Eastern Europe

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The White House’s announcement on Friday that the US will keep “less than 50” special ops troops at an HQ of the Kurdish YPG in northeast Syria for the purposes of training and strategic counseling raised concerns in some quarters that Russia might inadvertently bomb US […]

al-Qaeda

Syria: On eve of Vienna Summit, Has Russia changed the facts on the Ground?

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Writing in al-Hayat [Life] this week, columnist Walid Choucair outlined the successes he sees Russia to have had in its Syria campaign, and the goals for which it is reaching. Choucair is the Lebanese affairs bureau chief of this pan-Arab, Saudi-owned London daily, which has a […]

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Why Russia Fears ISIL: Panic over Domestic Terror Plots & Wave of Arrests

contributors

By Joanna Paraszczuk | ( RFE/ RL ) | – – Russia appears to be cracking down on Muslims and labor migrants in response to what it says are domestic terror threats from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group with reports of mass arrests of “IS-linked suspects” last week. The apparent crackdown comes amid heightened […]

Featured

Iran helping build “New Syrian Army;” ISIL fighters Fleeing to Iraq from Russian Airstrikes

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Alarabiya television is reporting 16 new casualties in Syria since October 9 among Iranian fighters there. There are thought to be some 1,500 Iranian military personnel in Syria, though some of these are actually Afghans. Several of those Iranian personnel killed during the past 2 years […]

Iran

Ahmadinejad’s Ex-Bodyguard Among Growing Number Of Iranians Killed in Syria

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/ RL ) | – – A onetime bodyguard for former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has been killed in Syria while fighting Islamic State (IS) militants, according to Iranian media reports. Abdollah Bagheri Niaraki was killed October 22 while “fighting terrorists” in the suburbs of the northern city of Aleppo, […]

Human Rights

Russia/Syria: Possibly Unlawful Russian Air Strikes

contributors

Human Rights Watch | – – (New York) – At least two air strikes in northern Homs on October 15, 2015, that local residents believed to be Russian, apparently violated the laws of war. The air strikes killed a total of 59 civilians, residents said, including 33 children and a commander of the local armed […]

Bashar al-Assad

Is Russia’s offer of Parliamentary Elections in Syria Serious?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (informed Comment) | – – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said three surprising things Saturday in an interview with Rossiya 1. 1. Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad would have to be part of any transition to a new govering. 2. Syria could have nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections next summer 3. Russia […]

Eastern Europe

Iraqi Kurds Face Hard Diplomatic Choices Between the US and Russia

contributors

By Histyar Qader | (Niqash.org) | – – It is tough for Iraqi Kurdistan to turn down any kind of aid when it comes to fighting the Islamic State. So now the Kurdish are not sure whether to stand with the US or to ask for help from the Russians. The relatively new Russian intervention […]

Eurasia

Russian-Speaking Militants Prepare To Fight Assad In Hama

contributors

By Joanna Paraszczuk | ( RFE/RL) ) | – – Two Russian-speaking militant groups, including a battalion within Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate the Al-Nusra Front, claim they are preparing to fight Syrian government forces in the central province of Hama. The declarations come three weeks after Russia launched air strikes that initially appeared to help Syrian […]