With NATO announcing its intention of handing over security to Afghanistan’s national forces by the end of 2014, new attention needs to be given to the efficiency of Afghanistan’s institutions.
7. Themes
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Battlefield… Earth?
When attempting to keep their countries secure, leaders are faced with many difficult choices in combating an adversary that hides in plain sight, targets noncombatants, and has shown a propensity to sacrifice themselves in the name of a cause.
The Struggle for the Sinai: Israel, Egypt and Regional Stability
The August 5th attacks against Egyptian police on the Israeli border highlights the need for the Muslim Brotherhood and Israel to cooperate on securing the restive Sinai area.
Turkey and the PKK
Despite Turkey’s advocacy for democracy in the region, its human rights record has been tarnished since Ankara escalated its conflict with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) in 2011. Last month the PKK and Turkish army were involved in an intense confrontation.
A Growing Sectarian Divide in Iraq
Last week marked one of the bloodiest in Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December of last year. With a series of attacks on Shi’a targets claiming over 100 lives, concerns that sectarianism is re-emerging in Iraq are beginning to surface.
Rapid Population Growth Adds to Religious Tensions in Nigeria
Nicholas Bishop argues that economic and demographic factors are leading to a rise in religious tensions. According to the author the Nigerian government’s heavy handed response to the terrorist campaign by Boko Haram may be counter productive and exacerbate tensions.
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.
Wired Warfare: NATO’s Steps Towards Cyber Security
Technology has advanced so drastically in the 21st century that after land, sea, air, and space, warfare has now entered a fifth domain: cyberspace. This week at the NATO Summit in Chicago, the alliance took the opportunity to gauge development in ‘non-traditional’ security policies concerning cyber warfare.
Damascus Bombing: Government ‘False Flag’ or al-Qaeda Infiltration?
It has become apparent that a radical jihadist element is now operating in the security vacuum created by the Syrian uprising—but is it to blame for last week’s bombing in Damascus, and is it working alone?
Video – Conference:CANADA AND THE NEW MIDDLE EAST
Panel I – Canadian Economic and Energy Interests in the New Middle East (Click to play video) Welcome Remarks — The Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada (via Video) Julie Lindhout, President, The NATO Council of Canada Moderator: Lawrence Solomon Speakers: Lawrence Solomon, Columnist, Financial Post; Executive Director, Energy Probe Andy Mahut, Executive Board, Read More…