Information Warfare Watch No. 1
Souring Scotland;
The G7 rallies against Russian disinfo;
Foreign influence and the Qanon conspiracy;
Next up: fake satellite photos
Want these sent to your inbox?
Subscribe
Publications
Time for jaw-to-jaw with Moscow
If President Biden truly believes he and the United States deserve to lead the democracies of the world, then he must lead in engaging Russia.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2461
Russia opposes U.S. democracy summit;
A shot in the arm for Russia's sub fleet;
U.S. prosecutors seek 17-year sentence for Russian spy;
U.S. pipeline hit by Russian hacking group;
School shooting rocks Kazan
Global Islamism Monitor No. 88
Afghanistan braces for the day after America;
The ISIS genocide;
Saudi moves to marginalize Turkish currents;
Amid protests, EU tightens online regulations
China Reform Monitor No. 1463
China is fueling America's QAnon conspiracy theories;
China's pressure on Canada not to honor Taiwan's Tsai backfires;
Huawei had access to calls made by 6.5 million Dutch;
Tokyo: PLA "Highly Unlikely" behind scores of cyberattacks;
PLA hackers target Southeast Asian governments and militaries
China Reform Monitor No. 1462
China's Central Bank calls to scrap childbirth limits;
Hong Kong marks first National Security Education Day;
China curbs residency restrictions for migrants;
U.S. sanctions PLA supercomputer makers;
Egypt to produce 40-60 million doses of Chinese vaccine
Human Rights Watch did a one-sided takedown of Israel
The report comes as Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza erect more barriers to peace with Israel, and as they themselves degrade the human rights of the Palestinian people.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2460
Russia urged to stop attacking independent media;
RFE/RL in hot water with state censors;
Proposed bill to block Navalny supporters from elections;
80,000 Russian troops remain on border with Ukraine;
Court to hear Navalny lawsuit against Kremlin spokesman;
Sputnik light cleared for export
How the U.S. Can Protect the Sovereignty of the Smallest Pacific Islands
As the Biden administration confronts China’s growing assertiveness, the challenges confronting the smallest Pacific Islands should be front of mind.
U.S. Space Budget Report
Civil and military space investments significantly benefit the U.S. economy and national security. Yet, DoD space, NASA space, and overall federal space funding are insufficient for the U.S. to compete in the new space age.
For progress on Iran, focus on the people
More than three months into its tenure, the Biden administration has made Iran the focal point of its Mideast policy, and seems intent on reviving the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran, despite that agreement’s numerous flaws.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2459
An ailing Navalny appears in court;
Sudan rethinks Red Sea port deal with Russia...maybe;
G7 looks to counter Russian propaganda;
EU summons Russian Ambassador over tit-for-tat sanctions;
Moscow gets a helping hand from Beijing;
Russian rights lawyer under fire
Countering China’s Global Great Game
Washington’s instinctual response to compete with the Belt and Road Initiative dollar-for-dollar is a losing proposition that plays into China’s long game. But with an offensive framework, American policymakers could turn the tables and transform the BRI into an albatross for the Communist Party.
North Africa Is Becoming A New Frontier For U.S.-China Competition
Get ready. "Great power competition" is coming to the Maghreb.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2458
Russian foreign trade shifting away from dollar;
UK sanctions 14 Russians under new anti-corruption law;
Russian hackers hit DC police;
Brazil rejects Sputnik V over safety concerns;
Now Bulgaria seeks clarity on Russian sabotage;
Navalny group disbanded, classified as extremist
Defense Technology Monitor No. 64
A new detonation analysis tool;
Tiny drones with a big upside;
Air Force seeks AI EW capability;
Drone swarm stopper;
A major breakthrough in quantum computing
Global Islamism Monitor No. 87
Dealing with the Islamic State's next generation;
Religiosity and militancy in Pakistan;
The Abraham Accords come to Cairo;
Mozambique looks to private sector in war against Islamists
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2457
ROSCOSMOS head hints at big plans;
Putin's warning to Biden;
Navalny supporters arrested en masse;
Prague gives Moscow a diplomatic ultimatum...;
...as European countries expel Russian diplomats in solidarity
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2456
Navalny sues prison...for an unexpected reason;
Shoigu: Troop buildup near Ukraine a response to NATO;
Another physics professor arrested for treason;
Urals envoy aide sentenced;
Biden sanctions Russia;
Prague blames GRU for 2014 sabotage
Morocco’s Message: Beware Iran’s African Inroads
What drives Iran’s new activism in Africa? Moroccan officials point to a number of factors. The first is strategic opportunism, as the African continent grows in global economic and political significance.
Biden’s Russia Policy Needs to Emphasize Human Rights
A shift in policy is warranted because of the changes taking place in Moscow.
Ukraine crisis may be Putin’s test for the Biden administration
It makes sense that the Biden team would seek to repair relations with Russia, but this may also be perceived as weakness on the part of the White House.
Indo-Pacific Monitor No. 16
Burmese military leans on Chinese, Western surveillance tech;
Taiwan's alliance politics collide with "vaccine diplomacy";
Bangkok moves ahead with military facilities for Chinese-procured equipment
China Reform Monitor No. 1461
China's incursions near Taiwan seen as "intimidation and coercion";
Biden and Suga stand together;
U.S., China agree to climate cooperation;
China fines Alibaba record $2.75 billion;
Beijing cracks down on tech sector, forces Ma to divest
Africa Political Monitor No. 13
Baku's African arms trade;
Egypt moves forward with rail link to Sudan...;
...while signing an intelligence-sharing deal with Uganda;
Some clarity on Tigray;
A furor over French counterterrorism
Resource Security Watch No. 37
More military focus on climate change;
Canada tackles climate change;
Afghanistan's dangerous illicit gold trade;
Planning for expanded access to the Arctic
Breaking China’s Stranglehold on the U.S. Rare Earth Elements Supply Chain
The U.S. has become dependent on a potential adversary for some of the most crucial materials in high technology production: rare earth elements.
