South Koreans often refer to their country with a famous proverb: “In a fight between whales, the shrimp’s back gets broken.” But rather than a shrimp, Seoul is betting that it can become a dolphin, giving it more agency and maneuverability as competition heats up between the United States and …
Read More »The Rise of Restraint Is Shaking Up Washington
“The general view at the Atlantic Council is to send them back to the Cato Institute where they came from.” The quote, from an anonymous but “prominent” staffer at the Atlantic Council, purported to sum up the reaction at the establishment Washington think tank to the recent arrival of two …
Read More »France’s Double Standard on Democracy in Africa
It all started in late April with an open letter written by a group of 20 retired French generals and published in a right-wing weekly news magazine, Valeurs Actuelles, known for its inflammatory provocations. Describing France as teetering on the edge of civil war, the letter called on France’s civilian …
Read More »Egypt, UAE boost security cooperation in Chad, Sahel
In the wake of the killing of Chadian President Idriss Deby at the hands of rebel groups, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt agreed on the need to boost cooperation to preserve the stability and security of the Sahel region, while also seeking to counter Turkey’s influence. The Emirati Ministry …
Read More »Ethiopian PM accuses Egypt, Sudan of backing unrest in western region
The Ethiopian Prime Minister called out his neighbors for fueling the recent round of violence in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz region where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is located. Violence has been ongoing in Ethiopia’s western region of Benishangul-Gumuz where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is located, with Ethiopia announcing …
Read More »IRGC officer killed by Kurdish fighters in skirmish
The Iran-Iraq border has recently witnessed a fresh uptick in cross-border attacks by Kurdish armed groups fighting for autonomy. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said one of its members was “martyred” during intense clashes with Kurdish fighters near the border with Iraq early on May 4. The IRGC claimed …
Read More »Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief meets with Syrian counterpart in Damascus
The meeting takes place during the first official visit to Damascus by Saudi Arabia since 2012. Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief met with his Syrian counterpart in Damascus on Monday in a sign of possible rapprochement between the two governments a decade after relations were severed. London-based Rai al-Youm news outlet …
Read More »Tehrik Labaik Pakistan And Politics Of Religious Right – Analysis
The Tehrik Labaik Pakistan (TLP), in a very short time, has emerged as one of the strongest neo-fundamentalist radical organisations. The TLP was the fifth largest party in the national elections held in July 2018. Several factors contributed to its rise. Most notable of them was the leadership provided by …
Read More »US Presses Taliban To Ease Violence, Resume Peace Talks
The United States appears upbeat about the resumption of stalled peace talks between warring parties in Afghanistan, even as fighting escalates amid the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the country. A senior U.S. official said Tuesday during a background briefing in Kabul that Washington’s diplomatic efforts are continuing …
Read More »Pentagon Expands Hacker Program To All Publicly Accessible Defense Information Systems
Ethical hackers now have many more targets within the Defense Department, DOD officials announced. The department is expanding its Vulnerability Disclosure Program to include all publicly accessible DOD information systems. The program grew out of the success of the “Hack the Pentagon” initiative that began in 2016. That initiative enabled …
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