Iran and Venezuela find themselves on the receiving end of high-pressure US sanctions for gross abuses of international norms and human rights. They are ostracized by regional neighbors for these violations. Their regimes openly embrace an ideology of anti-imperialism that viciously criticizes what they perceive to be Washington’s interventionist foreign policy, which unites them in what Alberto Garrido dubs a “strategic alliance.”
Category: Regions
Security Assistance to Ukraine is Only Enhancing Kyiv’s Hard Power
An advisor with U.S. Task Force Juvign greets Ukrainian counterparts at the Combat Training Center in Yavoriv, Ukraine. Photo Creidt: Wisconsin Dept of Military Affairs, U.S. Army. Prior to September 2019, the relationship between the United States and Ukraine received scant attention in the media and among the American public. Beyond Washington’s foreign policy circles, … Continue reading Security Assistance to Ukraine is Only Enhancing Kyiv’s Hard Power
The Bolivarian “Popular Mobilization Forces”: Paramilitary Groups in Venezuela and the Broader Implications for Regional Security
Supporters of President Nicolas Maduro, known as "colectivos," parade in on their motorbikes while anti-government supporters take part in a walkout against Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 30, 2019. Venezuelans are exiting their homes and workplaces in a walkout organized by the opposition to demand that Maduro leave power. Photo Credit: Rodrigo Abd/AP. The Popular … Continue reading The Bolivarian “Popular Mobilization Forces”: Paramilitary Groups in Venezuela and the Broader Implications for Regional Security
Russia’s People Problem
Russia's aging population presents important challenges for the country. Photo Credit: Needpix. Russia is no stranger to the challenges of the so-called “demographic crisis,” with declining birth rates and low life expectancy receiving significant attention in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although the country managed to reverse this population loss in … Continue reading Russia’s People Problem
What’s Next for Brexit and the United Kingdom Amidst COVID-19?
Boris Johnson led a meeting about the coronavirus remotely from the prime minister’s residence on Downing Street on Saturday after testing positive for the virus. Photo Credit: Andrew Parsons/10 Downing St. By now, many of us are familiar with the tale of Brexit: a referendum that asked citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) whether they … Continue reading What’s Next for Brexit and the United Kingdom Amidst COVID-19?
Faculty Interview with Ali Vaez
*The transcript of this interview, conducted by Meghan McGee, has been lightly edited to enhance flow and clarity. Please tell me briefly about your background and how you ended up at Georgetown. I have a rather peculiar background. I was born and raised in Iran. I was always interested in international relations and politics, but … Continue reading Faculty Interview with Ali Vaez
Coronavirus Will Stall China’s Rise
A corona virus model. Photo Credit: Food and Drug Administration. If you turn on the news right now, you’ll likely see stories on the scramble for face masks, images of ghost towns deserted in quarantines areas, and a steady rise of fateful numbers: as of March 5, just over 95,000 reported cases and more than … Continue reading Coronavirus Will Stall China’s Rise
The Future Direction of Hezbollah
Hezbollah military parade in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, late 2014. Photo Credit: Al Jazeera/Getty. In the past year, Hezbollah has come to face a paradigm shift in the Middle East. As economic turmoil raises domestic tensions and regional instability continues to threaten Lebanon, the group must continue to meet its fundamental policy needs. Key determinants of Hezbollah’s … Continue reading The Future Direction of Hezbollah
UNCLOS in the Arctic: A Treaty for Warmer Waters
The Canadian Arctic as seen from space. Photo Credit: NASA. Since its inception, much of the discussion about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has centered on the United States’s refusal to ratify it which, according to proponents of ratification, has left US interests unsecured in a rapidly warming and … Continue reading UNCLOS in the Arctic: A Treaty for Warmer Waters
China’s Coming Crisis and Deliverance
Tiananmen Square. Photo Credit: Anna Liu. A global health emergency surpassing the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002-2003, COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) now infects more than 75,000 people (as of Wednesday, February 19), with all but around 800 cases inside mainland China.[i] With countries around the world banning travel to and from China, … Continue reading China’s Coming Crisis and Deliverance