March, 2023

• 6 March

  In Munich: West sounds alarm over Global South stances

  

  The recent conference on international security policy focused extensively on the significance of the Global South to the west’s security. As power competition with China and Russia intensifies, the west is compelled to reassess its approach to relations with these countries. “I am struck by how much we are losing …

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• 6 March

  Putin’s ‘civilizational’ speech frames conflict between east and west

  

  In his Federal Assembly address, President Putin emphasized that Russia is not only an independent nation-state but also a distinct civilization with its own identity, which is in conflict and actively opposes the values of ‘western civilization.’ Russian President Vladimir Putin’s much awaited address to the Russian Federal Assembly on …

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• 6 March

  In a US-China confrontation, West Asia will bow out

  

  The prospect of a US-China war has entered the realm of reality. Increased provocations from US military and political officials regarding the status of Taiwan – which China considers to be part of its historic territory – have heightened the possibility of confrontation in recent years. With only 13 out …

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• 6 March

  Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State

  

  Abstract: Once allies in the same organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Islamic State have an interesting history that turned them into ‘frenemies’ from April 2013 to February 2014 and then outright enemies over the past nine years. This led to a broader global fight between al-Qaida and the …

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• 6 March

  Meet the “White Power Rangers”: The Far-Right Violent Extremist Group Gaining Traction in Russia

  

  A little-known far-right extremist group known as the “White Power Ranger Squad” (WPRS) seems to be gaining traction within Russia as the country prepares for a protracted conflict with Ukraine. The group, which recruits and trains members inside Russia, is some combination of a survivalist, reconnaissance, tactical, and weapons enthusiast …

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• 6 March

  A “Biden Doctrine” for the Middle East

  

  A top U.S. policymaker on the Middle East, Brett McGurk, this month articulated a “Biden Doctrine” consisting of major principles guiding U.S. policy toward the region. Notably omitted from the doctrine was a potential U.S. response to Iran’s increasingly viable nuclear weapons program or mention of regional counterterrorism operations. The …

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• 6 March

  One Year After Russia’s Invasion, Will Support for Ukraine’s Displaced Continue?

  

  Over eight million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine one year ago, in what many experts agree is the most significant displacement of people in Europe since World War II. Europeans’ general welcoming of Ukrainian refugees starkly contrasts the continent’s discourse around refugees from the …

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• 6 March

  Russia-Ukraine Fighting Devolves Into Hand-To-Hand Combat

  

  Much of Russia’s yearlong invasion in Ukraine has devolved into infantry fighting in the eastern regions of the country, in part because Moscow’s forces are short on artillery munitions, the British Ministry of Defense said Sunday. In its latest assessment, London said, “Recent evidence suggests an increase in close combat …

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• 6 March

  UN Chief Should Never Have Met Qais Al-Khazaali, The Terrorist – OpEd

  

  After his last visit to Iraq in the spring of 2017, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres went to Baghdad to express international commitment in support of the troubled country. As soon as he landed in the Iraqi capital, the UN chief stressed to reporters that the international community should not brush …

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• 6 March

  Kazakhstan: Opposition Candidates Battle To Compete In Parliamentary Elections – Analysis

  

  Nobody can accuse Lukpan Akhmedyarov of being a system candidate. His campaign video ahead of March 19 parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan details his journey through Kazakhstan’s independence — uncovering graft in media investigations, participating in anti-government rallies and, most famously, surviving an assassination attempt that saw him stabbed eight times …

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