Category: Blogs

Crisis in the Sahel: Overview

By Rudolph Atallah

North Africa and the intertwined Sahel, from Egypt to Mauritania, is a region that has undergone profound and destabilizing political and social change in the last several years, especially since the “Arab Spring” of 2011. Nascent political systems, newly empowered non-state actors, and underlying structural problems in the region contribute to an increasingly volatile mix, […]

NATO Deactivates Allied Air Command Izmir HQ in Turkey

By Kimberly Rhoades, Allied Air Command

Morsi Government Resignations

By Nancy Messieh

President Mohamed Morsi began his four year term with seventeen political advisers and four aides. The seventeen advisers were described as being divided between seven ‘political liberals’ and ten advisers with ‘Islamist leanings.’ Among the seventeen advisers, two were women and two Christian.

Top News: Militants Release Seven Egyptians Kidnapped in Sinai, Operations Continue

By Egypt Source

Seven members of the Egyptian security forces kidnapped by Islamist militants in Sinai last week were freed on Wednesday and President Mohamed Morsi announced a new crackdown on lawlessness in the desert peninsula.

Hungary’s Defense Minister: NATO Will Not Abandon Afghanistan Overnight

By James Morrison, Washington Times

From James Morrison, Washington Times:  “In together, out together,” Hungarian Defense Minister Csaba Hende explained when asked how long his country’s combat troops would stay in Afghanistan after U.S. forces leave next year.

Yemen’s National Dialogue: Reshaping the Social Contract

By Danya Greenfield and Hazim Al-Eryani

With Yemen’s National Dialogue firmly underway and a recent presidential directive appointing new military commanders, it is an appropriate moment to assess how far Yemen has come in its transition and what remains ahead.

What Happened to Somalia’s Pirates?

By Economist

From Economist:  On May 10th pirate-busters celebrated the fact that one year had passed since a ship was successfully seized by Somali hijackers.

Digital Warfare: North Korean Cyber-Rattling

By Economist

From Economist:  Earlier this month the Department of Defence delivered a report to Congress accusing the hermit kingdom’s expanding army of “cyber-warriors” of using foreign infrastructure, such as broadband networks, to launch cyber-attacks on American allies, most notably South Korea. Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s fresh-faced dictator, is said to have 4,000 loyal cyber-warriors at […]