What sounds like the blurb on the back of a Tom Clancy book jacket is the actual series of events that has taken place over the past few weeks between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
Read MoreRailways and Subways: Chinese Technology in the United States and Abroad
China has traditionally invested in infrastructure projects in the developing world. Now, the superpower has turned its sights to a new recipient: the United States.
Read MoreSoul-Searching During the Fourth Industrial Revolution
A.I., Big Data, IoT, Cloud, 3D printing, Bio-engineering, Smart farming, Drones, Self-driving. All these big words signify the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). What is unique about the term is that it was pointed out in advance, unlike the former three.
Read MoreHas the Anti-Globalization Wave Reached New Zealand?
On October 26, Jacinda Ardern, the leader of the center-left Labour Party, was sworn in as New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister. The same month also saw the election of populist-leaning governments in two other countries. How does the New Zealand general election fit into the context of anti-globalization?
Read MoreNATO’s Military Build-up in Eastern Europe: Necessary or a Prompt for Retaliation?
NATO’s military buildup in Eastern Europe is a pertinent issue that requires careful consideration from both sides to prevent the signaling of wrong intentions and aggravating tensions further.
Read MoreWomen As A Source Of Survival And Advantage: The Case For Saudi Arabia
When it comes to economic assets, Saudi Arabia has historically missed out on leveraging its most important reserve, the capacity and capabilities of women. Indeed, women are the key ingredient to bringing about true transformation to our country. Today, under the visionary HRH Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, we are seeing the beginnings of this take shape.
Read MoreProspects for Peace: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
With shifting leader preferences, new international interest in securing a negotiated settlement, and worsening civilian conditions, will the new round of Palestinian reconciliation efforts finally lead to peace?
Read MoreDjibouti: A Small Country with Big Importance
The importance of this small African nation is often overlooked. However, it's geostrategic position, control of vast oil reserves, and advent of a relationship with China promises to increase its importance on the global stage.
Read MoreWomen and ISIS
Although it seems that the sun is setting on ISIS’ power as a terrorist group and quasi- state, recent findings suggest there has been a resurgence in recruitment, particularly of women. How do these changing dynamics affect strategies to combat ISIS?
Read MoreAddressing the Rohingya Crisis: What is Happening in Myanmar?
The Rohingya crisis has recently saturated western media, but the persecution of these people has intensified within the last 200 years. Paralysis in the international community aggravates generations of abuse with consequences felt within and beyond Myanmar. The current situation is devolving into ethnic cleansing, threatening a "final solution" for the Rohingya people.
Read MoreSenator Kaine and an Able Grand Strategy
In this year's July edition of Foreign Affairs, Senator Tim Kaine (VA-D) became the latest statesman to try his hand at the challenge of crafting an American grand strategy for the post-Cold War world. Not surprisingly he failed, both as historian and as grand strategist.
Read MoreLatin American Democratic Crises Prolonged, Not Averted
Even if Paraguay and Venezuela do not slide into total dictatorship, neither will qualify as legitimate democracies in the eyes of other Latin American states and the rest of the world. This serves as an impediment to the kind of Latin American unity necessary for the preservation of regional trading and security blocs MERCOSUR and UNASUR – organizations Paraguay and Venezuela both belonged to for several years before Venezuela was removed from MERCOSUR in late 2016 for violating the bloc’s democratic bylaws. Setbacks such as this stall the movement towards Latin American political and economic integration that underpins both organizations.
Read MoreRefugees are not the Villains
In 2011, the U.S. and its allies tried to forcefully install a democratic system in Libya by removing its president of 42 years, Muammar Gaddafi. He was killed soon after by militants. Gaddafi had succeeded in improving many societal services in Libya, including education, health, and housing. According to the World Bank, in 2010 Libya had the sixth highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa, and its population’s life expectancy ranked number one. In his 2011 remarks on Libya, while Gaddafi was still in power, President Obama said, “Of course, there is no question that Libya – and the world – will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military means.” Unfortunately, Libya has been standing on shaky grounds ever since the U.S and its allies removed Gaddafi from power...
Read MoreIs China the Key to Bringing Stability to the Korean Peninsula?
China is North Korea’s sole ally. Since intervening on behalf of North Korea during the Korean War, China has been a staunch supporter of the Communist North Korean government. In the past, China has done little to pressure North Korea to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and its provocative missile tests, but that may soon change. I
Read MoreHungry for Power – When Democracies become Authoritarian
Venezuela and South Korea are both presidential republics/representative democracies; they have a system where the executive branch exists separately from a legislature, and elected representatives – not citizens themselves – vote on legislation. Currently, these two countries are experiencing high political tensions, making headlines all over the world. The two cases share some common threads which are worth noting.
Read MoreBluster with Bombs: Trump’s Ultimately Meaningless Strike on Syria
The use of sarin indicates that Assad’s chemical weapons program is far more extensive than intelligence experts and policymakers believed. In the wake of the 2013 chemical attack in the Ghouta district outside of Damascus, the U.S. and Russia backed a plan by which Syria would give up its chemical stockpiles. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)would then transport and dismantle them under international supervision. By spring of 2014, the Obama administration reported that all of Syria’s reported chemical weapons had been removed from the country. Since then, the Syrian government has used chlorine gas on rebels on multiple occasions.
Read MoreForget the ‘ticking time bomb’: Why Africa should invest in its demographic dividend
African development discourse likes to debate whether Africa’s rapid population growth constitutes the desirable demographic (“youth”) dividend, or a much more ambivalent youth bulge. The United Nations defines a demographic dividend as “the economic growth that ensues when there are more working-age people (15 to 64) than the non-working people (14 and younger, and 65 and older).” Conversely, a youth bulge is characterized by “high youth unemployment and widespread protests—a recipe for political instability.” So, which one is it?
Read MoreTemporary Fixes
Leveling contradictory examples of isolationist, pragmatic and Machiavellian policy choices, the new president appears to be leaping down the same path of support for brutal authoritarian regimes and to be supporting vicious insurgent movements in favor of a “quick fix” in the Middle East. Clearly failing to hide his reverence for the autocratic institutions of oppressed nations, President Trump is pursuing an unsustainable, counterproductive and outright dangerous policy that, according to all logic, will produce tangible benefits for neither the American people nor the average citizens of literally any other country.
Read MoreNorth Korean Clandestine Operations and Southeast Asia: A network through restaurants?
As a component of these schemes, the North Korean Government runs a chain of restaurants throughout the world called Pyongyang Restaurant, featuring hand-selected North Korean waitresses serving North Korean food, karaoke services, and mysterious secret rooms. Although this chain had long existed in China and former Soviet bloc countries, the North Korean government saw potential in entering Pyongyang into the Southeast Asian market during the early 2000s. These new venues allowed North Korea to increase their network of revenue and money laundering, and could serve as potential recruiting grounds.
Read MoreResidents of Mosul Trapped between Two “Liberators”
With homes turned into rubble, and civilians facing a dire lack of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies, the people of Mosul are barely clinging to life. They are stuck between the weapons of IS and those of coalition forces. Once the battle slows down, can the residents of Mosul trust either U.S.-backed forces or IS as protectors?
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