In The News

BBC: UN Tussles Over Syria Ceasefire

February 23, 2018
Russian-backed Syrian forces are pounding the rebel-held city of Ghouta with airstrikes that have left hundreds of people dead. About 400,000 people are reported to be trapped. The UN Security Council is considering a 30-day truce to allow aid and evacuations, but Russia called for changes in the draft proposal that will be voted on today. The Syrian government claims to be targeting terrorists....

The New York Times: Banks Could Control Gun Sales if Washington Won’t

Andrew Ross Sorkin February 20, 2018
Jurisdictions that restrict gun sales, like Australia or Connecticut, soon experience fewer mass shootings, suicides and other shooting deaths. The United States has the highest rate of gun violence among developed nations, yet the National Rifle Association and Congress resist background checks and other controls. In the wake of a Florida school shooting that left 17 dead, Andrew Ross Sorkin of...

The News: The Voice of the Voiceless

Kamila Hyat February 19, 2018
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semiautonomous region in Northwest Pakistan, long labeled as a source of security concerns for the entire region. Pashtun tribal people are engaging in peaceful protests, demanding more control, rights and services including schools and educators, hospitals and health providers. The compounding needs and complaints is a “dangerous trend in the current...

Al Jazeera: Regional Powers Brace for a Showdown in Syria

Farah Najjar February 13, 2018
Multiple nations intevene in the Syrian civil war and this could expand the fighting. “A surge in Israeli-Syrian cross-border incidents has turned into the ‘biggest’ confrontation between the two countries in decades and confronted Russia with a new dilemma: how to preserve its ties with both sides,” reports Farah Najjar for Al Jazeera. “Israel and Syria have been at the brink of war ever since...

BBC News: Maldives ex-President Nasheed Seeks Help From India and US

February 6, 2018
Maldives is in turmoil after the current president defied a court order and refused to release political prisoners. The government declared a state of emergency with at least two judges detained and the president suggesting a coup was being planned. The government also threatened to block television and media sites that released reports criticizing the government. Former president Mohamed Nasheed...

Foreign Affairs: How Sharp Power Threatens Soft Power

Joseph S. Nye Jr. February 5, 2018
Authoritarian regimes strive to interfere with democratic governments via social media and other information warfare. Such interference can be regarded as “sharp power” as opposed to “soft power,” or government’s reliance on culture and values to enhance strength. “Over the past decade, Beijing and Moscow have spent tens of billions of dollars to shape public perceptions and behavior around the...

Adventure Journal: American GIs Revealing Sensitive Military Locations on Strava

Steve Casimiro January 30, 2018
Strava is a social media site that aims to connect and motivate athletes around the globe: “Strava works with your mobile home or favorite GPS device to track your activities and share your efforts with friends.” An Australian student studying Middle East security, Nathan Ruser, studied Strava’s map and soon “discovered pockets of activity in Iraq and Syria. Unlike in the U.S., where the terrain...