What Will do the Trick?

Many observers claim that sanctions are largely counterproductive. Yet, the era of heavy sanctions seems to be over, and now the talk is all about the so-called “smart sanctions”. The current sanctions that target the Iranian economy and the IRGC in particular have had their effect, albeit a limited one. The key to an Apartheid-like economic isolation of Iran is China, and the vulnerability of Iran lies in its oil industry, the pillar of its economy.

Getting To Grips With The Quetta Shura

Though it was never a secret that the Afghan Taliban leadership uses Quetta as its base, from where it makes its strategic planning, only recently has the US placed it on the top of its agenda. Yet, an American intervention in Quetta can become costly, for both the US and Pakistan. The US should let Pakistan deal with Mullah Omar and his peers.

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Bad Governance Revisited

On the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, and in the face of the massive protests also against Khamenei himself, the issue of whether the Revolution was an Islamic one re-gains its relevance. Furthermore, some parallels can be drawn between today and the pre-Revolution era, the main one being bad governance.

Sunnier Skies?

Due to its geopolitical importance, a still unstable political system, and inevitable ties with major players like Iran, Turkey and the US, it is assumed that the nature of Iraq’s external alliances will be largely dictated by foreign interests. Nevertheless, the future of Iraq’s relations with its powerful neighbours can be determined by an all-inclusive national project and be relatively immune to external pressures.

The War of Ideas

The debate on whether or not to intervene in states like Somalia and Afghanistan so as to deny terrorist groups their safe havens has evolved in such a way that the two positions are now mutually exclusive. The most important issue is recruitment and, in this “war of ideas”, the traditional notion of territory becomes less important, because all territory is important.

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The Forgotten Sons of Iraq

If there were any doubts about the need for all-inclusive politics in Iraq, it is now obvious that there will be no bright future if the return to sectarian loyalties is not prevented. The Sunni awakening members’ increasing discontent with their condition after assisting in the single most important mission of Iraq’s stabilization is worrying.

A History of Violence

The history of violence that characterizes the Horn of Africa partly explains, though obviously does not justify, the behaviour of Eritrea. The support to non-state armed groups is a feature that characterizes the history of most of the African continent. The particular relevance of Eritrea’s activities is that the group they favour—the Shabaab—is not just a regular non-state armed group.

A Secret That Everybody Knows

From a humanitarian perspective, 33 per cent of civilian casualties is a considerably high figure. And while the drones’ invisibility provides an alternative for what would otherwise be an unsustainable military presence, some of the most negative consequences of the drone attacks are also invisible.