Indian civilisationalism: a potential next flashpoint?
By James M. Dorsey To watch a video version of this story on YouTube please click here. A podcast version is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Spreaker, and Podbean. When…
Can Indonesia’s Humanitarian Islam inspire a Hindu nationalist equivalent?
By James M. Dorsey To watch a video version of this story on YouTube please click here. A podcast version is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Spreaker, and Podbean. There’s…
Kurdish independence remains Erdogan’s nightmare
by Neville Teller On April 18, 2022 Turkey launched a new ground and air offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. Supported by helicopters and drones, Turkish jets and artillery…
Deteriorating Israeli-Russian relations: A cautionary message for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey
By James M. Dorsey Israel’s rapidly deteriorating relations with Russia contain a message for other Middle Eastern powers: attempting to remain on the sidelines of the conflict in Ukraine risks…
Ukraine joins Afghanistan and Yemen in shaping Gulf rivalries
By James M. Dorsey The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was a geopolitical watershed. Its shockwaves continue to reverberate and are magnified by the wars in Ukraine and Yemen. Coupled with…
Lebanon’s make or break election
by Neville Teller Lebanon is preparing to go to the polls on May 15. Many observers believe that this parliamentary election promises to be one of the most significant in…
Contesting Russia requires renewed US engagement in Central Asia
By James M. Dorsey When US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III declared that Washington wanted to see Russia so “weakened” that it would no longer be able to invade…
A Clash of Civilisations: the Russian vs. the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
By James M. Dorsey Russia and the Nordic countries’ pavilions at this year’s Venice Biennale, the world’s most prestigious art exhibition, project two different concepts of civilisation, nationalism, and sovereignty…
When will the Saudi-Israeli connection go public?
by Neville Teller Israel and Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic relations with each other – a situation that normally means hostility between nations. Yet on March 3, 2022, Saudi’s Crown…
Saudi Arabia targets a more Republican Washington
By James M. Dorsey Rather than push for an immediate improvement of strained relations with the United States, Saudi Arabia appears to be looking forward to a time when US…