The Baines Report
In 2001, on the 10th day of July, the New York Times published an op-ed titled “The Declining Terrorist Threat.” The author argued that terrorism reached its zenith in the 1980s, so it was not a serious security challenge confronting the United States. Two months later — nearly to the day — the 9/11 terrorist […]
After watching the recent democratic turmoil in the United States with a mix of alarm and familiarity, neighbors in Latin America will soon begin their own busy season of elections. 2020 saw major electoral upheavals across the region, bringing about a return to democracy in some countries, while political disenfranchisement increased in others. As voters […]
Hope is high, but so is anxiety. On Sep. 16, 2020, Yoshihide Suga succeeded Shinzo Abe and became the 99th Prime Minister of Japan, after previously acting as Abe’s Chief Cabinet Secretary. Suga announced in his Cabinet decisions that his first priority is tackling the spread of COVID-19. As for his other policies, he claims […]
While pursuing a master’s degree at American University, Andrew Hallman took a class taught by a professor on sabbatical from the CIA. As he learned of the pivotal role intelligence plays in policy and security, Hallman wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to know more. Three years after earning his degree and many background checks later, he […]
June 5 marked the second anniversary of the Gulf rift. In 2017, the Saudi-led quartet (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt) imposed a blockade on Qatar, citing Qatar’s relations with Iran and terrorist organizations. To date, Qatar refuses to acknowledge the quartet’s 13 demands — issued in the early weeks of the rift — which […]
With a record $47bn defense budget, a total order of 150 F-35s coupled with the first aircraft carriers since 1945, and a House of Counsillors election in July, 2019 will be a busy year for Prime Minister Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). These enhancements to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF), a military organization […]
Seventy years ago today, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human rights that enshrined the idea that every person has fundamental rights regardless of who they are or where they live. Yet since 2016, a civil war in Yemen has escalated into the largest manmade humanitarian crisis in modern memory. The world should […]
In his time since leaving Langley, John Brennan has continued to be a fixture in the news. He has not gone gently into the night, trading barbs with President Trump and finding himself on the receiving end of more than a few Twitter tirades. Brennan has cast the President as dishonest and unfit for office, […]
Last December, I was offered my dream internship — working with the U.S. Department of State — after a two-month application and interview process. As a master’s student in global policy studies, the opportunity to work for a summer at the U.S. Mission to the UN in Geneva would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It would […]
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has hinted at a possible intervention in the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. continues threaten Iran’s crude oil exports. He said this during his European tour to salvage the nuclear deal, which is under pressure following the U.S. withdrawal. The leader’s words hinted at a possibility of another Middle Eastern conflict. […]