Latest Articles about Military/Security
Little Hope in Moscow for a Breakthrough in Relations with U.S.
There seems to be a serious desire in Washington to try to improve faltering relations with Moscow, which were strained by the Russian invasion of Georgia in August. It is expected that the new U.S. administration will try to show its ability to parley and... MORE
A Mujahideen Bleed-Through From Iraq? Part Two – A Look at Lebanon
Lebanon always has been a country whose people are more loyal to family, clan, tribe, and faith than to the concept of Lebanon as a united nation-state. Since 2003, this existing internal divisiveness has been sharpened by the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq and... MORE
India and Pakistan Address Terrorism Issues as Relations Deteriorate
The fourth meeting of the Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism (JATM) between India and Pakistan on October 24 in New Delhi remained trapped between diplomatic niceties and hard-nosed positions, adding to the widely held skepticism about the utility of such an exercise. While the Indians were insistent... MORE
Turkey Reorganizes Security Structure to Combat Terrorism
The October meeting of the Turkish National Security Council (Milli Guvenlik Kurulu – MGK) delivered major decisions regarding the reorganization of Turkey’s domestic security structure. In the areas of inter-agency counter-terrorism cooperation and border security, the changes are comparable with those made by the United... MORE
Turkey Supports Pakistan in Opposing U.S. Cross-Border Strikes
Many analysts have commented on Turkey's increasingly innovative and confident foreign policy initiatives, most recently its Caucasian Stability and Cooperation Platform to defuse tension in a region recently torn by armed conflict between Georgia and Russia. Ankara is now using its good offices in an... MORE
Medvedev’s Ambitious Military Reform Plans
Russia has announced its most ambitious, systemic military modernization program since the collapse of the USSR, scheduled to deliver a more efficient and combat-ready military by 2020. These plans betray breathtaking confidence. They will include 955 Borey-type submarines, armed with the Bulava sea-launched ballistic missile;... MORE
Advances in PLA Air Defense Capabilities Challenge Strategic Balance in Asia
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has made considerable progress since the end of the Cold War in constructing a modern integrated air defense system (IADS), using a diverse range of primarily Russian but also domestic technologies. As this system matures over the next decade, it... MORE
Evaluating Trends in Central Military Commission Membership
Leadership ascension in China has long been an opaque and unpredictable process. The 17th Party Congress, due to convene this year, will present another opportunity for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to reshuffle its top leadership. Included in this will likely be new members of... MORE
China and Pakistan Enhance Strategic Partnership
On September 26, 2008, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie met with Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan, in Beijing. The meeting, which called for the enhancement of bilateral strategic partnership, was held against the backdrop of deteriorating U.S.-Pakistan relations as a... MORE
Blocking the Hormuz Strait: China’s Energy Dilemma
Over the last few weeks Iran has amplified its threats that, if attacked, it would immediately close the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint nestled between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf (Al-Siyasa [Kuwait], July 7). Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Mohammad Ali... MORE