Security
Angola working to counter piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
With acts of piracy and armed robbery becoming more prevalent in the Gulf of Guinea, Angola recently announced it will host an international conference on maritime security later this year. In
War in Yemen compromises China’s naval strategy
The conflict in Yemen reveals the strategic vulnerability of China’s People Liberation Army Navy. At the same time it provided a series of firsts, in terms of operational capability, during
Islamic State expands control of Arsal, Lebanon
Recent developments along the Lebanese north-eastern border region with Syria highlight the current expansion of the Islamic State to control the Arsal district and points to heightened instability in the
Joint Arab military forces deepens the Saudi-Iran conflict
Arab leaders often concluded their annual Arab Summit meetings with verbal statements regarding the region’s issues, rather than taking any substantial measures. However, this year’s summit held on the 28th of
Lebanon hanging on despite increasing regional collapse
Lebanon is currently one of the few stable countries in the Middle East, but this stability remains fraught. Its fate is still influenced, although not dictated, by external powers and
Despite Minsk II agreement, fighting continues near Mariupol, Ukraine
In Ukraine, ongoing localized violence along Mariupol periphery highlights risk of conflict expansion via indirect attacks in southern coastal region. Since the enactment of the Minsk II agreements on February 12th
Yemen violence highlights Islamic State spreading across the region
A recent spate of attacks by the Islamic State shows that IS is no longer content with relegating its fight to Iraq and Syria but has determined that an important part
China’s march westward and the ISIS challenge
China is making inroads geopolitically by claiming strategic wins, but terrorism and ISIS remain a threat that can undo it all. In recent years, China is slowly returning to its
Iran nuclear talks closing in on final agreement
With negotiators assembling in Lausanne this week for a critical round of talks on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, the long-running negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program seem to have entered
Insecurity remains in Mexico despite cartel arrests
Despite recent high-profile cartel arrests, violence and insecurity are likely to continue in Mexico due to power vacuums and infighting, as well as the continued weakness of the state to assert
