Two people wearing masks showing colors of the Uighur heartland's flag with a hand painted with the Chinese Communist Party's colors over it. Photo Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson As the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and other countries condemn China’s violence, internment, sterilization, and so-called re-education against its Uyghur population for the crime that it is—genocide—China’s actions … Continue reading An Unlikely Pair: The Link Between the Uyghur Genocide and 9/11
Category: Topics
The Unintended Consequences of AUKUS in the Indo-Pacific
French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace at a meeting earlier this year. Photo Credit: Reuters AUKUS was one of Washington's best-kept secrets. When the deal between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States was announced in mid-September it caught analysts and politicians off guard. The deal included defense technology … Continue reading The Unintended Consequences of AUKUS in the Indo-Pacific
Haitian Asylum Seekers Look for Refuge, U.S. Responds with Deportation
United States Border Patrol agents on horseback try to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Río Grande near the Acuña Del Río International Bridge in Del Río, Texas on Sept. 19. Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images While the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations … Continue reading Haitian Asylum Seekers Look for Refuge, U.S. Responds with Deportation
Are Almonds the National Security Threat of the Moment?
An Abandoned Almond Orchard in Newman, California. Photo Credit: Terry Chea/AP It is not a coincidence that both the Southwest and California, agricultural centers of the U.S., are increasingly water stressed. Though megadroughts are now a characteristic of the region, California alone produces more than 90 percent of some U.S. agricultural products, including broccoli, almonds, … Continue reading Are Almonds the National Security Threat of the Moment?
Boko Haram: Terrorist Endemic
Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that emerged in northern Nigeria in 2002, continues to pose a significant threat to Nigeria and the broader region, carrying out deadly attacks and engaging in criminal activity. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the Lake … Continue reading Boko Haram: Terrorist Endemic
The Rise of Ransomware
Post on Groove ransomware data leak site calling for attacks on the United States. 2021 may be recorded as the year of the rise of ransomware. Combating the cyber-crime operation—which encrypts data, crippling computer systems, and requests cryptocurrency in exchange for decryption—has become central to international efforts to secure critical infrastructure and protect victims against … Continue reading The Rise of Ransomware
Women: Terrorism’s Secret Weapon
Photo Credit: The Institute for Security Studies Recent studies of women’s roles in jihadi terrorism debunk the widely held belief that women are either passive victims or fanatical jihadi brides. Women participate – both willingly and unwillingly – in terrorist activities for a variety of reasons.[1] Women’s participation in jihadi terrorism is not binary, it … Continue reading Women: Terrorism’s Secret Weapon
The Economic Factors of al-Shabaab’s Insurgency
Data from ACLED on attacks perpetrated by jihadists in Mozambique. Photo Credit: The Economist In October 2017, a group of Islamist rebels locally known as al-Shabaab (no affiliation with al-Shabaab in Somalia) sought to spread radical Islam and gain territory in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. [i] The situation deteriorates as both internal … Continue reading The Economic Factors of al-Shabaab’s Insurgency
The Need for a Properly Resourced Pacific Deterrence Initiative
US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (left), amphibious assault ships USS Boxer and associated ships conducting operations on October 6, 2019 in the South China Sea. Photo Credit: AFP/ US Navy The foundation of US conventional deterrence in the Indo-Pacific is crumbling. Through its ambitious military modernization program, the global balance of power is shifting … Continue reading The Need for a Properly Resourced Pacific Deterrence Initiative
Bodies, Bullets, and Blood: How Masculinity Influences Mass Killers
Photo Credit: John Locher/AP Images. For decades, the number of mass shootings in the U.S. has steadily increased. From 1966 to 1975, the U.S. experienced a total of 12 mass shootings; during the time frame of 2006 to 2016, the U.S. has witnessed 183 mass shootings.[i] Many argue that easy access to firearms is to … Continue reading Bodies, Bullets, and Blood: How Masculinity Influences Mass Killers