In The News

The Diplomat: How South Asia Is Failing Its Rohingya Challenge

Angel Sharma December 4, 2017
Myanmar’s military operations against the Rohingya people in Rakhine state has driven more than 500,000 refugees to Bangladesh and at least 40,000 each to India and Pakistan. The countries of South Asia are poor and overpopulated and the refugee crisis could destabilize any the countries. Angel Sharma, writing for the Diplomat, urges comprehensive region-wide policies to prevent waves of illegal...

Stratfor: Egypt and Russia’s Motives for Expanding Influence in the Middle East

December 1, 2017
Russia is taking steps to strengthen its presence in the Middle East with a five-year “preliminary agreement with Egypt on the reciprocal use of air bases in each country.” Egypt is expected to sign the agreement that gives Russia access to the Northern Africa-Mediterranean region to help contain Islamic extremism and gain new markets for arms and energy. Russia is also exploring an agreement for...

Bloomberg: Former US National Security Advisor Pleads Guilty

David Kocieniewski and Greg Farrell December 1, 2017
The retired US general who campaigned for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and served as the administration’s first national security adviser is pleading guilty to a single charge of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about communications with the Russian ambassador. Lying to the FBI is a federal felony with a five-year prison term. “The charge against [Michael] Flynn, 58, adds...

The New Yorker: Egypt Is in Trouble and Not Just from ISIS

Robin Wright November 30, 2017
A terrorist attack in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing more than 300 people, suggests that Islamic State fighters are finding new targets after being driven from Syria and Iraq. Egypt has had more than 1,700 terrorist attacks since 2013. “The mosque attack is the latest of many challenges facing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, a former field marshal, as Egypt heads toward elections next year,”...

The New York Times: North Korea Fires a Ballistic Missile

Mark Landler, Choe Sang-Hun and Helene Cooper November 29, 2017
North Korea launched another intercontinental ballistic missile on November 28. Launched at a high trajectory, the missile landed near Japan. At a lower trajectory, the missile could have traveled more than 12,000 kilometers, capable of reaching any city in the world. The United States recently returned the country to a list of state sponsors of terrorism. The missile included advances in height...

New Statesman: Day in the Life of an Aid Worker Under the Blockade in Yemen

Johan Mooij November 29, 2017
Saudi Arabia, intervening in the Yemen civil war, has imposed a blockade with periodic openings to allow humanitarian aid. The war and the blockade adds to the challenges of delivering emergency relief, and New Statesman published the description of a typical day for Johan Mooij, the country director for CARE in Yemen. Basics like water, electricity, fuel, health services and food are in short...

Saudi Arabia Shifts Policy From Risk Averse to Downright Dangerous

Bruce Riedel November 28, 2017
Saudi Arabia as absolute monarchy and the United States as democratic republic are polar opposites in terms of political governance and culture. Yet the two nations have had close ties since 1943 when pragmatic leaders focused on shared security concerns. More than seven decades later, the relationship appears strong though less pragmatic. Each country, with internal divisions and long-term...