The high degree of personalization of the Russian regime, coupled with the vast size and diversity of the country, precludes the possibility of a systematic approach to solving complex problems. When everything goes wrong, the authorities begin to frantically rush about and plug holes. This fully applies to the war …

The killing of longtime al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri could accelerate a trend that has been consistently emerging in recent years—the factionalization and regionalization of the global jihadist movement. To survive, al-Qaeda adopted a franchising strategy which led it to expand worldwide and establish regional branches in the Levant, North Africa, …

Advances in Iran’s nuclear program have heightened concerns that it could develop a nuclear bomb in a matter of weeks. Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat and has signaled it would take aggressive military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program if it passes the nuclear threshold. …

What do we know about Zawahiri’s death? On 2 August, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. had killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul on the morning of 31 July. The U.S. said it had discovered that Zawahiri had returned to the Afghan capital with his family in …

Demonstrators are occupying parliament in Baghdad, with Iraq’s main political camps deeply divided. The standoff need not turn violent, if the country’s leaders can shift to dialogue with support from foreign partners. It has been ten months since Iraqis went to the polls, for the fifth general election in the …

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was reportedly the second target of the Iranian regime. The IRGC member reportedly offered $1 million for his murder. The Biden administration remains silent and evidently continues to see “diplomacy” — read: appeasement — as the only path to deal with the Iranian …

The Marcos government does not face a choice between the US or China, amid Taiwan tensions. It faces a choice between military buildup or economic development, amid dimming global economic prospects. During his recent meeting with President Marcos Jr., Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US-Philippine “alliance” was strong, …

When Russia invaded Ukraine, it took itself off the map of Eurasian transport corridors linking China and Europe. At the same time, it breathed new life into moribund routes that would allow goods to travel across the Eurasian landmass without traversing Russia. It also opened the door to greater Russian …

The mysterious network of mercenaries is embracing an ever-public image as the war on Ukraine drags on. On paper, the Wagner Group, a Russian network providing fighters for hire, does not exist. It does not file tax returns, its alleged backers deny any connection to it and officially, private military …

The [Harvard Belfer Center] report, “The Great Economic Rivalry: China Vs. the US,” predicts that at the current rate China will overtake the US economically within a decade. When it comes to trade, China has now displaced the US. “When this century began, China was knocking on the door of …