Russia has long seen the Black Sea as essential for projecting power and influence in the Mediterranean and beyond. Yet protecting Russian interests in the region has come at a cost. Russia’s approach to the Black Sea builds on a centuries-old history of confrontation with Europe’s major powers and on …
Read More »Denmark Collaborated With the United States to Spy on Allies
The NSA would have used the Danish IT infrastructure to spy on Angela Merkel and other European leaders. The Danish public television DR and other European media on Sunday published an investigation showing that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) gave the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) open internet access …
Read More »Social Ties And Jihadist Terrorism: What Turns Violent Radicalization Into Terrorist Involvement? – Analysis
An analysis of the social ties that link a group of young people, radicalised into Jihadism in Spain, to various actors from the global Jihadist movement reveals that the number and strength of such ties has a bearing on why some individuals become involved in terrorist activities while others decide …
Read More »Myanmar: Chevron, Total Suspend Some Payments To Junta
Governments and energy companies should follow up a recent decision by Chevron and Total SA to suspend payments from a gas pipeline project in Myanmar with additional steps to cut off funding to the country’s military junta, Human Rights Watch said today. While the May 26, 2021 announcement reflects a …
Read More »The U.S. is Leaving Afghanistan. What Might Happen Next?
The nightmare scenario in Afghanistan is the collapse of the government and a Taliban takeover, which some believe to be imminent once the U.S. withdraws. Recent attacks show terrorists and insurgents are able to launch strikes with impunity throughout the country targeting civilians, including women and children. The Taliban’s strategy …
Read More »Ethiopia’s reported filling of Nile dam heats up tensions with Egypt, Sudan
Cairo is ramping up pressure on Addis Ababa again in tandem with Khartoum’s forces. Egypt and Sudan held joint military drills in Sudan this week amid reports that Ethiopia had begun a second filling of its controversial Nile dam. Egyptian ground, naval and air forces, including special forces and paratroopers, …
Read More »Why EU falls behind US on Palestine-Israel issue
The EU has long played an active role in seeking an end to Israeli-Palestinian hostilities. Why has it lost this role? The European Union was once viewed as an important and credible actor in the Middle East, even a potential counterweight to the United States. No longer. During the recent …
Read More »Lesson Learned From Lone Wolves, Suicide Bombers And The Islamic State – Analysis
Introduction Over the recent years, terrorism has taken a paradigm shift in the manner in which terrorist execute their attacks. Unlike in the past, where terror groups would come out as an organized sect with a defined objective known all over the world, the recent past forms of terrorist acts …
Read More »The Federal Reserve’s Ballooning (And Risky) Balance Sheet – Analysis
The Fed has embarked on a massive expansionary quest in recent years. In 2020, total Reserve Bank assets rose from $4.2 trillion to $7.4 trillion amidst the pandemic and related government lockdown and fiscal “stimulus” policies. That was roughly three times the extraordinary growth in the consolidated balance sheet for …
Read More »Germany: New Strategy to Combat ‘Political Islamism’
The policy paper, “Preserving Free Society, Promoting Social Cohesion, Fighting Political Islamism,” which whole-heartedly commends law-abiding Muslims who respect Germany’s democratic order, argues that the debate about Islamism in Germany is often reduced to violence and terror, but that it is necessary to focus more on ideology. The proposals include …
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