The Geopolitical Importance of the Suez Canal
Summaiyya Qureshi explores the geopolitical importance of the Suez Canal, a widely used route in the marine commercial business that reduces trade costs significantly.
The Suez Canal plays a vital role in linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas, making it simpler to export and import commodities from Asian countries to European and African countries, and vice versa.
David vs Goliath: The Epic Military Mismatch Between Palestine and Israel
While the mainstream media is cognizant of the military discrepancy between Israel and the Palestinians, the consequences of this discrepancy are almost never commented on.
The Global Refugee Crisis, State Sovereignty, & the Politics Behind it All
The dynamic relationship between refugee flow, rebel groups, and civil wars are often used by states to justify the rejection and expulsion of refugees.
While respecting the principle of state sovereignty, Shazeen Waseem discusses how it is necessary to establish a depoliticised and law-based framework to properly address the situation of the millions of refugees worldwide.
No Peace for Afghan Women
Hamra Tariq is unsettled by the way Afghan women have been exploited, both by the US and the Taliban.
She believes that a deeper look into colonialism and the feminist ideology of the Global South has to be considered. This is needed in order to reframe the opinion about Afghan women and to unveil the stakes of larger geopolitical feminist epistemology.
Myths Around Pakistan’s Nukes & National Security
Brig Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (Retd) dispels four virulent myths that have been making the rounds. These include:
1. Balkanization of Pakistan
2. Pakistan is a failed state
3. Pakistan is an epicentre of terrorism
4. The threat to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
He believes that the common objective is to debilitate and defang Pakistan—the only Muslim nuclear power that could threaten US, India, and Israel.
NATO 2022 Strategic Concept: A New Cold War
At the NATO Summit this year in Madrid, the 2022 Strategic Concept was presented and adopted by the alliance’s representatives. The latest strategic doctrine underscores one of the most significant policy shifts in NATO’s deterrence policy since the end of the Cold War.
The document declared the People’s Republic of China as a security challenge.
The alliance has now also categorically recognized the Russian Federation as the most significant and direct threat to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region.
US Intervention in Somalia: Justified or Unnecessary?
Huda Raza details the US-led intervention in Somalia, the political scenario behind the situation that led to the intervention, and the military measures taken by the Bush and Clinton administrations.
She also evaluates whether it was a fair intervention under the theory of just war.
The Middle East Quartet & Its Role
The Middle East Quartet was set up in 2002, primarily to help mediate the Middle East peace negotiations. It has also been supporting Palestinian economic development and institution-building in preparation for eventual statehood.
The platform has an informal structure, but it provides fluidity to members to navigate crises.
Pakistan-US Relations: As Fickle as the Weather
The US has had a turbulent relationship with Pakistan since the country’s independence in 1947. Over the course of 75 years, minor changes have occurred in the way bilateral exchanges are conducted between the two nations.
Despite the rollercoaster relationship, the US has assisted Pakistan by providing necessary loans, humanitarian aid, and military equipment during exigent situations.
Moreover, the US is a major foreign direct investor in Pakistan’s economy, and its largest export partner.
However, bilateral relations between the two have been deteriorating because of scathing remarks and underhanded activities.
Propaganda Against Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: From “Islamic Bomb” to Biden’s Comments
For decades, the West has had its eyes set on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, going as far as to stir up paranoia against it. The recent statement by President Joe Biden is just another notch in America’s extensive propaganda campaign against Pakistan. Sarmad Ishfaq points out the fallacies in the West’s perceived notion of Pakistan’s nuclear insecurity. He highlights how Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are secure and in turn proves that the countries questioning Pakistan have many nuclear-related issues themselves.
Arab NATO: Key to the Middle East Dilemma?
In recent years, the Gulf states have started to view Israel in a new light. Backed by Saudi Arabia and the US, these states – United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar – no longer think of Israel as a geopolitical threat but rather, consider Iran the enemy.
This sentiment has increased the prospect of an Arab coalition against Iran, particularly since the signing of the Abraham Accords.
Muhammad Bilal Farooq notes that although the Saudi-led coalition against Iran is supported by the US, the Arab states have become aware that they cannot solely rely on Western powers to be security guarantors.
The Maritime Border Deal Between Israel & Lebanon
Israel and Lebanon have been at war since 1948. Both nations have been claiming rights over an 860 sq. km. patch of an area in the Mediterranean Sea that contains parts of the Karish gas field and Qana gas field.
Negotiations between the two nations were underway since October 2020 but failed to bear fruits until recently. The historic maritime deal has now been mediated by the United States.
The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities
The father of offensive realism, John Joseph Mearsheimer, constructed this piece of literature revolving around the critique of “liberal hegemony” and liberalism in US foreign policy. In “The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities,” he methodically deconstructs the liberal foreign policy paradigm that has been very relevant in the past century.
The Leaks in the Nord Stream Pipelines: Who’s to Blame?
As of September 2022, the Nord Stream pipelines have been damaged. The Nord Stream leaks have been internationally scrutinized, with states blaming either the US or Russia for the incident. Maryam Ibrahim asserts that regardless of who’s to blame, one thing is certain: the leaks were not the result of a natural calamity. She further takes into account the different factors involved in the repair of the damaged pipelines to assess how long it’ll take to get them back to work.
UNGA 77: Ukraine War Overshadows Other Issues
The 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77) opened on 13 September 2022, and the week-long debates were heavily dominated by one conflict—the Russia-Ukraine war. It drowned out other important matters like the food crisis, the energy crisis, and the conflicts elsewhere. Moreover, many leaders were displeased with the West’s bias towards Ukraine.
Neo-colonialism & Economic Imperialism: The Third World’s Enslavement
Though traditional colonization has officially ended, decolonization of the Third World has been incomplete. Rabia Ansari argues that in light of the new forms of colonialism seen in the world, decolonization cannot be limited to states becoming independent and the removal of foreign forces. In contemporary times, neo-colonialism or economic imperialism has taken root in the Third World, indebting weak states to former colonial powers.
Are Digital Currencies & China’s Yuan Causing the US Dollar to Decline?
Since the Bretton Woods system was first introduced, the US dollar has established itself as the world’s largest reserve currency. However, with the increasing popularity of non-traditional currencies, questions have arisen about the possible decline of the dollar’s dominance. Liza Wasique attempts to answer these questions while acknowledging the declining trust in the US currency, and the competition between the dollar and China’s yuan.