United States

What will it take to reach a peace settlement? More than anything, Afghanistan needs national leadership. The Taliban held its fourth round of direct talks with the United States in January of 2019.…

At first encounter, he is polite, cordial, and a good listener. He counts his words wisely and delivers his sentences with pauses, but in a calculated manner to make his point. Meet Mohammad Haneef…

In previous years, interest in the Middle East was largely focused on ISIS (DAESH). This year, however, that focus will shift towards Iran. As the threat from the extremist Sunni group dwindled,…

Immediately following President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Europe rushed to…

Iranians are skilled in the localization of almost anything Western or foreign. This is partly because of the nationalist, anti-imperialist promises of the 1979 revolution, and partly due to U.S. and…

Stoking the Flames Venezuela kicked 2019 off with a turbulent and fragile political start of the year. President Nicolás Maduro began his second presidential term on January 10th. The May 20th…

Besides having long term economic consequences for both the British and the European economies, Brexit will likely have security implications that may weaken the interlocking web of Western…

China learned the value of hard power during its so-called “century of humiliation.” Now, as China begins its century of expansion, it’s learning to use soft power, too. In reference to China’s…

The electoral scene is set for the Afghan presidential elections. Eighteen candidates have registered themselves for what is ultimately expected to be a tight race between the incumbent, President…

Following the decolonization of Africa in the 1960s and 1970s, African governments decided against redrawing arbitrary national borders that were created by European powers. In many states, this…

Modern wars are fought with eyes and ears on the ground, air, and cyberspace. In Afghanistan, the U.S. and its allies have deployed cutting-edge aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance…

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected by land, air, sea, and cyberspace, tensions and uncertainty are growing. These trends are particularly evident in Europe, where elections, treaties,…