Mother Agnes-Mariam’s analysis of conditions on the ground in Syria is far more nuanced than those of the mainstream media in the United States.
China: What Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Israel, and the U.S. Have in Common
China’s good relations with states at odds with each other could yield results at the negotiating table soon.
Nuclear Weapons’ Lofty Safety Standards Often Go Unmet
Nuclear war hawks forget to factor human error into their national-security equation.
Running Off to War
As in the 1940s in Palestine, some opposition recruits have gone to Syria motivated by extremist ideologies and with the intention to commit acts of terrorism. But most have more prosaic reasons for fighting.
We Forget That Deterrence Doesn’t Need to Be Nuclear
As a principle and practice, deterrence existed long before nuclear weapons.
In a Changing Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia Cling Together
As unrest simmers in the Middle East and the United States edges toward detente with Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia are trying to ride out the storm together.
Obama Administration Actually Doesn’t Want Too Good a Nuclear Deal With Iran
Another Iranian overture spurned.
The M23 Surrenders: A Pyrrhic Victory in Eastern Congo
Given the roots of the ongoing conflict in North Kivu, military victory amounts to exchanging one group of exploiters for another.
The Undead and Us
Zombies speak to our perennial anxieties about war, pandemics, and globalization.
Mistaking Omniscience for Omnipotence
No one knows what a major state would be like if it radically cut back its intelligence services–but based on the recent American record, it’s hard to imagine we could be anything but better off.