It’s been almost a year since Elias—whose name has been changed to protect his identity—officially became a deserter from the Lebanese armed forces. As a specialized technician with over a decade in the army, he had been making the equivalent of $1,300 month. But then Lebanon’s economic crisis hit in …

On July 3, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement with Iraq to invest $3 billion each in the country, signaling an expansion of investments by the Gulf states at a time when Iraq continues to seek financing for postwar reconstruction and development of its infrastructure. Iraqi …

In the intricate mosaic of South Asian geopolitics, the recent overture by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for dialogue between Pakistan and India resonates as a potentially pivotal juncture in the enduring saga of their complex relationship. Against the backdrop of historical grievances and simmering tensions, Sharif’s call for engagement serves …

The Nation Lost its Credibility and Strategic Direction Pakistan’s Neo-colonial elite continued to ruthlessly purge any public dissent against the most hated and most feared ones. The British Raj debacles are hidden in the new freedom of the few against many. Reflecting on the current political fault lines originating from …

Rational foreign policy for any country can be defined as policy based on advancing the short-term as well as the long-term interests of that country and reconciling this with the most essential concerns of the world for peace and protecting the life-nurturing conditions of planet. There can be wide consensus …

Austrian economics properly understands the ability of commercial banks to create money by mismatching their depositor liabilities with their issuing of money substitutes (i.e., the creation of credit). One possible place for further exploration is the role that nonbank or foreign financial institutions play in the creation of credit and …

There has been a notable escalation in maritime tensions between Iran and the United States in the vicinity of Iran’s southern coastlines. In recent years, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have been the sites of several incidents involving attacks on tankers. These occurrences have often taken place …

Two young Muslims [ages 15 and 16] living in Austria recently confessed that they would like to “kill Christians” and “restore the caliphate.” “Killing Christians takes us to paradise.” — The boys’ reply in court. As in other European nations, sex crimes — including against young boys — have skyrocketed …

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 upended European security and, as a result, how European countries approach their security. Finland and Sweden shed their historic nonalignment to join NATO. Germany has pursued a “Zeitenwende,” or historic turning point, beginning the overdue task of breaking with decades of overeager …

At the risk of making too obvious of a point, 2019 is not 2023. In 2019, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen entered office promising a “geopolitical Commission.” Since then, the European Union (EU) has faced one geopolitical crisis after another—a pandemic, a war in Europe, and intensifying energy …