TimeLine Layout

June, 2021

  • 12 June

    What a Future Russia House Must Look Like

    Next month’s planned meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to include conversations on Ukraine, COVID-19 and the recent diversion of a flight by officials in Belarus, but as tensions between the two countries remain tense, there are bigger issues at play, like the …

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  • 12 June

    Somaliland: The Power of Democracy

    Spotlighting an African rarity: a poor but democratic nation. A dirty white, bullet-pocked house, without electricity and running water, does not merit a second glance in the town of Burao high in the east of Somaliland. Yet this former colonial governor’s residence, shaded by a giant acacia, was the site …

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  • 12 June

    The US and China in the Middle East: Rivals or Partners?

    The US bridles at China’s growing Middle East footprint. But the two are not necessarily doomed to be regional rivals. Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that a planned sale of F-35 fighter aircraft and Reaper drones by the US to the UAE might fall through. The story was …

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  • 12 June

    Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Outlook: Islamic Solidarity and the Uyghur Question

    Islamic identity has been a critical part of Pakistan’s national ethos and has remained a principal determinant of its political history and foreign policy. But it also creates awkward situations, such as the question of the Uyghurs in relations with China. Pakistan is one of only a few states where …

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  • 12 June

    Japan’s Russia Policy Under Prime Minister Suga

    After former Prime Minister Abe’s warm embrace of President Putin, Japan’s attitude towards Russia under his successor, Yoshihide Suga, has notably cooled. Under Shinzo Abe, who was Japan’s longest serving prime minister before stepping down in September 2020, Japan stood out within the G7 for the friendliness of its policy …

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  • 12 June

    Another Iraqi intelligence officer killed in Baghdad

    The most recent killing is likely meant to undercut Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s efforts to curb militias outside the control of the state. For the second time this year, a senior officer of the Iraqi intelligence service has been killed by unidentified gunmen. On June 7, Nibras Farman al-Fayli, assistant …

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  • 12 June

    Syria rejects US secretary of state’s comments on Golan Heights

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a House of Representatives committee Monday that Israel “has control” over the territory. The Syrian government criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday for comments the diplomat made about the Golan Heights. Blinken spoke before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on …

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  • 12 June

    Palestinian officers killed in West Bank firefight with undercover Israeli forces

    The two Palestinian officers opened fire on the undercover Israeli forces, reportedly unaware they were conducting a terrorism raid. Three Palestinians, including two members of the Palestinian Authority’s security service, were shot dead in an exchange with Israeli special forces in the early hours of Thursday in the northern West …

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  • 12 June

    Iran’s hard-liners take page from China’s election playbook

    Iran’s hard-liners have long been disillusioned with a system in which all citizens are encouraged to vote. Another presidential election is unfolding in Iran. Many observers expect a low turnout as many ordinary Iranians are either discouraged or disillusioned. However, those in power seem not to mind. The political elite …

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  • 12 June

    China’s Quest for Global Primacy

    An Analysis of Chinese International and Defense Strategies to Outcompete the United States ocusing on the international and defense dimensions of U.S.-China competition, the authors of this report make three contributions. First, they intend this report to serve as a planning tool by positing international and defense strategies that could …

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