The ‘Ukraine Model’ for Intelligence Disclosure May Not be the New Normal

The war in Ukraine heralded a new era of public engagement for Defence Intelligence. However, the Israel–Hamas war has demonstrated that it is not a silver bullet for countering disinformation.

In the days and weeks following Hamas’s attack on Israel, and as the Israeli counteroffensive began, no daily intelligence updates were made public by Defence Intelligence in the UK’s Ministry of Defence. This sort of disclosure would not have been expected at all a few years ago. But during the build-up to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, then-Chief of Defence Intelligence Lt Gen (now Gen) James Hockenhull began briefing publicly that Russia was not drawing down its troops as the Kremlin had claimed. Public commentary on ongoing crises from within the UK’s intelligence establishment was unprecedented at the time. It placed the UK in clear defiance of Russian disinformation, and strongly signalled the UK’s resolve to counter Russian narratives surrounding the war.

8 Hanukkah Traditions and Their Origins

From lighting a menorah, to giving out gelt, to eating cheese—find out how these Hanukkah traditions began.

Each year, Jews around the world celebrate an eight-day winter holiday known as Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah” and several other ways) on the 25th day of the month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, typically falling in November or December on the Gregorian calendar.

8 Things You Should Know About Hanukkah

The eight-day Festival of Lights marks an event dating to the second century B.C.E.

  1. What Does Hanukkah Celebrate?

Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem during the second century B.C., following the triumph of a small group of Jewish rebels, known as the Maccabees, against their oppressors the Greek-Syrians, who had defiled the temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls. In order to rededicate the temple, the Maccabees had to light a menorah that would burn within the temple at all times. However, they only had enough pure olive oil to last for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, leaving time to find a fresh supply of oil.

Oman: A Key Geopolitical Intermediary – Analysis

There is often an opinion among the public that small countries cannot be influential and powerful because they are unimportant. Proponents of such a position claim that small states, due to their small surface area and small population, must submit to the larger powers in the region. Such a point of view is unconvincing assessment that does not take into account either history or the current geopolitical picture.

Iran’s ‘Resistance Front’ And Its Bridge With South Asia – Analysis

With the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas crossing the 55-day mark, no breakthrough seems to be in sight that could bring hostilities to a stop despite the successful exchange of some hostages. As Palestinians in Gaza continue to face the brunt of Israeli military reaction to the terror attacks of 7 October orchestrated by Hamas, tensions over the crisis can increasingly be seen expanding into other theatres, particularly where Iran-supported militias are looking to act together as part of a ‘resistance’ narrative.

Mali : 51 terroristes éliminés par l’armée

Au moins 22 terroristes ont été tués lors d »’une embuscade déjouée » mercredi par un détachement militaire à Sokolo, dans le centre du Mali, selon l’armée malienne.

»Les Forces armées maliennes ont déjoué, avec un remarquable professionnalisme, une embuscade contre une mission d’approvisionnement en vivres des populations dans le secteur de Sokolo, dans le centre du pays, en fin de matinée du mercredi 12 juillet », ajoute un communiqué de la Direction de l’information et des relations publiques des armées (DIRPA).