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The Middle East’s New Jigsaw Puzzle

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  Hi and welcome, If you appreciate hard-hitting, fact-based analysis, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. By doing so, you help ensure the survival of independent journalism and analysis. The Turbulent World depends on your support. Subscribing will allow you to l isten to the podcast, and/ or watch the video associated with this story. To subscribe, please  click  here .  Thank you for your support and loyalty, take care, and best wishes. Decimating Hezbollah and ousting President Bashar al-Assad were the first steps in a Middle Eastern power struggle that is likely to define not only who wields the most influence in Syria but also who will emerge as regional hegemons. Turkey, Israel, and Iran are prime candidates, with countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar playing catch up, at least in Syria. The line-up in Syria reflects the likely longer-term divvying up of influence regionally in a complex jigsaw puzzle. Turkey, Iran, Is...
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Saudi Arabia and international sports, a tale of politics and greed

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  Saudi Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Saud By James M Dorsey   Hi and welcome,   Thank you for joining me today.   If you appreciate hard-hitting, fact-based analysis, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers can access the full archive, exclusive posts, and polling. They can leave comments, join debates, and know they are supporting independent writing, reporting, and analysis that lets the chips fall where they fall. You can contribute by clicking here and choosing one of the subscription options. To listen to the podcast or watch the video, please click here . Thank you for your support and loyalty, take care, and best wishes. Saudi Arabia brings out the worst in the world of international sports in terms of politics and greed. FIFA’s awarding Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup hosting rights is just the tip of the iceberg. The awarding violated the world soccer body’s human rights policy and mocked the sports world’s fiction that ...
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Iran fears setback may open a Pandora’s box

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  By James M. Dorsey Hi and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. If you appreciate hard-hitting, fact-based analysis, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.   Paid subscribers can access the full archive, exclusive posts, and polling. They can leave comments, join debates, and know they are supporting independent writing, reporting, and analysis that lets the chips fall where they fall. You can contribute by clicking here and choosing one of the subscription options. Thank you for your support and loyalty and best wishes for the new year. With Donald j. Trump two weeks away from returning to the White House, Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) fear that recent setbacks could open a Pandora’s box. Israel’s puncturing of Swiss cheese-sized holes in the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance has upended the Islamic Republic’s forward defence strategy, raised questions about the future of the IRGC’s Quds Force, its foreign operations arm, and risks turni...
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Israel’s military has a crisis even if it refuses to admit it

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  Credit: Al Jazeera By James M. Dorsey Hi and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. If you appreciate hard-hitting, fact-based analysis, please take advantage of my New Year’s special offer of a 25 percent discount on annual subscriptions.   If you are a free subscriber, you can upgrade to a paid subscriber at the special rate. Monthly subscribers can upgrade to an annual subscription at the discounted rate.   To upgrade, please click here   Paid subscribers can access the full archive, exclusive posts, and polling. They can leave comments, join debates, and know they are supporting independent writing, reporting, and analysis that lets the chips fall where they fall.   Thank you for your support and loyalty and best wishes for the new year.   Israel’s once-vaunted military faces an uncertain future. Not just because the International Court of Justice (IC J) is set to judge Israel's Gaza war conduct and the issuance by the International Criminal Court ...
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