ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

By Pepe Escobar The National People’s Congress in Beijing made it clear that China in the 21st century as led by Xi Jinping now relies, as a state, on the “core” leader’s “four comprehensives” as the letter of the law. The “four comprehensives” are to build a moderately prosperous society; deepen economic reform; advance the law-based governance of China; and strengthen the Communist Party’s self-governance. No foreign-policy adventure/disaster should be allowed to interfere with the “four comprehensives,” which, extrapolated, are also linked to the imperative success of the New Silk Roads (One Belt, One Road), China’s ambitious outreach across Eurasia. But then there’s supremely unpredictable North Korea. And the notorious Lenin line resurfaces: “What is to be done?” Pyongyang has successfully tested land-based, mobile, solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missiles. When operational, this development translates into a North Korean first-strike capability difficult to track, as

Ten servicemen of the Egyptian Security Forces have been killed during a military operation in central Sinai. The Egyptian Security Forces (Photo: AP) Ten servicemen of the Egyptian Security Forces lost their lives, when their vehicle blew up on two self-made explosive devices during an anti-terror military operation in central Sinai, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday, citing a military spokesman. According to the spokesman, in the course of the special operation, aimed on a terrorist base in the peninsula, the Egyptian Security Forces managed to kill 15 militants and arrest seven others. The security forces also found and destroyed half a ton of TNT explosive and seized two vehicles, loaded with hand grenades and hundreds of mobile phones. The Egyptian Armed Forces fight against militants in the sparsely populated governorate of North Sinai, where terrorists became active after the overthrow of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who was a member of the Muslim Brothe

The Iraqi Army, the Federal Police, the Counter-Terrorism Forces and the Popular Mobilization Units , supported by the US-led coalition, took control of the historic Sham Gates and continued their advance against ISIS terrorists in the Badush suburbs in the northern part of western Mosul. This advance allowed to tighten siege on ISIS forces separated into two pockets: western Mosul and Tal Afar. Iraqi forces aim to outflank the terrorist group in the heavily-fortified Old Mosul district after failed attempts to seize this ISIS-held area from the southern direction. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Air Force ceaselessly hits ISIS all across Nineveh from the Ba’aj bastion west of Tal Afar to Badush and inner-city Mosul where civilian casualties are on the rise. Click to see the full-size image In turn, ISIS desperately attacked positions of the PMU at the Al-Alakat village northwest of Mosul. Terrorists used two armored VBIEDs in addition to a explosive-laden car planted by sleeper cells inside

The Houthi-Saleh alliance has conducted a series of military operation in the Saudi province of Najran, killing and wounding a number of Saudi mercenaries. Photo: Al-Araby al-Jadeed / Agencies On Thursday, the Houthi-Saleh alliance blew up a military vehicle of Saudi mercenaries in the Saudi province of Najran, the Al Masirah TV-channel reported, citing its own unnamed military sources. Reportedly, Houthi-Saleh fighters managed to plant an improvised explosive device on a road, which Saudi soldiers used. As a result, all Saudi mercenaries, who were in the car, were killed. Also on Thursday, a video, showing scenes of a military operation of the Houthi-Saleh alliance , aimed against Saudi mercenaries in Najran province, was published online. The video shows a process of storming and mopping up of Al-Awadi hills, where alliance’s units were deployed after the operation and targeted Saudi sites, located on several axes. The footage also allows seeing armed clashes between Houthi-Saleh fig

The Russian Foreign Ministry has pointed out intensified military tensions in Libya that can be really dangerous for the Libyan statehood. Photo: Daily Mail / AP The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a press release on the situation in Libya . According to the document, Moscow continues to closely monitor development of the situation that does not improve. As the department noted, recently, there were events that cannot be characterized otherwise than very disturbing. The press release reminded that in early March, tensions intensified in the eastern part of Libya due to the renewed fighting in the area of the so-called ‘oil crescent’, located along the Mediterranean coast of the country. By now, units of the Libyan National Army, headed by General Khalifa Haftar, have returned these territories under their control. The document stressed that as a result of the dramatic events, the main oil infrastructure of the country, concentrated in the area, was largely paralyzed. The oil produ