ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΜΕΣΟΓΕΙΑΚΩΝ, ΜΕΣΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΩΝ & ΙΣΛΑΜΙΚΩΝ ΣΠΟΥΔΩΝ

The Arab Spring and the 2012 Malian coup brought to surface a new threat in North Africa; Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a once weak node of Al-Qaeda, has upgraded its capabilities, and it seems to be a growing threat for the local security and political stability. This article aims to present the structure of Al-Qaeda’s terrorist network in N. Africa, and to comment on its political and security pressure in the region.

The article is about the Iraqi stance on the Syrian crisis and in particular of the official government, the Sunni minority in Iraq, the Iraqi Kurds and the tribes in Iraq. Each party has its own goals and interests in the outcome of the Syrian civil war and we will see them unfold below.

Iran has been in the forefront of international interest during the last years due to its nuclear program and strategic position for the Middle Eastern affairs. However, Iran’s internal political arena is equally turbulent to its international relations. After the 2009 elections and the crush of the Green Movement a new power struggle has emerged within the Iranian regime. President Ahmadinejad’s attempt to create a loyal elite around him was met with a fierce response from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s side which stripped him off his power, attacked his associates and might even cancel the position of president itself. The outcome of this “internal war” is crucial for both regional and global politics

“Innocence of Muslims”, a very low budget movie without any artistic value, achieved what it meant to. The movie was condemned by all Muslims who felt offended and, led to demonstrations of Muslim population around the world. Further it was exploited as a pretext by Islamist extremists to stage terrorist attacks like the one that resulted in killing of 4 Americans including Christopher Stevens, US Ambassador to Libya.