Tag "Syria"
Jordan-Israel energy deal faces public opposition
With increased conflict in Iraq and Syria and diplomatic disagreements with Israel, the Jordanian public’s dissatisfaction with King Abdullah is growing. With a struggling economy, Jordan must strike a careful
Mediterranean energy alliances isolate Turkey
The discovery of hydrocarbons has altered the geopolitical situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, leading to the formation of new alliances that leave Turkey out of the game. With regional crises
Lebanon political crisis threatens investment environment
Lebanon is facing a deep political crisis. The inability of lawmakers to agree on a president to lead the country threatens Lebanon’s already fragile security environment and hinders its ability
Russia is further isolated by supporting Syria’s regime
Russia is still holding up the Assad regime economically, politically, and militarily. However, the rapidly unfolding situation in Syria’s civil war may put Putin’s strongest Middle East alliance in jeopardy.
Expect increase in US activity in Middle East
There will be a surge in the United States’ Middle East foreign policy between now and the presidential election in 2016. Expect a greater military role in Syria, improved ties
Turkey has much to lose in Kobani
With the Islamic State’s insurgency in Kobani still raging economic fallout in Turkey has already begun. The Turkish state is making significant unforced errors, with damaging long-term consequences for its
Islamic State takes advantage of cash economies in Iraq and Syria
Backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in locally generated funding, the Islamic State has reaped the benefits of cash-driven economies in Iraq and Syria. The US-led military campaign must
New terror threat from the Khorasan Group?
While international attention has focused on the atrocities of the Islamic State (IS) and the response of the US-led alliance against IS, the Pentagon recently introduced a new group called “Khorasan.” Here is a
What to expect from Jordan’s influx of Syrian refugees
In light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria, hundreds of thousands of refugees have invariably effected short- and medium-term economic changes in countries like Lebanon and Jordan. What’s next
Islamic State reshapes Syria’s war economy
In the Syrian conflict, all sides had developed a stake in maintaining a war economy. With the emergence of the Islamic State (IS), which controls a third of Syria’s territory, the
