In April of this year the Georgian government submitted to parliament a controversial “foreign agents law,” sparking massive anti-government demonstrations in Tbilisi. Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets protesting what has been dubbed the “Russian law,” resulting in clashes between the protesters and the police and leaving dozens injured, hospitalized, and arrested. Public demands that the Georgian Dream government rescind the problematic legislation only continue to grow as thousands of Georgians pour into Tbilisi from the regions, joining the mass demonstration ..read more

Amid escalating regional tensions since October 7 last year and reports of American contemplations of troop withdrawal from Syria, the US administration should reassess its Syria policy, and consider a long-term, minimalist presence coupled with robust political and diplomatic efforts in the interest of regional security and peace. The ongoing Middle East tensions underscore the US role in regional stability and the importance of US allies in countering threats. The northeastern (NE) region of Syria, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), plays a crucial role in regional security by ..read more

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This week Phil Wasielewski is joined by retired Special Forces colonel Hy Rothstein to discuss irregular warfare in Afghanistan, lessons learned, and lessons that still need to be learned.  ..read more

Japan-Korea relations, historically strained by disputes over historical memory, seem to be experiencing a cautious upswing. Despite the lingering effects of historical, political, and economic disagreements, the rapprochement best seen in 2023’s Camp David summit between the leaders of South Korea, Japan, and the United States points to a noticeable shift. Beyond geopolitics, observers of Japan and Korea have long noted an intriguing cultural exchange among the youth of both nations. In Japan, Korean music, television dramas, and cuisine are deeply popular, while in South Korea, Japanese anim ..read more

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Russia and China in Central Asia: How do the two major powers define their interests in the region and deploy the instruments of power to their advantage? The two countries that have the greatest influence in Central Asia are Russia and China. Moscow and Beijing have common interests in Central Asia, foremost are security interests connected to sharing long borders with a mainly Muslim region that itself borders Afghanistan. However, both these giant neighbors view Central Asia differently. Russia and China each have their own purposes in Central Asia, some of which do not affect the other, bu ..read more

The United States faces a strategic dilemma.  The US wishes to transition from fossil fuels, seeing a clear linkage between continued large-scale use and climate change.  However, the US also does not wish to handicap its energy fueled economy, nor empower hostile and/or repressive regimes that control critical commodities in the process.  The dilemma has two faces.  The first appears as the US reduces its domestic fossil fuel production, empowering Russia and Saudi Arabia.  The second appears as the US moves to so-called “renewable” sources, which require the min ..read more

Background For the eighth year in a row, the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report labeled Libya as a Special Case country. Typically, the Department of State gives a country a score from one to three based on their efforts to combat human trafficking. However, the Department was unable to give Libya a score, since, during the recording period, the UN-recognized Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) did not exercise control over a portion of Libyan territory and the country’s judicial system was not fully functioning. Because of this, it is impossible to measure the full exte ..read more

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