Faculty Publications

This was part of a Zoom roundtable talk for the Consortium of Indo-Pacific Researchers, Sept. 17, 2021.

Moscow is engaged in a game of “natural gas chicken” because it hopes that concerns about low reserves in Europe will create pressure to get Nord Stream II certified and open for business. Washington cannot afford to overlook this ploy.

It used to be that the breaking news about schoolgirls being kidnapped by the dozens in Nigeria made headlines globally including in the West. However, these days we don't seem to hear anything about such news. This week's podcast is about the trend that has taken hold in parts of West Africa that involves the criminal kidnapping of children.

It may seem counterintuitive that America investing in a new nuclear weapon design could help lower the chances of a nuclear conflict. But in this new op-ed, Naval War College professor David A. Cooper argues just that, noting that the concept for a new sea-launched cruise missile could end up benefitting nonproliferation and arms control efforts.

Western media fail to report on civilian casualties in non-Western theaters of war and conflict. Often, this lack of reporting by the media and military officials tend to be viewed by many as devaluing the lives lost and injured and maimed. This failure has to change.

The Taliban Nightmare Haunts the Innocent: Outrage at the policy of Afghan women having to ask Taliban’s permission for their rights/freedoms, Taliban will strip women of their agency – their right to make choices and decisions, Taliban see females as the source of temptation, Taliban see females as inferior to males, and therefore, females require the custodianship of males.

How does the Chinese-Russian relationship affect the U.S. strategic position abroad? In this episode of the Global Demons Podcast, Host Robert D. Kaplan is joined by Nikolas Gvosdev to discuss how this relationship came about and how U.S. policy can be used to pull the two nations apart.

The empowerment of the Taliban in Afghanistan translates into imposing by force a fascist Sunni extremist theocracy. This is a major setback for human rights and freedoms and a mockery of universal values and principles and laws. The Taliban are a dark cloud over the country, and the Afghan civilians will pay the worst cost of this new scenario.

The takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban changes the balance of power in the region.

From Afghanistan to Hungary, there is confusion about what alliance means and what steps the United States is prepared to take on behalf of those it considers allies. These matters need resolution because the United States cannot allow any doubt about what commitments it is prepared to enforce, especially with great power competitors more prepared to test any ambiguity in America’s stance.

Sudan’s al-Bashir will be handed to the ICC for crimes against humanity.

This posting considers the factors and conditions that have increased child recruitment in Burkina Faso.