Syria at a Crossroads: Fragmentation, Federalism, and the Future of a Divided Nation

Syria, long plagued by civil war, foreign interventions, and deep sectarian divides, is entering a new and uncertain chapter. Recent statements by key actors in the country underscore the growing fragmentation of authority and the crystallization of competing visions for Syria’s future. From the Druze-led resistance in Suwayda to the Kurdish push for federalism in Read more

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The Interconnectedness of Events in Syria, Turkey, and SWANA

What happens in SWANA will not Stay in SWANA by Ahmed Souaiaia Abstract: The ongoing crises in Syria and Turkey are deeply intertwined with broader regional dynamics, including the ongoing instability in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. This article analyzes these events through the lens of the Systems Thinking Framework (STF), which Read more

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Syrian Crisis: The Risks of Fragmentation and the Lessons of History

The crisis in Syria has evolved into a multifaceted conflict with significant implications for the country’s territorial integrity. The ongoing violence, driven by internal power struggles and exacerbated by external interventions, raises concerns about the potential fragmentation of Syria along sectarian and ethnic fault lines. Unless regional players adopt a more strategic and long-term vision, Read more

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Behind the raft of OPEC+ production decisions riling the collective west lies a tight Russian-Saudi strategy and enhanced Russian-Iranian energy cooperation

by MK Bhadrakumar * A curious thing happened in Vienna on Sunday just as the 35th Ministerial Meeting of OPEC+ was about to start at its headquarters. Three princely western news organizations – Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal – were barred from entering the OPEC premises. When asked about it, pat came the Read more

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Algeria’s intractable neutrality in the context of global polarization

by Hossam Hamza Algeria’s constant insistence on embedding the principles of non-alignment and positive neutrality in its foreign policy expresses its realization of the intractability of understanding the pattern of its dealing with the dynamics of polarization at the level of the international system. It is intended to achieve the aspirations of the party making Read more

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The Outcome of the War in Ukraine: Clash between Definitions of Success

When you isolate the noise and posturing from the facts that are governing the course of the war in Ukraine, which, at this point, is more than a special military operation given the involvement of NATO (though Russian leaders do not think that that line was crossed), two positions have been clearly stated. The first Read more

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The unpublished security clauses of the Iran-Saudi deal and its implication on regional and global security

The public statement that announced the deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia contains only the contours of a detailed deal whose terms are guaranteed by China and whose terms will be revealed gradually in the next few weeks. One such details concern the long terms security agreement as well as the immediate action to be Read more

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Why would China put its prestige on the line by proposing a peace plan for the War in Ukraine that they know will be rejected by NATO?

Hours after China announced its proposal regarding the situation in Ukraine, NATO’s chief, Jens Stoltenberg, rejected it saying by invoking the lack of trust. “First of all, there is not much trust in China since they could not condemn Russia’s invasion. And they signed an agreement on unlimited friendship with Russia before the invasion.” The Read more

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Raisi and Xi in China

Where is Iran’s position in the Russian war against NATO?

by Emad Abshenass * When the former Soviet Union collapsed, and the eastern bloc called the “Warsaw Pact” collapsed, there was hope to end the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and start a new era of international relations, based on dealings between countries instead of hostility, with the starting point of competition Read more

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Deciphering Russian Foreign Policy and Its Changes Under President Vladimir Putin’s Administration: Directional and Adjustment Changes

by Samaher al-Khatib * The Russian special military operation in Donbass constituted a new stage in the history of the modern world, characterized by new concepts, and with the arrival of this special operation to the date of signing the accession of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia to the Russian Federation, which preceded the accession Read more

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