2014-04-28 by Harald Malmgren The hesitant, cautious, incremental responses of US policy towards Russia with regard to developments in Syria, Iran, and now Ukraine, and further Russian threats to Transniestria and other Russian “neighbors” is generating rethinking in Asian capitals. Notably, China’s PLA is ramping up its aggressive rhetoric about…
2014-04-26 For those of us who remember Russian history, kto kvo was Lenin’s famous quote about political struggle. The question of who benefits is a foundation for any political maneuvering, not short term “tough” policy stances. We published a piece earlier on the challenge of imposing sanctions on the Russians…
2014-04-25 by Robbin Laird The Russians have been map-making in Crimea. With the Ukraine in play, close observers of Russian behavior are taking their measure of what such behavior might mean elsewhere. Clearly, an area of note is the Baltics. With Putin’s emphasis on Russian ethnic solidarity trumping international borders,…
2014-04-24 By Cem Devrim Yaylalı The Montreux Convention regarding the regime of the Turkish Straits was signed on 20 July 1936 in Montreux. With this convention, the Republic of Turkey managed to end the issue of Straits, which was resolved temporarily with the Treaty of Lausanne, so as to protect its…
2014-04-24 By staff writer from defenceWeb A pertinent illustration of why South Africa needs a capable and well-equipped defense force comes from a discussion by the chairman and three members of the Defence Review committee. Taking the example of South African losses suffered in the Battle for Bangui last year, Roelf…
2014-04-22 by Robbin Laird Lieutenant Gen. Terry Robling, commanding general of US Marine Corps Forces Pacific, speaks in front of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin about the relationship between the Australian Defence Force and the United States Marine Corps and the honor Brig. Michael Harris displayed on behalf of both…
2014-04-21 By Ardan Zentürk The banner hung by the demonstrators who occupied the regional government building in the center of Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine, where the Russian population is dense, can be characterized as the symbol of the new era in Eurasia: "Russia! Save us from slavery!" The…
2014-04-19 Clearly, the seizure of Crimea is not the end of the Ukrainian crisis. The seizure has direct complications for the rest of Ukraine and for the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, a good deal of European response reminds one of the 1930s where guilt over Versailles led to acceptance of Nazi rhetoric…
