Program

Andrew Walker Canada Maritime Nation Terrorism

Breaking The Bottleneck: Maritime Terrorism and “Economic Chokepoints” (part 1)

The probability of a terrorist attack on a major North American port may be low for some security analysts, but given the catastrophic effect an attack could have on such “economic chokepoints,” the costs could be immeasurable.

Africa James M. Bridger Maritime Nation

Talking Somalia with Dr. Christopher Daniels

Interview by James M. Bridger Given the dangers associated with conducting research in the country, Somalia has long suffered from a dearth of genuine academic and journalistic inquiry—resulting in a number of myths and misconceptions. Seeking to counter this, Dr. Christopher Daniels has carried out extensive research in Somalia and the wider region in an Read More…

Africa James M. Bridger Maritime Nation

The EU’s Misguided Move to Fight Pirates Onshore

[captionpix align=”left” theme=”elegant” width=”320″ imgsrc=”http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1405/5178639570_e09c65894f_z.jpg” captiontext=” While successful at deterring and disrupting pirate attacks, foreign military operations alone cannot end Somali piracy.”] When confronting the crisis of Somali piracy, the preferred strategy of the international community has been to deploy naval vessels to protect vulnerable ships and deter and disrupt pirate attacks. The refrain that Read More…

Africa James M. Bridger Maritime Nation

NATO, The African Union and the Fight Against Piracy

By: James Marcus Bridger One would be hard pressed to find an article analyzing Somali piracy—be it journalistic, academic, or militarily focused—that does not make the claim that this maritime problem can only be solved on land. In the four years that the international community has attempted to address this crisis, however, a coherent and Read More…

Eastern Europe and Russia Maritime Nation Simon Miles Western Europe

Storm Brewing over Mistral Sale to Russia

By: Simon Miles It has long been acknowledged that Russia possesses a powerful military; but equally broadly accepted that it is in dire need of modernization. Of late, the Russian government of Dmitri Medvedev and Vladimir Putin has been taking steps to rectify this defect and bring the Russian military in line with the standard Read More…

Canada Maritime Nation

Canada’s Submarine Supposition

By: Ryerson Neal A seemingly innocuous off-the-cuff remark made last week by Defence Minister Peter McKay inspired a flurry of headlines suggesting that the federal government might be interested in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy. Minister McKay sparked the furor while speaking with reporters about the future of the Navy’s chronically dockyard-bound Read More…

Africa James M. Bridger Maritime Nation Terrorism

Kenyan Troops Go Where Others Fear to Tread

By: James Bridger Despite attempts to brand itself as a luxury tour destination, Kenya has been unable to escape the harsh reality that it borders a failed state of Hobbesian proportions. Instability has spilled over in recent weeks, as Somali militants launched a series of daring raids into Kenyan territory: On 11 September Judith Tebbutt, Read More…

Africa Cyber Security and Emerging Threats James M. Bridger Maritime Nation

Piracy Watch: Preventing the “Somalization” of West Africa

By: James Marcus Bridger  An All Too Familiar Event On September 14, armed pirates commandeered an idling tanker, the Matteus I, making off with its cargo of crude oil and 23 hostages. While such events no longer make headlines when they occur off the coast of Somalia, this hijacking took place on the other side Read More…