Another 3,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Poland as White House says Russia could invade Ukraine within the week

  

  An additional 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., were ordered to Poland as a Russian invasion of Ukraine could launch in the coming days before the end of the Winter Olympics, senior defense officials said Friday. The troops are part of the 82nd Airborne’s infantry …

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• 13 February

  Belarus to Send 200 Troops to Serve in Syria Alongside Russians

  

  Belarus plans to deploy up to 200 troops to Syria to serve alongside Russian forces in the country, according to a Russian government document released Monday. A draft agreement between Russia and its ally Belarus endorsed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin says that the Belarusian troops will work to …

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