In The News

Asia Times: US, China Vie for Influence in the Philippines

Noel Tarrazona August 11, 2017
Philippine troops continue to battle militants affiliated with the Islamic State in Marawi, a city in the southern part of the country. With a goal of establishing an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia, the militants rely on urban warfare tactics including taking civilian hostages, land mines, snipers and ambushes with more than 400,000 people displaced. China and the United States compete in...

The Korea Times: Trump Warns of “Fire and Fury”; North Korea Threatens to Strike Guam

Jun Ji-hye August 10, 2017
The leaders of North Korea and the United States are exchanging threats, and the rest of the world hopes the war of words does not escalate into what is being called “preventive war” or preemptive strikes. “Preventive strikes are carried out to remove the enemy's strategic facilities in advance to prevent an attack,” explains Jun Ji-hye for the Korea Times. “This is a different concept from...

Council on Foreign Relations: US Cyber Diplomacy Requires More Than an Office

David P. Fidler August 7, 2017
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has moved the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, previously an office with a direct chain of command to the secretary of state, into the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. The move may reflect administration-wide “marginalization of cyber issues in foreign policy,” writes David P. Fidler for the Council on Foreign Relations. “...

The New York Times: North Korea Threatens Retaliation Over Sanctions, Hints at Possible Attack

Rick Gladstone August 7, 2017
The United Nations Security Council approved sanctions drafted by the United States and China against North Korea that could reduce the nation’s $3 billion in exports by $1 billion. “The resolution was a direct response to North Korea’s successful tests last month of two intercontinental ballistic missiles that for the first time demonstrated an ability to reach the United States mainland,”...

BBC News: What Lies Ahead for Divided Venezuela?

Will Grant July 31, 2017
Venezuela is in crisis even though it has the largest proved oil reserves in the world. The country depends heavily on oil revenues and mismanaged the industry. President Nicolás Maduro, in office since 2013, lacks control and credibility. Election results of assembly members charged with changing the constitution are suspect: The government claims that more than 40 percent of the electorate...

Washington Post: South Korea Wants More Firepower

Anna Fifield July 31, 2017
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, campaigning for office, had favored diplomacy over military force in handling the impoverished nation to the north. Two intercontinental ballistic missile tests by North Korea during July have forced Moon to shift his stance. “If the ICBM had been launched on a normal trajectory, the missile could theoretically have reached Chicago and perhaps even New York,...

The Indian Express: Where Things Stand on the Dolam Plateau

Sushant Singh July 24, 2017
In June, China increased roadbuilding activity in a disputed territory of the Dolam plateau in the Doklam area, and India soon intervened with troops. “The standoff began after the Chinese started work on extending an unmetalled track in Bhutanese territory, and were prevented by Indian troops," reports Sushant Singh for the Indian Express. "Bhutan and India believe the Chinese have an...