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Terror on States or States of Terror?
How do we define terrorism? Ask yourself this question: what are the first images that come to mind when you think of a terrorist? I was asked this question not too long ago and was shocked by the...
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Football, War and the Christmas Truce of 1914
In 2014 we are going to celebrate the football world cup and we will also commemorate the start of World War I. And, of course, Christmas is coming up as well. Admittedly, there seems to be a lack of...
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Could restructuring the federal relations in Iraq create a lasting peace?
In my two previous posts, I argued that in situations of insecurity and uncertainty individuals will more intensely identify with one group more than another. I also argued that exclusionary regime...
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Britain’s 2014: no bang, all whimper.
Britain enters 2014 in the midst of a strategic crisis. Reducing the size of the armed forces and simultaneously neglecting a militarily-impoverished Europe is plainly unsustainable. (Image:Channel 4)...
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The Egyptian Military: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Egyptian Army Soldiers practice their beach assault techniques at El Omayed, Egypt as US, Spanish and Egyptian Forces conduct amphibious operations, during Exercise BRIGHT STAR (Image by: SRA D. Myles...
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India’s election and the need to empower women
Indian activists protest in New Delhi against sexual violence against women (Image: Photograph Money Sharma,EPA) For India, 2013 was a year in the limelight of the global media. Cases of brutal rape...
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Scottish isolation: Cameron’s strategy of dissuasion
With the advent of the new year, analysts have been feverishly forecasting the political landscape for the coming twelve months. On the calendar of every expert worth his salt is a red circle around...
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Syria: At the Crossroads of Security and Culture
Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo picture in 2012 and 2013 (Photo: Alamy Corbis) Nearly three years of conflict in Syria calls for some reflection. As the Arab Spring reached Syria, Syrians took to the streets...
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When History Thickens: Ukraine and why its Revolution is in Danger
Historical change is a curious phenomenon. Sometimes it occurs at a snail’s pace with years, decades elapsing before a crumbling autocracy finally gives way to a nascent democracy. Ask the people of...
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Pathogens, Planes, and Panic: The U.S. and Global Health Security
A pandemic nearly always guarantees a big headline as it leaves us wondering where we went disastrously wrong in our perceptions. The 2004 SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak that caused...
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The African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights: Ten years on and the doors...
Ten years after its establishment in Arusha, Tanzania, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is still hampered by shortcomings that would render any court ineffective. Whilst the willingness...
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Obama’s Foreign Policy and Ukraine: Decoupling Security and Democracy
President Obama on the phone with Russian President Putin “I don’t really even need George Kennan right now,” commented Barack Obama in a recent interview concerning his foreign policy strategy. The...
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Ukraine: Putin’s postmodern moment and the politics of truth
Much has been made of the numerous lies that Putin comfortably relayed to reporters on Tuesday afternoon regarding Russia’s invasion of Crimea. “Two and two makes five,” wrote Fyodor Dostoevsky in his...
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A new dawn for Anglo-German relations
Merkel faces an up-hill struggle to convince her London colleagues that they can significantly benefit from Europe whilst carefully managing their expectations. (Image: The Times) Dwarfed by the shadow...
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The Last Drop: Water as a Cause of Conflict?
Global environmental change is increasingly challenging our surroundings. Through destructive weather events, water scarcity, food shortages and natural resource competition, we are being forced to...
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Ancient Monarchy and Troubled Democracy: Oman’s Political Realities
In 1970 Sultan Qaboos took control of the state in a coup that saw his father overthrown and Oman set on a course towards modernisation. (Image by Wikimedia) The Middle East has undergone great...
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Sanctions against Russia: Is financial prosperity more important than our...
The G7 in The Hague, discussing “deeper sanctions” against Russia if there are “further incursions into Ukraine”. The resemblance to 1914 and 1938 are evident. Russia, like Germany in 1914, feels...
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Donor planning in fragile States: The need for a new approach
A United Nations soldier, part of the multinational peacekeeping mission in Haiti, helps a local woman carry donated food from a distribution center. With the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs)...
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Much at stake in China’s next wave of economic reforms
Image: Wikimedia China’s new wave of economic reforms proposed at the Communist Party’s third plenum in November 2013 have attracted much attention. In an interesting Financial Times article from...
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Recognizing the Rohingya Muslims: Myanmar’s path to peace and prosperity?
A Rakhine man in front of houses that were burnt during fighting between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in Sittwe (Picture: REUTERS) In recent years, international attention on...
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