IHSS: Two Ukrainian Air Force (Povitryani Sily: PS) Sukhoi Su-25 ‘Frogfoot’ ground attack aircraft were shot down by separatist forces in the east of the country on 23 July, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
Intelligence, Iraq, Middle East
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant: More than Just a June Surprise
ISN: Bryan Price and others believe that the latest offensive by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant isn’t unique – i.e., it’s consistent with the operations it undertook between 2012 and 2013. They also warn that limited military…
Intelligence, Iran, Iraq, Middle East
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Iraq’s Security Breakdown
Jamestown.org: As the assault of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in northern Iraq increasingly enhances the prospect of Iraq’s disintegration, Iran has responded aggressively by adopting a policy of direct engagement with its neighbor (Press TV [Tehran],…
Intelligence, Middle East, Terrorism
Militants push anti-Assad rebels close to collapse in Syria
Financial Times: A multi-pronged offensive in Syria by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (known as Isis) is threatening to bring down what is left of the country’s original rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Opposition forces fighting to end four…
Business Intelligence, China
China’s urban dreams, and the regional reality (PDF)
EIU: The scale of urbanisation in China has been dizzying. Hundreds of millions of people have moved over the past three decades, leaving the countryside for higher wages in the city. This trend will continue in the next 20 years,…
Europe, Terrorism
EU mulls response to Syria-bound fighters
BRUSSELS (EUObserver)- Over 2,000 EU nationals are said to have left to fight in Syria raising concern some may pose a security threat upon their return to the EU. “We’ve more than 2,000 Europeans who have been to Syria, or…
China, Terrorism
Beijing, Kunming, Urumqi and Guangzhou: The Changing Landscape of Anti-Chinese Jihadists
Jamestown.org: During the roughly six months since China suffered its first-ever car bombing in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on October 31, 2013, China has witnessed a series of other terrorist attacks on its territory. Such attacks included a mass stabbing at…
Russia
Russian Oil to Feature in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline—Circumventing Possible Sanctions?
Jamestown.org: In a surprising turnaround of previous policy, Russia’s Lukoil announced on May 16 that its oil will soon be delivered to Europe via the 1,093-mile-long, 1.2 million-barrel-per-day Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. The BTC pipeline transports oil from Azerbaijan’s offshore…
Intelligence, Russia
Russia’s Information Campaign in Crimea: Nodes, Themes and Caution
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 11 Issue: 46 Since the Crimea crisis erupted, international attention focused naturally on Russian troop movements and signs of fresh moves by Moscow to isolate the Crimean Peninsula or step up the tempo of the…