Category: Blogs

Dar al-Qada statement in Jabal al-Summaq: Translation & Analysis

By Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi

The Dar al-Qada (‘Abode of Judges’) serves as the de facto judicial branch of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, Syria’s official al-Qa’ida wing), whatever claims might be made of its supposed independence. Though the Dar al-Qada operates in certain areas where it enjoys wider backing (e.g. Hureitan in north Aleppo countryside), it […]

Aleppo Residents Confront the Siege with Rudimentary Methods

By Hosam al-Jablawi

The military siege imposed by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally has entered its second month. Its effects on the close to 4,000,000 people that are estimated to be living in this area are becoming more severe—most food and medical supplies are running out.

Bond Notes: A Final Blow to Zimbabwe’s Rock Bottom Economy?

By Chloë McGrath

A briefer on Zimbabwe’s impending quasi-currency Seven years since abandoning its own currency, Zimbabwe’s government is moving full steam ahead to introduce what it calls “bond notes” into the country’s multi-currency system. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) announced this month that it has released the regulations creating the legal precedent to print and circulate […]

Trump’s Victory: It’s Still the Economy, Stupid

By Andrea Montanino and Jacqueline Lavalleye

Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election on November 8 came as a major surprise— especially to pollsters and political pundits. But it should have come as no surprise to those who were paying close attention to the economic indicators in the swing states, states that can tip the outcome of a US presidential […]

The Russian Plot against Europe

By Alina Polyakova

Russia’s influence reaches deep into Western Europe. France has a major far-right, Eurosceptic, and openly pro-Russian party that receives funding from the Kremlin. In London, Brexit provides an opportunity for Moscow to gain a toehold in British politics. Germany’s former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder serves as chairman of the Russian-German pipeline Nord Stream. But these examples […]

German Intelligence Agency: ‘We’re Alarmed’ About Russia’s Intervention in German Politics

By Deutsche Welle

Ahead of 2017’s federal election, the head of Germany’s intelligence agency has raised concerns about Russia intervening in campaigns. Moscow has already been accused of “interfering” in the US and French elections.

Between Trump and Putin: A Way Ahead for Georgia

By Alexandra Hall Hall

The election which mattered most for Georgia was not the one that returned the incumbent Georgian Dream party to power last month, but the one that took place in the United States last week. Georgia’s leaders were swift to congratulate President-elect Donald Trump and express confidence in the US-Georgian relationship. But privately, they may harbor […]

President-Elect Trump, Do More Trade with Mexico

US President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric denouncing free-trade deals, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has created a climate of uncertainty for the global market. Instead, increased US trade links and collaboration with Mexico would be beneficial for both countries, a former member of the National Innovation and Competitiveness Strategy Advisory Board said […]

Trump’s Unsurprising Triumph

By Richard R. Burt

Donald J. Trump’s election as the forty-fifth president of the United States of America has brought a deep sense of uncertainty for the future, but it should come as no surprise when considering the conditions that made it possible for this New York City billionaire to win the highest office in the land. Three factors, […]