Category: Regions

Our Adversaries are Interfering in the 2020 U.S. Election: What Do They Want and How Can We Stop Them?

The 2020 U.S. Election is upon us. Are we being manipulated? Photo Credit: Element5 Digital Russia, China, and Iran are interfering in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.  Just this past week, intelligence officials warned that Iran and Russia had obtained voter data, and that Iran in particular had targeted voters with threatening emails.[i]  While the … Continue reading Our Adversaries are Interfering in the 2020 U.S. Election: What Do They Want and How Can We Stop Them?

The Abraham Accords: A Peace Deal in Name Only

Photo Credit: Bing.com President Trump’s acclaimed ‘peace deal’ in the Middle East may be historic, but only time will tell if it will bring any semblance of peace to the region. On Tuesday, September 15, President Trump sat with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, and Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin … Continue reading The Abraham Accords: A Peace Deal in Name Only

National Security is One Thing Both Republicans and Democrats Care about. So Why Aren’t We talking about It?

President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden respond to questions posed by moderator Chris Wallace during the first 2020 presidential debate. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz / Biden for President Both Republican and Democratic voters cite foreign policy as a topic of concern for this election cycle. Presidential candidates of both major parties have ample … Continue reading National Security is One Thing Both Republicans and Democrats Care about. So Why Aren’t We talking about It?

Lying to Ourselves: Senator Johnson Shows that the Disinformation Problem Starts at Home

Declining trust in traditional news media and civic institutions goes hand in hand. Photo Credit: Unsplash/Nijwam Swargiary On October 8, 2020, The Wall Street Journal made the decision to publish an op-ed by Senator Ron Johnson entitled “An American Coup Attempt.” The piece argues that the United States is in a constitutional crisis because unelected … Continue reading Lying to Ourselves: Senator Johnson Shows that the Disinformation Problem Starts at Home

Navalny and Nord Stream 2: Russia is not a Reliable Partner for Europe

A road sign directs traffic towards the Nord Stream 2 gas line landfall facility entrance in Lubmin, north eastern Germany, on September 7, 2020. Photo Credit: Getty Images//Odd Andersen The poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has given the governments of Europe another chance to prove that they oppose Russia’s untrammeled aggression. This time, … Continue reading Navalny and Nord Stream 2: Russia is not a Reliable Partner for Europe

Bringing Clarity to “Ambiguity” on Taiwan

A View of Taipei with the Taipei 101 Skyscraper. Photo by Karson Elmgren. Since Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected as president of Taiwan in January of this year, long-simmering tensions with China across the Taiwan Strait have risen yet again to a near boil. Over the years, the U.S. has repeatedly expressed its strong interest in … Continue reading Bringing Clarity to “Ambiguity” on Taiwan

This Time is Different: Can Iraq Rein in the PMF?

Parade of Kata'ib Hizballah fighters. Photo Credit: Geopolitics News As the U.S. threatens to close its embassy in Baghdad, questions loom over the long-term status of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The PMF possess enough influence and firepower to prevent meaningful action by the Iraqi state to undermine them. Their independence from the official security … Continue reading This Time is Different: Can Iraq Rein in the PMF?

As Attacks Rise, is the Islamic State Tightening its Grip on the Sahel?

ISGS fighters clash with al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM near Talataye, Gao Region, Mali. Photo from IS al-Naba publication Since 2018, the Liptako-Gourma region on the borders between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso has seen a rise in violence from jihadist groups, including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Although ISGS is expanding its geographical reach … Continue reading As Attacks Rise, is the Islamic State Tightening its Grip on the Sahel?

Reclaiming Security: The Time Has Come for a Progressive Israeli Security Agenda

Demonstration against Israeli Government in Jerusalem, July 25 2020. Photo Credit: Gershon Diner, Mehazkim NGO public domain stockpile. Introduction The past year has been one of an almost unprecedented turmoil for Israeli politics. The small state had gone through three consecutive elections prior to the emergence of the coronavirus crisis. The latter eventually led to the … Continue reading Reclaiming Security: The Time Has Come for a Progressive Israeli Security Agenda