SYRIA It would appear that Monday's Israeli strikes in Syria are the result of a full weekend of back and forth exchanges with Iranian forces there: The Israeli military said on Monday that it had attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, capping an exchange of blows in a rare, direct confrontation between the two antagonists … Continue reading Middle East update: January 21 2019

EUROPE SERBIA An estimated 10,000 people, organized by an umbrella opposition group called "the Alliance for Serbia," protested in Belgrade on Saturday night against the government of President Aleksandar Vučić. These rallies are organized by Vučić's political opponents and so their ultimate goal is to oust him and his Serbian Progressive Party from power. But … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: January 19-20 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban carried out a car bombing in Logar province on Sunday morning that killed at least eight Afghan security forces. Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan's Sar-e Pul province, a recent surge in Taliban activity has displaced about 40 families from the province's Kohistan hinterland into the provincial capital. The Taliban is trying to … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 19-20 2019

SYRIA This is still developing, but there was another Israeli airstrike on Syria's capital on Sunday. Both the Russian military and Syrian media have reported that Syrian air defenses shot down seven Israeli missiles heading toward Duwali International Airport in southeastern Damascus. This seems...unlikely, "missile defense" being what it is, but more likely than the … Continue reading Middle East update: January 19-20 2019

EUROPE RUSSIA The Russian government is casting doubt on ISIS's claims that it was behind a December 31 explosion in an apartment building in the city of Magnitogorsk. That explosion, which killed 39 people, was most likely caused by a gas leak--Russian infrastructure is generally quite old and in varying states of disrepair--but the terror … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: January 18 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The list of challengers to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for July's presidential election is beginning to take shape: On Friday, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, a powerful former national security adviser who parted ways with the government in August, became the most serious challenger to formally join the race so far. He vowed to “save … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 18 2019

SYRIA An airstrike on the eastern Syrian town of Baghouz on Friday killed at least 20 people according to Syrian state media, 23 according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The anti-ISIS coalition (i.e., the US) is presumably responsible. The SOHR says that ten of the dead were ISIS but the rest were civilians … Continue reading Middle East update: January 18 2019

EUROPE RUSSIA At LobeLog, Mark Katz wonders if the US withdrawal from Syria is helping push Gulf states toward Russia: Moscow, of course, is very pleased that, because of the potential U.S. withdrawal from Syria and the fear of what Iran may do there afterward, Gulf Arabs are more likely to view the Russian presence … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: January 17 2019

ASIA ARMENIA The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met on Wednesday in Paris and apparently--somewhat incredibly--had an extremely positive discussion: Following the meeting, the official statement included several unusual elements that cheered advocates for peace between the two sides. “Here is the most positive statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in a very long … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 17 2019

SYRIA In the wake of Wednesday's suicide bombing in Manbij, the Syrian Democratic Forces on Thursday promised to "escalate our military operations" to defeat ISIS and root out sleeper cells. That effort is likely to be hindered if the US proceeds with withdrawing from Syria as Donald Trump appears to want, and if you think … Continue reading Middle East update: January 17 2019