August, 2021

• 24 August

  Who Really Are the Taliban? Is There a Taliban 2.0?

  

  Who are the Taliban? We still see this question floating around a fair amount on social media and online. People also tend to confuse them with al-Qaeda. Now that the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan at a lightning pace over the last two weeks they claim to have been “reformed.” …

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• 24 August

  The Impact of Defections from Boko Haram

  

  Growing defections from Boko Haram offer opportunities for Nigeria’s de-radicalization program to support, prosecute, rehabilitate or obtain intelligence from defectors and civilians. Among Boko Haram’s defectors are two Chibok abductees, proof that captives from Shekau’s faction are being driven out of their Sambisa Forest hideouts for the first time in …

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• 24 August

  Implications of the Fall of Kabul and the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan

  

  The Afghan capital of Kabul has fallen to the Taliban, as fighters marauded through the city, effectively sealing their control of the country. CJCS General Mark Milley noted that terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State could reconstitute in Afghanistan much sooner than expected. The Taliban seizing control …

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• 24 August

  The Next Act in the Afghan Tragedy

  

  The collapse of the US’s position in Afghanistan has limited read-across to its relations with its NATO and Asian allies. But it is a stark reminder of the constraints on the UK as a global power. This is a desperate time for the people of Afghanistan, as they await their …

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• 24 August

  Why Did the Afghan Army Evaporate?

  

  There are several reasons for the collapse of the Afghan army, but a duplicitous US negotiation with the Taliban was the most potent, and the insurgents exploited the uncertainty brilliantly. President Joe Biden’s claim that the Afghan army ‘did not have the resolve’ to fight for its own country would …

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• 24 August

  Protests Challenge Taliban’s Governance

  

  Protests against Taliban rule in Afghanistan spread to several cities ahead of the first Friday prayers since the militant group took control last Sunday. In Kabul, around 200 people gathered at one protest on Thursday, the country’s independence day, before Taliban fighters dispersed them violently. Several people were killed in …

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• 24 August

  Russian Airstrikes on Opposition Sites Around Idleb

  On Tuesday, Russian warplanes launched airstrikes on sites of Turkish-backed armed factions south and north of Idleb, northwest Syria. Russian Sukhoi Su-35 warplanes targeted armed factions’ fortifications in the vicinity of the Sheikh Bahr area, and the outskirts of the town of Mashon, located in the northern and the southern …

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• 24 August

  Wasted Water: Leaking Pipelines Threaten to Let Balkans Run Dry

  As climate change becomes more evident and droughts worsen, Balkan cities need to reduce the huge amount of water leaking each year from pipelines. Every day a woman went to a deep well in the middle of a vast meadow to fill her pots with water. The well had a …

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• 22 August

  US Must Refocus On Central Asia – Analysis

  

  In the past few days, hundreds of Afghan soldiers have sought refuge in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Several dozen helicopters and planes, formerly of the Afghan air force, fled the Taliban’s advance and landed in Uzbekistan. At the time of writing, almost 600 Afghan pilots and crews remain in the country. …

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• 22 August

  Big Barriers On FDI In Indian Defense – Analysis

  

  In 2020, India changed its foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations to allow investments of up to 74 per cent in the defence manufacturing sector under its automatic route, which was previously limited to 49 per cent. This is an important decision for a sector that is struggling to attract investment. …

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