Recent Posts

Turkey and the West: Drifting Further Apart

In theory, Turkey is a NATO ally. In theory, also, Turkey is in negotiations with the European Union for full membership. In reality, both are illusions. In April, the European Council on Foreign Relations surveyed more than 17,000 people in 12 European countries. The survey found that: “Turkey is the …

Read More »

Digital Authoritarianism and Nonviolent Action: Challenging the Digital Counterrevolution

Nonviolent action campaigns are one of the most common ways citizens seek to peacefully change nonresponsive political systems. Yet recently developed and emergent technologies are transforming the nature of interactions between activists and authoritarian governments. This report examines the increasingly sophisticated set of tools—such as facial recognition and surveillance of …

Read More »

How to Pull Lebanon out of its Torturous Fall

Ahead of next year’s legislative elections, international accountability and public engagement will be key to countering endemic corruption. A year after the horrific Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, the legal pursuit of justice and accountability is proving pointless. Little to no progress has been made, due to how …

Read More »

India, Pakistan Watch Warily as Taliban Move to Takeover

Afghanistan’s neighbors all prefer a negotiated political settlement — but are preparing for a worst-case scenario. The Taliban’s rapid advances have caught the region and the United States off guard. The deterioration in security has forced India, along with many other countries, to retrench its diplomatic presence in the country, …

Read More »

Can Yemen Maintain Its Territorial Integrity? – Analysis

Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi, backed by the Saudi alliance, seems unable to enforce territorial unity throughout his shrunken sphere of influence. Not even against allied powers. Incidents on two islands offshore from Yemen suggest as much. Among the greatest attractions of the Arabian Peninsula are Yemen’s mud skyscrapers, …

Read More »