Russian Proposal Reopens Donbas UN Peacekeepers Debate
Himalayan Impasse: How China Would Fight an Indian Border Conflict
Russia Seizes Opportunity to Expand Drone Usage
In Effort to Combat Extremism, Tajikistan’s Government Places Further Restrictions on What People Can Wear
In early September, six million mobile phone users in Tajikistan received text messages telling them to “respect traditional clothes” and “make it a tradition to wear traditional clothes.” The messages, sent at the behest of... MORE
Lukashenka and Russian Officials Part Ways During Zapad 2017
The Zapad 2017 military exercise is officially over. Russian tank and airborne (VDV) units are being withdrawn from Belarus as well as Kaliningrad, Leningrad and Pskov oblasts, and moved back to their permanent bases (Militarynews.ru,... MORE
After Raqqa: The Next Jihadist Stronghold in Syria
As the operations against Islamic State (IS) in al-Raqqa and Deir al-Zour remain the focus of attention in Syria, a group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has quietly and quickly consolidated near-total dominance over... MORE
Jamaat ul Ansar al-Sharia: The New al-Qaeda Threat in Pakistan
Recent months have seen the sudden emergence in Pakistan of an organization calling itself Jamaat ul Ansar al-Sharia Pakistan. The new entity has been reported to be behind a series of five terror attacks in... MORE
Is the Hasm Movement the Future of Militancy in Egypt?
Egypt’s Hasm Movement has released a review of its activities over the course of the first year of its operations. From July 16, 2016 to July 16, 2017, Hasm claims to have killed 27 members... MORE
What is Xi Jinping Thought?
Ahead of the 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), scheduled to begin on October 18, media attention has focused on top-level personnel changes. While the selection of China’s new group of leaders is... MORE
PLA Attempts to Attract Higher-Quality Recruits
In late August, China’s annual conscription (征兵) period ended. This years’ newest group of PLA recruits was reportedly among the worst in recent memory, with widespread reportage across Chinese and international media about the recruits’... MORE
Chen Quanguo: The Strongman Behind Beijing’s Securitization Strategy in Tibet and Xinjiang
Over the last year, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) Party Secretary Chen Quanguo (陈全国) has dramatically increased the police presence in Xinjiang by advertising over 90,000 new police and security-related positions. [1] This soldier-turned-politician is... MORE