March, 2023

• 25 March

  Sustaining Gains in Somalia’s Offensive against Al-Shabaab

  

  What’s new? The Somali government has gained ground in its war with the Islamist insurgency Al-Shabaab, mainly in central Somalia. Most of the progress is due to Mogadishu’s leveraging of local discontent with Al-Shabaab to form alliances with clan militias. Why does it matter? The joint campaign has dislodged militants from a …

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• 25 March

  Biden Administration Pushing Arabs Towards Iran

  

  Today, China is victorious by sponsoring the historic agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the US has a new president who comes to destroy agreements reached by his predecessor, and even brags about it during his election campaign and his presidency.” — Saeed Al-Mryti, Saudi political activist, Twitter, March …

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• 25 March

  Russia’s Politics Of Writing Off African Debts – OpEd

  

  During the International Parliamentary conference Russia-Africa held March 19-20 in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a speech at the plenary session, reminded African parliamentarians that the partnership between Russia and African countries has gained additional momentum and is reaching a whole new level. That the current geopolitical changes present …

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• 25 March

  After Iraq: How the U.S. Failed to Fully Learn the Lessons of a Disastrous Intervention

  

  The core lesson of the 2003 Iraq war is that ruptures in autocratic settings are inherently fraught with risk. Policymakers should approach proposed interventions in such settings with caution. When President Barack Obama admonished his foreign policy team, “Don’t do stupid stuff” (he used an earthier phrase), there was no …

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• 25 March

  Four Complications For The Rushed Putin-Xi Summit – Analysis

  

  Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Moscow, which started Monday and is expected to go for three days, is certain to be rich in pomp and ceremony. Yet, its content remains rather uncertain. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in most cordial terms, invited his Chinese counterpart during their video conversation …

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• 25 March

  War In Armenia: The Role Of The Armenian Diaspora – Analysis

  

  Throughout history, Armenia was always subjected to foreign invasions. Being at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, the country has always been at the epicentre of conflicting interests thus losing its autonomy a few times in history. Eventually, Armenians were either exiled from their homeland or had to migrate for …

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• 25 March

  AUKUS Crucial For Balancing Regional Security And Malaysia’s Future Survival – Analysis

  

  The landmark pact of AUKUS signals the gravity of security challenges in the region, which finally has jolted the West out of its slumber. Greater cohesion and sharing of the most prized military advantage are not only necessary now, but remain the single most critical factor in the race against …

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• 25 March

  America’s Wars

  

  Over 300 wars! As documented in the Wikipedia timeline of U.S. wars, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations and in the Wikipedia list of wars involving the United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States the United States of America has been more or less continuously at war ever since the American Revolutionary war of 1775-1783, which established the United …

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• 25 March

  Criminals at Large: The Iraq War Twenty Years On

  

  The arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Russian President Vladimir Putin came at an opportune moment. It was, if nothing else, a feeble distraction over the misdeeds and crimes of other leaders current and former. Russia, not being an ICC member country, does not acknowledge that court’s jurisdiction. …

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• 25 March

  The Case for a Security Guarantee for Ukraine

  

  How to Protect the Country—Without NATO Membership All wars end. Eventually, the war between Russia and Ukraine will, too. The time to begin preparing for peace is not after the last gun falls silent but now, as the conflict rages. Long before they had triumphed in World War II, Allied …

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