Commentary

Attara, Dakka Sebbe, Nienanpela, Dioura, and Ouro Fer — these five Malian towns saw elders murdered, civilians tortured, and property looted by the Wagner Group in January and February of 2024. And they are not isolated cases. Across the…

Last month, China launched one of the largest military exercises in recent memory, nearly completely encircling Taiwan with dozens of warships and fighter jets. This exercise, Joint Sword 2024A, was in response to the inauguration of…

What would it take for someone to hack a tank? Modern Western militaries may well be about to find out. The militaries of the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other powers are contemplating the gradual…

Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine pulled no punches in explaining the country’s decision to expel U.S. forces: “The Americans stayed on our soil, doing nothing while the terrorists killed people and burned towns. It is not a…

The North Korea problem is set to get worse before it gets better. North Korea continues to perfect the reentry technology, targeting capability, and solid-fuel missiles that will dramatically increase the potency and reach of its nuclear…

Scottish philosopher David Hume observed that “there is a universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves … we find faces in the moon, armies in the clouds.” Humans have always had a fondness for anthropomorphism,…

“Ike Returns to Normandy, Tells Reds: Remember Hitler.” With this June 1948 headline, the Washington Post left readers in no doubt about the present politics that often underpin D-Day commemorations. When Western heads of state, including…

In explaining NATO to the American people in a March 1949 radio address, Secretary of State Dean Acheson asked “will the treaty accomplish its purpose?” “No one can say with certainty,” he answered, “We can only act on our convictions.” And…

“Palestinian tribes, clans and families are not an alternative to any Palestinian political system.” This statement was made not by a Palestinian government official or an expert advisor on democratic reforms in Palestine. Rather, it was…

Iran is overtly inching closer to the possession of nuclear weapons, but thus far has refrained from crossing the line. Crucially, Iranian officials are already acting and speaking as if Iran has a threshold nuclear capability, claiming…