In The News

Stratfor: Security Implications of Brexit

Julian Lindley-French April 11, 2018
Much of the concern and discussions on Brexit centers around politics and trade, but security is another priority, maintains Julian Lindley-French. European security depends on close cooperation, especially on intelligence-gathering. “Britain's security, and by extension that of Europe, will be profoundly weakened if the former is not also fully plugged into the latter,” Lindley-French...

BBC News: Chemical Attack in Syria

April 9, 2018
More than 40 Syrians including children were reported dead after a chemical weapons attack in Douma, a town once held by Syrian rebels. International investigators cannot enter the area besieged by war. Syria’s brutal regime, supported by Russia, has focused attacks on areas once held by rebels where evacuations of fighters and family members are underway, reports BBC News. Russia offers no...

New York Times: Can the US Stop Trump Before It’s Too Late?

Madeleine Albright April 6, 2018
Terrorism, populism, sectarian conflicts and greed test democracy, writes Madeleine Albright for the New York Times, and disorder and volatility contribute to support for fascism and authoritarianism. Embracing nationalism, the Trump administration applies a wrecking ball to international agreements and political norms. “Instead of mobilizing international coalitions to take on world problems, he...

Foreign Affairs: When Trump Meets Kim

Toby Dalton and Ariel Levite April 4, 2018
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un caught the world by surprise after the two agreed to meet in May and explore the possibility of nuclear disarmament. The promise of a peace summit, following a year of strained and at times threatening rhetoric exchanged between the two leaders, revives hope that Kim may be open to de-escalation. Toby Dalton and Ariel Levite recommend...

The New Yorker: Why Kim Went to China

Evan Osnos April 1, 2018
Under the helm of Kim Jong Un, who took control of the country in 2012, North Korea has spent years testing and pushing the boundaries of international diplomacy while expanding nuclear production and scheduling nuclear testing. US President Donald Trump heightened tension when he promised to respond to any aggression with “fire and fury.” Yet, at the turn of the new year, both leaders turned the...

Huffington Post: $1 Billion Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia

Nick Visser and Nick Robins-Early March 30, 2018
The Trump administration plans to approve a $1 billion dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia, including “around 6,700 anti-tank missiles and $300 million in parts for the Saudis’ helicopters and tanks,” explains the US State Department. The deal is controversial due to the ongoing Saudi role in Yemen’s civil war. Since March 2015, the Saudi state has carried out lethal airstrike campaigns as part of...

Bloomberg: China Back on Kim’s Side

David Tweed March 29, 2018
North Korea's Kim Jong Un got what he wanted with nuclear weapons: global recognition. South Korea’s Moon Jae-in, in seeking peace with North Korea, served as a mediator with Donald Trump. Xi Jinping, in power for more than five years suddenly rustled up his first meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Thus, “Kim Jong Un just sent a powerful message to U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of...