ISIS ‘metastasizing’ – losing territory and social media presence
The Islamic State group lost 12% of the territory it holds in Iraq and Syria – an area the size of Ireland – in the first half of 2016,… Read more »
Category: Ideology
JCPOA failed to open up economic and political space within Iran
Activist Iyad el-Baghdadi had initially hoped that the Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), would give Iran’s entrepreneurs, reformists, and civil society at large more breathing space:… Read more »
Islamists threaten ‘fractious path’ of Pakistan’s democratic transition
Weeks of scathing criticism has apparently prompted a provincial government in Pakistan to review a grant of $3 million it has recently allocated for a controversial Islamic seminary, which some… Read more »
Why China is the big winner from Brexit
Publicly, China has lamented Britain’s decision to walk out on the EU. But there was a definite silver lining for Xi Jinping’s increasingly authoritarian China, “[and] it won’t have taken… Read more »
Identity and interests trump ideology in countering sectarian radicalization
Extremist groups are able to recruit marginalized, impoverished youths because they give them a sense of belonging and identity, not because of their ideological appeal, says a leading Lebanese civil… Read more »
Erdogan’s ‘divisive authoritarianism’ a factor in Istanbul attack?
The attack on Istanbul’s main airport has underlined President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increased weakness, a vulnerability that’s a product of the actions of Turkey’s allies and opponents alike. But it’s partly Erdogan’s… Read more »
How to save Venezuela
Venezuela‘s opposition’s campaign to gather enough petition signatures to recall President Nicolás Maduro has passed the first stage after enough of the signatures were ratified through the scrutiny process, reports suggest…. Read more »
Post-Brexit representative democracy ‘an endangered species’?
“The British vote against the European Union represented the revolt of the poor against the rich, the provinces against the metropolis, the losers of globalization against the elite.” I’m… Read more »
How to understand and ‘throttle’ ISIS
A thorough examination of the Islamic State’s history and practices is useful for designing a coordinated and effective campaign against it—and for understanding why the group might be able to… Read more »
Brexit the ‘most damaging blow ever inflicted on liberal democratic international order’
Make no mistake about it. Britain’s vote to leave the EU is the most damaging blow ever inflicted on the liberal democratic international order created under US auspices after 1945…. Read more »