Recent Posts

Making Peace with the Paris Agreement

Peace and conflict need to be considered in the climate change agenda. The Paris Agreement was nothing less than a landmark agreement. Legally binding, adopted by 196 parties to the convention, it has inspired hope and ambition to get to net-zero emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial …

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Ukraine: The Daily Intelligence Event

While Defence Intelligence’s daily briefings have garnered praise, the emphasis has been on publicity over analytical quality. In the world of secret intelligence, at least in the UK, such is the mystique surrounding the various agencies that a rare public speech by ‘C’ or the head of GCHQ is treated …

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No War for Old Spies: Putin, the Kremlin and Intelligence

Russia’s failures are a result of outdated Soviet attitudes and ideas that cannot keep up with the evolving intelligence environment. The Russian offensive against Ukraine has been dogged by a cascade of intelligence failures at every level of command. This has ranged from completely failing to assess the likelihood and …

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A UK Joint Methodology for Assuring Theatre Access

This Whitehall Report outlines a joint methodology for the targeting of A2/AD systems. The British military is expeditionary and seeks to confront adversaries abroad before they pose a threat at home. Theatre entry is therefore a precondition for the utility of the British military. Adversaries are fielding increasingly capable and …

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Something’s Brewing: China’s “Teapot” Refineries and Middle East Oil Producers

This year, China is expected to overtake the United States as the world’s largest oil refining country.[1] Although China’s bloated and fragmented crude oil refining sector has undergone major changes over the past decade, it remains saddled with overcapacity.[2] Privately owned unaffiliated refineries, known as “teapots,”[3] mainly clustered in Shandong …

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