By James R. Holmes As weaponeers, budgeteers, and lawmakers wage their annual death match over the defense budget, here’s some input from the margins of Fight Club. And yes, I know the first and second rules of Fight Club. But no one obeys them inside the Beltway, and …
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US Hypocrisy Over Ukraine and Saudi Arabia
By BRIAN CLOUGHLEY Boris Nemtsov was a Russian politician who was shot dead in Moscow on January 27, 2015. He was opposed to Russia’s government and its leader and therefore, according to Western dogma of these times, his murder must have been ordered by President Putin. Police began …
Read More »India vs. China: A 21st Century Economic Battle Royal
“Innumerable analysts have predicted that the twenty-first century will belong to China, yet it seems worth considering whether the current millennium will not belong at least equally to India.” Christopher Whalen Back in August of last year, TNI described why India’s economic prospects are brighter than those of …
Read More »Europe’s Next Ukraine Nightmare: A Massive Financial Default
Yuri Poluneev Ukraine’s economy is in crisis. Experts warn that the country’s gross domestic product could shrink by 6 to 12 percent and inflation could exceed 40 percent in 2015, although one prominent economist put that figure in triple digits already. The war in eastern Ukraine has throttled the country’s …
Read More »Will Russia Really Build a Fleet of Supercarriers?
Russian defense officials’ plans to build a supercarrier have been scrutinized at home and abroad. However, the idea could have a surprisingly practical side. A new article in Newsweek rekindled rumors from March that Russia could be building a new supercarrier. The article notes that Russia has no strategic need …
Read More »Not All Quiet on Saudi Front: King Salman’s Power Trips Might Trigger Coup
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman’s bold steps to consolidate power might trigger backlash from his rivals. New steps taken by King Salman bin Abdel Aziz al-Saud might lead to a possible political storm in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Intelligence Review IHS Jane’s 360 reported. The reason to expect political disorder within Saudi governing circles …
Read More »Armata, Kurganets & Co: Sneak Peak at Russia’s Brand New Military Equipment
Never before seen types of military hardware, including new Armata main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, will be showcased during the Moscow Victory Day Parade on May 9. The Russian Defense Ministry posted on its website photos of its latest, most advanced models of military hardware that will be displayed …
Read More »America’s Willing Helper: Intelligence Scandal Puts Merkel in Tight Place
Germany’s latest spying scandal has created the biggest crisis yet for the country’s foreign intelligence agency. The German government appears to have been aware of widespread US spying, possibly including economic espionage, against European targets and yet it did nothing to stop it. By SPIEGEL Staff July 14, …
Read More »Iran Nuclear Talks Open a Tangled Path to Ending Syria’s War
By SOMINI SENGUPTA Wearing pinstripes and a pince-nez, Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations envoy for Syria, arrived at the Security Council one Tuesday afternoon in February and announced that President Bashar al-Assad had agreed to halt airstrikes over Aleppo. Would the rebels, Mr. de Mistura suggested, agree …
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