Iraq: The Oil Resource Management

To this day, Iraq owns 11% of the global oil reserves, equal to approximately 112 billion barrels of crude oil. A property from the difficult management caused by the multiple interests regarding it. The central government, out of respect for the USA politics, intends to privatise the sector, while large parts of the remaining political forces, including the Al-Sadur Shiite militants, demand that the exploitation of the repositories remain exclusively state prerogative. Continue...

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Marco Di Donato

(19 May 2008)

GCC: Constant but Disorganised Growth

For more than half a century since the birth of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on May 29 1981, the six signing countries (Riyadh, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) of the organisation, which was initially created to encourage an integration of the single economies, have not seen its original mission brought to close. It has seen the founding members proceed, on more than one occasion, in a disorganised manner in front of the challenge of globalisation. Today, despite the significant failure of cooperation of a structured and coordinated area, we must take note of the emergence of the Gulf's growing economy. Continue...

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Massimiliano Frenza Maxia

(16 May 2008)

Lebanon: The Causes of the New Internal Violence and Hezbollah's Position of Strength

Throughout the course of the weekend in Beirut, the prospect of a new civil war returned. The Hezbollah armed militia occupied the whole of the West of the capital and seiged the symbols of the pro-western government. The violence exploded suddenly after Siniora's decision to cut the telecommunication lines installed by the Party of God and to remove the organiser of Beirut's airport security. The Army remained neutral and has not taken part in the fights, resuming control of West Beirut after three days of strikes. Siniora withdrew the measures and Hezbollah was therefore the winner on all fronts. Continue...

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Stefano Torelli

(15 May 2008)

Middle East: The Human Development

The UN's last report on human development was published at the end of 2007. This report is a mine of data, which can make the many social dynamics of the Middle East comprehensible, in particular the way in which wealth is distributed in the region. Continue...

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Mauro Scalercio

(14 May 2008)

Egypt: The Prospective Politics After the Increase in Food Prices

The increase in the price of bread, a number of repurcussuions of the larger inflation of food prices on a global scale in recent years, has brought about manifestations, arrests and fatalities. Egypt questions its future, in the light of a probable withdrawal of Mubarak to the candidacy for the next presidential elections in 2011. They urge reforms to speed up the growth of the country. The American influence and the presence of groups organised by the Islamist matrix, inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, represents the dilemma of the society and the Egyptian political class. On the horizon there is a new executive class which must live alongside these two opposite forces. Continue...

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Stefano Torelli

(13 May 2008)

Palestine: Minority Resistance Movements

The Palestinian political scene is composed of numerous and very different realities and is not broken down into the one clash between Fatah and Hamas. Other important movements whose purely political actions correspond to a tough armed fight are also present. Despite the evident organisational and military inferiority compared to the organization of the two principal factions, these smaller groups hold a weight that must not in any way be underestimated. The Nahel Oz attack was only one initial demonstration of this.. Continue...

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Marco Di Donato

(07 May 2008)

Weekly Analyses – 16/2008

Zimbabwe: Collapse of the Government Confirmed - United States: Military Analysts and Their Ties with the Pentagon - Afghanistan: The Start of a Spring Offensive - Georgia: Moscow Hasn’t Ruled Out Military Intervention in Defence of Abhkazia and Ossetia - Syria: Tensions with Washington Rise Regarding Nuclear Issues Continue...

1958 Words

(28 April 2008)