Instability & Opportunity: The Potential for an ISIS Comeback in Iraq

ISIS militants. Photo Credit: AP While the territorial caliphate in Iraq has collapsed, ongoing issues within the country and recent protests provide opportunities that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) could exploit to re-gain some power. Continuing instability and insecurity in Iraq has allowed the group to target local leaders and intimidate civilians. … Continue reading Instability & Opportunity: The Potential for an ISIS Comeback in Iraq

How Turkey’s “Safe Zone” Could Become a Killing Field for Syria’s Civilians

A woman and her children flee Northern Syria as Turkish forces advance. Photo source: REUTERS/Rodi Said. At a meeting in mid-September Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlined a plan to create a safe zone in northern Syria wherein up to three million Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey could be relocated.[i] This plan, though, rests … Continue reading How Turkey’s “Safe Zone” Could Become a Killing Field for Syria’s Civilians

Counterinsurgency as an Approach to Organized Crime in Latin America

Brazilian security services. Photo Credit: Getty Images By: Yuri Neves, Columnist The growing complexity and capabilities of criminal organizations in Latin America necessitate a new approach to fight crime in the region. The conditions that give rise to insurgencies, are similar to those that allow organized crime groups to prosper. Furthermore, both entities utilize similar … Continue reading Counterinsurgency as an Approach to Organized Crime in Latin America

How to Stop the Insurgency in Southern Thailand

Thai soldiers in Pattani in 2011. Photo Credit: AFP  By: Yuri Neves, Columnist For decades, Thailand has been experiencing an insurgency in its three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Despite thousands of deaths, the Thai government has done little to actually address the causes of this insurgency. The military junta has contemplated opening … Continue reading How to Stop the Insurgency in Southern Thailand

Saudi Arabia’s Sudanese Mercenaries in Yemen

Sudanese soldiers are seen as the second part of the Sudan Army forces arrive in the city to support Saudi-led coalition forces in Aden, Yemen on November 09, 2015. Photo Credit: Getty Images By: Yuri Neves, Columnist A December 2018 report by the New York Times has revealed that Saudi Arabia is utilizing Sudanese child … Continue reading Saudi Arabia’s Sudanese Mercenaries in Yemen

MEK: The Iranian Cult that has Washington’s Ear

Hundreds rallied near the White House in 2011 for the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, known as M.E.K. Photo Credit: Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press By: Yuri Neves, Columnist The People’s Mujahedeen of Iran, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) is a controversial Iranian opposition group with a disturbing past. In the past, the group was labeled a terrorist organization … Continue reading MEK: The Iranian Cult that has Washington’s Ear

The Evolution of Insurgent Identities: Why Terrorist Groups Turn into Criminal Enterprises

Members of the FARC. Photo Credit: Federico Rios for the New York Times By: Yuri Neves, Columnist While the connection between terrorist/insurgent groups and criminal organizations has been extensively discussed and debated,[i] less has been written on the fluidity of these identities. Why terrorist or insurgent groups abandon their political ideologies and simply pursue economic … Continue reading The Evolution of Insurgent Identities: Why Terrorist Groups Turn into Criminal Enterprises

Threatening Identity: The Rising Tide of Islamic Terrorism in Indonesia and Malaysia

Indonesian Special Detachment 88, a special forces counter-terrorism unit that has been praised for working with local communities on intelligence gathering. Photo Credit: Associated Press By: Yuri Neves, Columnist Long held as examples of moderate Islamic countries and successful multicultural societies, Malaysia and Indonesia are now facing a resurgent threat from Islamic terrorism. Despite past … Continue reading Threatening Identity: The Rising Tide of Islamic Terrorism in Indonesia and Malaysia