Scandal at Brazil’s Petrobras: What Kind of Consequences for Brazil’s Political System?

11/22/2014
2014-11-22 By Kenneth Maxwell The burgeoning crisis at the state-controlled Brazilian oil giant Petrobras, the arrest of leading construction company executives, allegations of embezzlement for personal gain, kickbacks paid for over-invoiced contracts, and the accusation that this involved payoffs to leading Brazilian politicians, including members of congress, governors, ministers, as well as political parties, strikes at…

Italy and the F-35: A New Report by the Centro Studi Internazionali

11/07/2014
2014-11-05 Recently, the Rome based think tank, Centro Studi Internazionali, published their look at the F-35 program, its impact on Italian defense and the role of Italy within the global enterprise. The report was authored by Francesco Tosato who is the analyst in charge of military affairs at the Center…

ROK-U.S. “2+2” Ministerial Strengthens Joint Defenses But Faces New Threats

10/30/2014
2014-11-03 By Richard Weitz The United States and South Korea just completed their most important series of national security meetings this year. On October 24, the South Korean and U.S. foreign and defense ministers held their third so-called “2+2 meeting,” which was the first such ministerial since Park Geun-hye became…

The German Grand Coalition Government, Arms Exports and Defense: Playing Politics or a Global Role?

10/29/2014
2014-10-29 by Julien Canin Recently, the German press has underscored the perilous condition of the Bundeswehr. In part due of the Euro crisis, the government has made economies on the supply chain and spare parts with, for result, the currently atrophy of German capabilities. Indeed, between 2008 and 2014, the defense…