Russia Reform Monitor No 2455
A row over the Russian vaccine;
RSF: Russia creating info "black hole" in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Russian businessman Glishkov strangled rules UK coroner;
FSB targets prominent Russian journalist;
The fight over Lake Baikal;
Navalny team: Dissident threatened with force-feeding
China Reform Monitor No. 1460
Chinese vessels stake out another reef in the South China Sea;
Washington, Taipei ink Coast Guard deal;
Growing calls to boycott the 2022 Beijing Olympics;
China builds its own digital currency;
Biden warns China is "racing ahead" on infrastructure
A Moment of Truth for Morocco
What a difference a few months can make.
Bay of Pigs has Lessons for Our Time
JFK lacked the self-confidence to stare down the military and intelligence chiefs who thrust a reckless military plan on him, but he learned from the mistake and grew into a far more seasoned global leader.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2454
Russian military buildup spurring Ukrainian fears;
Nine doctors detained as Navalny health concerns soar;
EU regulator to investigate Sputnik trials;
Russia, Pakistan tighten military ties;
White House: Rejoining open skies will send "wrong message";
Zoom blocks government access, Kremlin threatens ban
China Reform Monitor No. 1459
"China's schoolkids buckle under pressure" - CAIXIN;
BBC China correspondent moves to Taiwan after threats;
UK urges G7: "It's time to get tough with China";
Hong Kong does not warrant special status, says Blinken;
A sitting U.S. ambassador visits Taiwan for the first time since 1979
Russia Reform Monitor No.2453
All smart electronics now required to run Russian apps;
Putin signs law that allows him to rule until 2036;
Russia extends space deal with U.S. until 2030;
A Russian buildup in the Arctic;
Kremlin takes aim at Twitter;
Navalny moved to sick ward amid suspected TB outbreak
To Counter Beijing, Send In the Coast Guard
China exploits ambiguity at sea, and the service could be a vital part of the effort to keep the peace.
Iran Democracy Monitor No. 216
Iran's burgeoning naval arsenal;
How Iran learned to love cryptocurrency;
Tehran works to silence its critics;
Iran's deepening religious roots in Syria
How Do You Solve A Problem Like MbS?
In dealing with Mohammed bin Salman, the United States faces a familiar choice: continue to work with him or press for his ouster as crown prince.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2452
Papering over Siberia's problems;
Hackers targeted emailed account of DHS head;
Father of top Navalny ally arrested;
Slovakia's Prime Minister resigns over Russian vaccine scandal;
Russian physicians sign a petition to examine Navalny
Defense Technology Monitor No. 63
Rethinking rocket fuel sources;
The tech promise of plants;
Simulating the human brain with cobalt;
Resilient, regenerative materials;
U.S. Army develops pulsed laser weapon
Beware the Women of ISIS
The female cadres of ISIS are now poised to expand as a result of a new generation of extremists now being incubated in Syria’s assorted refugees camps.
US withdrawal from Afghanistan spells dangerous geopolitical realignments
The Biden administration, like its predecessor, is poised to withdraw the remaining American troops from Afghanistan — at great cost to both its own and its allies’ interests.
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2451
Navalny allies call for "biggest protest Russia has seen";
Russia, China push for UN summit, oppose outside "interference";
Putin receives first vaccine dose behind closed doors;
Navalny's health "deteriorating," according to aides;
Russian language gains traction in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Worries over Russia's newest vaccine
China Chooses Sides In The Middle East
China's geopolitical ambitions in the Middle East took a giant leap forward over the weekend, when Chinese and Iranian officials convened in Tehran to formally sign a massive new cooperation agreement.
Is America Ready for China’s Belt and Road Challenge?
The Biden administration is going to need a coordinated, multifaceted plan to counter the changing shape of the Belt and Road Initiative if it means to truly engage in great-power competition with Beijing.
US must prepare for cold war with China
The United States and China show growing signs of entering a long-term cold war, strikingly similar to the U.S.-Soviet cold war of decades past...
Russia Reform Monitor No. 2450
Hezbollah curries favor in Moscow;
Three NGOs file legal case against Wagner...;
...as paper targeted;
Putin holds Moscow rally to celebrate Crimean annexation;
Ukrainians stripped of land-owning rights in Crimea;
Moscow recalls envoy after murder "spat"
Beijing’s Schadenfreude Over the Capitol Riots Conceals Deep Anxiety
China’s elite are nervous about the coming succession crisis around Xi Jinping.
Iranians Are Looking Beyond Ayatollahs And The Islamic Republic
Evidence mounts that the captive population that the ayatollahs control is seeking change
China Reform Monitor No. 1458
U.S., Japan will cooperate if China attacks Taiwan;
U.S. punishes 24 PRC officials for Hong Kong policies;
China punishes Microsoft's LinkedIn for lax censorship;
Beijing denies hacking India's COVID-19 vaccine makers;
Anti-China sentiment rises in Myanmar
The Human Rights Element of Iran Policy
Iranians are largely pro-Western and are subjugated by an anti-American regime, their interests and those of the United States align in important and, as yet, untapped ways.