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Africa James M. Bridger Terrorism

Emboldened al-Qaeda Offshoot Prompts Western Action

Once considered a quiet front in the global “War on Terror,” the Sahel region of North Africa has become an area of increasing concern for Western governments. Emboldened by mercenaries and heavy weapons crossing out of Libya, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has engaged in a spree of kidnappings and attacks, prompting Canada, the Read More…

Canada NATO and Canada

NATO’s Parliamentarians – Part III

By: Ryerson Neal   Glenn Thibeault is the NDP Member of Parliament for Sudbury. He serves as Critic for Consumer Protection and Amateur Sport. In October he attended his first session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Bucharest, Romania.   Q. What got you interested in the parliamentary side of NATO? A. I’ve always had Read More…

Canada NATO and Canada

NATO’s Parliamentarians – Part II

By: Ryerson Neal In October, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly met for its 57th Annual Plenary in Bucharest, Romania. The Assembly is an inter-parliamentary organization composed of legislators from NATO members and associate countries. It acts as a forum for legislators to exchange views and discuss defence and security matters. Throughout the year, the Canadian NATO Read More…

Canada NATO and Canada

A Conversation with Senator Joseph Day, Chair of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Defence and Security Committee

By: Ryerson Neal Sen. Joseph Day has represented Saint John – Kennebecasis, New Brunswick, in the Canadian Senate since 2001. He is a member of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and takes a keen interest in defence issues. In October, he was part of the Canadian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Bucharest, Romania. Read More…

Cyber Security and Emerging Threats Eastern Europe and Russia Simon Miles Western Europe

A Modern Missile Gap

By: Simon Miles Russia will deploy its own missiles, with enhanced missile defence penetration technology, if the US and NATO do not halt in their project for a pan-European missile defence network, President Dimitri Medvedev warned. Furthermore, the western enclave of Kaliningrad will be host to a new arsenal of tactical weapons. With obvious relish, Read More…

The Middle East and North Africa

Yemen’s Saleh: Really Gone for Good?

By: Nabila F. Qureshi After 33 years of autocratic rule, Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed an agreement on Wednesday to step down. The deal, brokered by the Gulf Co-operation Council and the United Nations, will allow for the Yemeni vice-president to negotiate a power transfer to the opposition, making Saleh the fourth leader to 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…

Simon Miles Western Europe

The International Implications of a Socialist Victory in France

By: Simon Miles France’s socialist party last prevailed in the 1988 presidential election, won by François Mitterand (the incumbent) by a solid majority. Now, in the run-up to the 2012 elections, many French Socialists hope to repeat that success with François Hollande at the helm.  This electoral cycle saw the Parti Socialiste (PS) engage in 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…