By: James Marcus Bridger A brazen succession of insurgent attacks has claimed the lives of over two dozen foreign and Afghan security personnel in the last week. This wave of assaults sparks fresh fears regarding the militants’ continued ability to strike deep within International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and government-controlled territory. The readiness of the Read More…
4. Programs
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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…
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…
Canada-NATO Relations, the Future of Afghanistan and its Implications on the Transatlantic Alliance
By: Kavita Bapat In July Canada began the process of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan after nearly a decade of engagement in the war torn country. In the early days of the Afghan conflict Canada contributed troops to Joint Task Force 2 with the aim of routing out remaining Taliban and al Qaeda forces. In 2003 Read More…
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…
Starving for Change: Is the Hunger Strike a Legitimate Democratic Tool?
By: Nabila F. Qureshi For thirteen days, a frail old man wrapped in homespun cotton captured widespread media and public attention across India. Channelling the anger and frustration of Indians over a series of poorly handled government corruption scandals, 74-year-old political activist Anna (“Elder Brother”) Hazare staged a hunger strike for nearly two weeks. He Read More…
Unrest Erupts in Yemen Amid Concerns of a Humanitarian Crisis
By: Nabila F. Qureshi In the worst violence Yemen has seen in several months, four days of bloodshed resulted in over 75 people killed and hundreds more injured in the capital of Sanaa. Troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh opened fire on protesters, sniping civilians from rooftops while other security forces dispersed tear gas Read More…
Turkish-Israeli Relations Sinking Fast Over Flotilla Fallout
By: James Marcus Bridger Ever since Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in March 1949, relations between the two states have been marked by a high degree of economic, military, and humanitarian cooperation. What was once a seemingly natural alliance between two non-Arab “outsiders” in the Middle East has however recently devolved Read More…
Following the Somali Pirates’ Money Trail
By: James Bridger. Somali pirates took in approximately $240 million in ransom payments last year, an enormous sum, particularly for a country where the average yearly income is roughly $600. While the NATO Council’s previous article addressed the myriad risks posed by the expansion of Somali piracy, the question of how this money is spent Read More…
Canada’s Maritime Security: A Guide to the Issues
By James M. Bridger. As a nation surrounded by three great oceans, Canada’s maritime security has been of preeminent importance throughout the country’s history. Once boasting the world’s third largest navy, Canadian forces were instrumental in the Allied victory during the Battle of the Atlantic and have since played a significant global role in Read More…