Beijing’s One Belt, One Road initiative, a viable alternative to China’s vulnerable sea routes through the South China Sea, is aimed at bolstering China’s economy and preventing the US from imposing a distant blockade of the country, Stratfor notes. China’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century …

Some US allies in the Middle East are considering sending arms directly to Kurdish Peshmerga forces, fighting the Islamic State jihadist group (ISIL) in Iraq, despite Washington’s requirement that all weaponry be channeled through Baghdad authorities, sources in Gulf states told the Telegraph on Thursday. MOSCOW (Sputnik)– Last …

Representatives of the Arab League meet Thursday in Cairo to discuss the deadly attacks on military checkpoints in North Sinai which occurred the previous day; the emergency session was reportedly requested by Egypt. The Arab League is convening an emergency session on Thursday in connection with the July 1 attacks by Islamic …

A crucial part of the United States’ plan to train moderate Syrian rebels to combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group is locating those so-called “moderates.” The problem: those are becoming harder and harder to find.  Last June, the White House asked Congress for $500 million to train and …

Kuwait’s Oil Minister Ali al-Omair said the government will examine on Monday new security legislation, following a suicide bomb attack on a Shia mosque that left 26 dead. “The cabinet will discuss this issue Monday,” said Omair when asked about a government plan to introduce anti-terror legislation. He …

Saudi Arabia and other key US allies in the Middle East have started asserting themselves more aggressively in the region after living years in the shadow of Washington, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in an interview published Sunday.  Assange said during the Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week) show on Russia’s …

The US military has over-invested into weapons which work well for launching attacks on countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria but are quite ineffective for countries like Russia and China, media outlet Flight Global reports.  The US military has over-invested in purchasing short- range direct attack bombs and has …

NATO’s unprecedented decision to deploy troops and heavy weaponry to Russia’s western border spells the beginning of a “new and potentially more dangerous cold war,” which will lead to increasingly strained relations with Moscow and escalating violence in Ukraine, the National Interest reported.  “Taking this perhaps fateful step …

Around 50 ships and support vessels, 40 planes and helicopters and approximately 14,000 servicemen took part in the exercises.  MOSCOW, June 25 (Sputnik) – Approximately 50 ships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet carried out military exercises that included submarine searches in the Avachinsky Bay on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Eastern Military District spokesman Capt. …