MIDDLE EAST STUDIES

Shaul Shay
(The author is the director of research of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzeliya and former Deputy Head of the National Security Council)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 29 July 2018

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, temporarily suspended all oil shipments through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait after two Saudi Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) came under attack by Yemeni Houthi militia on July 25, 2018...Read more

Hannah Kitners
(Postgraduate Student, MA Global Program, Webster University, USA)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 21 April 2018.

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

A key foreign policy accomplishment the Obama administration achieved in 2015 is hanging on by a thread three years later during the Trump administration. Twenty months of negotiations between the P5+1 (the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, and Germany), the European Union (EU), and Iran culminated in a significant achievement in international diplomacy; nuclear-related economic sanctions that date back to 2005 were lifted on Iran in return for limitations on their controversial nuclear enrichment programs. .. Read more

Dr. Matthew Crosston
(RIEAS Senior Advisor, Vice Chairman and Senior Editor, Modern Diplomacy.eu and Editorial Board, International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 8 October 2017

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Re-search Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

On September 25, 2017, the semiautonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq held an independence referendum to determine the future of its quest for recognized statehood. As expected, an overwhelming majority (93% in the early returns) voted in favor of independence. Also, as expected, no one around the world, even within Kurdistan itself, thought this meant an independent Kurdistan would be recognized by all or that such a reality is anywhere close to being around the corner. That fact shows not only how wretchedly unlucky Kurdish history is, but also how unjustifiably damnable the international process is when it comes to the fight for independence....Read more

Samantha Hernandez
(Postgraduate Student, MA Global Program, Webster University, Missouri, USA)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 11 September 2017

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Re-search Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

Men, women, and children fleeing with terror watching their homes being destroyed because the Islamic State considers them infidels. “Reports that Islamic militants have trapped up to 40,000 members of Iraq’s minority communities” (Jalabi,2014). Most of these people are a Kurdish religious minority call Yazidi. ISIS began being a menace to the Yazidi people in August of 2014 after the capital of Nineveh province, part of Sinjar fell to the Islamic State (Otten, 2017). This minority was being targeted because of their religious elements. Yazidi community has been oppressed for many centuries and of course threatened to be exterminated. ..Read more

Daniel Pipes
(An American historian, writer and commentator; he earned a doctorate at Harvard. In recent years, he established himself as one of the most prominent researchers and analysts of radical Islam. He is president of the Middle East Forum think tank and publisher of its specialized journal. His work focuses on U.S. foreign policy and the Middle East. Pipes is the author of sixteen books. He visited Bulgaria at the invitation of Bulgaria Analytica).

Copyright: www.meforum.org – Publication on RIEAS web site (www.rieas.gr) on 5 July 2017.

Note: Factor.bg June 29, 2017

Faktor.bg: Turkey has now openly sided with Qatar in its quarrel with Saudi Arabia, Egypt etc. How dangerous is this in terms of isolating Ankara from the Sunnis in the Sunni-Shia conflict?

Daniel Pipes: As I see it, the danger lies elsewhere: in Ankara and Tehran joining together to support Qatar. That potentially could precipitate a war between them and the Saudi-led alliance, and that in turn could jeopardize the Persian Gulf's oil and gas exports, possibly leading to a global economic crisis. Read more

Ehud Eilam
(Ph.D., analyst of Israel’s national security, is a former civilian researcher for the Israeli Military. He resides in the United States)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 4 June 2017

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

This upcoming week mark 50 years since the 1967 war. Compared to that showdown in 2017 Israel’s national security situation is much better.
In early June 1967 Arab states had internal problems but today it is much worse, especially in countries like Syria. This Arab turmoil reduced dramatically the willingness and capabilities of Arab states to turn against Israel....Read more