March, 2022

• 4 March

  Building Iraqi Army Will to Fight to Prevent Another Disaster

  

  Conditions in Iraq have improved to the point that, in December 2021, the United States ended its combat support operations in the country. A residual force of about 2,500 U.S. military personnel remains to advise and train Iraq’s security forces. Operation Inherent Resolve—the U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State—has …

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• 4 March

  China and Russia are proposing a new authoritarian playbook. MENA leaders are watching closely.

  

  When President Donald Trump lost the 2020 US presidential election to democratic candidate Joe Biden, many leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) saw an ominous warning that democracy may again take center stage in US foreign policy, with autocrats trying to consolidate power in their hands. However, …

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• 4 March

  As Qatar becomes a non-NATO ally, greater responsibility conveys with the status

  

  On January 31, US President Biden told the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that the United States would nominate Qatar as a “Major Non-NATO Ally” (MNNA). This status recognizes the bilateral security cooperation between the United States and Qatar has matured to the level beyond the already …

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• 4 March

  Analyzing the Russia-Ukraine Conflict from an African Standpoint

  

  African countries’ reservations on condemning Russia’s invasion to Ukraine can be explored through growing Russian ties with African leaders. Those who did condemn also called out Western double standards on international law. How will African countries react to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what diplomatic fissures are likely to …

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• 4 March

  Europe needs to prepare for a future without Russian energy

  

  As Russia ramps up its invasion of Ukraine, it’s increasingly obvious that Europe and the United States need to build resiliency against further hostile actions from the Kremlin such as the weaponization of energy. Western states have been left scrambling for nonmilitary interventions—but the problem for NATO is that European …

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• 4 March

  Russia Crisis Military Assessment: Why did Russia’s invasion stumble?

  

  The bottom line During the first week of the war, Russian ground forces have become bogged down outside of the northern Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv due to their failure to establish air superiority (which has resulted in significant aircraft and helicopter losses), too few troops to execute three …

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• 4 March

  Inside Vladimir Putin’s criminal plan to purge and partition Ukraine

  

  As Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine continues to escalate, many are asking what the Russian dictator ultimately hopes to achieve. During his March 3 phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Russian ruler made clear that he is committed to taking full control of Ukraine and “neutralizing” the country. …

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• 4 March

  International Unity is Needed to Prevent a Divided Libya

  

  Libya again has two rival administrations pressing claims to be the rightful government. Both sides have armed loyalists. Outside powers should join hands to help stop them from clashing once more. Libya is at a perilous crossroads – again. On 1 March, the country’s Tobruk-based parliament, the House of Representatives, …

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• 4 March

  Pentagon establishes communication line with Russians amid war in Ukraine

  

  The Pentagon has established a communication line to the Russian Defense Ministry in attempts to reduce the risk of dangerous misunderstandings as Russia wages war on Ukraine, a U.S. defense official said Thursday. The Defense Department set up the deconfliction line on Tuesday “for the purposes of preventing miscalculation, military …

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• 4 March

  Russians seize nuclear plant after attack, Ukrainian officials say

  

  Ukrainian officials said on Friday that fire at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been extinguished, but that the facility is now under Russian control after fighting. In a later development at a Friday news conference, the chief of the U.N.’s atomic watchdog said there had been no …

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