Thirty years after the “Satanic Verses” controversy, the transnational threat to freedom of speech and the press is more acute than ever. The recent murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi – likely orchestrated by Saudi Arabia – is a case in point. So far, the pressure has been on Washington to punish Saudi Arabia, but Justin Dell argues that this issue is too combustable to be left to bilateral relations. What is needed is a broader multilateral approach, first to holding Saudi Arabia responsible for Khashoggi’s murder, and then to uphold the universal values of freedom of speech and expression. Only then can some kind of justice be obtained without risking the further destabilization of the Middle East.
NATO Operations
The ‘NATO Operations’ program provides historical and analytical commentary on missions and operations conducted by NATO—both past and present, and around the world. It looks at events that shape global politics, and provides information on a variety of countries and events that affect their futures. When probing into some of the most influential events in modern history, our enthusiastic group of writers are always excited and ready to provide interesting and objective insights to our readers.
Woodrow Wilson and World War I, One Hundred Years On
On the centenary of the end of World War I, people from democratic societies should look back and appreciate how much they have benefited from the rules-based international order that was proposed by Woodrow Wilson after that conflict. Justin Dell looks at what the world stands to lose if Wilson’s legacy is discarded in favour of a return to an anarchic world of great-power rivalry.
Halloween Special Report: What “The Walking Dead” Can Teach Us About The Rules-Based International Order
AMC’s hit television show has brought some of the age-old questions about order and governance into popular consciousness, Justin Dell explains.
The United States Stands Alone: A Review of “Red Dawn” (1984)
In this film analysis, Justin Dell looks at the alternative history flick, “Red Dawn” (1984), and teases out some of the details of the movie that speak to the apocalyptic mood that existed in the early 1980s, when relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were at their nadir. The film’s principal themes of readiness and sacrifice are as relevant to today’s world as they were 35 years ago.
Interviewing Nicola de Santis, NATO’s Head of Middle East and North Africa Section
In this interview Sivan Ghasem asks Mr. Nicola de Santis, head of section of the
Middle East and North division in NATO’s Political Affairs and Security Policy Section about the Mediterranean Dialogue initiative at NATO.
Eyes East: Bringing “Vostok 2018” into Focus
Russia and China and Mongolia, oh my! Russia recently conducted its largest war games since Soviet times, in Siberia, and Chinese and Mongolian units participated. What should NATO make of this? Justin Dell argues that these exercises are probably more about Russian self-assertion in the Far East than about building a Russian-Chinese axis of autocracy.
Special Report on NATO and Russia: The More Things Change
The collapse of communism, signalled by the breakup of the USSR in 1991, was a welcome development for the democratic world. However, it did not have the potential to change the relationship between NATO and Russia as much as might have been hoped, as Justin Dell explains in this special report.
The Eastern Mediterranean: NATO Allies Clash
The Eastern Mediterranean is without a doubt a conflict-prone geographic location. Most consider the conflicts between Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and occasionally, Egypt, when discussing the region, but new players are clashing with one another, and this time, they’re allies. While the world looks at nearby Syria, it has been Turkey, Cyprus and Greece that Read More…
Why We Have to Intervene After Chemical Attacks
The world may never agree on chemical weapons attacks. Buzz Lanthier-Rogers explains why that cannot, and does not, stop us from acting.
Revisiting Able Archer ’83
In his latest article, Justin Dell writes on the lessons we can learn from a past NATO operation: Able Archer.