Yearly Archives: 2021

‘US Sanctions Against Iran Must Be Lifted’, Raisi Demands

“We support any diplomatic plan that achieves this goal,” he said, insisting that his country’s nuclear program is peaceful. During the inauguration ceremony held on Thursday, President Ebrahim Raisi assured that U.S. sanctions against Iran must be lifted. “We support any diplomatic plan that achieves this goal,” he said, insisting …

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The Decade of Defiance & Resistance: Reflections On Arab Revolutionary Uprisings And Responses From 2010 – 2020

The dynamics fostered by the wars and revolutions plaguing many Arab states today represent the most consequential national transformations since World War I, culminating in a period of civilian defiance and resistance that was especially distinct between 2010 – 2020. Despite being pauperized by predatory governments, citizens have challenged their …

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A Way Forward With Iran? Options for Crafting a U.S. Strategy

Any discussion of a Biden administration strategy on Iran must begin with an analysis of how previous U.S. administrations have approached the threat posed by Iran. From the very start of the Islamic Republic forty-one years ago, U.S.-Iran relations have been fraught with mistrust, animosity, threats, and occasional active hostilities, …

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Bringing Terrorists to Justice: Prosecuting ISIL War Crimes and Terrorism

In his final briefing to the United Nations Security Council in May 2021, the Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD), Karim A.A. Khan QC, highlighted their finding of “clear and convincing evidence” that ISIL attacks against the …

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Terrorism and Counterterrorism in Southeast Asia: Emerging Trends and Dynamics

In the last three years, Indonesia and the southern Philippines have seen something new: women carrying out suicide bombings – some with their husbands, some with their children, and some avenging slain husbands – targeting churchgoers, police officers, and soldiers.1 In Malaysia, during the May 2018 general election, a 51-year-old …

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Taliban Slam US Relocation Program for Afghans, Take Credit for Kabul Bombing

The Taliban condemned the United States on Wednesday for what they described as “plain interference” in Afghanistan by offering to resettle Afghan civilians with affiliations to international forces who could be targeted by the insurgent group. Washington on Monday announced the program that offers thousands of Afghan interpreters and translators, …

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Britain’s Top General Calls for Retaliation on Iran for Drone Strike

Britain’s top military commander, General Nick Carter, said Wednesday that Western powers need to retaliate for a suspected Iranian drone strike on an oil tanker, which killed a British security guard and the ship’s Romanian captain — otherwise Tehran will feel emboldened. Speaking to the BBC, Carter, chief of the …

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U.S. Will Continue to Operate in South China Sea to Ensure Prosperity for All

There’s a variety of concerns that keep Indo-Pacom on its toes — many centered around the activities of China, which quite often don’t match up with the words that come out of Beijing, its commander said. “We certainly view with concern many of the actions that we’ve seen from Beijing,” …

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Over 24 Chadian Soldiers Murdered in Jihadist Attack

Since 2015, Lake Chad has been a refuge for Boko Haram, a group which seeks to impose an Islamic state in Nigeria. On Wednesday, the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram killed over 24 Chadian soldiers in the surroundings of Lake Chad in Central Africa. The soldiers were attacked while resting …

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