Iraqi Prime Minister’s Decree will not Undermine Power of Iran-backed Militias Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 17 Issue: 16 By: Rafid Jaboori The Jamestown Foundation On July 1, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi issued a decree stating that the Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militias that operate under the umbrella group of the Popular Mobilization forces (PMU) should…
Russia Rehearses Multi-Platform Warfare in the Baltic Sea Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Roger McDermott The Jamestown Foundation Russia’s Armed Forces have commenced Okeanskiy Shchit (“Ocean Shield”) 2019 naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, under the direction of the commander-in-chief of the Russian Military-Maritime Fleet (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot—VMF), Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov. The exercises, running from August…
At least 42 die in Libya after airstrike hits many civilians attending a wedding ceremony Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Another fresh massacre occurred in Libya after at least 42 civilians attending a wedding were killed in the South-Western part of this nation. The airstrike (drone strike) was committed by forces…
India and Myanmar to strengthen military defense ties Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nations of China, India, Japan, the Russian Federation, and many others, all view Myanmar in a positive light. Hence, for various reasons each nation seeks to boost ties with Myanmar. Of course, the geopolitical importance of this…
First Ever Sino-Russian Joint Air Patrol Barely Avoids Triggering Regional Conflict Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Pavel Felgenhauer The Jamestown Foundation The Chinese Ministry of National Defense published a white paper yesterday, July 24, entitled “China’s National Defense in a New Era.” The document accuses the United States of pursuing “unilateral policies,” provoking “intensified competition…
A Neighbor’s Dilemma: The Implications of the Libyan Crisis on Tunisia Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: James Pothecary The Jamestown Foundation Introduction In April, paramilitary forces loyal to the Libyan National Army (LNA)—the armed wing of the Tobruk administration—began its campaign to take the capital Tripoli from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and…
Japan and Russia territorial dispute made worse based on US containment policies Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan wants stronger relations with the Russian Federation but three issues remain that are preventing this. This applies to the role of America that seeks to contain China and…
Japan and electronic warfare based on a wary eye on China and Russia Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Irrespective of the rights or wrongs of events surrounding Crimea between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the role of Russia’s electronic warfare opened-up eyes in Japan. Similarly, with China and the Russian Federation…
Christians killed in church attack in Burkina Faso: Islamist threat in West Africa Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Suspected Islamists have killed 6 Christians, including the Protestant pastor, in the northern part of Burkina Faso. This latest suspected Islamist terrorist attack is a further sign of the growing problem facing Burkina…
US and Japan affirm Cybersecurity ties: Japan’s non-Northeast Asian fixation and Russia Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan claims that he desires to solve the protracted territorial dispute with the Russian Federation. Yet, many within the corridors of power in Moscow dispute the sincerity of Japan.…
China pledges strong support of Myanmar: Western nations need to open up! Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Myanmar is on the path of strengthening democracy under the State Counsellor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi. Yet, after mass propaganda about the crisis in Rakhine, many Western nations have…
Learning Without Fighting: New Developments in PLA Artificial Intelligence War-Gaming Publication: China Brief By: Elsa Kania The Jamestown Foundation The Opportunities and Challenges of Intelligentization A lack of recent experience in combat is often characterized as a major liability and potential disadvantage for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in any future conflict scenario.…
Egypt backs counterterrorism measures in Libya: President El-Sisi meets Khalifa Hafter Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Egypt under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi openly backs counterterrorism measures in Libya. Indeed, with political convulsions emerging in Algeria and Sudan respectively, then Egypt seeks to keep Islamist terrorism and Muslim Brotherhood intrigues…
Electronic warfare and Japan: New approach to the Russian Federation? Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan is focused on a five-year plan to upgrade areas related to electronic warfare, cyber wars, cyberspace, and other modern military areas. At the same time, Japan understands the growing reality of new…
Russia’s Military Undertaking Growing Role in Creation of ‘Sovereign Internet’ Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Roger McDermott The Jamestown Foundation Russia’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed its involvement in the creation of a “sovereign Internet,” which marks part of its wider efforts to transform its system of military communications. This will involve the Russian military…
‘Special Outsider’: Russia Joins the Race for Global Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Sergey Sukhankin The Jamestown Foundation On February 26, the industrial director of the Rostec State Corporation, Sergey Abramov, declared that work on the fourth generation of the Ratnik future infantry combat system is underway. The system is said…
