Middle East/North Africa

Pakistan is asking Iran and Saudi Arabia for economic assistance -- which could come with political strings attached. [more]

Syria's agenda for Lebanon may have Turkish and Israeli backing. [more]

Syria reportedly has increased the number of its troops on the Lebanese border. [more]

Saudi Arabia stands to benefit from the Afghan Taliban's decision to cut ties with al Qaeda. [more]

Israel and the United States -- ahead of leadership changes in both countries -- are trying to deal with Russia. [more]

Assessing the strength or weakness of the al Qaeda organization depends largely on how one decides to define it -- and which of the two critical battlespaces one is observing. We examine each of those definitions and provide our assessment of the organization's current state in both the physical and ideological battlespace. [more]

A Russian port call in Libya hints at a revived struggle between Moscow and the West for Libya's affections. [more]

A U.S. ballistic missile defense radar has reportedly arrived in Israel. (With Stratfor map) [more]

Part four of a series by Stratfor founder and Chief Intelligence Officer George Friedman on the U.S. presidential debate on foreign policy. [more]

A car bomb exploded in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sept. 27, killing 17 people and wounding 14 others. [more]

The following is an internal Stratfor document produced to provide high-level guidance to our analysts. This document is not a forecast, but rather a series of guidelines for understanding and evaluating events, as well as suggestions on areas for focus. [more]

Concluding a special series of podcasts, Stratfor’s Middle East director, Kamran Bokhari, discusses how Iran’s geography shapes its economy, security policies and U.S. options in dealing with Tehran. [more]

Israel has seen three attacks in three months in which Arab Israelis from East Jerusalem used vehicles as weapons. [more]

A new segment in Stratfor’s podcast series on the science and application of geopolitical principles opens with a look at Iran. Marla Dial narrates. [more]

Russia derailed a meeting the United States had hoped to use to discuss new sanctions against Iran. Washington, meanwhile, is growing weary of Tehran's negotiating games. [more]

Syria moved troops to the northern Syrian-Lebanese border, making militant Lebanese movement Hezbollah very concerned. [more]

After months of gridlock, Iraq's Parliament approved a law that will let provincial elections take place by Jan. 31, 2009. [more]

Part two of a series by Stratfor founder and Chief Intelligence Officer George Friedman on the U.S. presidential debate on foreign policy. [more]

A troop buildup could be a sign that Syria is moving to reassert physical control over Lebanon. [more]

Part one of a series by Stratfor founder and Chief Intelligence Officer George Friedman on the U.S. presidential debate on foreign policy. [more]