The embargo to be placed on the export of Iranian oil has elicited different reactions from countries that are hostile to Tehran and those which maintain relations with it; a matter that carries with it serious implications for trade in the Middle East and further afield, in Europe and...
“The history of international water treaties dates as far back as 2500 BC, when the two Sumerian city-states of Lagash and Umma crafted an agreement ending a water dispute along the Tigris River - often said to be the first treaty of any kind.”
Today, international water partnerships in the...
By Ali Ziad al Ali, researcher specialising in international and strategic affairs.
The phenomenon of terrorism is little more than a synthetic hybrid construct that combines several contradictory components and strands. Some analysts have argued that the term is both structurally and conceptually vague, whether intentionally or otherwise. However, if...
Introduction
Land border-crossings represent a very important economic asset for neighbouring countries because of the income generated through cross-border commercial trade, as well as, providing a tourist corridor for the transit of visitors and tourists between countries. Border-crossings are also an important security gateway for the country.
The greater the number...
Abstract
The challenges faced by Germany’s recent experience in Iraq reflect the complex and dynamic nature of engaging in conflict zones in the Middle East. An overlap between humanitarian concerns and national security interests formed the basis of Germany’s initial decision to deploy soldiers to northern Iraq, but once there,...
By Ali Ziad al Ali, researcher specialising in international and strategic affairs.
At the beginning of 2016, Canada announced, in the words of its Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, a strategy called the "Middle East Strategy", which focused on ways of enhancing Canadian interests in the region, in general, and in...
Summary
Neoliberal thinking provides a broad-spectrum interpretation of the role of resources in regional rivalries, and issues such as identity, energy and water resources are considered legitimate reasons for rivalry in international politics. Strategists argue that in the years following the Cold War, there was good reason for new regional...
Russia has been seeking a more robust relationship with Iraq since the so-called Arab Spring started in 2011, eager to build on the remnants of what was once a strong Soviet-Iraqi alliance during the Cold War. The Kremlin’s appetite for courting Iraq has been driven by security considerations, shrewd...
By Ali Ziad al Ali, Researcher Specialising in International and Strategic Affairs
Iraq’s geopolitical position represents a strategic imperative and a reality which compels the superpowers to maintain relations with it. Japan recognised the importance of this vital position in terms of energy and geopolitics. Iraq represents a strategic opportunity...
Since assuming the seats of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China in 2012, the governance of Xi Jinping has been defined by far-reaching projects and initiatives. On the surface, these policies have sought to continue China’s upward economic...
