More than four years after the start of the Syrian civil war, the familiar narrative of the conflict’s beginning, in the midst of the contagion surrounding the Arab Spring of 2010-2011, has been woven into news reports, scholarly articles, debates, and other explanations of the conflict. Separating the catalyst from
Russia’s recent claim to exclusive rights to over 1.2 million square kilometers of Arctic sea shelf has returned the Arctic to the forefront of international security discussions worldwide. This claim has been backed by ample scientific evidence, according to Russia, whose first claim was rejected by the United Nations in
A newly released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accuses government forces and allied militia in South Sudan of grave war crimes and possible crimes against humanity in Unity State in April 2015. Among the atrocities documented in the 42-page report are killings and rapes of civilians, and the burning of
One year after hostilities in Gaza erupted and dominated international headlines, a new UN report has helped the conflict reemerge as a topic of discussion and debate. The report, issued by the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, finds that both Israeli and Palestinian armed groups
Burundi’s parliamentary elections on June 29 continued the trend of political instability and state-sanctioned violence that created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in the weeks leading up to the vote. Election day clashes involved gunfire and grenades amid boycotts by political opposition groups and citizens nationwide. After President Pierre
The situation in Yemen today reads like an all-too-familiar narrative: as warring factions vie for political power, the toll taken on innocent civilians is continually increasing. Fighters can be broadly divided between those loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi—who fled the country in March—and Shia Houthi rebels. The conflict’s dynamics,
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Afghanistan early on April 18 that is believed to be the group’s first violent attack in the country. At least 33 are reported to have died and more than 100 injured in the attack, which occurred outside of
On March 29, eleven days following the March 18 terrorist attack on Tunisia’s National Bardo Museum, tens of thousands flocked to the streets in a display of solidarity against the Islamic State militants who claimed responsibility for the attack. French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and other
