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SyriaSource

Nov 9, 2015

The Army of Conquest Advances in the Shadow of Russian Warplanes

By Saleem al-Omar

In late March 2015, armed groups opposing to the Assad regime gathered to plan for the liberation of the Idlib in northern Syria. The groups included the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, Sham Legion, Jund al-Aqsa, and the Sunna Army, most of whom are considered jihadist forces. They formed Jaysh al-Fatah (Army of […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2015

Ukraine Needs Responsible Public Finances Now

By Anders Åslund

With increasing surprise, I follow the Ukrainian discussion about public finances. Strangely, some prominent Ukrainians seem to think that taxes and public expenditures have no relationship to one another, arguing that public expenditures should be increased and taxes should be cut. But that is called populism, the disease Ukraine has suffered from since its independence […]

Russia Ukraine

SyriaSource

Nov 9, 2015

Top News: November 9, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Pentagon chief says more US troops possible in Syria; US to launch refugee screening centers– Iran plans to attend next round of Syria talks, demands identifying terrorist groups– ISIS frees thirty-seven kidnapped Syrian Christians – France hits ISIS oil facility in Deir Ezzor; Russian air strikes kill eleven civilians in Idlib– Syrian children in Turkey […]

Syria

MENASource

Nov 9, 2015

Top News: Tunisia Ruling Party Lawmakers Resign from Parliament

By MENASource

Thirty-one Tunisian lawmakers resigned from the ruling party bloc in parliament on Monday, allowing Islamist Ennahda to become the largest party. “We decided to resign from the party’s bloc today after the refusal to hold an executive committee meeting, which is the only legitimate structure of the party,” Hassouna Nasfi, a protesting deputy, said on […]

MENASource

Nov 9, 2015

EconSource: IMF’s Lagarde Urges Tax, Spending Reforms in Gulf

By EconSource

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Christine Lagarde urged Gulf Arab oil states on Sunday to introduce radical tax and spending reforms in light of the drop in global oil prices.

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2015

Justice Sector Is Central Battlefield in Struggle Between Old Ukraine and New Ukraine

By Geoffrey R. Pyatt

Editor’s note: US Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt gave remarks at the “Conference on Legal and Governance Reform,” sponsored by the US-Ukraine Business Council and Kyiv School of Economics on October 30, 2015 in Kyiv. Pyatt’s remarks have been shortened below. The full version is available here. What a difference a year makes. When we gathered […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Nov 9, 2015

Putin’s Victories in Syria

By Stephen Blank

To the great British military analyst Basil Liddell-Hart, it was axiomatic that the purpose of war was a better peace. In other words, for military operations to be successful, they must be correlated with political outcomes and strategic gains. Unfortunately, the idea that the United States can successfully employ military power to achieve clear political […]

Russia Ukraine

MENASource

Nov 9, 2015

The Collapse of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party

By Aaron Stein

Just one week before the November 1 election, the average Turkish opinion polls suggested that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was on pace to win between 41-43 percent of the popular vote. Based on this data, a vast majority of Turkey analysis—this author included—wrote that the AKP would be emerge as the Turkey’s most […]

Turkey

New Atlanticist

Nov 6, 2015

Russia Bombing Syrians Displaced by War, Says Syrian Activist

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Russian warplanes have bombed not just moderate rebel groups, but also critical civilian infrastructure and people fleeing the war in Syria, a prominent Syrian civil society activist said at the Atlantic Council on Nov. 6. “Russia claims that they are fighting against [the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham] … but ISIS is 100 kilometers […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Nov 6, 2015

Top News: November 6, 2015

By SyriaSource

– Syrian rebels recapture village from regime forces in western Syria; Russia, Turkey discuss Syria– Mustard gas used in Syria in August– Russian air strikes kill forty-two in Raqqa– Turkish police detain twenty ISIS suspects; Crackdown on Gulen continues

Syria