Drones, Deception, and Double-Tapping: the Obama Administration is Killing Innocents Abroad
For Waleed Shiraz, 22, life in northwest Pakistan was once uncomplicated. A former student of Political Science and foreign languages, Shiraz recalls days spent studying in the hujra, a traditional guest drawing room – he liked it there because it was “peaceful and quiet.” The oldest of three brothers, Shiraz hoped to pursue his Master’s […]
Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible
Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible provides the reader with a unique insight into the growth of the globalized arms trade in the context of the collapsing post-Cold War world order. A collaboration of investigative expertise from former West African bureau chief of the Washington Post, Douglas Farah, […]
Innocence of Americans?
The incendiary anti-Muslim movie trailer titled, “Innocence of Muslims” elicited anger and protest across the Muslim world in reaction to its derogatory portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad as a child molester, murderer, philanderer and extortionist. In one extreme and tragic case, the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked, resulting in the deaths of […]
Ethnic Complexities of the Syrian Conflict
Despite starting out relatively peacefully, the conflict in Syria has escalated into civil war with over 10,000 civilians massacred by both government and anti-government forces alike. International debates over intervention have dominated the UN Security Council for months with the United States, United Kingdom, and their allies pushing to oust President Bashar al-Assad via NATO […]
The Future of NATO: Towards Where Will It Turn?
Originally founded as a deterrent to Soviet aggression in Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is now the most successful and effective alliance the world has ever seen. However, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Alliance has often become the focus of attack by those that see it as arcane. To the […]
Iraq: Intelligence or Policy Failure?
The author received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. He worked at the CIA for 26 years. Members of the George W. Bush administration, including the former president, continue to maintain that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was an intelligence failure. This article refutes that contention and argues that […]
Reflections on General David D. McKiernan’s September 20th Address
When retired General David D. McKiernan thanked faculty and students for giving up a Friday evening to join him in Northeastern University’s packed Raytheon Amphitheater, no one mentioned it was Thursday. Former commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, as well as leader of all ground forces during the 2002-2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom, Gen. […]
Run For Your Life: Theories of International Politics and Zombies
Something is aloof in international affairs, or so thinks Tufts University Professor Daniel Drezner. Every day scholars and policy-makers meticulously hammer away at the ins and outs of pressing national security threats (Al-Qaeda, China, Iran, Wall Street, Occupy Wall Street). Drezner, however, believes that these political observers have wholly failed to recognize and address what […]
An Un-United Nations: How the International Body Is Failing the Syrian People
The deterioration of the human condition through violence mars history. Crimes such as slavery, forced deportation, and genocide have extinguished and defined populations. Unfortunately, crimes against humanity are not exclusive to ancestral pasts; humanity continuously faces grave challenges. During the first ten days of December 2011, one thousand Syrians lost their lives to political persecution. […]
Symptoms of Cold Warfare Between Saudi Arabia and Iran: Part 3 of 3
This is the final installment in a three-part series that examines the historical foundations, current dynamics, and future prospects of the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Parts I and II provided historical and contemporary accounts of the two countries’ often turbulent relationship since 632 and 1979, respectively; part III is an analysis of the […]