Reports
Opinion: The lost cause of Iraq and Syria, symbols of the West’s defeat
After over a decade of Western involvement in Syria and Iraq, the region remains unstable and vulnerable to Iranian interference. In Syria, the Kurdish conflict seems set to endure now that the U.S. military has been largely withdrawn from the area. Iraq is facing a wide-scale insurgency against its ruling ...
Beyond the siege of Tripoli
With the international community paralyzed by political strife, the Libyan conflict appears set to intensify in the weeks ahead. If the Libyan National Army enters Tripoli, the ensuing fight will be incomparably more brutal than previous battles. It is likely that Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and his army will break ...
Turkey’s moves on the Libyan chessboard
Turkey provides considerable assistance to the Libyan Government of National Accord in its war against the Libyan National Army in the hope of gaining access to the oil-rich Mediterranean Basin. More than religious sentiment, it is Prime Minister Erdogan’s wish to see Turkey become a key player in the region ...
Russian military faces budgetary ‘death spiral’ after cutoff from foreign suppliers
The crisis in Ukraine is wreaking havoc on Russia’s ambitious plans to modernise its armed forces. The most obvious cause is the combined impact of cheap oil and Western sanctions on state finances. Thus far, the Kremlin has insisted that military procurement be exempt from otherwise drastic budget cuts. But ...
Suspicion of India drives Pakistan and China’s enduring alliance
Islamabad’s relationship with America and the issue of political Islam could be expected to make Pakistan and China wary of establishing close links with each other. But the two nations have a mutual rival, India, with whom they share a history of regional conflict and continuing territorial disputes. And China ...
Pakistan policy clouded by good intention and reality
Pakistan, with newly-elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the helm, has sparked global optimism that he will steer the nation’s economy out of the doldrums and so revive investor confidence in a country of 180 million. Already Mr Sharif has indicated he intends to do business with Pakistan’s historic ally ...
European military industry left behind as Euro Hawk project is scrapped
Europe has had to rely on American support to resolve two military conflicts, one in Libya and the other in Mali. France has learned from this and intends to order military drones from the United States to increase its capabilities by the end of 2013. The rest of Europe has ...
John Brennan: new general for America’s secret wars
Barack Obama’s new CIA boss has given few clues about the agency’s future under his control, but there are hints of changes in the controversial US armed drones policy and of a switch in emphasis following what is seen in Washington as a successful campaign against al-Qaeda. Any change in ...
