By 2020, more than 20 billion devices will be connected through a network of ping-ponging texts, bank transfers, and personal data. At the same time the world grows more connected, nefarious nation-states and transnational criminal organizations only have more targets for crippling cyber attacks. Cut the cord, and the institutions the world relies on could […]
Terrorism
North Korea’s Negative Influence on the Middle East
Just days before the U.S.-North Korea summit, a Washington Institute for Near East Policy discussion on June 7 examined North Korea’s far-reaching negative impact on the Middle East and Africa, emphasizing caution in dealing with the rogue nation. “The North Koreans have been helping the Syrians build chemical weapons facilities and have actually deployed their […]
Trump’s Iran Decision Resets International Attitude
In the wake of President Trump’s decision to scrap U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), lawmakers in Iran’s parliament burned an image of the American flag and shouted “Death to America!” on Wednesday. Leaders in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom released a statement Tuesday vowing continued commitment to the deal, […]
Long-Term Syria Strategy Remains Elusive
For the second time in a year, President Trump took military action to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his use of chemical weapons against his own people. However, the U.S.’s long-term strategy for moving forward in Syria remains unclear. The Trump administration is recalibrating Syrian policy as it relates to Assad’s use of chemical […]
What Happens in a Chlorine/Sarin Gas Attack?
Administration officials said April 14 that the poison gas attack in Douma, Syria, April 8 was most likely a chlorine gas attack, with additional evidence pointing to the use of the nerve agent sarin. Though the issue of chemical attacks is one that often strikes terror, particularly to vulnerable populations around the globe, what does […]