Month: July 2023

The Institutionalization of the New Cold War

The 31 countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are taking their victory laps over the latest expansion of the political-military alliance. The boastful communique for last week’s NATO summit in Lithuania had more than 60 references to nuclear weapons, and promised modernization for NATO’s nuclear powers: the United States, Britain, and France. There is increased likelihood for the pre-positioning of advanced military weaponry, particularly artillery and air defense systems. The Baltic Sea will become Lake NATO.

Eritrea’s Growing Ties With China And Russia Highlight America’s Inadequate Approach In East Africa – Analysis

China and Russia have recently increased their engagement with Eritrea, a small but strategically located country in East Africa. Meanwhile, American influence in the region is amid a yearslong slide. Despite the obvious risks, the United States has failed to muster a committed response and has even taken some counterproductive measures that demonstrate a lack of strategic thinking. If these trends continue, a vital region may fall under the conclusive influence of Washington’s primary geopolitical competitors.

Syria Today – Report Exposes Regime Targeting of Camps, Iraq Deports Refugees

According to a recent report, the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad has deliberately attacked makeshift camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) in north-west Syria. Additionally, on Saturday, Iraqi authorities reportedly deported three Syrian Kurdish refugees back to Syria after arresting them due to residency issues. This action was taken despite concerns about the safety and security of these individuals in their home country.

Guns For Hire? A Season For Mercenaries – OpEd

Just after a band of mercenaries tried to oust the government in the Maldives back in 1988, I asked a Maldivian diplomat, using a familiar military catchphrase, about the strength of his country’s “standing army.”

World Powers Continue To Squabble As Syrians Suffer – OpEd

Millions of lives at stake. Families in dire need of international aid. Russia plays games with them all at the UN Security Council. Repeat every six months until further notice. Welcome to the Syria debate at the UN.

This has been the case ever since 2014. The UNSC authorizes the UN to use one Turkish-Syria border crossing to deliver aid — just one, at Bab Al-Hawa — while rejecting attempts to open others, as was the case previously. The Ya’roubia border crossing from Iraq into northeast Syria has been closed since January 2020. As a result of the earthquakes that hit southern Turkiye and northwest Syria in February, the Syrian government did make the rare move to allow an extra two border crossings with Turkiye to be used. This approval runs out on Aug. 13.

NATO’s Vilnius Summit: Hints Of A New Cold War – Analysis

The Vilnius Summit, convened by the NATO Heads of State and Government on July 11-12, 2023, concluded with the release of an extensive communiqué. This document distinguishes itself from a typical summit declaration, serving instead as a strategic roadmap that outlines NATO’s future direction in an ever-evolving world order.

La CIA fuit comme une passoire et accuse l’Ukraine d’être la cause de la débâcle imminente

Je tiens à remercier l’un de mes lecteurs, Paul S., qui m’a signalé cet article de Newsweek remarquable et hilarant, écrit par Bill Arkin, qui est un exemple classique de la façon dont la CIA a jeté l’Ukraine sous le bus et a évité d’être tenue pour responsable du désastre militaire qui se profile à l’horizon. Je commencerai par citer la conclusion de l’article :

Germany Creates Equity In Western Ukraine – OpEd

The hypothesis that the Anglo-Saxon axis is pivotal to the proxy war in Ukraine against Russia is only partly true. Germany is actually Ukraine’s second largest arms supplier, after the United States. Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a new arms package worth 700 million euros, including additional tanks, munitions and Patriot air defence systems at the Nato summit in Vilnius, putting Berlin, as he said, at the very forefront of military support for Ukraine.

2023 GLOBAL SECURITY FORUM

The 2023 Global Security Forum took place from March 13-15, in Doha, Qatar. The 2023 Global Security Forum theme was Reshaping the Global Order. The conference focused on international approaches to conflict, crises, and cooperation and included discussions on topics such as: the global energy crisis and approaches to strengthening sustainable economies; great power competition, shaped by the war in Ukraine; the evolution of global terrorism and emerging threats; violent far-right extremist networks and financing; and the disinformation-terrorism nexus.

GSF-Report-2023Download