Houthis Taking Part in a Protest in Sana’a. Photo Credit: Mohamed Al-Sayaghi/Reuters On October 7th, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy hosted a conversation entitled: The Yemen Matrix: Untangling the Relationships that Drive the War. The conversation featured Stephen Seche, former ambassador to Yemen, and Elana DeLozier, Rubin Family Fellow on Gulf and Energy … Continue reading Unraveling the Yemen Matrix
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
Where are the Women and Where are They Not: Why it’s Important
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photo Credit: Getty Images/ The Washington Post As the world mourns the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her legacy continues to illuminate the gender disparity present throughout the United States. As the first woman to lie in state at the US Capitol,[i] and only the fourth woman to serve … Continue reading Where are the Women and Where are They Not: Why it’s Important
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?
The Dangers of Militarizing Racist Facial Recognition Technology
A US soldier takes biometric information. Photo Credit: Defense Systems Information Analysis Center, Cpl. Alejandro Pena In recent months, US politicians and activists have called for a nationwide ban of facial recognition systems for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.[i] The ban comes after years of activism from researchers detailing the tendency of facial … Continue reading The Dangers of Militarizing Racist Facial Recognition Technology
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?
“This Storm is What We Call Progress:” The End of the Frontier and American Empire
Armed militia member patrols US-Mexico Border. Photo Credit: Johnny Milano, Al Jazeera America. The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of Americaby Greg GrandinMetropolitan Books, 369 pp., $30.00 How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United Statesby Daniel ImmerwahrPicador, 515 pp., $30.00 In his … Continue reading “This Storm is What We Call Progress:” The End of the Frontier and American Empire
Environmental Racism and Climate Justice: The Racialized Climate Catastrophe
A child navigates flooding in the Kurigram District of Bangladesh. Photo Credit: The United Nations Children's Fund/Akash In policymaking circles at home and abroad, there is a growing consensus that climate change represents a grave threat to both national and global security. From Southeast Asia to the Arctic Circle, disparate regions will contend with rising … Continue reading Environmental Racism and Climate Justice: The Racialized Climate Catastrophe
Police Violence in the U.S. and Israel Warrants a Closer Look
Protests in Tel Aviv Outside the US Embassy Branch Office, June 2, 2020. Photo Credit: Ariel Schalit, AP Photo Israel was one of many countries experiencing waves of protests decrying the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In early June, protestors surrounded the US Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv to join in solidarity with … Continue reading Police Violence in the U.S. and Israel Warrants a Closer Look