Recent Posts

New Team and New Fears in Tehran

Major-General Hossein Salami, chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and keynote speaker in this year’s ceremonies, even claims that the US has already lost its global leadership position while a trio made of China, Russia and Iran is emerging as the new arbiter of human destiny. Not responding …

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European Army: Rhetoric versus Reality

The call for a supranational army, part of a push for Europe to achieve “strategic autonomy” from the United States, is being spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron, who, as part of his reelection campaign, apparently hopes to replace outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the de facto leader of …

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Ethiopia Declares State of Emergency as Civil War Escalates Sharply

As Ethiopia’s civil war continues to drag on, Tigrayan rebels are advancing toward the capital, leading the government in Addis Ababa to declare a state of emergency, currently slated for six months. The Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has apparently joined forces with another rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army …

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Taliban size up the threat from a tenacious IS-K

As the Taliban shift their focus from insurgency to government, their most formidable rival is the Islamic State’s regional chapter, which has staged a string of bloody attacks in recent weeks. The latest atrocity claimed by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) killed at least 19 people Tuesday, including a senior Taliban commander …

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Central Asia Pivotal to Great Power Strategy on Afghanistan

China’s establishment of military bases in Tajikistan reflects a shared concern with Central Asian countries about the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. Tajikistan is pivotal to China and other actors because it borders areas of Afghanistan where there is a small, but active, armed opposition to the Taliban. Regional …

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Iran Strikes U.S. Base in Syria

Iran’s drone strike on the U.S. base at Al Tanf, in Syria last week, reflects Iran’s increasing willingness to take direct military action against its adversaries. After U.S. actions in Afghanistan, Iran perceives that military pressure might compel the United States to withdraw entirely from Syria as well as from …

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The Islamic State is Not Finished in Iraq and Syria

ISIS is slowly regrouping in both Iraq and Syria, forming sleeper cells to launch attacks, while maintaining an effective command-and-control to wage a low-level guerrilla insurgency and mobilize new support. The Islamic State is able to conduct asymmetric attacks on civilians and security forces, but can also marshal the resources …

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