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US-Iran tensions in Iraq and the effect on civil society

While Iraq’s domestic political crisis continues, the geopolitical face-off between the U.S. and Iran has broadened out, ensnaring civic actors in a mainly military (non)confrontation. Militias have launched rockets at the Green Zone in Baghdad, which houses government buildings and all international representation, seemingly in line with the wishes of …

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Navy takes delivery of final Block II Super Hornet, looks ahead to Block III

Since 2005, F/A-18 Super Hornet Block II aircraft have been rolling off Boeing’s production line and serving as the U.S. Navy’s multi-mission capable workhorse. The service took delivery of the final Block II Super Hornet, closing out a run of 322 one-seater F/A-18Es and 286 two-seated F/A-18Fs, on April 17.

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IntelBrief: The United States is Struggling to Regain Influence in Syria

As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Asad continues seeking to gain control over rebel-held territory and move toward claiming victory in the Syrian civil war, the United States is looking to consolidate and expand its presence in the eastern provinces of Deir al-Zour and al-Hasakah. The primary U.S. presence has remained in …

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IntelBrief: The Wagner Group: A Russian Symphony of Profit and Politics

The Wagner Group is a Russian private military company (PMC) created in 2014 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin, also known as Putin’s chef because of a lucrative catering business that satiated Putin’s tastes, has long served as a Russian proxy to help Moscow …

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IntelBrief: Saudi Missteps Destabilize Global Oil Market

In early 2020, the global oil market has been in free fall from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a clash between two major producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The oil price crash is the first such collapse since the United States has become a major oil producer, a development …

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