Commentary

Woolwich attackerThe Woolwich Murder: Initial Assessments of Another Lone Actor Attack From film and eye-witness footage, it is quite clear that the perpetrators of the Woolwich attack were motivated for terrorist ends. The trend is now quite apparent, as is their intended objective of sowing societal discord.
23 May 2013
Iran flagIran: Conservatives Given Free Rein by the Guardian Council Iran's Guardian Council has just published its list of approved candidates for presidential elections -notable for its absence of challengers to the Supreme Leader. The eventual winner needs to repair external alliances and re-energise faith in the Islamic Republic amongst Iranians.
22 May 2013
Sierra Leone: A Post-Conflict Success Story? In June, a RUSI team will visit Sierra Leone to study the country as a model of successful peacebuilding. This will take place in light of recent elections and the conclusion of many military missions. The following outlines what they hope to achieve.
22 May 2013
MONUSCO Congo 2The UN Intervention Brigade: A Force for Change in DR Congo? With troops assigned to the UN's new offensive unit in the DR Congo arriving in Goma, hopes for a tougher response to the region's non-state armed groups have been raised. Yet while novel, the deployment of the unit poses its own challenges.
17 May 2013
Cocaine in West AfricaThe Crime Terror nexus in West Africa The attack on the Al-Amenas facility in Algeria earlier in the year reveals the nexus between organised crime and terrorism in West Africa. This has major implications for the international community and requires greater support to national governments in the region.
15 May 2013
We Hate the EDL More Than We Love Life? Last week, Islamist extremists were found guilty of plotting a terrorist attack on a rally of the English Defence League. The case shows how extremists from both sides are turning to violent means. It also shows how Jihadists in the United Kingdom are focusing on domestic targets.
9 May 2013
Iranian Revolutionary GuardAl-Qa'ida and Iran: How Do We Deal With the Allegations? Recent allegations by the Canadian authorities about Al-Qa'ida in Iran has ignited a flurry of commentary. Experience suggests however that the release of limited intelligence of this nature is fraught with dangers for the public trust and risks being counter-productive.
2 May 2013
Xingjiang mosque china thumbThe Long Arm of the Law in Xinjiang: Fresh Violence Erupts in China's Muslim Far West Two outbreaks of deadly violence in Xinjiang this week highlight China's failure to bring stability to its troubled far west Muslim frontier. A closer examination of the attacks reveals that Xinjiang's model of 'stability maintenance' continues to spark Uyghur unrest.
1 May 2013
Syria ReportRed Lines and Syrian Chemical Weapons Evidence of chemical weapons use by the Syrian regime remains incomplete. But the Obama Administration’s confused signaling and ambiguous standards of evidence risk emboldening the Assad regime.
26 Apr 2013
Boston Marathon thumbnailBoston Bombers Highlight Difficulties of Countering Isolated Terror Cells As motives and operational set-up of the Boston bombers become known, urgent questions will be asked about how US intelligence agencies are prioritising threats in the United States. The case reveals the huge dilemma faced in collecting, evaluating and acting on credible intelligence leads.
24 Apr 2013
Kuwaiti TowersKuwait's Self-Flagellation Continues Kuwaiti politics is at standstill, even though an opposition election boycott in December 2012 led to a pro-government Kuwaiti Parliament. The deadlock is set to continue outside parliament as support for Musallam Al Barrack, the leading opposition personality grows.
24 Apr 2013
MusharrafMusharraf’s Arrest: No Meddling From Pakistan’s Military, For Now Former President Pervez Musharraf is now in custody as a result of a fateful decision to sack judges in 2007. His arrest is unprecedented as the Pakistani military refrains from intervening in a case which will see a military ruler indicted for the first time.
23 Apr 2013
Putin topless protestors thumbExhibitionists Against Autocrats Last week, Russia's Vladimir Putin was confronted with topless Ukraine protestors in Hannover. Autocrats have often been made to look uncomfortable, even foolish, by exhibitionist protest. Nudity was one way of showing contempt for authority in East Germany. There may be echoes of that for Putin's increasingly autocratic Russia.
19 Apr 2013
Boston Marathon thumbnailBoston Marathon: 'Keep Calm and Carry on Running' The authorities in the United States are rightly cautious in ascribing blame to yesterday's incident in Boston. The explosions - killing three and injuring over 140 - highlight the importance of securing public events without being governed by fear.
16 Apr 2013
al-Nusra Front thumbThe al-Nusra Front 'Merger': Underscoring the Growing Regionalisation of Al-Qa'ida There is much confusion over the supposed 'merger' between Syria's Jabhet al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq group. The confusion itself emphasisesthe erosion of Al-Qa'ida's supra-national aims and the reduced focus on Western targets.
15 Apr 2013
al-Nusra Front thumbThe Rise of al-Nusra The supposed 'merger' between the Syrian opposition group 'Jabhet al-Nusra' and Al-Qa'ida in Iraq is nothing new. But it underscores the Jihadist takeover of the Syrian opposition while moderates remain weak and divided and the humanitarian crisis worsens.
12 Apr 2013
Police portraitThe UK Counter-Terrorism Strategy: A Return on Investment The 2012 annual report for the UK's Counter-Terrorism (CONTEST) Strategy highlights the return on investment made in providing security for the Olympic Games. But success accrued at home must now be re-configured to meet the threat abroad.
10 Apr 2013
North Korea FlagA Familiar Crisis: Assessing North Korea's Threats In the Korean peninsula, the risk of war remains much lower than is suggested by the atmosphere of crisis, but a great deal will depend on what level of escalation Pyongyang deems necessary for political and deterrent purposes.
8 Apr 2013
Thatcher at RUSI 2001The Iron Lady's Mark on UK Foreign and Security Policy No one doubted that Margaret Thatcher was a uniquely significant figure in the United Kingdom's foreign and security policies.
8 Apr 2013
Iran flagIran's Legal Challenge to Sanctions: Another Hurdle for Talks? While all eyes are on Almaty and Istanbul, what happens in Luxembourg and London might also affect nuclear talks with Iran. Sanctions are coming under successful legal challenge.
3 Apr 2013
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