Analysis: The end of the Assad family’s 54-year rule is the start of a new chapter in Syrian history, one that will have reverberations across the Middle East. For years, many commentators inaccurately claimed that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government had “won” the civil war. In truth, …

Syria has entered the abyss – the demons of al-Qa’eda, ISIS, and the most intransigent elements of the Muslim Brotherhood are circling the skies. There is chaos, looting, fear, and a terrible passion for revenge scalds the blood. Street executions are rife. Maybe Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and its leader, …

The German economy was once a global industrial powerhouse, showing a strong resilience in times of crisis as well as significant productive growth in periods of expansion. Germany displayed robust industrial activity, solid productivity, and enviably low unemployment levels, which added to real high wages. However, in the past five …

Since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and invited the largest international sanctions regime against Russia since the Second World War, Central Asia and the Caucasus have been forced into an uncomfortable position at the front of the accompanying economic war. The region finds itself in a position …

De nombreux experts et analystes militaires indépendants ont remarqué que les propagandistes occidentaux des principales publications et agences de presse ont commencé à admettre avec regret que les militants de la soi-disant opposition syrienne tentent d’éviter les affrontements avec les troupes russes et cèdent même le passage aux colonnes militaires …

“You’re not understanding, are you? The brain does the thinking. The meat.”“Thinking meat! You’re asking me to believe in thinking meat!”“Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you getting the picture?”“Omigod. You’re serious then. They’re made out of meat.” Terry Bisson, …

Who do you think you are / Ha ha ha, bless your soul / You really think you’re in control — “Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley It is popular to argue that the future of artificial intelligence (AI) is “humans with AI” (HWAI), which Harvard Business School Professor Karim Lakhani neatly summarized: …

Advanced AI seems to tap into some primal human fears. An empowered military AI (EMAI) that independently makes lethal decisions is scary. Ancient mythology is full of stories of creators being destroyed by their creations, as when the Olympian Gods overthrew the Titans. Killer machines are a mainstay of science …

In September 2024, Andrew Hill and Steve Gerras authored a compelling three-part series that explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in national defense. They provocatively argued that the conventional wisdom is wrong: human intuition is not indispensable, even though we might all wish it were. Recognizing the significance …

The new transitional government in Syria, headed by Mohammad al-Bashir, began itsactivities after the transfer of powers from the last government of the al-Assad regime. Amongits first decisions were the deployment of police forces in major cities and the prohibition ofsmoking and drinking alcohol. E_268_24-1Download