Global Security
Global Security
Fair Observer's analysis of issues in governance, constitution, law, enforcement, and justice both nationally and internationally.
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360° Analysis / Afghanistan / NATO / Politics / United States / Global Security / AsiaWith the 2014 withdrawal date coming closer each day, several countries are planning their exit from Afghanistan. It now becomes apparent that it is long overdue for the US to leave as well. In the wake of several deaths among its contingent of troops in a previously peaceful province in Afghanistan, New Zealand (like France and South Korea) is now expediting the departure of its 140 soldiers. That’s not exactly headline-making news here in the US If you’re an American, you probably didn’t even know that New Zealand was playing a small part in our Afghan War. In fact, you may hardly have known about the part Americans are playing in a war that, over the last decade-plus...
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With a complex constellation of different militant outfits and treacherous terrains in Waziristan, it would be hard to plan a full throttle offensive in the region. Yet the need for such an offensive seems inevitable as the policy makers in Pakistan are not only facing wide scale public uproar but also facing growing international pressure for allegedly sheltering the Haqqani network. The latest rain of Hellfire missiles fired off CIA-operated drones on targets in Waziristan, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), offer Pakistan another excuse to protest the series of attacks that have killed some three dozen people between August 19 to August 24. The latest string of these...
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360° Analysis / Iran / Politics / Syria / Middle East / Global SecurityIran has simultaneously been a marginal player and a key player in the Syrian crisis. Now, Iranian decision-makers are attempting to gain ground through alternative diplomatic tracks, such as the Consultative Conference of Tehran and the Non-Aligned Movement Summit. During a meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton envisioned a Syrian strategy based on two interlinked assumptions: speeding up the end of the bloodshed, and the end of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Yet, these two goals are not forcibly one consequence of the other. Indeed, a fall of the Assad regime might provoke even more atrocities in Syria and beyond, especially if it had...
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360° Analysis / Iran / Israel / Politics / United States / Middle East / Global SecurityGerman–Iranian political scientist Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Israeli journalist and peace activist Hillel Schenker discuss the conflict engulfing Iran, Israel and the West. Author's Note Possible alternatives and the perception of the spiral of violence discussed in Berlin by German–Iranian political scientist Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Israeli journalist and peace activist Hillel Schenker, at the invitation of the German branch of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW Germany) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). The debate on which the following text is based upon was held on April 23, 2012, at the FES before an audience of over 150...
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360° Analysis / Iran / Iraq / Politics / Syria / Middle East / Global SecurityAs the conflict in Syria gains in intensity, so does the possibility of destabilization in Iraq. The three major sectarian groups in Iraq now have a unique part to play. Syria has been driving everyone in Iraq mad. In the past week, I visited four embassies in Baghdad and all we talked about was Syria. I went to the United Nations for a meeting on Iraq and all we talked about was Syria. On a recent conference call, every point I made somehow had a connection to Syria. During the conference call one of my Iraqi colleagues sent me an email saying: “The fall of the armies of Syria signals the coming of the 12th Imam”. In short, everyone in Iraq is mad about Syria. Let me explain....
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China's increased spending on military material causes concern among neighboring countries. Background Asia is gearing up this year, with China becoming the continent’s new leading military spending power. China, Japan and India rank 2nd, 6th and 7th respectively in the list of the 10 countries with the most military spending in 2011. Whereas the US cut down their expenses in 2011 due to the imminent withdrawal of the US military from Iraq as well as Afghanistan, and the financial crisis put a dampener on Europe’s defense spending, Asia and Oceania have increased their military expenditure by an estimated 2.3%. Trends show that this number is likely to increase during the...
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360° Analysis / GSOMIA / intelligence agreement / Japan / North Korea / South Korea / Global Security / AsiaBy Nackhoon HanSince the failed attempt to sign a first-ever military intelligence agreement with Japan, it is vital that South Korea needs to reassess the entire agreement with respect to its own domestic opinion as well as the broader strategic implications. South Korea and Japan were recently on the verge of signing their first-ever military agreement (the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA), which would allow the two East Asian nations to share military intelligence. However, on Friday, June 29, 2012, South Korea announced that it would temporarily postpone signing the military pact with Japan. Despite South Korea's government previously asserting the necessity of this...
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By Bilal AhmedThe inevitable collapse of the Syrian regime could potentially have a problematic effect on neighboring countries due to Assad's relationship with members of al-Qaeda in Iraq. It is difficult to speak of terrorism in Syria without first outlining how the concept has benefited besieged autocrat Bashar al-Assad himself. Assad's government has been presenting itself as a stabilizing force in Syria amidst the ongoing violence. As such, the regime has always had an interest in manufacturing an atmosphere of chaos. The Syrian government has taken steps to build this narrative through the terrorist group, the Front for the Protection of the People of the Levant, or al-Nusra. Al-Nusra and...
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border / cooperation / crime / economy / immigration / Politics / United States / violence / 360° Context / Americas / Global SecuritySince security concerns are rising, the US and Mexico are continuously looking for a solution to protect their border without disrupting the prospering trade. Protecting Borders in the 21st Century: A look at Mexico – US Security Cooperation Background Covering 2,000 miles of terrain, Mexico and the United States share one of the longest land locked borders in the world. From trade to immigration, rising security concerns, effective cooperation between the US and Mexico is vital in protecting both countries’ national interests. The rise of organized crime and violence, troubled economies, and vicious cycles of undocumented immigration, the US and Mexico’s policies and...