The hypocrisy of Organization of Islamic Cooperation against Myanmar: China and Yemen, anyone? Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It is hypocrisy of the highest for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to care about human rights. After all, from Saudi Arabia (Sunni Islam) to Iran (Shia Muslim), it is clear that…
Russia’s Armed Forces Expand UAV Strike Capability Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Roger McDermott The Jamestown Foundation Complementing the Russian Armed Forces’ drive to integrate Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities, growing interest additionally centers on the development of new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). This links to General Staff perspectives on…
Myanmar and the Arakan Army should hold talks on unity rather than boosting the Islamist dream Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Myanmar is beset by many ethnic conflicts and clearly, Rakhine is known internationally based on the pro-Muslim narrative in relation to Bengali Muslims. However, the situation is extremely complex because…
India bombs Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Pakistan: Afghanistan and Iran Ramazan Khalidov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of India responded to the recent brutal terrorist attack that killed many paramilitary police officers in India ruled Jammu and Kashmir. During the same time period, terrorists utilizing Pakistan also killed many Iranian…
PM Abe to ignore the voice of Okinawa and increase tensions based on placating America Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is intent on dismissing the voice of Okinawa in order to placate America’s geopolitical concerns. In truth, the shortsightedness and meekness of many past Japanese leaders enabled…
Japan government should listen to Okinawans after 72 percent reject US base move Sawako Uchida and Chika Mori Modern Tokyo Times The central government of Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe must listen to the people of Okinawa. If not, then resentment will further grow because it is overwhelmingly clear that the majority oppose the…
Report: Wiretaps Show Turkish Intel Supported ISIS by John Rossomando Investigative Project on Terrorism Turkish prosecution documents show that the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was up to its eyeballs supporting ISIS, a new report by the London-based Investigative Journal has found. Wiretaps show that Turkey’s intelligence agency, known by its Turkish acronym MIT,…
India and Iran suffer heavy losses after terrorists utilizing Pakistan claim both attacks Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times India and Iran have suffered heavy losses after two separate terrorist attacks have killed many security forces. It is known that 27 members of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran were killed after Islamic…
Ukraine Buys Advanced Turkish Strike Drones Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Yuri Lapaiev The Jamestown Foundation On January 26, Ukrainian State Concern Ukroboronprom announced an agreement between the Turkish company Baykar Makina and Ukraine’s state-owned arms trader Ukrspecexport (part of Ukroboronprom) to procure 12 Bayraktar TB2 operational/tactical-level strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for $69 million…
A Renewed Nuclear Arms Race Between Russia and US Begins to Gather Pace Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Pavel Felgenhauer The Jamestown Foundation A last-ditch attempt by Russia and the United States to salvage the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty at a consultation meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 15, ended in mutual acrimony.…
Mexico and its Shadow War: Endless reports of state collusion with drug cartels Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Mexico resembles a war zone based on the horrendous homicide rate that remains endlessly high. Indeed, in the first six months last year, just below 16,000 homicides occurred. Hence, Mexico…
Western powers need to support Myanmar and the path of democracy under Aung San Suu Kyi Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The State Counsellor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, is determined to maintain the path of democracy in this country and to solve countless protracted ethnic issues that blight the…
Taiwan needs support against threats from China: President Xi is playing into US hands Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Xi Jinping of China needs to focus on statecraft because issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet, and territorial disputes all threaten to derail the international outreach of this nation. Hence, with China…
Caspian Flotilla Highlights Growing International Role of Russia’s Coastal Navy Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 170 By: Paul Goble The Jamestown Foundation Many military commentators in Moscow and the West have pointed to Russia’s loss of a navy capable of blue-water actions (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 30), but they have not focused on the…
Houthi forces accused of manipulating food aid in Yemen by the World Food Programme Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yemen is blighted by a sectarian war, regional differences, and the intrigues of major Sunni Muslim nations under the Saudi Arabia-led alliance. Of course, powerful Western nations including America, France, and the…
Military option enhanced in Japan based on the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is focused on the modernization of the armed forces. This is based on the changing geopolitical landscape and having various territorial disputes with several regional nations…
