European security
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War left the North Atlantic Alliance without a clear mission. Funded mostly by the United States, it remains the chief guarantor of Europe’s security. Now, Washington is pushing for European members to foot more the cost of defence. New challenges, including migration, Russian assertiveness and the conflict in Ukraine, have all produced tensions within the EU and the NATO alliance.
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Libya: A war in metamorphosis
In October, the key domestic actors in Libya’s conflict resumed political dialogue. Three factors have helped this process: the military setback suffered by the warlord ruling in the east, Khalifa Haftar; the prolonged cease-fire, and the mounting street protests as the country sinks into chaos.
Turkey’s complicated position in the Mediterranean Sea
Discoveries of rich hydrocarbon deposits under the Eastern Mediterranean seabed have added a new driver to the region’s old rivalries. Athens claims nearly all of the Aegean Sea as exclusive economic zone and the delineation of sea borders near Cyprus prompted Turkey’s reaction. Now, NATO and the European Union have ...
Departing U.S. troops leave tough questions behind
President Donald Trump has finally announced a long-discussed redeployment of some American forces in Europe, mainly from Germany to Italy and Belgium. Wielded as a “punishment" by the U.S. administration, the move is less consequential from an immediate military perspective than critics and the media would admit. But it does ...
Turkey’s decisive entry into Libya’s civil war
The militias of Tobruk-based warlord Khalifa Haftar failed to take the capital of Libya and are being pushed out from the western part of the country, where there are strategic oil fields. Turkey’s intervention played a decisive role in this military outcome. As other external powers engaged in Libya consider ...
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More Disruptions
Expanding state
A trend toward increased government influence in economies and personal life is curbing growth, and freedom, in many Western countries. The outsized role of government results in misplaced incentives, overregulation – which restrains markets and competition – and irresponsible budgetary ...
Middle East politics
The region, one of the cradles of civilization, is going through a turbulent period of historic realignment. Its powers are vying for political, military, economic and religious dominance with local players and outside actors. Armed conflicts, mainly civil wars, are ...
