Great to team up with my esteemed @CarnegieEndow colleague @andrewsweiss for this de-mythologizing of Russian military, political & economic influence in the Middle East, covering #Syria, #Israel, #Lebanon, #Algeria, #Libya, & #Egypt. 1/carnegieendowment.org/2021/08/31/rea… Moscow's activism in the MENA is certainly formidable: it has adroitly deployed military forces in Syria & Libya & engaged with actors that are off limits to the West. A flat decision-making structure allow Russia to operate nimbly & without concern for domestic blowback. 2/