Who remembers the last operation that al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for? For many people, the answer will need s ome thought.
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2020
Watch coalition aircraft pummeling ISIS cave complexes in Iraq
COVID or no COVID, the coalition is still keeping pressure on ISIS fighters across Syria and Iraq.
Read More »Social media platforms allow blacklisted extremists to use accounts
Social media giants have been criticised for allowing sanctioned terrorists to use their platforms, including a Qatari who allegedly gave Al Qaeda £1.6 million (Dh7.37m) a month.
Read More »The Beginning of the End for Oil? Energy in a Post-Pandemic World
Energy analysts have long assumed that, given time, growing international concern over climate change would result in a vast restructuring of the global energy enterprise. The result: a greener, less climate-degrading system. In this future, fossil fuels would be overtaken by renewables, while oil, gas, and coal would be relegated …
Read More »“Self-rule” in Aden and the implications for Russia
Since Russia’s military intervention in Syria intensified in September 2015, many analysts have been busy trying to assess and understand Moscow’s role in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). When discussing Russia’s regional foreign policy, the following three points are key. First, Russia is generally cautious and pragmatic when …
Read More »US Navy Awards Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) Contract
Navy awarded a contract to design and produce the next generation small surface combatant, the Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) April 30. The contract for detail design and construction (DD&C) of up to 10 Guided Missile Frigates (consisting of one base ship and nine option ships) was awarded to Marinette Marine …
Read More »IntelBrief: United States and Iran Heading Slowly Toward the Brink Again
Bottom Line up Front The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated both Iran and the United States, but has not prevented tensions between them from escalating again. Iran’s willingness to undertake provocative actions indicates that the U.S. campaign of ‘maximum pressure’ has not mitigated the threat from Iran. Iranian leaders assess that …
Read More »IntelBrief: The Future of the U.S.-China Relationship in a Post-COVID World
Bottom Line Up Front Through a series of unforced errors and myopic policy choices, the United States is abdicating its position as a global leader, leaving a vacuum that China and other powers vying for hegemony are eagerly filling. By forfeiting leadership on the most pressing challenges of our time, …
Read More »IntelBrief: Is Mohammed bin Salman Leading Saudi Arabia into the Abyss?
Bottom Line Up Front The combination of record-low oil prices and mounting demographic pressures poses significant challenges to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) future plans in Saudi Arabia. In mid-April, a Saudi citizen named Abdul Rahim Ahmad Mahmoud al-Hwaiti refused to abandon his home so that MBS could pursue …
Read More »When will holidays restart? A country-by-country guide, including France, Spain and Italy
While the UK remains firmly in lockdown, with social distancing rules in place and only essential shops and services still running, many countries around the world are tentatively loosening their lockdown measures.
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