Category: Geopolitics

Geopolitics

DUBAI—Hamas’s elevation of the Oct. 7 attacks’ architect, Yahya Sinwar, as its leader cements the militant group’s strategic ties to Iran, signaling a united front between Tehran and its axis of militias in a conflict with Israel and the U.S.

Colin Henderson

Sinwar put to rest the debate in the hours after the previous Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a Tehran apartment under Iranian military guard. When members of the group gathered to select a replacement, Sinwar—believed to be in hiding in a Gaza tunnel—interrupted the deliberations with a message: The new leader must be someone close to Iran, said Arab and Hamas officials familiar with the matter. Iran has supported Hamas with funds and training in recent years, but the relationship between Tehran’s Shiite Muslim clerics and Gaza’s Sunni Muslim militants was historically fraught with tension. Tehran split with Hamas over its support … Continue reading DUBAI—Hamas’s elevation of the Oct. 7 attacks’ architect, Yahya Sinwar, as its leader cements the militant group’s strategic ties to Iran, signaling a united front between Tehran and its axis of militias in a conflict with Israel and the U.S.

Geopolitics

Ukraine’s Push Into Russia Is a Surprising Turn in the War

Colin Henderson

The local government in the Russian region of Kursk declared a state of emergency as military analysts reported that Ukrainian forces had advanced several miles across the border. Listen to this article · 10:03 min Learn more By Andrew E. Kramer Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine Aug. 8, 2024Updated 4:08 p.m. ET After months of losing ground to Russia in brutal, grinding battles in Ukraine, Kyiv shifted tactics with a surprise attack into Russian territory this week that caught Moscow off guard and opened a new front in the 30-month war. Ukrainian forces have punched through Russian border defenses and seized several settlements in fighting … Continue reading Ukraine’s Push Into Russia Is a Surprising Turn in the War

Geopolitics

US-China Rivalry Is Destabilizing the Middle East

Colin Henderson

Beijing’s support has emboldened Iran and made the region more volatile. Minxin PeiAugust 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT Reducing America’s footprint in the Middle East to focus on China is one of President Joe Biden’s top geopolitical priorities. But extricating itself from the region has proven much harder than he might have thought. As a major regional war looms on the horizon, a deeper, although indirect, cause of the recent downward spiral in the Middle East is the global contagion of the Sino-American rivalry. Most importantly, America’s pivot to East Asia has changed Iran’s strategic calculus, while Beijing’s response … Continue reading US-China Rivalry Is Destabilizing the Middle East

Geopolitics

America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future

Colin Henderson

And They’re Already Here By Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt September/October 2024 Published on August 5, 2024 On the battlefields of Ukraine, the future of war is quickly becoming its present. Thousands of drones fill the skies. These drones and their operators are using artificial intelligence systems to avoid obstacles and identify potential targets. AI models are also helping Ukraine predict where to strike. Thanks to these systems, Ukrainian soldiers are taking out tanks and downing planes with devastating effectiveness. Russian units find themselves under constant observation, and their communications lines are prone to enemy disruption—as are Ukraine’s. Both states are racing … Continue reading America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future

Geopolitics

The Power of Choosing your Words Wisely

Colin Henderson

Language matters. When Joe Biden was still the Democratic candidate for US president, his campaign was about preserving democracy. Now Kamala Harris is the nominee, the campaign buzzword is “freedom”. It’s a smart messaging shift, and not only because she can use a Beyoncé song as her anthem. While democracy was a term that resonated mainly with older Americans, pretty much everyone in the US can get behind freedom. Freedom is a word used more by conservatives than liberals. Republicans talk a lot about the freedom to do things, such as worship or carry guns or not wear masks in … Continue reading The Power of Choosing your Words Wisely

Geopolitics

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Has Resigned, Army Says

Colin Henderson

Updated Aug. 5, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET25 minutes ago Mujib Mashal and Saif Hasnat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh has resigned, the country’s army chief confirmed in a statement to the nation. He said an interim government would be formed. Earlier, Ms. Hasina was spotted at an airport in the capital, Dhaka, according to diplomatic officials. She appeared to be heading out of the country as protesters stormed her official residence. Ms. Hasina had ruled Bangladesh, a country of around 170 million people, since 2009, but she resigned and departed in the face of massive protests. Continue reading Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Has Resigned, Army Says

Geopolitics

Putin, Kim and the $4 Trillion Threat on Cold War’s Last Frontier

Colin Henderson

South Korea is a semiconductor factory built on top of a geopolitical fault line. War is a very low probability. If it does break out, the human and economic cost would be devastating July 28, 2024 Bloomberg Jul 28, 2024 The human toll would be staggering. Semiconductor shortages would snarl supply chains worldwide. And the global economy would slide into recession. The odds of an all-out war between North and South Korea are very low, but they aren’t zero. Vladimir Putin’s embrace of Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang last month — the Russian leader’s first visit to North Korea in … Continue reading Putin, Kim and the $4 Trillion Threat on Cold War’s Last Frontier