Recent Posts

China Overtakes Russia as Dominant Power in Central Asia

Communist China’s People’s Liberation Army has established a military presence in Murghab, Tajikistan, close to the Chinese border with Afghanistan. There is also no doubt that Russia’s embarrassing military imbroglio in Ukraine has helped China supersede Moscow as guarantor of Central Asian state sovereignty. [Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev has…. denounced …

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Lebanon Steps Up Forceful Removals of Syrian Refugees

Amidst festering economic crisis and political stalemate, Lebanese authorities have stepped up their efforts to remove Syrian refugees from the country. In recent weeks, hundreds have been arrested, detained, and summarily deported by Lebanon’s army intelligence unit. Since early April, the Lebanese army has conducted multiple raids across the country, …

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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Secrecy and Confusion Surrounding New Detention Centre for “Fake Asylum Seekers”

In 2022, the EU announced plans to fund a new detention unit within the grounds of a Temporary Reception Centre near Bosnia’s north-western border with Croatia. In recent months, however, significant confusion and controversy has emerged surrounding the centre. In November 2022, the EU’s Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi …

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Why is it so difficult to predict an endgame in Ukraine?

Since the Cold War, Western intelligence has built a track record of failing to foresee many of Russia’s moves. It failed to anticipate the invasion of Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, then the invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Crimea in 2014, followed a year later by Moscow’s …

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Who is Hakan Fidan? From spymaster to Turkey’s foreign minister

Following his re-election, Erdogan reshuffled his cabinet, resulting in foreign and economic policy leadership changes. The new cabinet members are expected to strengthen Turkey’s international standing and address the country’s economic difficulties. Hakan Fidan, the newly appointed foreign minister of Turkey, is a highly influential former spymaster who has played …

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