Hundreds protest against Arab rapprochement with Syria’s al-Assad Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of several cities in northwestern Syria to protest against warming ties between some Arab countries and President Bashar al-Assad. The biggest demonstration took place on Sunday in Idlib, a stronghold of forces opposed to …
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May, 2023
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4 May
Turkey Says Quadripartite Meeting of Defense Ministers and Intelligence Chiefs is Part of Normalization with Syria
Ankara says that the quadripartite meeting planned in Moscow on Tuesday, is part of the efforts to normalize relations with the regime, Asharq Al-Awsat says. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar surprised many by announcing a quadripartite meeting of defense ministers and intelligence chiefs from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria in …
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4 May
Syria Today – Ukraine Planned Attacks on Russian Forces in Syria; Syrians putting down roots in Germany; Kurds Open to Regime
Washington Post: Leaked Documents Show Ukraine Planned Attacks on Russian Forces in Syria Ukraine’s military intelligence made plans to conduct covert attacks on Russian forces operating in Syria with the help of Kurds, leaked U.S. intelligence documents show, the Washington Post reported. The plans appear to have been aimed at …
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4 May
Syria Today – Tunisia Appoints New Ambassador; Clashes in Daraa; Iranian Minister in Damascus
Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. The Turkish-Syrian rapprochement efforts, steered by Russia, are ranked as the second most significant game of diplomacy in the Middle East, Forbes reported. Defence ministers and intelligence chiefs from Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iran convened in Moscow for a crucial four-way …
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4 May
What Russia’s First Gas Pipeline to China Reveals About a Planned Second One
Russia is now in a far worse negotiating position than in 2014. Finding itself at the mercy of a monopsonist buyer, there is very little it can actually do. A key topic of discussion during the Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow was the Power of Siberia 2 …
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4 May
Surviving the War: Russia-Western Balkan Ties After the Invasion of Ukraine
Without the assistance of local actors, Russian influence in the Western Balkans would disappear overnight. But the opposite is also true. As long as local politicians can capitalize on invoking Moscow’s long shadow, Russia will remain a salient part of the Balkan landscape. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 …
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4 May
Armenia Is Ready to Relinquish Nagorno-Karabakh: What Next?
Relations with Russia will have to be overhauled, since the main subject of discussion—Karabakh—will disappear. For most Armenians, the Kremlin will be seen as an unreliable ally that abandoned them in their hour of need. A turning point has been reached in the long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Last …
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4 May
Russia’s Database of Draft Dodgers Will Only Cause More Chaos
The main obstacle to the creation of a planned digital database of Russians eligible for military service is not the technology required, but the struggle between various agencies for control of this powerful new tool. Controversial new amendments to Russia’s law on military conscription promise to radically alter the relationship …
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4 May
Politicized Intelligence Community: Danger to a Democracy
Teixeira, if convicted, is facing a lengthy prison sentence. Morrell, meanwhile, remains an esteemed national security figure who has members of the press defending his actions, even though they had an impact on the last election. Beyond Morrell, none of the other signatories of the letter has suffered any negative …
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3 May
Neturei Karta (NK) and Masar Badil in Ottawa: “Free, Free Palestine from the river to the sea”
I’ve seen them often in the United States at protest rallies organized by pro-Palestine groups against Israel — in Washington DC, in New York. Yesterday in Ottawa, they led Masar Badil — The Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement (masarbadil.org)’s May Day Liberation March. They are members of Neturei Karta (NK), an international ultra-Orthodox Jewish …
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